--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not that he doesn't smile; it's that…" description: "\"“It's not that he doesn't smile; it's that if his smile were something you drew, you'd erase it, thinking, Wrong.”\" — Elizabeth Berg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/elizabeth-berg-853_artist_it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that_19516.jpg" --- # It's not that he doesn't smile; it's that if his smile… ![“It's not that he doesn't smile; it's that if his smile were something you drew, you'd erase it, thinking, Wrong.” quote by Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/elizabeth-berg-853_artist_it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that_19516.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/elizabeth-berg-853_artist_it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that_19516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/elizabeth-berg-853_artist_it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that_19516.jpg) > ““It's not that he doesn't smile; it's that if his smile were something you drew, you'd erase it, thinking, Wrong.”” [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) ## 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 highlights how we may reject even positive expressions if they conflict with our internal judgments, suggesting self‑censorship driven by perceived inadequacy. **In simple terms:** Self‑censorship of positivity Key Takeaway We often erase joy when we deem it inappropriate Themes self‑perception cognitive dissonance emotional suppression social judgment authenticity Mood reflective introspective melancholic Type aphor observation When to use this quote - personal relationships - creative work - public speaking - therapy sessions Key Concepts identity self‑critique social norms Practical Applications - mindfulness training - creative writing prompts Questions to Reflect On - Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hide our happiness? - How can we accept positive emotions without self‑judgment? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Doesn Smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doesn-smile-392680/) [Drew Erase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drew-erase-392679/) [Erase Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/erase-thinking-392677/) [Smile Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smile-drew-392676/) [Thinking Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-wrong-392678/) ## Related quotes > [Once you don't smile on film, they say, 'Let's have that bloke who doesn't smile.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armitage/once-you-don-t-smile-on-film-they-say-let-s-have-that-bloke-who-doesn/) [Richard Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armitage/) > [When he smiles, e doesn't smile at you. He smile's straight behind you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-he-smiles-e-doesn-t-smile-at-you-he-smile-s-straight-behind-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyday when you wake up, smile at nature, even when it doesn't smile back...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/everyday-when-you-wake-up-smile-at-nature-even-when-it-doesn-t-smile/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The most innovative designers consciously reject the standard option box and cultivate an appetite for thinking wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-neumeier/the-most-innovative-designers-consciously-reject-the-standard-option/) [Marty Neumeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-neumeier/) > [I was looking for the one, now I'm feeling dumb for thinking it was you, I was wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-was-looking-for-the-one-now-i-m-feeling-dumb-for-thinking-it-was/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“She couldn't help thinking that something was wrong with a person had more shoes than books in their home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-connelly/she-couldn-t-help-thinking-that-something-was-wrong-with-a-person-had/) [Victoria Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-connelly/) > [A positive impact stems from our admission that we were wrong or our thinking was wrong. 'I'm wrong' are two little words that can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-devos/a-positive-impact-stems-from-our-admission-that-we-were-wrong-or-our/) [Richard M. DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-devos/) > [You have no idea how much of the inefficiency of mankind comes from thinking about the wrong-doings of others, and of ourselves. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-curtis-hopkins/you-have-no-idea-how-much-of-the-inefficiency-of-mankind-comes-from/) [Emma Curtis Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-curtis-hopkins/) > [You can't go through life thinking about what could go wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-epstein/you-can-t-go-through-life-thinking-about-what-could-go-wrong/) [Theo Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-epstein/) > [Stop thinking of what could go wrong and start thinking of what could go right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-morgan/stop-thinking-of-what-could-go-wrong-and-start-thinking-of-what-could/) [Harriet Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-morgan/) > [“When we are right, let’s try to win people gently and tactfully to our way of thinking, and when we are wrong – and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/when-we-are-right-let-s-try-to-win-people-gently-and-tactfully-to-our/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [To my way of thinking there's something wrong, or missing, with any person who hasn't got a soft spot in their heart for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-james/to-my-way-of-thinking-there-s-something-wrong-or-missing-with-any/) [Will James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-james/) > [I do this shit til the death, yeah I do this shit til I'm gone. Yeah I told you that it's our world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-do-this-shit-til-the-death-yeah-i-do-this-shit-til-i-m-gone-yeah-i/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [As