--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even in a perfect world where everyone…" description: "\"Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal. I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel.\" — Elvis Costello" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/elvis-costello-1931_a-perfect-world_even-in-a-perfect-world-where-everyone-w_53989.jpg" --- # Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal. I'd… ![“Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal. I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel.” quote by Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/elvis-costello-1931_a-perfect-world_even-in-a-perfect-world-where-everyone-w_53989.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/elvis-costello-1931_a-perfect-world_even-in-a-perfect-world-where-everyone-w_53989.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/elvis-costello-1931_a-perfect-world_even-in-a-perfect-world-where-everyone-w_53989.jpg) > “Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal. I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel.” [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even in an ideal society, personal ambition and ownership dominate, highlighting the persistence of self‑interest. **In simple terms:** Self‑interest persists despite equality Key Takeaway Power and profit outlast fairness Themes Power Ambition Inequality Capitalism Human Nature Mood Wry Cynical Satirical Type Aphorism Satire When to use this quote - Film industry negotiations - Creative collaborations - Intellectual property disputes - Corporate mergers - Personal branding Key Concepts Ownership Motivation Social Structure Practical Applications - Negotiating rights for sequels - Strategic asset acquisition Questions to Reflect On - Does equality erase personal greed? - How does ownership shape creative control? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Perfect world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-world/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Just imagine how boring life would be if we were all the same. My idea of a perfect world is one in which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/just-imagine-how-boring-life-would-be-if-we-were-all-the-same-my-idea/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [You have to be very careful when you're working on a sequel, because it has to be a continuation of what you did before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideo-kojima/you-have-to-be-very-careful-when-you-re-working-on-a-sequel-because/) [Hideo Kojima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideo-kojima/) > [In my perfect world, Hanna and Caleb would get married in Paris and have six kids and she's the new Anna Wintour. Just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-benson/in-my-perfect-world-hanna-and-caleb-would-get-married-in-paris-and/) [Ashley Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-benson/) > [ In a perfect world, I don't think it \[one's sexual orientation\] is anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/in-a-perfect-world-i-don-t-think-it-one-s-sexual-orientation-is/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) > [In a perfect world, everybody would be gay. I mean if everybody looked like Zach Braff, you just wouldn't be able to resist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/in-a-perfect-world-everybody-would-be-gay-i-mean-if-everybody-looked/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Our lives are marked and shaped by our regrets. Things we all want to take back and can’t. In a perfect world, we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/our-lives-are-marked-and-shaped-by-our-regrets-things-we-all-want-to/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Inside the snow globe on my father's desk, there was a penguin wearing a red-and-white-striped scarf. When I was little my father would pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/inside-the-snow-globe-on-my-father-s-desk-there-was-a-penguin-wearing/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [Nothing has to be changed, because all is beautiful - that is enlightenment. All is as it should be, everything is perfect. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/nothing-has-to-be-changed-because-all-is-beautiful-that-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [In a perfect world, I could be doing some bigger films and balance that with some independent films because they seem to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/in-a-perfect-world-i-could-be-doing-some-bigger-films-and-balance/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [I'm friends with everybody, I love everybody. I trust everybody because they don't give me reasons not to you know what I'm saying? So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christofer-drew/i-m-friends-with-everybody-i-love-everybody-i-trust-everybody-because/) [Christofer Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christofer-drew/) > [Anything and everything at any given time is sort of the point I think. We're dealing in real situations and that's why we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-dushku/anything-and-everything-at-any-given-time-is-sort-of-the-point-i/) [Eliza Dushku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-dushku/) > [In a perfect world, my tennis game gets better. I have kids and a beautiful wife and live on some hill somewhere that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/in-a-perfect-world-my-tennis-game-gets-better-i-have-kids-and-a/) [Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/) > [In a perfect world we don't want to be overly dependent on any single asset or be so dependent on the cycle or where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-packer/in-a-perfect-world-we-don-t-want-to-be-overly-dependent-on-any-single/) [James Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-packer/) > [I think every musician is different, every artist is different, and in a perfect world people would be able to pursue their own path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-haines/i-think-every-musician-is-different-every-artist-is-different-and-in/) [Emily Haines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-haines/) > [So that's one of the reasons why we took time between the last one and this one, was to make sure that we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-burk/so-that-s-one-of-the-reasons-why-we-took-time-between-the-last-one/) [Bryan Burk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-burk/) ## More by Elvis Costello > [Good manners and bad breath will get you nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/good-manners-and-bad-breath-will-get-you-nowhere/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [History repeats the old conceits, the glib replies, the same defeats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/history-repeats-the-old-conceits-the-glib-replies-the-same-defeats/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [People think it is all about country music, and I know a lot of country music has come out of there, but like Blonde…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/people-think-it-is-all-about-country-music-and-i-know-a-lot-of/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [I get very frustrated by this term 'genre exercise.' I mean, what exactly is that? Genre is not really relevant when you are writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-get-very-frustrated-by-this-term-genre-exercise-i-mean-what-exactly/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Somebody should clip Sting around the head and tell him to stop using that ridiculous Jamaican accent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/somebody-should-clip-sting-around-the-head-and-tell-him-to-stop-using/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [There is something wrong with you if you don't get angry about something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/there-is-something-wrong-with-you-if-you-don-t-get-angry-about/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“Was it a millionaire who said "imagine no possessions?" A poor little schoolboy who said "we don't need no lessons?