--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a philosopher. I am the next…" description: "\"I'm not a philosopher. I am the next thing to a jock, which is a novelist.\" — Frederick Busch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/084/frederick-busch-12684_jock_i-m-not-a-philosopher-i-am-the-next-thin_2951142.png" --- # I'm not a philosopher. I am the next thing to a jock… ![“I'm not a philosopher. I am the next thing to a jock, which is a novelist.” quote by Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/084/frederick-busch-12684_jock_i-m-not-a-philosopher-i-am-the-next-thin_2951142.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/084/frederick-busch-12684_jock_i-m-not-a-philosopher-i-am-the-next-thin_2951142.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/084/frederick-busch-12684_jock_i-m-not-a-philosopher-i-am-the-next-thin_2951142.png) > “I'm not a philosopher. I am the next thing to a jock, which is a novelist.” [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author sees himself as a hybrid of athlete and writer, blending physical vigor with literary craft. **In simple terms:** He mixes jock energy with novelist skill. Key Takeaway Blend physical and creative pursuits. Themes identity creativity dualism Mood playful confident Type autobiographical humorous When to use this quote - literature - sports journalism - personal essays Key Concepts athletics writing self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - How does physical discipline influence writing? - Can one excel equally in sport and art? A Different Perspective Balancing both may dilute mastery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Jock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jock/) [Novelists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelists/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [I am only a philosopher, and there is only one thing that a philosopher can be relied on to do, and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/i-am-only-a-philosopher-and-there-is-only-one-thing-that-a/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [You can be good at technology and like fashion and art. You can be good at technology and be a jock. You can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-mayer/you-can-be-good-at-technology-and-like-fashion-and-art-you-can-be/) [Marissa Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-mayer/) > [To be perfectly honest with you, I was partying a lot in school. I didn't have any good study habits from high school because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-biehn/to-be-perfectly-honest-with-you-i-was-partying-a-lot-in-school-i-didn/) [Michael Biehn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-biehn/) > [He’s totally different from the typical jock. He has no ego. That’s unique for someone with such accolades. His strength comes from a higher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-hayes/he-s-totally-different-from-the-typical-jock-he-has-no-ego-that-s/) Lester Hayes > [ \[Calvin Trillin\] was very "shoe," which means he was a big jock, a big deal. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/calvin-trillin-was-very-shoe-which-means-he-was-a-big-jock-a-big-deal/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [I wasn't a jock in school, and by the 10th grade, when I was in boarding school I was carrying water buckets for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-weatherly/i-wasn-t-a-jock-in-school-and-by-the-10th-grade-when-i-was-in/) [Michael Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-weatherly/) > [I've always been a closet jock, but when I got married and had kids, that fell by the wayside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-ve-always-been-a-closet-jock-but-when-i-got-married-and-had-kids/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I've always been a closet jock. With exercising, the more you do it, the more you get into it. And the more you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-ve-always-been-a-closet-jock-with-exercising-the-more-you-do-it-the/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I was an athlete, but I was also a nerd. And so I didn't really fit in with the jocks because I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-bauer/i-was-an-athlete-but-i-was-also-a-nerd-and-so-i-didn-t-really-fit-in/) [Trevor Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-bauer/) > [I was a jock in college and high school, but I didn't hang out with the jocks. I was sort of a nerd who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rapp/i-was-a-jock-in-college-and-high-school-but-i-didn-t-hang-out-with/) [Adam Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rapp/) > [Smaller-than-Medium-Jock-but-bigger-than-Wee-Jock-Jock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/smaller-than-medium-jock-but-bigger-than-wee-jock-jock/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I'd kind of expected that kids who knew about the Real World wouldn't act like jock dipwads. Guess I was wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/i-d-kind-of-expected-that-kids-who-knew-about-the-real-world-wouldn-t/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [I could have skated by as an athlete, but the world is so much bigger and more interesting than any one thing. