--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reality is what it is, not what you want…" description: "\"Reality is what it is, not what you want it to be.\" — Frank Zappa" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/frank-zappa-702_anti-religious_reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want_2527884.jpg" --- # Reality is what it is, not what you want it to be. ![“Reality is what it is, not what you want it to be.” quote by Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/frank-zappa-702_anti-religious_reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want_2527884.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/frank-zappa-702_anti-religious_reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want_2527884.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/frank-zappa-702_anti-religious_reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want_2527884.jpg) > “Reality is what it is, not what you want it to be.” [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reality exists independently of our desires; we must accept it as it is. **In simple terms:** Reality is reality, not wishes. Key Takeaway Accept facts over fantasies. Themes realism acceptance truth Mood skeptical calm Type philosophical pragmatic When to use this quote - decision making - mental health - creative work - relationships Key Concepts Philosophy of perception cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate desire from fact? - What helps you accept harsh realities? A Different Perspective Denial can be a coping tool. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-religious/) [Atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheism/) [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [What you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-you-want/) ## Related quotes > [Let's face a historical truth: we have never had a "free market", we have always had government intervention in the economy, and indeed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/let-s-face-a-historical-truth-we-have-never-had-a-free-market-we-have/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [Nothing could be more idiotic and absurd than the doctrine of the trinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/nothing-could-be-more-idiotic-and-absurd-than-the-doctrine-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [If reality is not what you want it to be, change it. You should not accept anything blindly, not death, not immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannu-rajaniemi/if-reality-is-not-what-you-want-it-to-be-change-it-you-should-not/) [Hannu Rajaniemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannu-rajaniemi/) > [For good people to do evil things, it takes religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/for-good-people-to-do-evil-things-it-takes-religion/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [Understanding God is not attained by calling into session all arguments for and against Him, in order to debate whether He is a reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/understanding-god-is-not-attained-by-calling-into-session-all/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [“But what if things aren’t what they seem? As you said, there is no truth in the Digital Sea.” “Eventually we must cling to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carpenter/but-what-if-things-aren-t-what-they-seem-as-you-said-there-is-no/) Thomas Carpenter > [Reality is what we want it to be or what we do not want it to be, but it is not our wanting or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/reality-is-what-we-want-it-to-be-or-what-we-do-not-want-it-to-be-but/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [A dream that exists only in your mind is not useless. Use it to create the reality you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/a-dream-that-exists-only-in-your-mind-is-not-useless-use-it-to-create/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Sometimes I have to be pulled down to reality. I want everything to happen all at once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-yellin/sometimes-i-have-to-be-pulled-down-to-reality-i-want-everything-to/) [Dustin Yellin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-yellin/) > [Am completely fade up with this so called human nature thing coz its controlling me, its the reality yet I want to control it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacent-nakato/am-completely-fade-up-with-this-so-called-human-nature-thing-coz-its/) [Jacent Nakato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacent-nakato/) > [My thing in this day and age, with reality television and so much other stuff that is going on, is people want to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-mccrary/my-thing-in-this-day-and-age-with-reality-television-and-so-much/) [Darius McCrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darius-mccrary/) > [“We know the reality we perceive is highly subjective; we might as well seek out the more interesting aspects of reality if we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-webb/we-know-the-reality-we-perceive-is-highly-subjective-we-might-as-well/) [Caroline Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-webb/) > [To hell with reality! I want to die in music, not in reason or in prose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/to-hell-with-reality-i-want-to-die-in-music-not-in-reason-or-in-prose/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [I just want people to know the reality, and I want people to see the world as it really is - the world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hopsin/i-just-want-people-to-know-the-reality-and-i-want-people-to-see-the/) [Hopsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hopsin/) ## More by Frank Zappa > [If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/if-you-want-to-get-laid-go-to-college-if-you-want-an-education-go-to/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [While your children are sleeping, your puppy is crappin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/while-your-children-are-sleeping-your-puppy-is-crappin/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Very few people do covers of my tunes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/very-few-people-do-covers-of-my-tunes/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Cocaine decisions that you make today, will mean nothing later on when you get nose decay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/cocaine-decisions-that-you-make-today-will-mean-nothing-later-on-when/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Government is the Entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/government-is-the-entertainment-division-of-the-military-industrial/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Do your job and do it right, life's a ball, TV tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/do-your-job-and-do-it-right-life-s-a-ball-tv-tonight/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Fact of the matter is, there is no hip world, there is no straight world. There's a world, you see which has people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/fact-of-the-matter-is-there-is-no-hip-world-there-is-no-straight/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Broken hearts are for assholes, are you an asshole?