--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I came back [to Beijing ] because that's…" description: "\"I came back [to Beijing ] because that's the only time I had an excuse to come back, or otherwise I would never have a reason to come back.\" — Ai Weiwei" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4f/ai-weiwei-824_beijing_i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-th_969041.jpg" --- # I came back \[to Beijing \] because that's the only time I… ![“I came back [to Beijing ] because that's the only time I had an excuse to come back, or otherwise I would never have a reason to come back.” quote by Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4f/ai-weiwei-824_beijing_i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-th_969041.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4f/ai-weiwei-824_beijing_i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-th_969041.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4f/ai-weiwei-824_beijing_i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-th_969041.jpg) > “I came back \[to Beijing \] because that's the only time I had an excuse to come back, or otherwise I would never have a reason to come back.” [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He returned to Beijing only when he had a valid excuse, otherwise he would have no reason to go back. **In simple terms:** He goes back only when he has a reason. Key Takeaway Find a purpose before returning. Themes identity home purpose artist life exile decision making Mood reflective thoughtful introspective Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - family reunions - artistic inspiration - political constraints Key Concepts Existentialism personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - What excuses do you use to avoid returning home? - How does purpose shape your movements? A Different Perspective He may be avoiding confronting deeper reasons for staying. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beijing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beijing/) [Came Beijing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came-beijing-1848038/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Excuse Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse-come-1848040/) [Only time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only-time/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Time Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-excuse-1848039/) ## Related quotes > [I want any excuse to come home. My dad is not a spring chicken any more. If anyone says, 'Go buy a postage stamp…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-want-any-excuse-to-come-home-my-dad-is-not-a-spring-chicken-any/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [“No time is no excuse”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/no-time-is-no-excuse/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“As I'm a WIP (work in progress) whip me if I'm wrong or disgress, but time has no excuse to age us at all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-claudia-antunes/as-i-m-a-wip-work-in-progress-whip-me-if-i-m-wrong-or-disgress-but/) [Ana Claudia Antunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-claudia-antunes/) > [“Time is an excuse to delay.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitav-chowdhury/time-is-an-excuse-to-delay/) [Amitav Chowdhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitav-chowdhury/) > [The Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo show just how much effort China is willing to spend to enter the global stage. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/the-beijing-olympics-and-the-shanghai-world-expo-show-just-how-much/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Cities really are mental conditions. Beijing is a nightmare. A constant nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/cities-really-are-mental-conditions-beijing-is-a-nightmare-a-constant/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Beijing's Olympics were very grand - they were trying to throw a party for the world, but the hosts didn't enjoy it. The government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/beijing-s-olympics-were-very-grand-they-were-trying-to-throw-a-party/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [ Many people are going to use \[Beijing National Stadium\], which makes it more meaningful. If we don't design it, somebody else has to design… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/many-people-are-going-to-use-beijing-national-stadium-which-makes-it/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Beijing is constructing a 100,000 m2 modern art museum, yet it will not feature any of my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/beijing-is-constructing-a-100-000-m2-modern-art-museum-yet-it-will/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [This week, the world gathers in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic games. This is the extraordinary moment China has been dreaming of for 100…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/this-week-the-world-gathers-in-beijing-for-the-2008-olympic-games/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-see-the-beijing-national-stadium-as-an-architectural-project-i/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Coming into London having the experience of Beijing is really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/coming-into-london-having-the-experience-of-beijing-is-really-good/) [Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/) > [Air pollution is my biggest concern right now. Maybe because I live in Beijing, and in this city we have such severe challenges due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-bingbing/air-pollution-is-my-biggest-concern-right-now-maybe-because-i-live-in/) [Li Bingbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-bingbing/) > [Often GOP political strategy seems like the human wave theory of the Chinese military translated to politics. Where Beijing uses masses of soldiers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/often-gop-political-strategy-seems-like-the-human-wave-theory-of-the/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) ## More by Ai Weiwei > [I'm totally independent. I don't bear any responsibility to any system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-m-totally-independent-i-don-t-bear-any-responsibility-to-any-system/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [If my art has nothing to do with people's pain and sorrow, what is 'art' for?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/if-my-art-has-nothing-to-do-with-people-s-pain-and-sorrow-what-is-art/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Police in China can do whatever they want; after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/police-in-china-can-do-whatever-they-want-after-81-days-in-arbitrary/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [China has a rich history that has spanned millennia. It consists of the histories of many nations and regions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/china-has-a-rich-history-that-has-spanned-millennia-it-consists-of/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [This world should be much more open and should be much more free, so the young people would have the chance to exercise the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/this-world-should-be-much-more-open-and-should-be-much-more-free-so/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [By participating in the society we live in, we understand our conditions and the way we relate to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/by-participating-in-the-society-we-live-in-we-understand-our/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-see-the-beijing-national-stadium-as-an-architectural-project-i/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [ I curated this show \[Shanghai Biennale \], I was by no means trying to shock people or be controversial. