---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing is harmful to literature except…"
description: "\"Nothing is harmful to literature except censorship, and that almost never stops literature going where it wants to go either, because literature has a ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/ali-smith-1801_block_nothing-is-harmful-to-literature-except_1009448.jpg"
---

#  Nothing is harmful to literature except censorship, and…

![“Nothing is harmful to literature except censorship, and that almost never stops literature going where it wants to go either, because literature has a way of surpassing everything that blocks it and growing stronger for the exercise.” quote by Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/ali-smith-1801_block_nothing-is-harmful-to-literature-except_1009448.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/ali-smith-1801_block_nothing-is-harmful-to-literature-except_1009448.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da8/ali-smith-1801_block_nothing-is-harmful-to-literature-except_1009448.jpg)

> “Nothing is harmful to literature except censorship, and that almost never stops literature going where it wants to go either, because literature has a way of surpassing everything that blocks it and growing stronger for the exercise.”

[Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Literature resists censorship, growing stronger when suppressed, illustrating art’s resilience and autonomy.

**In simple terms:** Censorship can’t stop literature’s growth.

Key Takeaway

Protect creative freedom.

Themes

censorship literature resilience freedom

Mood

hopeful defiant

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- publishing
- education
- political regimes
- media platforms

Key Concepts

philosophy politics art culture

Questions to Reflect On

- How does censorship shape content?
- What fuels literature’s resilience?

A Different Perspective

May overlook nuanced effects of censorship.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Growing Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-strong/) [Growing stronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-stronger/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/)

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