--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're doing nonsense it has to be…" description: "\"If you're doing nonsense it has to be rather awful, because there'd be no point.\" — Edward Gorey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/edward-gorey-9339_awful_if-you-re-doing-nonsense-it-has-to-be-ra_1723397.jpg" --- # If you're doing nonsense it has to be rather awful… ![“If you're doing nonsense it has to be rather awful, because there'd be no point.” quote by Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/edward-gorey-9339_awful_if-you-re-doing-nonsense-it-has-to-be-ra_1723397.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/edward-gorey-9339_awful_if-you-re-doing-nonsense-it-has-to-be-ra_1723397.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/edward-gorey-9339_awful_if-you-re-doing-nonsense-it-has-to-be-ra_1723397.jpg) > “If you're doing nonsense it has to be rather awful, because there'd be no point.” [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) ## 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 suggests that actions lacking purpose are inherently terrible. **In simple terms:** Pointless actions are terrible. Key Takeaway Avoid meaningless actions. Themes meaning purpose action Mood critical reflective Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - personal decisions - work tasks - creative projects Key Concepts existentialism absurdity Questions to Reflect On - What purpose drives your actions? - How do you assess meaning? A Different Perspective Even purposeful actions can have negative outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awful/) [Awful Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awful-point-1359991/) [Doing Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-nonsense-1359989/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [No point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-point/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Nonsense Awful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense-awful-1359990/) ## Related quotes > [If you're doing nonsense it has to be rather awful, because there'd be no point. I'm trying to think if there's sunny nonsense. Sunny,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/if-you-re-doing-nonsense-it-has-to-be-rather-awful-because-there-d-be/) [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) > [It gives me confidence to know that what I'm writing has a veracity of its own without me having to invent it. When I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/it-gives-me-confidence-to-know-that-what-i-m-writing-has-a-veracity/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [There is no point winning the semi if you don't win the final. It's as simple as that. No one will remember a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-o-driscoll/there-is-no-point-winning-the-semi-if-you-don-t-win-the-final-it-s-as/) [Brian O'Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-o-driscoll/) > [I have no point in my system or morals where I say, 'This is too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-borstein/i-have-no-point-in-my-system-or-morals-where-i-say-this-is-too-far/) [Alex Borstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-borstein/) > [I never play a villain that I don't have something I can either do or say so the audience sees there is something redeemable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/i-never-play-a-villain-that-i-don-t-have-something-i-can-either-do-or/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [The beauty of evolution is that it does provide an explanation of how you can get complexity out of simplicity. It does it by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-beauty-of-evolution-is-that-it-does-provide-an-explanation-of-how/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [When the world grinds you down, bent to tear you apart, cling to what you hold dear, and stay true to your heart. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/when-the-world-grinds-you-down-bent-to-tear-you-apart-cling-to-what/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [Our current use of time is not rational. There is therefore no point in seeking marginal improvements in how we spend our time. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-koch/our-current-use-of-time-is-not-rational-there-is-therefore-no-point/) [Richard Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-koch/) > [There's no point dating a guy who can't support a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/there-s-no-point-dating-a-guy-who-can-t-support-a-family/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [Sport is a passion and out of passion comes love. No point trying to work out why some become heroes and others don't. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-carlyon/sport-is-a-passion-and-out-of-passion-comes-love-no-point-trying-to/) [Les Carlyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-carlyon/) > [There's no point in getting into politics at all unless you plan to lash things around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-no-point-in-getting-into-politics-at-all-unless-you-plan-to/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There was no point in seeking to convert the intellectuals. For intellectuals would never be converted and would anyway always yield to the stronger,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/there-was-no-point-in-seeking-to-convert-the-intellectuals-for/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [... at no point have I yet found artistic truth and theological truth at variance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/at-no-point-have-i-yet-found-artistic-truth-and-theological-truth-at/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I don't believe in happy endings. Children have got to face death sooner or later. Granny and Grandpa die, dogs die, cats die, gerbils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-briggs/i-don-t-believe-in-happy-endings-children-have-got-to-face-death/) [Raymond Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-briggs/) > [I personally think if something's not a challenge, there's no point doing it, because you're not gonna learn much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-personally-think-if-something-s-not-a-challenge-there-s-no-point/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Edward Gorey > [I have given up considering happiness as relevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/i-have-given-up-considering-happiness-as-relevant/) [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) > [Interviewer: What is your greatest regret? Gorey: That I don't have one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/interviewer-what-is-your-greatest-regret-gorey-that-i-don-t-have-one/) [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) > [I should like a parsley sandwich. To the best of my knowledge they are not in season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/i-should-like-a-parsley-sandwich-to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-they-are/) [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) > [I really think I write about everyday life. I don't think I'm quite as odd as others say I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/i-really-think-i-write-about-everyday-life-i-don-t-think-i-m-quite-as/) [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) > [There was a young lady named Mae Who smoked without stopping all day; As pack followed pack, Her lungs first turned black, And eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/there-was-a-young-lady-named-mae-who-smoked-without-stopping-all-day/) [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) > [“Apropos of nothing at all except that it has been on my mind and I think I had better say it because it accounts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/apropos-of-nothing-at-all-except-that-it-has-been-on-my-mind-and-i/) [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) > [Vice is nice, but a little virtue won't hurt you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/vice-is-nice-but-a-little-virtue-won-t-hurt-you/) [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) > [“How elegant! how choice! how gay! 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