--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Britain, because I live here, I can…" description: "\"In Britain, because I live here, I can also run into problems of envy and competition. But all this is just in a day's work for a writer. You can't put..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/alain-de-botton-221_britain_in-britain-because-i-live-here-i-can-als_2537311.jpg" --- # In Britain, because I live here, I can also run into… ![“In Britain, because I live here, I can also run into problems of envy and competition. But all this is just in a day's work for a writer. You can't put stuff out there without someone calling you a complete fool. Oh, well.” quote by Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/alain-de-botton-221_britain_in-britain-because-i-live-here-i-can-als_2537311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/alain-de-botton-221_britain_in-britain-because-i-live-here-i-can-als_2537311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/219/alain-de-botton-221_britain_in-britain-because-i-live-here-i-can-als_2537311.jpg) > “In Britain, because I live here, I can also run into problems of envy and competition. But all this is just in a day's work for a writer. You can't put stuff out there without someone calling you a complete fool. Oh, well.” [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers face envy and criticism as inevitable parts of public work, but they persist despite the risk of being called fools. **In simple terms:** Writers get judged and must keep creating. Key Takeaway Accept criticism and keep writing. Themes creativity criticism resilience Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - publishing - social media - public speaking - online forums Key Concepts public perception ego artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated when criticized? - What strategies protect creative confidence? A Different Perspective Criticism can discourage and limit creative risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Complete Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complete-fool-1399483/) [Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy/) [Envy Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/envy-competition-1399482/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Oh well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oh-well/) [Problems Envy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems-envy-1399481/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Writer Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-stuff-1247026/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Had the crow only fed without cawing she would have had more to eat, and much less of strife and envy to contend with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/had-the-crow-only-fed-without-cawing-she-would-have-had-more-to-eat/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“I still believe in you, as a writer, but the only stuff we ever had in common doesn't travel very far." "What stuff is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving-author/i-still-believe-in-you-as-a-writer-but-the-only-stuff-we-ever-had-in/) [John Irving (Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving-author/) > [I believed you, I trusted you, and you made me look a complete fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-arthur/i-believed-you-i-trusted-you-and-you-made-me-look-a-complete-fool/) [Prince Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-arthur/) > [Hippocrates is an excellent geometer but a complete fool in everyday affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/hippocrates-is-an-excellent-geometer-but-a-complete-fool-in-everyday/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [I was raised Catholic, so guilt shackles you from acting like a complete fool all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-michael-key/i-was-raised-catholic-so-guilt-shackles-you-from-acting-like-a/) [Keegan-Michael Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-michael-key/) > [I have a tendency to run after people who are completely unattainable and uninterested and make a complete fool of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-wainwright/i-have-a-tendency-to-run-after-people-who-are-completely-unattainable/) [Martha Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-wainwright/) > [When you take the high moral road it is difficult for anyone to object without sounding like a complete fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/when-you-take-the-high-moral-road-it-is-difficult-for-anyone-to/) [Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/) > [An employer would be a complete fool to let an image like college partying influence their hiring decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-denton/an-employer-would-be-a-complete-fool-to-let-an-image-like-college/) [Nick Denton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-denton/) > [When you've just made the most complete fool of yourself, you feel the need of a specially high horse to ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/when-you-ve-just-made-the-most-complete-fool-of-yourself-you-feel-the/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [Everyone thinks I'm a wimp and even my own band hates me. Oh, well. I guess I'll just flip 'em the bird!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-francis/everyone-thinks-i-m-a-wimp-and-even-my-own-band-hates-me-oh-well-i/) [Black Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-francis/) > [“There was a Princess Somebody of Denmark sitting at a table with a number of people around her, and I saw an empty chair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/there-was-a-princess-somebody-of-denmark-sitting-at-a-table-with-a/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [Debating on whether the chocolate I found in my purse has gone bad...Oh well! Still chocolate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-munn/debating-on-whether-the-chocolate-i-found-in-my-purse-has-gone-bad-oh/) [Olivia Munn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-munn/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [“Someone was knocking on her windshield. Georgie lifted her head off the steering wheel. It was Kendrick. She couldn’t really hear what he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/someone-was-knocking-on-her-windshield-georgie-lifted-her-head-off/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“What's Shlova?" He started behind me. "When did I say that?" "This morning, when we started off. Before you got mad at Dodge. