--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You're getting better, my lady.\" \"Don't…" description: "\"“You're getting better, my lady.\" \"Don't patronize me.\" \"No, really, Your Highness. When you started painting five years ago, I could never tell what i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe4/brandon-sanderson-112_five-years_you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patr_669305.jpg" --- # You're getting better, my lady." "Don't patronize me."… ![“You're getting better, my lady." "Don't patronize me." "No, really, Your Highness. When you started painting five years ago, I could never tell what it was you were trying to depict." "And this is a painting of . ." Ashe paused. "A bowl of fruit?" he asked hopefully. Sarene sighed in frustration…” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe4/brandon-sanderson-112_five-years_you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patr_669305.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe4/brandon-sanderson-112_five-years_you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patr_669305.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe4/brandon-sanderson-112_five-years_you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patr_669305.jpg) > ““You're getting better, my lady." "Don't patronize me." "No, really, Your Highness. When you started painting five years ago, I could never tell what it was you were trying to depict." "And this is a painting of . ." Ashe paused. "A bowl of fruit?" he asked hopefully. Sarene sighed in frustration. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ "Beautifully—which is more than I can say for the painting." He paused for a moment. "It's a horse, right?" Sarene scowled. "A house?" he asked. "It is not a bowl of fruit either, my lord," Ashe said. "I already tried that." "Well, she said it was one of the paintings in this room," Lukel said. "All we have to do is keep guessing until we find the right one." "Brilliant deduction, Master Lukel." Ashe said.”” [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Characters engage in a playful guessing game about a painting, revealing misunderstandings and humor in communication. **In simple terms:** Misreading leads to funny guesses about a painting. Key Takeaway Clarify details to avoid confusion. Themes communication misunderstanding humor art dialogue Mood light playful Type narrative conversational When to use this quote - gallery tours - art classes - team brainstorming - social gatherings - online forums Key Concepts perception interpretation contextual clues Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions cause misinterpretations? - How can clearer description improve understanding? A Different Perspective The humor relies on shared knowledge; without it, the joke may fall flat. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Getting better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-better/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) ## Related quotes > [I had a visit from an artist friend who basically said, "Your paintings are wonderful. Now stop." It did resonate with me. It hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caio-fonseca/i-had-a-visit-from-an-artist-friend-who-basically-said-your-paintings/) [Caio Fonseca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caio-fonseca/) > [People have been trying to depict our Lord and Savior because that gives us an opportunity to reference what it is and who it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-roumie/people-have-been-trying-to-depict-our-lord-and-savior-because-that/) [Jonathan Roumie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-roumie/) > [It's enough to drive you crazy, trying to depict the weather, the atmosphere, the ambience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-s-enough-to-drive-you-crazy-trying-to-depict-the-weather-the/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [At a lecture, a guy said to me, "You know, when I look at your work, I don't know what I'm looking at, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/at-a-lecture-a-guy-said-to-me-you-know-when-i-look-at-your-work-i-don/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [When I see people making 'abstract' painting, I think it's just a dialogue and a dialogue isn't enough. That is to say, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-guston/when-i-see-people-making-abstract-painting-i-think-it-s-just-a/) [Philip Guston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-guston/) > [So many people say painting is fun. I don't find it fun at all. It's hard work for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hopper/so-many-people-say-painting-is-fun-i-don-t-find-it-fun-at-all-it-s/) [Edward Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hopper/) > [You must put the essence of what you want to say into a painting. The rest is arbitrary. Chosen with discernment, but chosen, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bourgeois/you-must-put-the-essence-of-what-you-want-to-say-into-a-painting-the/) [Louise Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bourgeois/) > [In the early '60s, it was still a fairly subversive thing, though, to say that you should take a painting, cut it, set it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/in-the-early-60s-it-was-still-a-fairly-subversive-thing-though-to-say/) [Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/) > [Something sacred, that's it. We ought to be able to say that such and such a painting is as it is, with its capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/something-sacred-that-s-it-we-ought-to-be-able-to-say-that-such-and/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [I would go so far as to say that a painting is narrative, because I have the moment where I approach it and see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saschka-unseld/i-would-go-so-far-as-to-say-that-a-painting-is-narrative-because-i/) [Saschka Unseld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saschka-unseld/) > [“Perfect. I would have an unbalanced psychopath on my hands armed with immortal supernatural power. This night kept getting better and better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/perfect-i-would-have-an-unbalanced-psychopath-on-my-hands-armed-with/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [I don't know how you do what you do. I'm so inlove with you it just keeps getting better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-know-how-you-do-what-you-do-i-m-so-inlove-with-you-it-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've never held out. I'm a first-class guy in any relationship. The first way of getting better is showing up, so I'm always going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-brown/i-ve-never-held-out-i-m-a-first-class-guy-in-any-relationship-the/) [Antonio Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-brown/) > [If you want to work on getting better, you need to start by knowing where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-work-on-getting-better-you-need-to-start-by-knowing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) ## More by Brandon Sanderson > [“I’ll admit, Jasnah, that I empathize with your skepticism, but I don’t agree with it. I just think you've been looking for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-ll-admit-jasnah-that-i-empathize-with-your-skepticism-but-i-don-t/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [They say a man doesn't know himself until he faces death for the first time. . . I don't know about that. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/they-say-a-man-doesn-t-know-himself-until-he-faces-death-for-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Why, Elend! That’s almost romantic—in a twisted ‘I’m going to make my wife want to kill me’ sort of way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/why-elend-that-s-almost-romantic-in-a-twisted-i-m-going-to-make-my/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“And...how much are we getting paid for achieving the impossible?