--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Better to write for yourself and have no…" description: "\"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.\" — Cyril Connolly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/cyril-connolly-1829_identity_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_2847139.png" --- # Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to… ![“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” quote by Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/cyril-connolly-1829_identity_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_2847139.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/cyril-connolly-1829_identity_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_2847139.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/cyril-connolly-1829_identity_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_2847139.png) > “Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that authentic writing requires self‑focus, not public approval. **In simple terms:** Write for yourself, not the crowd. Key Takeaway Stay true to your voice. Themes authenticity creativity individualism Mood thoughtful defiant Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal journaling - independent publishing - creative workshops Key Concepts self‑expression literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance self‑expression with audience? - What risks come with ignoring readers? A Different Perspective Public feedback can be valuable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [ “Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self." \[ The New Statesman , February 25, 1933\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [I write in public libraries and sometimes coffee shops. I can't write at home and gave up trying long ago. I need activity around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mccauley/i-write-in-public-libraries-and-sometimes-coffee-shops-i-can-t-write/) [Stephen McCauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mccauley/) > [I do not write for the public. You are my public and I hope to convert you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-manley-hopkins/i-do-not-write-for-the-public-you-are-my-public-and-i-hope-to-convert/) [Gerard Manley Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-manley-hopkins/) > [I often need physical gesture to balance dialogue. If I write in public, every time I need to know what a character is doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/i-often-need-physical-gesture-to-balance-dialogue-if-i-write-in/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [There's the public self that we present to the outer world. There's the private self, which maybe takes more time to access. But ultimately,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/there-s-the-public-self-that-we-present-to-the-outer-world-there-s/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I lost my public self, or had it stolen. In a way, it was a form of identity theft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-lewinsky/i-lost-my-public-self-or-had-it-stolen-in-a-way-it-was-a-form-of/) [Monica Lewinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-lewinsky/) > [“All of us have two minds, a private one, which is usually strange, I guess, and symbolic, and a public one, a social one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-spencer/all-of-us-have-two-minds-a-private-one-which-is-usually-strange-i/) [Scott Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-spencer/) > [“Your private self must become the same as your public self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/your-private-self-must-become-the-same-as-your-public-self/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [“To survive in China you must reveal nothing to others. Or it could be used against you … That’s why I’ve come to think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-osnos/to-survive-in-china-you-must-reveal-nothing-to-others-or-it-could-be/) [Evan Osnos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-osnos/) > [I lost my public self, or had it stolenIn a way, it was a form of identity theft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-lewinsky/i-lost-my-public-self-or-had-it-stolenin-a-way-it-was-a-form-of/) [Monica Lewinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-lewinsky/) > [Everyone has a private self and a public self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-conroy/everyone-has-a-private-self-and-a-public-self/) [Kevin Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-conroy/) > [The real self and the public self are intertwined, like a tumor around an organ, and you can't cut the tumor or you'll kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/the-real-self-and-the-public-self-are-intertwined-like-a-tumor-around/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [If you become aware of a public self, you're in danger of becoming a very artificial person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/if-you-become-aware-of-a-public-self-you-re-in-danger-of-becoming-a/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [public self is a conditioned construct of the inner psychological self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/public-self-is-a-conditioned-construct-of-the-inner-psychological-self/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Appearance is the most public part of the self. It is our sacrament, the visible self that the world assumes to be a mirror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-etcoff/appearance-is-the-most-public-part-of-the-self-it-is-our-sacrament/) [Nancy Etcoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-etcoff/) ## More by Cyril Connolly > [Literature is the art of writing something that will be read twice; journalism what will be read once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/literature-is-the-art-of-writing-something-that-will-be-read-twice/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [There is no fury like a woman searching for a new lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/there-is-no-fury-like-a-woman-searching-for-a-new-lover/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [Beautiful women must think about their beauty as capitalists think about their investments or politicians about their majorities; it is all they have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/beautiful-women-must-think-about-their-beauty-as-capitalists-think/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [We cannot be happy until we can love ourselves without egotism and our friends without tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/we-cannot-be-happy-until-we-can-love-ourselves-without-egotism-and/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [What grape to keep its place in the sun, taught our ancestors to make wine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/what-grape-to-keep-its-place-in-the-sun-taught-our-ancestors-to-make/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [“Literature is the art of writing something that will be read twice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/literature-is-the-art-of-writing-something-that-will-be-read-twice-2/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [“Our memories are card-indexes consulted and then put back in disorder by authorities whom we do not control.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/our-memories-are-card-indexes-consulted-and-then-put-back-in-disorder/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [Were I to deduce any system from my feelings on leaving Eton, it might be called The Theory of Permanent Adolescence. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/were-i-to-deduce-any-system-from-my-feelings-on-leaving-eton-it-might/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [Failure on the other hand is infectious. The world is full of charming failures (for all charming people have something to conceal, usually their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/failure-on-the-other-hand-is-infectious-the-world-is-full-of-charming/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [The civilization of one epoch becomes the manure of the next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/the-civilization-of-one-epoch-becomes-the-manure-of-the-next/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [There is no more somber enemy of good art than the pram in the hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/there-is-no-more-somber-enemy-of-good-art-than-the-pram-in-the-hall/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [The true function of a writer is to produce a masterpiece and no other task is of any consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/the-true-function-of-a-writer-is-to-produce-a-masterpiece-and-no/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [“We pay for vice by the knowledge that we are wicked; we pay for pleasure when we find out too late that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/we-pay-for-vice-by-the-knowledge-that-we-are-wicked-we-pay-for/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [The books I haven't written are better than the books other people have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/the-books-i-haven-t-written-are-better-than-the-books-other-people/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [If Montaigne is a man in the prime of life sitting in his study on a warm morning and putting down the sum of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/if-montaigne-is-a-man-in-the-prime-of-life-sitting-in-his-study-on-a/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) [Explore all 204 Cyril Connolly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) ## More Identity quotes > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [You have expressive nationalism, I mean very identity driven, which shaped each other a lot of that in the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/you-have-expressive-nationalism-i-mean-very-identity-driven-which/) [Subrahmanyam Jaishankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think everybody, or the great majority of human beings, have this aspiration to become other: to live a different identity, at least for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/i-think-everybody-or-the-great-majority-of-human-beings-have-this/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. 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Dalton [Browse all 11,949 Identity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cyril Connolly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Identity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/cyril-connolly-1829_identity_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_2847139.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/cyril-connolly-1829_identity_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_2847139.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/cyril-connolly-1829_identity_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_2847139.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” — Cyril Connolly", "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": "Cyril Connolly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Better to write for yourself and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the-2/#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 } } ] } ```