--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Creativity not committed to public…" description: "\"Creativity not committed to public purpose is merely therapy or ego satisfaction.\" — Ernest A Jones" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/ernest-a-jones-76502_creativity_creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpo_1218066.jpg" --- # Creativity not committed to public purpose is merely… ![“Creativity not committed to public purpose is merely therapy or ego satisfaction.” quote by Ernest A Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/ernest-a-jones-76502_creativity_creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpo_1218066.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/ernest-a-jones-76502_creativity_creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpo_1218066.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/ernest-a-jones-76502_creativity_creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpo_1218066.jpg) > “Creativity not committed to public purpose is merely therapy or ego satisfaction.” [Ernest A Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-a-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creativity without serving a broader societal goal becomes self‑indulgent rather than constructive. **In simple terms:** Creative work should aim to help others, not just oneself. Key Takeaway Focus creative efforts on public good. Themes creativity purpose ego society Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - non‑profit projects - community art - public policy design - educational programs Key Concepts self‑actualization altruism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can I align my creative projects with community needs? - What balance exists between personal expression and public impact? A Different Perspective May overlook personal well‑being and intrinsic motivation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Creativity Committed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity-committed-3719103/) [Ego Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego-satisfaction-3719102/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) [Merely Therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merely-therapy-3719100/) [Purpose Merely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-merely-3719104/) [Therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapy/) [Therapy Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapy-ego-3719101/) ## Related quotes > [The column's worked out great for me. I've gotten a ton of ego satisfaction, had a lot of fun, won a batch of prizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-sloan/the-column-s-worked-out-great-for-me-i-ve-gotten-a-ton-of-ego/) [Allan Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-sloan/) > [Perhaps you have seen me. I know well, my purpose was merely that of a symbol, 'equals', 'times'... ; but what is said, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-goldbarth/perhaps-you-have-seen-me-i-know-well-my-purpose-was-merely-that-of-a/) [Albert Goldbarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-goldbarth/) > [“I think Destiny's purpose is merely to shock us at moments into a state of awareness; those moments are milestones in between which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/attia-hosain/i-think-destiny-s-purpose-is-merely-to-shock-us-at-moments-into-a/) [Attia Hosain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/attia-hosain/) > [Therapy can be a good thing; it can be therapeutic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-rodriguez/therapy-can-be-a-good-thing-it-can-be-therapeutic/) [Alex Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-rodriguez/) > [“You will stay in therapy as long as you feel it is worth the time, effort and money you invest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lowen/you-will-stay-in-therapy-as-long-as-you-feel-it-is-worth-the-time/) [Alexander Lowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lowen/) > [I keep a journal. I like myself better when I just pour it out. It's easier sometimes, even if you write on a piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergie/i-keep-a-journal-i-like-myself-better-when-i-just-pour-it-out-it-s/) [Fergie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergie/) > [I've always written poetry but I didn't realise it was a therapy for me until I was maybe 15. That's when my singing started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-winehouse/i-ve-always-written-poetry-but-i-didn-t-realise-it-was-a-therapy-for/) [Amy Winehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-winehouse/) > [I'm a massive scaredy cat. I'm scared of being in a fast car, I'm scared of being on a rollercoaster, I would never go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-horgan/i-m-a-massive-scaredy-cat-i-m-scared-of-being-in-a-fast-car-i-m/) [Sharon Horgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-horgan/) > [I'm in therapy, and I think everyone should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/i-m-in-therapy-and-i-think-everyone-should-be/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [“You’ve been talking about me in therapy?”“In therapy, in my sleep, in AA, in chat rooms, to strangers,” I said. “Women like you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lister/you-ve-been-talking-about-me-in-therapy-in-therapy-in-my-sleep-in-aa/) [Michael Lister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lister/) > [The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your 'cognitions,' or thoughts. A cognition refers to the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/the-first-principle-of-cognitive-therapy-is-that-all-your-moods-are/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [It is natural that our minds replay old stories, because that is our own mechanism for trying to work out unresolved problems. Yet rerunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/it-is-natural-that-our-minds-replay-old-stories-because-that-is-our/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [It is irresponsible to set an arbitrary cap on how much therapy a Medicare beneficiary can receive. It ignores the health needs of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/it-is-irresponsible-to-set-an-arbitrary-cap-on-how-much-therapy-a/) [John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/) ## More by Ernest A Jones > [Only for the phony is commercialism-the bending of creativity to common utility-a naughty word. To the truly creative, it is a bridge to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-a-jones/only-for-the-phony-is-commercialism-the-bending-of-creativity-to/) [Ernest A Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-a-jones/) > [Man's chief enemy is his own unruly nature and the dark forces pent up within him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-a-jones/man-s-chief-enemy-is-his-own-unruly-nature-and-the-dark-forces-pent/) [Ernest A Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-a-jones/) [Explore all 3 Ernest A Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-a-jones/) ## More Creativity quotes > [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/) > [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/) > [“The Soviet “creative intelligentsia” - that is, people accustomed to thinking one thing, saying another and doing a third - is as a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-amalrik/the-soviet-creative-intelligentsia-that-is-people-accustomed-to/) [Andrei Amalrik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-amalrik/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“You are the end of beauty and creativity one must have created so far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-the-end-of-beauty-and-creativity-one-must-have-created-so-far/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/) [Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/) > [“I believe in magic. As a writer, I create them on blank paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnia-kemmer/i-believe-in-magic-as-a-writer-i-create-them-on-blank-paper/) [Sonnia Kemmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonnia-kemmer/) > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) [Christoph Niemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-niemann/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 13,625 Creativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Creativity not committed to public purpose is merely therapy or ego satisfaction.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ernest A Jones" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-a-jones/creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpose-is-merely-therapy-or-ego/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Creativity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-a-jones/creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpose-is-merely-therapy-or-ego/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/ernest-a-jones-76502_creativity_creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpo_1218066.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/ernest-a-jones-76502_creativity_creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpo_1218066.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/ernest-a-jones-76502_creativity_creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpo_1218066.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Creativity not committed to public purpose is merely therapy or ego satisfaction.” — Ernest A Jones", "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": "Ernest A Jones", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-a-jones/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Creativity not committed to public purpose...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-a-jones/creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpose-is-merely-therapy-or-ego/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-a-jones/creativity-not-committed-to-public-purpose-is-merely-therapy-or-ego/#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 } } ] } ```