--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't get better at things you never…" description: "\"You can't get better at things you never play.\" — Elliott Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/elliott-smith-8566_better_you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never_2455049.jpg" --- # You can't get better at things you never play. ![“You can't get better at things you never play.” quote by Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/elliott-smith-8566_better_you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never_2455049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/elliott-smith-8566_better_you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never_2455049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/elliott-smith-8566_better_you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never_2455049.jpg) > “You can't get better at things you never play.” [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skill improvement requires active participation; you cannot improve without trying. **In simple terms:** Play to get better. Key Takeaway Engage regularly to develop abilities. Themes practice growth experience Mood encouraging hopeful Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - musical practice - sports training - coding exercises Key Concepts skill acquisition learning theory Questions to Reflect On - What activities have you avoided? - How can you create low‑risk practice spaces? A Different Perspective Fear of failure may prevent participation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-things/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [From my point of view, things don't have to change to get better. Things are fantastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/from-my-point-of-view-things-don-t-have-to-change-to-get-better/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [Most things get better by themselves. Most things, in fact, are better by morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/most-things-get-better-by-themselves-most-things-in-fact-are-better/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [You've got to feel better and then things get better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/you-ve-got-to-feel-better-and-then-things-get-better/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [When we treat children's play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that's to be found in the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/when-we-treat-children-s-play-as-seriously-as-it-deserves-we-are/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [Some people just want to make up the funny things and play pretend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-f-tompkins/some-people-just-want-to-make-up-the-funny-things-and-play-pretend/) [Paul F. Tompkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-f-tompkins/) > [It's the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/it-s-the-things-we-play-with-and-the-people-who-help-us-play-that/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [You have to look past the cool things and play the game. That's why you're here, to play the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-holliday/you-have-to-look-past-the-cool-things-and-play-the-game-that-s-why/) [Matt Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-holliday/) > [“to have fun do things and play with my friends”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deacon/to-have-fun-do-things-and-play-with-my-friends/) deacon > [One of my favorite things to do is play guitar with my dad, who taught me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-scott/one-of-my-favorite-things-to-do-is-play-guitar-with-my-dad-who-taught/) [Drew Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-scott/) > [The world holds million of things you can play with and a person's feelings is definitely not one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-world-holds-million-of-things-you-can-play-with-and-a-person-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are too many things to play with. But people's feelings and hearts are not one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/there-are-too-many-things-to-play-with-but-people-s-feelings-and/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [It's very different. You do so many things in this play. You can't just focus on acting or singing. You have to be good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-davis/it-s-very-different-you-do-so-many-things-in-this-play-you-can-t-just/) Will Davis > [I try to do different things, beautiful things, to play the game the way I see it, and I think I'm doing it pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitar-berbatov/i-try-to-do-different-things-beautiful-things-to-play-the-game-the/) [Dimitar Berbatov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimitar-berbatov/) > [I know people expect a lot from me and want to see certain things when I play, but it's not really any pressure for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiggins/i-know-people-expect-a-lot-from-me-and-want-to-see-certain-things/) [Andrew Wiggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiggins/) > [I'm an actor and I'm able to do a lot of things and play a lot of characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galvin/i-m-an-actor-and-i-m-able-to-do-a-lot-of-things-and-play-a-lot-of/) [Noah Galvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galvin/) ## More by Elliott Smith > [Somewhere where people aren't so mad would be nice, but I don't know if there is anywhere like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/somewhere-where-people-aren-t-so-mad-would-be-nice-but-i-don-t-know/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I actually don't think that I'm gonna sell a lot of records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-actually-don-t-think-that-i-m-gonna-sell-a-lot-of-records/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [Because God only knows why people like what they like and don't like something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/because-god-only-knows-why-people-like-what-they-like-and-don-t-like/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [My girlfriend at the time convinced me to send these songs to Cavity Search. When they wanted to put out my record I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/my-girlfriend-at-the-time-convinced-me-to-send-these-songs-to-cavity/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [People think they know all these things about other people, and if you ask them why they think they know that, it'd be hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-think-they-know-all-these-things-about-other-people-and-if-you/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I didn't think I was gonna be playing on the Oscars or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-didn-t-think-i-was-gonna-be-playing-on-the-oscars-or-anything/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [All your secret wishes could right now be coming true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/all-your-secret-wishes-could-right-now-be-coming-true/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I can't think of anything off the top of my head that seems more important than something designed to raise money to keep something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-can-t-think-of-anything-off-the-top-of-my-head-that-seems-more/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [I went walking around the city some more, people watching with a cold, blank stare. And I saw your face in everyone, I swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/i-went-walking-around-the-city-some-more-people-watching-with-a-cold/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [There are lots of things I like about playing in a band, the things I can't do by myself you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/there-are-lots-of-things-i-like-about-playing-in-a-band-the-things-i/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [The band's filter, but playing live is a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/the-band-s-filter-but-playing-live-is-a-lot-of-fun/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [Well, I try not to think about the general public since I have no idea what the general public is and I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/well-i-try-not-to-think-about-the-general-public-since-i-have-no-idea/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [People can be chaos but it's hard to fit it into some creative piece that you made. It's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/people-can-be-chaos-but-it-s-hard-to-fit-it-into-some-creative-piece/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [“Tired of dancing on a pot of gold flake paint”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/tired-of-dancing-on-a-pot-of-gold-flake-paint/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) > [A lot of people are kind of depressed. I'm happy some of the time, and some of the time I'm not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/a-lot-of-people-are-kind-of-depressed-i-m-happy-some-of-the-time-and/) [Elliott Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) [Explore all 80 Elliott Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/) [Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [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/) > [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The Little you Give !! The Better it Gets !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-stanyer/the-little-you-give-the-better-it-gets/) [Mario Stanyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-stanyer/) > [A strong, durable Puerto Rican economy will leave the island better prepared to handle future natural disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/a-strong-durable-puerto-rican-economy-will-leave-the-island-better/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [It hasn't been a conscious thing, like, 'I don't want to listen to a bunch of dudes,' but I genuinely like music by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soccer-mommy/it-hasn-t-been-a-conscious-thing-like-i-don-t-want-to-listen-to-a/) [Soccer Mommy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soccer-mommy/) > [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [I like to collaborate with other people for studio recordings because I believe collaboration, in any form, makes music better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-like-to-collaborate-with-other-people-for-studio-recordings-because/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/) [Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/) > [Cara Delevingne and I took an eyebrow selfie. We both have prominent eyebrows, but hers are much better than mine. Maybe we should do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/cara-delevingne-and-i-took-an-eyebrow-selfie-we-both-have-prominent/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [I never really look at it past one year. I look at last year and my whole goal is to be a better player…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-williams/i-never-really-look-at-it-past-one-year-i-look-at-last-year-and-my/) [Trent Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-williams/) Browse all 17,085 Better quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't get better at things you never play.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elliott Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never-play/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Better" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never-play/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/elliott-smith-8566_better_you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never_2455049.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/elliott-smith-8566_better_you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never_2455049.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/elliott-smith-8566_better_you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never_2455049.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't get better at things you never play.” — Elliott Smith", "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": "Elliott Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't get better at things...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never-play/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-smith/you-can-t-get-better-at-things-you-never-play/#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 } } ] } ```