a team and as a player, it's about winning, and if you're only thinking about yourself, you're thinking about the wrong thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquill-griffin/as-a-team-and-as-a-player-it-s-about-winning-and-if-you-re-only/) [Shaquill Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquill-griffin/) > [If being sane is thinking there's something wrong with being different…I'd rather be completely fucking mental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/if-being-sane-is-thinking-there-s-something-wrong-with-being/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) ## More by Elizabeth Berg > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [If there were a category in the Olympics for laundry, my mother would have been a gold-medal winner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/if-there-were-a-category-in-the-olympics-for-laundry-my-mother-would/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“If you say something over and over again, it begins to lose it's meaning... Say anything enough times and it becomes gibberish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/if-you-say-something-over-and-over-again-it-begins-to-lose-it-s/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“You know, sometimes marriage is iron. Sometimes it’s tissue paper. And I think the times it’s tissue paper are when you need to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/you-know-sometimes-marriage-is-iron-sometimes-it-s-tissue-paper-and-i/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [People say you should give until it hurts. I say you should give until it stops hurting. Know what I mean?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/people-say-you-should-give-until-it-hurts-i-say-you-should-give-until/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“I should have said “powder room.” That would evoke the image of me sitting before a beautiful gold mirror, a vase of fresh flowers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-should-have-said-powder-room-that-would-evoke-the-image-of-me/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [Sometimes the best reading comes just by accident. Someone talks about a book, or you're just wandering the stacks in the library, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/sometimes-the-best-reading-comes-just-by-accident-someone-talks-about/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“I don’t think Martha’s so bad. I think I want her for a friend instead of you. When I look at her magazine, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-don-t-think-martha-s-so-bad-i-think-i-want-her-for-a-friend-instead/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [\*We give so little when it's in us always to give so much more. It's bothering to listen with an open heart to someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/we-give-so-little-when-it-s-in-us-always-to-give-so-much-more-it-s/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [We're not just writers; we're readers probably more than anything else. That's how you learn how to write and how you learn to appreciate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/we-re-not-just-writers-we-re-readers-probably-more-than-anything-else/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I thought of the priest who'd told me that many religions hold that it is easier to be closely connected to people we love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-thought-of-the-priest-who-d-told-me-that-many-religions-hold-that/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“How is it that we dare to honk at others in traffic, when we know nothing about where they have just come from or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/how-is-it-that-we-dare-to-honk-at-others-in-traffic-when-we-know/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [The truth is, we usually only show our unhappiness to another woman. I suppose this is one of our problems. And yet it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/the-truth-is-we-usually-only-show-our-unhappiness-to-another-woman-i/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [As for my 'real life,' yes, I do have friends who are different from me, and I find it refreshing being around them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/as-for-my-real-life-yes-i-do-have-friends-who-are-different-from-me/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) [Explore all 350 Elizabeth Berg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“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/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [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 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/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's not that he doesn't smile; it's that if his smile were something you drew, you'd erase it, thinking, Wrong.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elizabeth Berg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that-if-his-smile-were-something/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that-if-his-smile-were-something/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/elizabeth-berg-853_artist_it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that_19516.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/elizabeth-berg-853_artist_it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that_19516.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb5/elizabeth-berg-853_artist_it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that_19516.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's not that he doesn't smile; it's that if his smile were something you drew, you'd erase it, thinking…” — Elizabeth Berg", "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": "Elizabeth Berg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It's not that he doesn't smile;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that-if-his-smile-were-something/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/it-s-not-that-he-doesn-t-smile-it-s-that-if-his-smile-were-something/#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 } } ] } ```