"I never cared what kind of grade I got"

Shelby Foote's quote suggests that he was not encouraged by external benefits or acknowledgment. He was more thinking about the process of knowing and understanding than in the grade he got. This could be translated as a sign of his enthusiasm for knowledge and his dedication to knowing. He was not interested in the grade he got, however rather with the understanding he got. This might be viewed as an indication of his commitment to finding out and his desire to comprehend the world around him. He was not encouraged by the grade he got, however rather by the knowledge he gained. This could be seen as an indication of his dedication to finding out and his enthusiasm for knowledge.