--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And maybe that's just what happens; you…" description: "\"“And maybe that's just what happens; you start out wanting to change the world through language, and end up thinking it's enough to tell a few good jok..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/david-nicholls-873_change-the-world_and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-s_1414288.png" --- # And maybe that's just what happens; you start out wanting… ![“And maybe that's just what happens; you start out wanting to change the world through language, and end up thinking it's enough to tell a few good jokes.” quote by David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/david-nicholls-873_change-the-world_and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-s_1414288.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/david-nicholls-873_change-the-world_and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-s_1414288.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/david-nicholls-873_change-the-world_and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-s_1414288.png) > ““And maybe that's just what happens; you start out wanting to change the world through language, and end up thinking it's enough to tell a few good jokes.”” [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Idealism fades; humor becomes a modest way to influence. **In simple terms:** Jokes replace grand ambitions. Key Takeaway Use humor to connect and inspire. Themes humor idealism realism Mood lighthearted thoughtful Type literary social When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - writing satire - teaching - activism Key Concepts communication social impact Questions to Reflect On - How can jokes convey serious messages? - When is humor insufficient for change? A Different Perspective Humor may be dismissed as trivial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) ## Related quotes > [You start out wanting to change the world through language, and end up thinking it's enough to tell a few good jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/you-start-out-wanting-to-change-the-world-through-language-and-end-up/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“I started off wanting to change the world, now I'm just hoping the world doesn't change me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mileur/i-started-off-wanting-to-change-the-world-now-i-m-just-hoping-the/) Ray Mileur > [There is nothing quixotic or romantic in wanting to change the world. It is possible. It is the age-old vocation of all humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gioconda-belli/there-is-nothing-quixotic-or-romantic-in-wanting-to-change-the-world/) [Gioconda Belli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gioconda-belli/) > [“Dare to change the world There is nothing quixotic or romantic in wanting to change the world. It is possible. It is the age-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gioconda-belli/dare-to-change-the-world-there-is-nothing-quixotic-or-romantic-in/) [Gioconda Belli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gioconda-belli/) > [“getting sick and tired of people thinking they could tell me what to do, how to act, and yes, how to fucking think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-frank/getting-sick-and-tired-of-people-thinking-they-could-tell-me-what-to/) [Ella Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-frank/) > [I make art to figure out what I'm thinking, not to tell people what I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-ligon/i-make-art-to-figure-out-what-i-m-thinking-not-to-tell-people-what-i/) [Glenn Ligon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-ligon/) > [“He was thinking, but she could tell he wasn't good at it…'Where do you live,' she asked, 'and how do I get there?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/he-was-thinking-but-she-could-tell-he-wasn-t-good-at-it-where-do-you/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference,’ she said. ‘You know, actually change something.’ ‘What, like “change the world”,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-suppose-the-important-thing-is-to-make-some-sort-of-difference-she/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [I think this is when most people give up on their stories. They come out of college wanting to change the world, wanting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/i-think-this-is-when-most-people-give-up-on-their-stories-they-come/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/better-by-far-to-be-good-and-courageous-and-bold-and-to-make/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [You throw a perfectly straight line at the audience and then, right at the end, you curve it. Good jokes do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abe-burrows/you-throw-a-perfectly-straight-line-at-the-audience-and-then-right-at/) [Abe Burrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abe-burrows/) > [“If you don’t learn to laugh at yourself, You'll miss out on a lot of good jokes in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/if-you-don-t-learn-to-laugh-at-yourself-you-ll-miss-out-on-a-lot-of/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [Writing good jokes requires effort. Think I'll just start dressing funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dov-davidoff/writing-good-jokes-requires-effort-think-i-ll-just-start-dressing/) [Dov Davidoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dov-davidoff/) > [Good jokes are gems. A good idea is hard to come by. I couldn't give them to someone else, even for money. It just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/good-jokes-are-gems-a-good-idea-is-hard-to-come-by-i-couldn-t-give/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) ## More by David Nicholls > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Good God, 'the elusive thing'. She had reached a turning point. She no longer believed that a situation could be made better by writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/good-god-the-elusive-thing-she-had-reached-a-turning-point-she-no/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have taken to locking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-concentrate-on-a-novel-if-there/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [You've got to stop letting women slip drugs into your mouth, Dex, it's unhygienic. And dangerous. One day it'll be a cyanide capsule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/you-ve-got-to-stop-letting-women-slip-drugs-into-your-mouth-dex-it-s/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“He presses two fingers against each eye and attempts to account for this crippling melancholy, but is having trouble with rational thought. It feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/he-presses-two-fingers-against-each-eye-and-attempts-to-account-for/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [She was reaching the limits of how much its possible to change a