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/was-it-a-millionaire-who-said-imagine-no-possessions-a-poor-little/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Though the passion still flutters and flickers, it never got into our knickers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/though-the-passion-still-flutters-and-flickers-it-never-got-into-our/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [My dad's father was a White Star Line trumpet player in the '20s. It shaped the way that I think about music. My grandfather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/my-dad-s-father-was-a-white-star-line-trumpet-player-in-the-20s-it/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Life for me is about movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/life-for-me-is-about-movement/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Maybe I just never learned my harmony part, because what everybody says sounds odd to them sounds perfectly natural to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/maybe-i-just-never-learned-my-harmony-part-because-what-everybody/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [There are a lot of things that you can like at a distance without spending a huge amount of time pondering. It's not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/there-are-a-lot-of-things-that-you-can-like-at-a-distance-without/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Don't wear your heart on your sleeve when your remarks are off the cuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/don-t-wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve-when-your-remarks-are-off-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [I'm just the mere shadow of my former selfishness. I crave the silhouette of your kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-m-just-the-mere-shadow-of-my-former-selfishness-i-crave-the/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [“I could say it was the nights when I was lonely and you were the only one who'd talk. I could tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-could-say-it-was-the-nights-when-i-was-lonely-and-you-were-the-only/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) [Explore all 197 Elvis Costello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) ## More A perfect world quotes > [So that's one of the reasons why we took time between the last one and this one, was to make sure that we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-burk/so-that-s-one-of-the-reasons-why-we-took-time-between-the-last-one/) [Bryan Burk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-burk/) > [I think every musician is different, every artist is different, and in a perfect world people would be able to pursue their own path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-haines/i-think-every-musician-is-different-every-artist-is-different-and-in/) [Emily Haines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-haines/) > [In a perfect world we don't want to be overly dependent on any single asset or be so dependent on the cycle or where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-packer/in-a-perfect-world-we-don-t-want-to-be-overly-dependent-on-any-single/) [James Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-packer/) > [The world can be better if there's love, tolerance and humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/the-world-can-be-better-if-there-s-love-tolerance-and-humility/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [In a perfect world, my tennis game gets better. I have kids and a beautiful wife and live on some hill somewhere that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/in-a-perfect-world-my-tennis-game-gets-better-i-have-kids-and-a/) [Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/) > [Anything and everything at any given time is sort of the point I think. We're dealing in real situations and that's why we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-dushku/anything-and-everything-at-any-given-time-is-sort-of-the-point-i/) [Eliza Dushku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-dushku/) > [I'm friends with everybody, I love everybody. I trust everybody because they don't give me reasons not to you know what I'm saying? So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christofer-drew/i-m-friends-with-everybody-i-love-everybody-i-trust-everybody-because/) [Christofer Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christofer-drew/) > [In a perfect world, I could be doing some bigger films and balance that with some independent films because they seem to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/in-a-perfect-world-i-could-be-doing-some-bigger-films-and-balance/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [Nothing has to be changed, because all is beautiful - that is enlightenment. All is as it should be, everything is perfect. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/nothing-has-to-be-changed-because-all-is-beautiful-that-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Inside the snow globe on my father's desk, there was a penguin wearing a red-and-white-striped scarf. When I was little my father would pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/inside-the-snow-globe-on-my-father-s-desk-there-was-a-penguin-wearing/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [Our lives are marked and shaped by our regrets. Things we all want to take back and can’t. In a perfect world, we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/our-lives-are-marked-and-shaped-by-our-regrets-things-we-all-want-to/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“Zackary Connor's office building was made of glass, endless windows giving the impression of being outside. It was exactly how I liked nature--air conditioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-hanson/zackary-connor-s-office-building-was-made-of-glass-endless-windows/) [Caroline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-hanson/) > [In a perfect world, everybody would be gay. I mean if everybody looked like Zach Braff, you just wouldn't be able to resist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/in-a-perfect-world-everybody-would-be-gay-i-mean-if-everybody-looked/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [ In a perfect world, I don't think it \[one's sexual orientation\] is anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/in-a-perfect-world-i-don-t-think-it-one-s-sexual-orientation-is/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) > [In my perfect world, Hanna and Caleb would get married in Paris and have six kids and she's the new Anna Wintour. Just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-benson/in-my-perfect-world-hanna-and-caleb-would-get-married-in-paris-and/) [Ashley Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-benson/) Browse all 122 A perfect world quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal. 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