---
title: "4 Accord Quotes By John Cage"
description: "4 Accord quotes by John Cage. Plus more from John Cage and more Accord sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/john-cage-2094_accord_our-intention-is-to-affirm-this-life-not_225105.jpg"
---

> [Our intention is to affirm this life, not to bring order out of chaos, nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/our-intention-is-to-affirm-this-life-not-to-bring-order-out-of-chaos/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/john-cage-2094_accord_our-intention-is-to-affirm-this-life-not_225105.jpg)

> [Art's purpose is to sober and quiet the mind so that it is in accord with what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/art-s-purpose-is-to-sober-and-quiet-the-mind-so-that-it-is-in-accord/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bc/john-cage-2094_accord_art-s-purpose-is-to-sober-and-quiet-the_230484.png)

> [What is the purpose of writing music? One is, of course, not dealing with purposes but dealing with sounds. Or the answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/what-is-the-purpose-of-writing-music-one-is-of-course-not-dealing/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec9/john-cage-2094_accord_what-is-the-purpose-of-writing-music-one_786107.jpg)

> [The highest purpose is to have no purpose at all. This puts one in accord with nature, in her manner of operation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/the-highest-purpose-is-to-have-no-purpose-at-all-this-puts-one-in/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f5/john-cage-2094_accord_the-highest-purpose-is-to-have-no-purpos_1423891.png)

## Other authors on Accord

## More by John Cage

> [If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-something-is-boring-after-two-minutes-try-it-for-four-if-still/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [ It was at Harvard not quite forty years ago that I went into an anechoic \[totally silent\] chamber not expecting in that silent room… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/it-was-at-harvard-not-quite-forty-years-ago-that-i-went-into-an/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [So somebody has talent? So what? Dime a dozen. And we're overpopulated. Actually we have more food than we have people and more art.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/so-somebody-has-talent-so-what-dime-a-dozen-and-we-re-overpopulated/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [“...the important questions are answered by not liking only but disliking and accepting equally what one likes and dislikes. Otherwise there is no access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/the-important-questions-are-answered-by-not-liking-only-but-disliking/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [The material of music is sound and silence. Integrating these is composing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/the-material-of-music-is-sound-and-silence-integrating-these-is/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [There is poetry as soon as we realize that we possess nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/there-is-poetry-as-soon-as-we-realize-that-we-possess-nothing/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [To see, one must go beyond the imiagination and for that one must stand absolutely still as though at the center of a leap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/to-see-one-must-go-beyond-the-imiagination-and-for-that-one-must/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [Value judgments are destructive to our proper business, which is curiosity and awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/value-judgments-are-destructive-to-our-proper-business-which-is/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [Our intention is to affirm this life, not to bring order out of chaos, nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/our-intention-is-to-affirm-this-life-not-to-bring-order-out-of-chaos/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [There are some good people in it, but the orchestra as a whole is equivalent to a gang bent on destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/there-are-some-good-people-in-it-but-the-orchestra-as-a-whole-is/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [Art's purpose is to sober and quiet the mind so that it is in accord with what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/art-s-purpose-is-to-sober-and-quiet-the-mind-so-that-it-is-in-accord/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [People who aren't artists often feel that artists are inspired. But if you work at your art you don't have time to be inspired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/people-who-aren-t-artists-often-feel-that-artists-are-inspired-but-if/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [“Farting, don't think, just fart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/farting-don-t-think-just-fart/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [Not one sound fears the silence that extinguishes it. And no silence exists that is not pregnant with sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/not-one-sound-fears-the-silence-that-extinguishes-it-and-no-silence/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

> [My work became an exploration of non-intention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/my-work-became-an-exploration-of-non-intention/)

[John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/)

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