---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the consensus among our…"
description: "\"I think the consensus among our generation and people younger than us is that we do have a defining challenge in the moment, so I do like being involve..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/edward-norton-2203_art_i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generati_1221857.jpg"
---

#  I think the consensus among our generation and people…

![“I think the consensus among our generation and people younger than us is that we do have a defining challenge in the moment, so I do like being involved in something bigger than the finger-doodling I do in art. It stimulates your brain in certain ways.” quote by Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/edward-norton-2203_art_i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generati_1221857.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/edward-norton-2203_art_i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generati_1221857.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/edward-norton-2203_art_i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generati_1221857.jpg)

> “I think the consensus among our generation and people younger than us is that we do have a defining challenge in the moment, so I do like being involved in something bigger than the finger-doodling I do in art. It stimulates your brain in certain ways.”

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He feels that art should tackle larger, meaningful issues rather than trivial tasks, engaging the mind deeply.

**In simple terms:** Art should address big challenges, not just small tricks.

Key Takeaway

Seek purpose in creative work.

Themes

creativity purpose challenge

Mood

inspired thoughtful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- art projects
- community activism
- education
- public speaking

Key Concepts

meaning mind stimulation social impact

Questions to Reflect On

- What larger issue can your art address?
- How does depth improve engagement?

A Different Perspective

May overlook practical constraints of larger projects.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Stimulates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-stimulates-3745433/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Challenge Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenge-moment-381950/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Consensus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consensus/) [Defining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining/) [Doodling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doodling/) [Finger Doodling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finger-doodling-3745434/) [Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fingers/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Involved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/involved/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Our generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-generation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stimulates Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stimulates-brain-1807945/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/)

## Related quotes

> [The moment you stop accepting challenge, is the moment you stop moving forward.Dont let your life change the aim & goal of life because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/the-moment-you-stop-accepting-challenge-is-the-moment-you-stop-moving/)

[DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/)

> [There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-never-time-in-the-future-in-which-we-will-work-out-our/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Always look for positivity in every encounter, in every challenge, and in every moment when you feel overwhelmed with a demanding situation. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/always-look-for-positivity-in-every-encounter-in-every-challenge-and/)

[Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/)

> [The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-challenge-is-in-the-moment-the-time-is-always-now/)

[James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/)

> [Medical tests have shown that giving stimulates a part of the brain that gives us the same gratification as when we eat food or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-arrillaga-andreessen/medical-tests-have-shown-that-giving-stimulates-a-part-of-the-brain/)

[Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-arrillaga-andreessen/)

> [“Peppermint stimulates brain activity and makes you concentrate better. Put a little peppermint oil under your nose or in a candle to get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-duck/peppermint-stimulates-brain-activity-and-makes-you-concentrate-better/)

[Eric Duck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-duck/)

> [Over thinking stimulates the brain, making it 10 times harder to fall asleep at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/over-thinking-stimulates-the-brain-making-it-10-times-harder-to-fall/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I typically don't really read in the morning, I usually like to put on music. I find that it is the most soothing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-everett/i-typically-don-t-really-read-in-the-morning-i-usually-like-to-put-on/)

[Bridget Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-everett/)

> [I take vitamins when I wake up. One of them I need to take is to wake up my brain. It has some caffeine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mellody-hobson/i-take-vitamins-when-i-wake-up-one-of-them-i-need-to-take-is-to-wake/)

[Mellody Hobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mellody-hobson/)

> [Fish stimulates the brain, but fishing stimulates the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-dewar-1st-baron-dewar/fish-stimulates-the-brain-but-fishing-stimulates-the-imagination/)

[Thomas Dewar, 1st Baron Dewar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-dewar-1st-baron-dewar/)

> [“For example, rosemary can help clear your head, making you less vulnerable to distractions. Peppermint stimulates the brain and improves concentration. Citrus and cinnamon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-zahariades/for-example-rosemary-can-help-clear-your-head-making-you-less/)

[Damon Zahariades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-zahariades/)

> [“Let the pleasure of doodling led us to writing as decoration rather than to the peculiarly abstract sort of representation it inclines towards: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kaplan/let-the-pleasure-of-doodling-led-us-to-writing-as-decoration-rather/)

