---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my opinion it is not the writer's job…"
description: "\"“In my opinion it is not the writer's job to solve such problems as God, pessimism, etc; his job is merely to record who, under what conditions, said o..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/anton-chekhov-298_communication_in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job_303509.jpg"
---

#  In my opinion it is not the writer's job to solve such…

![“In my opinion it is not the writer's job to solve such problems as God, pessimism, etc; his job is merely to record who, under what conditions, said or thought what about God or pessimism. The artist is not meant to be a judge of his characters and what they say; his only job is to be an impartial…” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/anton-chekhov-298_communication_in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job_303509.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/anton-chekhov-298_communication_in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job_303509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/anton-chekhov-298_communication_in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job_303509.jpg)

> ““In my opinion it is not the writer's job to solve such problems as God, pessimism, etc; his job is merely to record who, under what conditions, said or thought what about God or pessimism. The artist is not meant to be a judge of his characters and what they say; his only job is to be an impartial witness. I heard two Russians in a muddled conversation about pessimism, a conversation that solved nothing; all I am bound to do is reproduce that conversation exactly as I heard it. Drawing conclusions is up to the jury, that is, the readers. My only job is to be talented, that is, to know how to distinguish important testimony from unimportant, to place my characters in the proper light and speak their language.””

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

## About This Quote

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

The author argues that a writer's role is to observe and record, not judge, leaving interpretation to readers.

**In simple terms:** Writers record, not judge, leaving meaning to readers.

Key Takeaway

Write impartially and let readers decide.

Themes

literature objectivity interpretation

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

explanatory philosophical

When to use this quote

- fiction writing
- journalism
- critical reading
- storytelling

Key Concepts

narrative ethics authorial role

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you ensure fidelity to the source?
- What responsibility does a writer have to truth?

A Different Perspective

Readers may misinterpret without guidance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Drawing conclusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawing-conclusions/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing-craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-craft/)

## Related quotes

> [“In my opinion, it is not the writer’s job to solve such problems as the existence of God, pessimism, etc. The job of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job-to-solve-such-problems-as-2/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“One should be cautious when drawing conclusions about people's characters from social media. On Facebook, nobody's children cry, nobody's marriage is imperilled, and everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-younge/one-should-be-cautious-when-drawing-conclusions-about-people-s/)

Gary Younge

> [ The one \[the logician\] studies the science of drawing conclusions, the other \[the mathematician\] the science which draws necessary conclusions. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/the-one-the-logician-studies-the-science-of-drawing-conclusions-the/)

[Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/)

> [Intuition is a combination of insight and imagination that was once attributed to spiritual communication. Mathematicians call it 'fuzzy logic,' drawing conclusions from vague…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-james/intuition-is-a-combination-of-insight-and-imagination-that-was-once/)

[Jennifer James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-james/)

> [“one cannot hope to tell the truth. One can only show how one came to hold whatever opinion one does hold. One can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/one-cannot-hope-to-tell-the-truth-one-can-only-show-how-one-came-to/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [“But you can’t be a scientist if you’re uncomfortable with ignorance, because scientists live at the boundary between what is known and unknown in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/but-you-can-t-be-a-scientist-if-you-re-uncomfortable-with-ignorance/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [The art of drawing conclusions from experiments and observations consists in evaluating probabilities and in estimating whether they are sufficiently great or numerous enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-lavoisier/the-art-of-drawing-conclusions-from-experiments-and-observations/)

[Antoine Lavoisier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-lavoisier/)

> [The mind which is most capable of receiving impressions is very often the least capable of drawing conclusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-mind-which-is-most-capable-of-receiving-impressions-is-very-often/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [Drawing general conclusions about your main weaknesses can provide a great stimulus to further growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kotov/drawing-general-conclusions-about-your-main-weaknesses-can-provide-a/)

[Alexander Kotov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kotov/)

> [How many of us have been first attracted to reason, first learned to think, to draw conclusions, to extract a moral from the follies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/how-many-of-us-have-been-first-attracted-to-reason-first-learned-to/)

[Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/)

> [What is the good of drawing conclusions from experience? I don't deny we sometimes draw the right conclusions, but don't we just as often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/what-is-the-good-of-drawing-conclusions-from-experience-i-don-t-deny/)

[Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/)