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/broken-hearts-are-for-assholes-are-you-an-asshole/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Anyone who is disturbed by the idea of newts in a nightclub is potentially dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/anyone-who-is-disturbed-by-the-idea-of-newts-in-a-nightclub-is/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/the-bigger-the-cushion-the-better-the-pushin/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Give me the enchilada with the pickle sauce shoved up between the donkey's ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/give-me-the-enchilada-with-the-pickle-sauce-shoved-up-between-the/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Sit and spin 'til you rot on the cosmic utensil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/sit-and-spin-til-you-rot-on-the-cosmic-utensil/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [To me absurdity is the only reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/to-me-absurdity-is-the-only-reality/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Is this something new, having people stomp on you? Is it what I need to do for your pleasure?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/is-this-something-new-having-people-stomp-on-you-is-it-what-i-need-to/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/look-here-brother-who-you-jivin-with-that-cosmik-debris/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) [Explore all 400 Frank Zappa quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) ## More Anti religious quotes > [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-wasn-t-saying-whatever-they-re-saying-i-was-saying-i-m-sorry-i-said/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Let's face a historical truth: we have never had a "free market", we have always had government intervention in the economy, and indeed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/let-s-face-a-historical-truth-we-have-never-had-a-free-market-we-have/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [You find as you look around the world that every single bit of progress in humane feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/you-find-as-you-look-around-the-world-that-every-single-bit-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [In the 20th century, evangelical Christians in America have naively accepted the role assigned to us by an anti-religious, anti-Christian consensus in our society.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/in-the-20th-century-evangelical-christians-in-america-have-naively/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/with-or-without-religion-you-would-have-good-people-doing-good-things/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [Nothing could be more idiotic and absurd than the doctrine of the trinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/nothing-could-be-more-idiotic-and-absurd-than-the-doctrine-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Men created God in their own image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-created-god-in-their-own-image/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more intense has been the religion of any period and the more profound has been the dogmatic belief, the greater has been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-more-intense-has-been-the-religion-of-any-period-and-the-more/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [As the human race becomes more knowledgeable, it cares less for preachers and more for teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-human-race-becomes-more-knowledgeable-it-cares-less-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For good people to do evil things, it takes religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/for-good-people-to-do-evil-things-it-takes-religion/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [The issues which today confront the nation are clearly defined and so fundamental as to directly involve the very survival of the Republic. Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/the-issues-which-today-confront-the-nation-are-clearly-defined-and-so/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Just because you believe in something does not mean that it is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/just-because-you-believe-in-something-does-not-mean-that-it-is-true/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [If I lived in a Communist country today where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I believe I would openly advocate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-i-lived-in-a-communist-country-today-where-certain-principles-dear/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Man would indeeded be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/man-would-indeeded-be-in-a-poor-way-if-he-had-to-be-restrained-by/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-divinity-of-jesus-is-made-a-convenient-cover-for-absurdity/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) [Browse all 78 Anti religious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-religious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Reality is what it is, not what you want it to be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Zappa" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want-it-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anti religious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want-it-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/frank-zappa-702_anti-religious_reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want_2527884.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/frank-zappa-702_anti-religious_reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want_2527884.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e8/frank-zappa-702_anti-religious_reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want_2527884.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Reality is what it is, not what you want it to be.” — Frank Zappa", "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": "Frank Zappa", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Reality is what it is, not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want-it-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/reality-is-what-it-is-not-what-you-want-it-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```