[Robert Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kaplan/)

> [I do recall how I got the ideas for some of my books. Many of them are a result of doodling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-peet/i-do-recall-how-i-got-the-ideas-for-some-of-my-books-many-of-them-are/)

[Bill Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-peet/)

> [I wish I still had all of my old schoolwork. I'd just have all the sketches around the schoolwork, and none of the schoolwork…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-cauley-stein/i-wish-i-still-had-all-of-my-old-schoolwork-i-d-just-have-all-the/)

[Willie Cauley-Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-cauley-stein/)

> [Seven days a week, I'm always drawing, doodling, or painting, whether I'm in the studio or on a plane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-max/seven-days-a-week-i-m-always-drawing-doodling-or-painting-whether-i-m/)

[Peter Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-max/)

## More by Edward Norton

> [I don't feel insecure about any of this work anymore. Maybe I don't have what I had when I was younger. I'm not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-don-t-feel-insecure-about-any-of-this-work-anymore-maybe-i-don-t/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [ As an actor, if you step to the side and you look at \[Thornton's performance\] technically, and you try to imagine doing what he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/as-an-actor-if-you-step-to-the-side-and-you-look-at-thornton-s/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [It's better for people to miss you than to have seen too much of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/it-s-better-for-people-to-miss-you-than-to-have-seen-too-much-of-you/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [You can't control everything that comes to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/you-can-t-control-everything-that-comes-to-you/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [The incentive for business is not, and cannot, be anything other than the root incentive for all business: they must profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/the-incentive-for-business-is-not-and-cannot-be-anything-other-than/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [My greatest hope is that we transcend the most fearful thing, which is that we are rapidly degrading the ecological systems on this planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/my-greatest-hope-is-that-we-transcend-the-most-fearful-thing-which-is/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [David Fincher is probably the best comprehensive director in terms of being a manger of a process that must drive forward. He has such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/david-fincher-is-probably-the-best-comprehensive-director-in-terms-of/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [Sometimes their oppression of emotion and the weird way it comes out is more interesting than painting it in bold primary colors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/sometimes-their-oppression-of-emotion-and-the-weird-way-it-comes-out/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [The thing I'm absolutely convinced of, no matter how crazy - technological the world is getting, is that people feel more connected through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/the-thing-i-m-absolutely-convinced-of-no-matter-how-crazy/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [Making really great music, making really great films, writing great books is an antidote to all of that. And, as people, as artists, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/making-really-great-music-making-really-great-films-writing-great/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [I like music, but I need to get outside more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-like-music-but-i-need-to-get-outside-more/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [I've always liked the idea of taking old dramatic ideas and devices and making them feel relevant or contemporary or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-ve-always-liked-the-idea-of-taking-old-dramatic-ideas-and-devices/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [I don't think you should sit around and wait for people to give you an opportunity to express yourself or do your work, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-don-t-think-you-should-sit-around-and-wait-for-people-to-give-you/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [To cite my own alma mater, it's shocking to me that Yale University can teach what it teaches at the Yale School of Environmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/to-cite-my-own-alma-mater-it-s-shocking-to-me-that-yale-university/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [I had a huge advantage with Edward Norton because he's directed a movie before, so one thing he appreciates is how hard my job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-had-a-huge-advantage-with-edward-norton-because-he-s-directed-a/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

[Explore all 179 Edward Norton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

## More Art quotes

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/)

[Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/)

> [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

[Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/)

> [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/)

[Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

[Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think the consensus among our generation and people younger than us is that we do have a defining challenge in the moment, so I do like being involved in something bigger than the finger-doodling I do in art. It stimulates your brain in certain ways.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Edward Norton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generation-and-people-younger-than-us/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Art"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generation-and-people-younger-than-us/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/edward-norton-2203_art_i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generati_1221857.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/edward-norton-2203_art_i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generati_1221857.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/edward-norton-2203_art_i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generati_1221857.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think the consensus among our generation and people younger than us is that we do have a defining…” — Edward Norton",
                "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": "Edward Norton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think the consensus among our...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generation-and-people-younger-than-us/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-think-the-consensus-among-our-generation-and-people-younger-than-us/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```