--- title: "10 Ifs Quotes By John Cage" description: "10 Ifs quotes by John Cage. Plus more from John Cage and more Ifs sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/john-cage-2094_accomplish_if-you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-accompl_2150134.png" --- > [If you don't have enough time to accomplish something, consider the work finished once it's begun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-accomplish-something-consider-the/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/john-cage-2094_accomplish_if-you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-accompl_2150134.png) > [People who aren't artists often feel that artists are inspired. But if you work at your art you don't have time to…](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/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/john-cage-2094_art_people-who-aren-t-artists-often-feel-tha_237671.png) > [If there are questions then, of course, there are answers, but the final answer makes the questions seem absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-there-are-questions-then-of-course-there-are-answers-but-the-final/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c17/john-cage-2094_absurd_if-there-are-questions-then-of-course-th_576325.png) > [“If my work is accepted, I must move on to the point where it is not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-my-work-is-accepted-i-must-move-on-to-the-point-where-it-is-not/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f54/john-cage-2094_acceptance_if-my-work-is-accepted-i-must-move-on-to_2514884.png) > [What right do I have to be in the woods, if the woods are not in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/what-right-do-i-have-to-be-in-the-woods-if-the-woods-are-not-in-me/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/389/john-cage-2094_ifs_what-right-do-i-have-to-be-in-the-woods_2350217.png) > [ My favorite piece \[piece of music\] is the one we hear all the time if we are quiet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/my-favorite-piece-piece-of-music-is-the-one-we-hear-all-the-time-if/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/john-cage-2094_ifs_my-favorite-piece-piece-of-music-is-the_1098264.png) > [If this word "music" is sacred and reserved for eighteenth and nineteenth century instruments, we can substitute a more meaningful term: organization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-this-word-music-is-sacred-and-reserved-for-eighteenth-and/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a47/john-cage-2094_century_if-this-word-music-is-sacred-and-reserve_2624719.png) > [We are simple-minded enough to think that if we were saying something we would use words. We are rather doing something. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/we-are-simple-minded-enough-to-think-that-if-we-were-saying-something/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/john-cage-2094_determined_we-are-simple-minded-enough-to-think-tha_2539818.jpg) > [With just one musician, you can really do an unlimited number of things on the inside of the piano, if you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/with-just-one-musician-you-can-really-do-an-unlimited-number-of/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/john-cage-2094_ifs_with-just-one-musician-you-can-really-do_1798824.png) > [What I'm proposing, to myself and other people, is what I often call the tourist attitude - that you act as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/what-i-m-proposing-to-myself-and-other-people-is-what-i-often-call/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/john-cage-2094_attitude_what-i-m-proposing-to-myself-and-other-p_2113730.jpg) ## Other authors on Ifs ## 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/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/john-cage/#itemlist", "name": "10 Ifs Quotes By John Cage", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you don't have enough time to accomplish something, consider the work finished once it's begun.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Cage" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-accomplish-something-consider-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/john-cage-2094_accomplish_if-you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-accompl_2150134.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/john-cage-2094_accomplish_if-you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-accompl_2150134.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/900/john-cage-2094_accomplish_if-you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-accompl_2150134.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you don't have enough time to accomplish something, consider the work finished once it's begun.” — John Cage", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People who aren't artists often feel that artists are inspired. 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