Roosevelt, Eleanor -- Memoir (1949), This I Remember, ch. 5 “The Governorship Years: 1928–1932”

Dave — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:57:02 +0000

There are two kinds of snobbishness. That of the man who has had many good opportunities and looks down on those who lack them is usually recognized by all. The other kind of snobbishness is rarely understood, yet it is real. It is that of the self-made man, who glories in his success in overcoming difficulties and admires greatly people who have achieved the things he considers of importance.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American politician, diplomat, activist; First Lady of the US (1933–45)
Memoir (1949), This I Remember, ch. 5 “The Governorship Years: 1928–1932”

Discussing Al Smith, Franklin Roosevelt's predecessor as Governor of New York. She says he fell into the latter category, not having much admiration for Franklin Roosevelt as a "Harvard man" with an inheritance who didn't value material success as much as Smith did.

The same passage, with modifications, is included in her compiled 1961 Autobiography, Part 2, ch. 15:

There are two kinds of snobbishness. One is that of the man who has had a good many opportunities and looks down on those who lack them. The other is rarely understood, that of the self-made man who glories in his success in overcoming difficulties and admires greatly people who have achieved the things he considers of importance.

WIST Quotations

Roosevelt, Eleanor -- Memoir (1949), This I Remember, ch. 5 “The Governorship Years: 1928–1932”