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/and-how-much-are-we-getting-paid-for-achieving-the-impossible/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elantris was the one place where she could remember feeling unconditional acceptance. She had not been a princess, she had been something far better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elantris-was-the-one-place-where-she-could-remember-feeling/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“That is always how it is, though, isn't it?” Shuden asked. “Those who can least afford extravagance seem to be the ones most determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/that-is-always-how-it-is-though-isn-t-it-shuden-asked-those-who-can/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“He says he’s letting the Stormfather judge you,” Moash added. “Jezerezeh, king of Heralds. He says that if you deserve to live, you will….”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/he-says-he-s-letting-the-stormfather-judge-you-moash-added-jezerezeh/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The stories say the Nightwatcher might be capable of that. . . . Powerful spren. Vast spren.’ ‘Is he calling me vast?’ Syl said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-stories-say-the-nightwatcher-might-be-capable-of-that-powerful/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-the-mark-of-a-great-man-is-one-who-knows-when-to-set-aside-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-are-inexperienced-so-was-i-once-so-is-every-man-the-measure-of-a/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“So I should not hate Adolin Kholin for wielding a corpse!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/so-i-should-not-hate-adolin-kholin-for-wielding-a-corpse/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) [Explore all 1,238 Brandon Sanderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## More Five years quotes > [“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 > [“A clear look back on the Cold War's battlegrounds, along with a sense of relief that the world survived forty-five years of confrontation, evokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-clear-look-back-on-the-cold-war-s-battlegrounds-along-with-a-sense/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Something had been confirmed: I was worth giving a shit about; I was getting to be a successful sick person. Sick is when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/something-had-been-confirmed-i-was-worth-giving-a-shit-about-i-was/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [“His Army Ranger unit had always been ready for an ambush. Five years in special ops had made him suspicious of most. On that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-perini/his-army-ranger-unit-had-always-been-ready-for-an-ambush-five-years/) [Robin Perini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-perini/) > [“I looked at him, tipping down the coarse wine like a man who expects to put up with worse. I felt I was looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/i-looked-at-him-tipping-down-the-coarse-wine-like-a-man-who-expects/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [I was sober for five years a long time ago and was just bored out of my tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/i-was-sober-for-five-years-a-long-time-ago-and-was-just-bored-out-of/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [“Whatand why were never questions for me. How was the only question. When I look back now, I realize that I never thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadhguru/whatand-why-were-never-questions-for-me-how-was-the-only-question/) [Sadhguru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadhguru/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“most professionals progress until they reach an “acceptable” level, and then they plateau. Software engineers, for instance, usually stop progressing somewhere around five years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-grenny/most-professionals-progress-until-they-reach-an-acceptable-level-and/) [Joseph Grenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-grenny/) > [In five years of my previous tenure, the treasury was never shut for one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amarinder-singh/in-five-years-of-my-previous-tenure-the-treasury-was-never-shut-for/) [Amarinder Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amarinder-singh/) > [We have been playing every summer on clay since I was five years old, so it is an easy surface for us in Belgium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-goffin/we-have-been-playing-every-summer-on-clay-since-i-was-five-years-old/) [David Goffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-goffin/) > [I'm an immigrant, a legal immigrant to the United States. I only became a citizen five years ago. Every day, for seven months, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-gorka/i-m-an-immigrant-a-legal-immigrant-to-the-united-states-i-only-became/) [Sebastian Gorka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-gorka/) > [“Why did I write it down? In order to remember, of course, but exactly what was it I wanted to remember? How much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/why-did-i-write-it-down-in-order-to-remember-of-course-but-exactly/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [Wrestling introduced me to the idea that my body has a purpose besides trying to look five years younger for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/wrestling-introduced-me-to-the-idea-that-my-body-has-a-purpose/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [“I have entered the New Yorker's Cartoon Caption Contest almost weekly virtually since it began and have never even been a finalist. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mankoff/i-have-entered-the-new-yorker-s-cartoon-caption-contest-almost-weekly/) Bob Mankoff Browse all 2,724 Five years quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You're getting better, my lady.\" \"Don't patronize me.\" \"No, really, Your Highness. When you started painting five years ago, I could never tell what it was you were trying to depict.\" \"And this is a painting of . .\" Ashe paused. \"A bowl of fruit?\" he asked hopefully. Sarene sighed in frustration. _______________________________ \"Beautifully—which is more than I can say for the painting.\" He paused for a moment. \"It's a horse, right?\" Sarene scowled. \"A house?\" he asked. \"It is not a bowl of fruit either, my lord,\" Ashe said. \"I already tried that.\" \"Well, she said it was one of the paintings in this room,\" Lukel said. \"All we have to do is keep guessing until we find the right one.\" \"Brilliant deduction, Master Lukel.\" Ashe said.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brandon Sanderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patronize-me-no-really-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Five years" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patronize-me-no-really-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe4/brandon-sanderson-112_five-years_you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patr_669305.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe4/brandon-sanderson-112_five-years_you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patr_669305.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe4/brandon-sanderson-112_five-years_you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patr_669305.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You're getting better, my lady.\" \"Don't patronize me.\" \"No, really, Your Highness. When you started painting…” — Brandon Sanderson", "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": "Brandon Sanderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You're getting better, my lady.\" \"Don't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patronize-me-no-really-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-re-getting-better-my-lady-don-t-patronize-me-no-really-your/#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 } } ] } ```