--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Things oughtn’t to be the way they are…" description: "\"“Things oughtn’t to be the way they are, altogether. But letting a madman burn down the barn is no way to improve them.”\" — Avram Davidson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/avram-davidson-69034_quote_things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-a_1228062.jpg" --- # Things oughtn’t to be the way they are, altogether. But… ![“Things oughtn’t to be the way they are, altogether. But letting a madman burn down the barn is no way to improve them.” quote by Avram Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/avram-davidson-69034_quote_things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-a_1228062.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/avram-davidson-69034_quote_things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-a_1228062.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/avram-davidson-69034_quote_things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-a_1228062.jpg) > ““Things oughtn’t to be the way they are, altogether. But letting a madman burn down the barn is no way to improve them.”” Avram Davidson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that drastic, destructive actions are not a proper way to fix problems; change should be constructive, not chaotic. **In simple terms:** Fix problems without causing chaos. Key Takeaway Seek constructive solutions, not reckless destruction. Themes change responsibility problem solving Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - political reform - organizational change - personal habits - community projects Key Concepts ethics risk management Questions to Reflect On - What constructive alternatives could replace a reckless approach? - How can we ensure reforms don’t become collateral damage? A Different Perspective Destructive actions can cause more harm than good. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Madman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madman/) ## Related quotes > [Either Jesus is the Son of God ; or a madman or worse. But His being just a great teacher? He's not left that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/either-jesus-is-the-son-of-god-or-a-madman-or-worse-but-his-being/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [He who hides his madman, dies voiceless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-michaux/he-who-hides-his-madman-dies-voiceless/) [Henri Michaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-michaux/) > [I could easily blast so much keef night and day I become a bouhali; a real-gone crazy, a holy untouchable madman unto whom everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-gysin/i-could-easily-blast-so-much-keef-night-and-day-i-become-a-bouhali-a/) [Brion Gysin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-gysin/) > [“Confined on the ship, from which there is no escape, the madman is delivered to the river with its thousand arms, the sea with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/confined-on-the-ship-from-which-there-is-no-escape-the-madman-is/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [The fellow is either a madman or a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/the-fellow-is-either-a-madman-or-a-poet/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Someone like myself, who claimed to be a real madman, living and organized with a Pythagorean precision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/someone-like-myself-who-claimed-to-be-a-real-madman-living-and/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [“There's no difference between a madman and a professor...it should be clear to you in the way they dress, act and think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/there-s-no-difference-between-a-madman-and-a-professor-it-should-be/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/there-is-only-one-difference-between-a-madman-and-me-the-madman/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [If a madman were to come into this room with a stick in his hand, no doubt we should pity the state of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-a-madman-were-to-come-into-this-room-with-a-stick-in-his-hand-no/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“a pro does as well as he can within what he has set out to do and a madman does exceptionally well at what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/a-pro-does-as-well-as-he-can-within-what-he-has-set-out-to-do-and-a/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Oh yes! The one man in the world who never believes he's mad is the madman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/oh-yes-the-one-man-in-the-world-who-never-believes-he-s-mad-is-the/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [“Why is it every time a madman's prayers are answered, a witch burns?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-danielle-dorn/why-is-it-every-time-a-madman-s-prayers-are-answered-a-witch-burns/) J. Danielle Dorn > [“A madman should have a madman’s laugh, not the warm chuckle of a favorite uncle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/a-madman-should-have-a-madman-s-laugh-not-the-warm-chuckle-of-a/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Suspended, Upright, Strapped down. We'll call it, Maintenance. The Doctor mumbles, Giggles, Rushing about, Doing, whatever the f\*\*k he is doing. I wish he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/suspended-upright-strapped-down-we-ll-call-it-maintenance-the-doctor/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) ## More by Avram Davidson > [“Where there is no bread, there is no philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avram-davidson/where-there-is-no-bread-there-is-no-philosophy/) Avram Davidson > [What is cheaper than lust or of less value than alchemy or aphrodisiacs?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avram-davidson/what-is-cheaper-than-lust-or-of-less-value-than-alchemy-or/) Avram Davidson > [Dylan Thomas, asked what he thought of Welsh Nationalism, replied in three words, two of which were 'Welsh Nationalism.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avram-davidson/dylan-thomas-asked-what-he-thought-of-welsh-nationalism-replied-in/) Avram Davidson Explore all 4 Avram Davidson quotes ## More Madman quotes > [Either Jesus is the Son of God ; or a madman or worse. But His being just a great teacher? He's not left that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/either-jesus-is-the-son-of-god-or-a-madman-or-worse-but-his-being/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“A madman should have a madman’s laugh, not the warm chuckle of a favorite uncle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/a-madman-should-have-a-madman-s-laugh-not-the-warm-chuckle-of-a/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Why is it every time a madman's prayers are answered, a witch burns?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-danielle-dorn/why-is-it-every-time-a-madman-s-prayers-are-answered-a-witch-burns/) J. Danielle Dorn > [Oh yes! The one man in the world who never believes he's mad is the madman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-ron-hubbard/oh-yes-the-one-man-in-the-world-who-never-believes-he-s-mad-is-the/) [L. Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [“a pro does as well as he can within what he has set out to do and a madman does exceptionally well at what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/a-pro-does-as-well-as-he-can-within-what-he-has-set-out-to-do-and-a/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [If a madman were to come into this room with a stick in his hand, no doubt we should pity the state of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-a-madman-were-to-come-into-this-room-with-a-stick-in-his-hand-no/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/there-is-only-one-difference-between-a-madman-and-me-the-madman/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [“There's no difference between a madman and a professor...it should be clear to you in the way they dress, act and think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/there-s-no-difference-between-a-madman-and-a-professor-it-should-be/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Someone like myself, who claimed to be a real madman, living and organized with a Pythagorean precision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/someone-like-myself-who-claimed-to-be-a-real-madman-living-and/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [The fellow is either a madman or a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/the-fellow-is-either-a-madman-or-a-poet/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“Confined on the ship, from which there is no escape, the madman is delivered to the river with its thousand arms, the sea with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/confined-on-the-ship-from-which-there-is-no-escape-the-madman-is/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [I could easily blast so much keef night and day I become a bouhali; a real-gone crazy, a holy untouchable madman unto whom everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-gysin/i-could-easily-blast-so-much-keef-night-and-day-i-become-a-bouhali-a/) [Brion Gysin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-gysin/) > [He who hides his madman, dies voiceless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-michaux/he-who-hides-his-madman-dies-voiceless/) [Henri Michaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-michaux/) > [Suspended, Upright, Strapped down. We'll call it, Maintenance. The Doctor mumbles, Giggles, Rushing about, Doing, whatever the f\*\*k he is doing. I wish he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/suspended-upright-strapped-down-we-ll-call-it-maintenance-the-doctor/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) [Browse all 192 Madman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madman/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Things oughtn’t to be the way they are, altogether. But letting a madman burn down the barn is no way to improve them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Avram Davidson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avram-davidson/things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-altogether-but-letting-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Madman" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avram-davidson/things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-altogether-but-letting-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/avram-davidson-69034_quote_things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-a_1228062.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/avram-davidson-69034_quote_things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-a_1228062.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00e/avram-davidson-69034_quote_things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-a_1228062.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Things oughtn’t to be the way they are, altogether. But letting a madman burn down the barn is no way to…” — Avram Davidson", "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": "Avram Davidson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avram-davidson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Things oughtn’t to be the way...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avram-davidson/things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-altogether-but-letting-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avram-davidson/things-oughtn-t-to-be-the-way-they-are-altogether-but-letting-a/#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 } } ] } ```