> [Can you look without the voice in your head commenting, drawing conclusions, comparing, or trying to figure something out?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/can-you-look-without-the-voice-in-your-head-commenting-drawing/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [I couldn't possibly tell you. But I would say be very careful with your suppositions. People are so quick to jump. That's what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/i-couldn-t-possibly-tell-you-but-i-would-say-be-very-careful-with/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [This is the problem with the way you educate your children. You don't want your young ones drawing their own conclusions. You want them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/this-is-the-problem-with-the-way-you-educate-your-children-you-don-t/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [“Drawing conclusions is up to the jury, that is, the readers. My only job is to be talented, that is, to know how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/drawing-conclusions-is-up-to-the-jury-that-is-the-readers-my-only-job/)

[Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/)

## More by Anton Chekhov

> [“Using vile means to attain worthy ends makes the ends themselves vile. Let them ride on the backs of doctors and medical assistants, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/using-vile-means-to-attain-worthy-ends-makes-the-ends-themselves-vile/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-ever-my-life-can-be-of-any-use-to-you-come-and-claim-it/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“But here was all the timorousness and angularity of inexperienced youth, a feeling of awkwardness, and an impression of bewilderment, as if someone had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-here-was-all-the-timorousness-and-angularity-of-inexperienced/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“At the water's edge, barrels of pitch blazed like huge bonfires. Their reflection, crimson as the rising moon, crept to meet us in long,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/at-the-water-s-edge-barrels-of-pitch-blazed-like-huge-bonfires-their/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [Anna Petrovna: Never talk to women about your own good qualities. Let them find out for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/anna-petrovna-never-talk-to-women-about-your-own-good-qualities-let/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [While you're playing cards with a regular guy or having a bite to eat with him, he seems a peaceable, good-humoured and not entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/while-you-re-playing-cards-with-a-regular-guy-or-having-a-bite-to-eat/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“Lebedev: France has a clear and defined policy... The French know what they want. They just want to wipe out the Krauts, finish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/lebedev-france-has-a-clear-and-defined-policy-the-french-know-what/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“My holy of holies are the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom - freedom from force and falsity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-holy-of-holies-are-the-human-body-health-intelligence-talent/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“What we have, we do not treasure,” and what’s more we do not even love it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/what-we-have-we-do-not-treasure-and-what-s-more-we-do-not-even-love-it/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“It is my opinion that every woman can be a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/it-is-my-opinion-that-every-woman-can-be-a-writer/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“His reading suggested a man swimming in the sea among the wreckage of his ship, and trying to save his life by greedily clutching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/his-reading-suggested-a-man-swimming-in-the-sea-among-the-wreckage-of/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“Experience often repeated, truly bitter experience, had taught him long ago that with decent people, especially Moscow people -- always slow to move and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/experience-often-repeated-truly-bitter-experience-had-taught-him-long/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [“Why do you always wear black?” "I am mourning for my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/why-do-you-always-wear-black-i-am-mourning-for-my-life/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

[Explore all 679 Anton Chekhov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

## More Communication quotes

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/)

[Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/)

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/)

[Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/)

> [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/)

[Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/)

> [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

> [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/)

[Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/)

[Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/)

> [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/)

[Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/)

> [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/)

[Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/)

> [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/)

Yoram Wind

> [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/)

[Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/)

[Browse all 21,506 Communication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“In my opinion it is not the writer's job to solve such problems as God, pessimism, etc; his job is merely to record who, under what conditions, said or thought what about God or pessimism. The artist is not meant to be a judge of his characters and what they say; his only job is to be an impartial witness. I heard two Russians in a muddled conversation about pessimism, a conversation that solved nothing; all I am bound to do is reproduce that conversation exactly as I heard it. Drawing conclusions is up to the jury, that is, the readers. My only job is to be talented, that is, to know how to distinguish important testimony from unimportant, to place my characters in the proper light and speak their language.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anton Chekhov"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job-to-solve-such-problems-as/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Communication"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job-to-solve-such-problems-as/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/anton-chekhov-298_communication_in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job_303509.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/anton-chekhov-298_communication_in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job_303509.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/anton-chekhov-298_communication_in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job_303509.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In my opinion it is not the writer's job to solve such problems as God, pessimism, etc; his job is merely to…” — Anton Chekhov",
                "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": "Anton Chekhov",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“In my opinion it is not...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job-to-solve-such-problems-as/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/in-my-opinion-it-is-not-the-writer-s-job-to-solve-such-problems-as/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
