--- 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.\" [ The New Statesman , February 25, 1933]”\" — Cyril Co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/cyril-connolly-1829_faithfulness_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_1949693.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." [ The New Statesman , February 25, 1933]” quote by Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/cyril-connolly-1829_faithfulness_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_1949693.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/cyril-connolly-1829_faithfulness_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_1949693.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/cyril-connolly-1829_faithfulness_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_1949693.png) > ““Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self." \[ The New Statesman , February 25, 1933\]”” [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. Writing for personal fulfillment is preferable to seeking public approval at the cost of losing one's authentic voice. **In simple terms:** Write for yourself, not the crowd. Key Takeaway Prioritize authenticity over fame. Themes writing authenticity self public identity Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - journaling - publishing essays - blogging - creative workshops Key Concepts Individualism creative integrity self-expression Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay true to your voice? - What compromises arise when chasing fame? A Different Perspective Public pressure can dilute originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-write-501919/) [Faithfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faithfulness/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Popularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity/) [Populism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/populism/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Public Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-self-594664/) [Public Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-write-3156460/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Write Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-public-3156461/) [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.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the-2/) [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 Faithfulness quotes > [Being faithful shouldn't be challenging, cheating should. Too bad its the other way around though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-faithful-shouldn-t-be-challenging-cheating-should-too-bad-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Every demonstration of God's faithfulness to us is an opportunity for us to testify of Him to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/every-demonstration-of-god-s-faithfulness-to-us-is-an-opportunity-for/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-goal-of-faithfulness-is-not-that-we-will-do-work-for-god-but-that/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [What is sin? It is the glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/what-is-sin-it-is-the-glory-of-god-not-honored-the-holiness-of-god/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [“Courage is being who you are. Courage is sacred of thyself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/courage-is-being-who-you-are-courage-is-sacred-of-thyself/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Once you let them establish their ideology in you, they will drive you crazy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/once-you-let-them-establish-their-ideology-in-you-they-will-drive-you/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [You are unique, and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/you-are-unique-and-there-may-be-incidents-in-your-experience-that-are/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Galatians Chapter 5 Verse 22 But faithfulness fruit goodness is joy kindness love of patience peace Spirit the](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bless-highlyfavor/galatians-chapter-5-verse-22-but-faithfulness-fruit-goodness-is-joy/) [Bless Highlyfavor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bless-highlyfavor/) > [It is the faithfulness of God that allows epistemology to model ontology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-polkinghorne/it-is-the-faithfulness-of-god-that-allows-epistemology-to-model/) [John Polkinghorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-polkinghorne/) > [God's faithfulness means that God will always do what He said and fulfill what He has promised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-grudem/god-s-faithfulness-means-that-god-will-always-do-what-he-said-and/) [Wayne Grudem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-grudem/) > [The best relationship isnt just faithfulness, also never make your partner even feel you have alternatives. You dont flirt around with other counterparts if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-nwakama/the-best-relationship-isnt-just-faithfulness-also-never-make-your/) [Anne Nwakama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-nwakama/) > [The rules of marriage were simple and easy to follow: faithfulness, patience, compromise. But there were no rules to divorce, or if there were,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-ball/the-rules-of-marriage-were-simple-and-easy-to-follow-faithfulness/) [Donna Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-ball/) > [“It’s a war of visions and dreams, none of which is substantiated, in the end only the ones best published and adhered to by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/it-s-a-war-of-visions-and-dreams-none-of-which-is-substantiated-in/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) [Browse all 487 Faithfulness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faithfulness/) ```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.\" [ The New Statesman , February 25, 1933]”", "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/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Faithfulness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/cyril-connolly-1829_faithfulness_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_1949693.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/cyril-connolly-1829_faithfulness_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_1949693.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41f/cyril-connolly-1829_faithfulness_better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no_1949693.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.\" [ The New…” — 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/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the/#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 } } ] } ```