man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/she-was-reaching-the-limits-of-how-much-its-possible-to-change-a-man/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“How would she fill the days? She had no idea. The trick of it, she told herself, is to be courageous and bold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/how-would-she-fill-the-days-she-had-no-idea-the-trick-of-it-she-told/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to simply try and be good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/what-if-it-rained-or-you-felt-a-bit-glandy-it-just-wasn-t-practical/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Sometimes, when it is going badly, she wonders if what she believes to be a love of the written word is really just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/sometimes-when-it-is-going-badly-she-wonders-if-what-she-believes-to/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [The city had defeated her, just like they said it would. Like some overcrowded party, no one had noticed her arrival, and would notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/the-city-had-defeated-her-just-like-they-said-it-would-like-some/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/better-by-far-to-be-good-and-courageous-and-bold-and-to-make/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [A screenplay is really an instruction manual, and it can be interpreted in any number of ways. The casting, the choice of location, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/a-screenplay-is-really-an-instruction-manual-and-it-can-be/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Most of the books and films I love walk a knife edge between romance and cynicism, and I wanted 'One Day' to stay on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/most-of-the-books-and-films-i-love-walk-a-knife-edge-between-romance/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) [Explore all 332 David Nicholls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) ## More Change the world quotes > [If you learn something that changes you, you've made progress. If you learn something that changes others, you've helped change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanie-lane/if-you-learn-something-that-changes-you-you-ve-made-progress-if-you/) Lanie Lane > [If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-you-wanted-to-put-the-world-to-rights-who-should-you-begin-with/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Paul Gray - he believed in my art, and I believed in his music. Together, we decided to change the world, and that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-crahan/paul-gray-he-believed-in-my-art-and-i-believed-in-his-music-together/) [Shawn Crahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-crahan/) > [If I wanted to change the world, the last thing I would do is write a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-i-wanted-to-change-the-world-the-last-thing-i-would-do-is-write-a/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Some women are meant to change the world, while others are meant to hold it together. And then there are those of us who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/some-women-are-meant-to-change-the-world-while-others-are-meant-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Curiously, the righteous Pharisees had little historical impact, save for a brief time in a remote corner of the Roman Empire. But Jesus' disciples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/curiously-the-righteous-pharisees-had-little-historical-impact-save/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“if i am not in the world simply to adapt to it, but rather transform it, and if it is not possible to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/if-i-am-not-in-the-world-simply-to-adapt-to-it-but-rather-transform/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [I don't like lyrics to be overbearing. I like them to say something. But I'm not trying to change the world overnight. Something simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rodgers/i-don-t-like-lyrics-to-be-overbearing-i-like-them-to-say-something/) [Paul Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rodgers/) > [Larry Kramer wisely realized so early on that to change the world, people have to know you. If they know you and see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/larry-kramer-wisely-realized-so-early-on-that-to-change-the-world/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Don't underestimate the power of your vision to change the world. Whether that world is your office, your community, an industry or a global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/don-t-underestimate-the-power-of-your-vision-to-change-the-world/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [“I've been waiting for you a long time, Alina" He said. "You and I are going to change the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-ve-been-waiting-for-you-a-long-time-alina-he-said-you-and-i-are/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [The most important thing in all human relationships is conversation, but people don’t talk anymore, they don’t sit down to talk and listen. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-most-important-thing-in-all-human-relationships-is-conversation/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/) [Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/) > [“Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) [Browse all 2,043 Change the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And maybe that's just what happens; you start out wanting to change the world through language, and end up thinking it's enough to tell a few good jokes.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Nicholls" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-start-out-wanting-to-change/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change the world" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-start-out-wanting-to-change/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/david-nicholls-873_change-the-world_and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-s_1414288.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/david-nicholls-873_change-the-world_and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-s_1414288.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/409/david-nicholls-873_change-the-world_and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-s_1414288.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And maybe that's just what happens; you start out wanting to change the world through language, and end up…” — David Nicholls", "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": "David Nicholls", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“And maybe that's just what happens;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-start-out-wanting-to-change/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/and-maybe-that-s-just-what-happens-you-start-out-wanting-to-change/#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 } } ] } ```