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mireille-chester/what-s-shlova-he-started-behind-me-when-did-i-say-that-this-morning/) [Mireille Chester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mireille-chester/) ## More by Alain de Botton > [“To be mature is, we're told, to move beyond possessiveness. Jealousy is for babies. The mature person knows that no one owns anyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/to-be-mature-is-we-re-told-to-move-beyond-possessiveness-jealousy-is/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“He feared that by leaving her he would ruin her life - so he stayed, and did just that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/he-feared-that-by-leaving-her-he-would-ruin-her-life-so-he-stayed-and/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [You have to be quite heavily invested in someone to do them the honour of telling them you're annoyed with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/you-have-to-be-quite-heavily-invested-in-someone-to-do-them-the/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“The Anxiety of Sunday afternoon: your unlived lives and infinite possibility pressing upon the constraints of reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-anxiety-of-sunday-afternoon-your-unlived-lives-and-infinite/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Those who divorce aren't necessarily the most unhappy, just those neatly able to believe their misery is caused by one other person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/those-who-divorce-aren-t-necessarily-the-most-unhappy-just-those/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time—inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-could-not-be-fulfilled-if-we-weren-t-inauthentic-some-of-the-time/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“Insofar as we appreciate order, it is when we perceive it as being accompanied by complexity, when we feel that a variety of elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/insofar-as-we-appreciate-order-it-is-when-we-perceive-it-as-being/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [I like the values associated with a medical family - common sense, being practical but also thoughtful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/i-like-the-values-associated-with-a-medical-family-common-sense-being/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“Anyone who urgently needs us deserves, in the true book of love, to be our friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/anyone-who-urgently-needs-us-deserves-in-the-true-book-of-love-to-be/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“We can then recognize that we invented religions to serve two central needs which continue to this day and which secular society has not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-can-then-recognize-that-we-invented-religions-to-serve-two-central/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“Half the ingratitude and complacency in the world down to how slowly and imperceptibly most good and bad things unfold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/half-the-ingratitude-and-complacency-in-the-world-down-to-how-slowly/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [It is perhaps when our lives are at their most problematic that we are likely to be most receptive to beautiful things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/it-is-perhaps-when-our-lives-are-at-their-most-problematic-that-we/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“Does what is praised becomes better? Does an emerald become worse if it isn't praised? And what a gold, ivory, a flower or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/does-what-is-praised-becomes-better-does-an-emerald-become-worse-if/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [The bourgeois thinkers of the eighteenth century thus turned Aristotle's formula on its head: satisfactions which the Greek philosopher had identified with leisure were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-bourgeois-thinkers-of-the-eighteenth-century-thus-turned/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Reputation matters so much only because people so seldom think for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/reputation-matters-so-much-only-because-people-so-seldom-think-for/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) [Explore all 850 Alain de Botton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) ## More Britain quotes > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [In Britain, the press want to kill a show by revealing what's coming up and spoiling the pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-bonneville/in-britain-the-press-want-to-kill-a-show-by-revealing-what-s-coming/) [Hugh Bonneville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-bonneville/) > [If we don't like modern Britain, then it is very unlikely that modern Britain will like us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/if-we-don-t-like-modern-britain-then-it-is-very-unlikely-that-modern/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [It is time Britain put its trust back into the Labour Party. I believe I am the candidate that can make this happen precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/it-is-time-britain-put-its-trust-back-into-the-labour-party-i-believe/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Britain has the IRA and no one cancels concerts there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-osbourne/britain-has-the-ira-and-no-one-cancels-concerts-there/) [Sharon Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-osbourne/) > [The establishment in Britain is certainly against the arts and against education. If something doesn't make a profit, it's invalid, and art doesn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maxwell-davies/the-establishment-in-britain-is-certainly-against-the-arts-and/) [Peter Maxwell Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-maxwell-davies/) > [We from every religion feel comfortable in Britain because there is a host. The Church of England is a good host, it has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/we-from-every-religion-feel-comfortable-in-britain-because-there-is-a/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I think the first person to call me 'Britain's Obama' was Martin Bright at the New Statesman. Harriet Harman made the comparison once at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuka-umunna/i-think-the-first-person-to-call-me-britain-s-obama-was-martin-bright/) [Chuka Umunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuka-umunna/) > [I am the last of Britain's stately homos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-am-the-last-of-britain-s-stately-homos/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [ As for whether what happened in Britain improves\[Donald\] Trump's chances of winning, I don't think so. He has the same chances; we may just… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-michael-cillizza/as-for-whether-what-happened-in-britain-improves-donald-trump-s/) [Christopher Michael Cillizza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-michael-cillizza/) > [Britain, like other European states, is not and never will again be in the top-world-power league, so its male leaders can afford to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/britain-like-other-european-states-is-not-and-never-will-again-be-in/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [When you go away, you see where you come from in a different light. I see Scotland, and the rest of Britain, as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-you-go-away-you-see-where-you-come-from-in-a-different-light-i/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [It was very hard breaking into the film industry in Britain. I had been to art school, and I was painting and doing commercials.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/it-was-very-hard-breaking-into-the-film-industry-in-britain-i-had/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) > [Germany has always stood for an E.U. of the 27 countries. But in light of Britain's continued resistance to further integration steps, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-schauble/germany-has-always-stood-for-an-e-u-of-the-27-countries-but-in-light/) [Wolfgang Schauble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-schauble/) [Browse all 1,648 Britain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In Britain, because I live here, I can also run into problems of envy and competition. But all this is just in a day's work for a writer. You can't put stuff out there without someone calling you a complete fool. 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