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-curated-this-show-shanghai-biennale-i-was-by-no-means-trying-to/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I think we cannot have a double standard. We cannot see our art as different from the reality. We cannot use two different sets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-think-we-cannot-have-a-double-standard-we-cannot-see-our-art-as/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [It doesn't matter where I am - China will stay in me. I don't know how far I can still walk on this road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/it-doesn-t-matter-where-i-am-china-will-stay-in-me-i-don-t-know-how/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Chinese citizens have never had the right to really express their opinions; in the constitution it says you can, but in the real world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/chinese-citizens-have-never-had-the-right-to-really-express-their/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Your own acts tell the world who you are and what kind of society you think it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/your-own-acts-tell-the-world-who-you-are-and-what-kind-of-society-you/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Our lives are bound by physical limits, familial ties, political conditions, and geographical restrictions. Individual freedom takes us beyond them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/our-lives-are-bound-by-physical-limits-familial-ties-political/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Now I've come to such a mixed culture: America, Europe, South America, Africa. And the politics are changing everywhere all the time and becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/now-i-ve-come-to-such-a-mixed-culture-america-europe-south-america/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I don't think it's worth discussing new directions in the context of Chinese art - there were no old directions, either. Chinese art has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-don-t-think-it-s-worth-discussing-new-directions-in-the-context-of/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) [Explore all 359 Ai Weiwei quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) ## More Beijing quotes > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) > [I see the Beijing National Stadium as an architectural project. I accepted Herzog and De Meuron's invitation to collaborate on the design, and our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-see-the-beijing-national-stadium-as-an-architectural-project-i/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [Often GOP political strategy seems like the human wave theory of the Chinese military translated to politics. Where Beijing uses masses of soldiers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/often-gop-political-strategy-seems-like-the-human-wave-theory-of-the/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [Air pollution is my biggest concern right now. Maybe because I live in Beijing, and in this city we have such severe challenges due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-bingbing/air-pollution-is-my-biggest-concern-right-now-maybe-because-i-live-in/) [Li Bingbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-bingbing/) > [Coming into London having the experience of Beijing is really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/coming-into-london-having-the-experience-of-beijing-is-really-good/) [Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/) > [Well it did not make excessive sense to say that 20 million people are the recognized government of a billion people that have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/well-it-did-not-make-excessive-sense-to-say-that-20-million-people/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [I was born and raised in Vancouver. I moved to Beijing in 2010 just before the Olympics. Being an Asian Canadian actor, the amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osric-chau/i-was-born-and-raised-in-vancouver-i-moved-to-beijing-in-2010-just/) [Osric Chau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osric-chau/) > [If you're in the movies and you haven't been to Beijing, you're kind of missing where things are really happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-minkoff/if-you-re-in-the-movies-and-you-haven-t-been-to-beijing-you-re-kind/) [Rob Minkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-minkoff/) > [By 2040, the Sahara will be moving into Europe and Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad. Atlanta will end up a kudzu jungle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-2040-the-sahara-will-be-moving-into-europe-and-berlin-will-be-as/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [My Beijing jersey means more to me than any of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephon-marbury/my-beijing-jersey-means-more-to-me-than-any-of-them/) [Stephon Marbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephon-marbury/) > [Team GB's success at the Beijing Olympics can, in part, be said to have been made in Manchester. For example, all the cycling medal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/team-gb-s-success-at-the-beijing-olympics-can-in-part-be-said-to-have/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [Beijing would indeed consider vetoing any American effort to sanction Iran at the Security Council.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-zhaoxing/beijing-would-indeed-consider-vetoing-any-american-effort-to-sanction/) [Li Zhaoxing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-zhaoxing/) > [Space is about 100 kilometers away. That’s far away—I wouldn’t want to climb a ladder to get there—but it isn’t that far away. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-munroe/space-is-about-100-kilometers-away-that-s-far-away-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Randall Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-munroe/) > [I think the biggest thing was that I was putting pressure on myself leading up to Beijing. Now I am learning how to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-hall/i-think-the-biggest-thing-was-that-i-was-putting-pressure-on-myself/) [Ryan Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-hall/) > [My approach to gymnastics in Beijing was heavily based on the amount of difficulty I could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-johnson/my-approach-to-gymnastics-in-beijing-was-heavily-based-on-the-amount/) [Shawn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-johnson/) [Browse all 138 Beijing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beijing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I came back [to Beijing ] because that's the only time I had an excuse to come back, or otherwise I would never have a reason to come back.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ai Weiwei" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-the-only-time-i-had-an-excuse/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beijing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-the-only-time-i-had-an-excuse/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4f/ai-weiwei-824_beijing_i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-th_969041.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4f/ai-weiwei-824_beijing_i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-th_969041.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b4f/ai-weiwei-824_beijing_i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-th_969041.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I came back [to Beijing ] because that's the only time I had an excuse to come back, or otherwise I would…” — Ai Weiwei", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ai Weiwei", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I came back [to Beijing ]...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-the-only-time-i-had-an-excuse/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/i-came-back-to-beijing-because-that-s-the-only-time-i-had-an-excuse/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```