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-could-have-skated-by-as-an-athlete-but-the-world-is-so-much-bigger/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I went to college to be a jock and to play on the baseball team. And then, I got cut and realized that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-day/i-went-to-college-to-be-a-jock-and-to-play-on-the-baseball-team-and/) [Charlie Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-day/) > [I would say I was jock. I went to Sierra College. I was a big baseball player. Getting into the MLB was my dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-guzman/i-would-say-i-was-jock-i-went-to-sierra-college-i-was-a-big-baseball/) [Ryan Guzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-guzman/) ## More by Frederick Busch > [Good art is a form of prayer. It's a way to say what is not sayable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/good-art-is-a-form-of-prayer-it-s-a-way-to-say-what-is-not-sayable/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [What I try to do is read stuff that won't deal with the dangerous dark things I hope I am writing about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/what-i-try-to-do-is-read-stuff-that-won-t-deal-with-the-dangerous/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [I love baseball. What I love about baseball is that you are always waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/i-love-baseball-what-i-love-about-baseball-is-that-you-are-always/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [There is a lack of context in contemporary education. And contemporary consideration - because we live in those interiorities so much. Especially young kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/there-is-a-lack-of-context-in-contemporary-education-and-contemporary/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [“No matter his joking, I thought, this was a man as given to the miseries as I was. You could look into my dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/no-matter-his-joking-i-thought-this-was-a-man-as-given-to-the/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [When you are writing a character, what the character says is obviously crucial. But what the character doesn't say is absolutely as important as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/when-you-are-writing-a-character-what-the-character-says-is-obviously/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [I know important literary writers who can't get published.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/i-know-important-literary-writers-who-can-t-get-published/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [I always had good students.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/i-always-had-good-students/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [It's hard to read real fiction. It takes time. It takes a sustained attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/it-s-hard-to-read-real-fiction-it-takes-time-it-takes-a-sustained/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [History is beautiful stories or scary stories, yeah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/history-is-beautiful-stories-or-scary-stories-yeah/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [If a writer is honest, if what is at stake for him can seem to matter to his readers, then his work may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/if-a-writer-is-honest-if-what-is-at-stake-for-him-can-seem-to-matter/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [I read a lot of poetry. I read some history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/i-read-a-lot-of-poetry-i-read-some-history/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [I have found myself writing poetry shortly after I retired. Which I hadn't done in forty years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/i-have-found-myself-writing-poetry-shortly-after-i-retired-which-i/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [Hollywood is the model for publishing, more and more. Not just blockbusters either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/hollywood-is-the-model-for-publishing-more-and-more-not-just/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) > [Baseball is a game where you are always waiting, and then when something happens it's like turning a kaleidoscope when you were a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-busch/baseball-is-a-game-where-you-are-always-waiting-and-then-when/) [Frederick Busch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) [Explore all 53 Frederick Busch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-busch/) ## More Jock quotes > [I was always the misfit jock who was with people painting on walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-zylka/i-was-always-the-misfit-jock-who-was-with-people-painting-on-walls/) [Chris Zylka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-zylka/) > [I would say I was jock. I went to Sierra College. I was a big baseball player. Getting into the MLB was my dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-guzman/i-would-say-i-was-jock-i-went-to-sierra-college-i-was-a-big-baseball/) [Ryan Guzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-guzman/) > [“It's the geek who gets the girl, not the jock.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-mostafa/it-s-the-geek-who-gets-the-girl-not-the-jock/) [Ahmed Mostafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-mostafa/) > [“The Howard Hughes thing hadn’t actually sounded like such a bad deal until about...oh, eight thirty-five this morning. Something about having his ex carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-betts/the-howard-hughes-thing-hadn-t-actually-sounded-like-such-a-bad-deal/) [Heidi Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-betts/) > [“How will you deal with him?" Belses asked. Jock lifted a brawny fist and regarded it lovingly. "Knock him out-- truss him up-- whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buchan/how-will-you-deal-with-him-belses-asked-jock-lifted-a-brawny-fist-and/) [John Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buchan/) > [I went to college to be a jock and to play on the baseball team. And then, I got cut and realized that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-day/i-went-to-college-to-be-a-jock-and-to-play-on-the-baseball-team-and/) [Charlie Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-day/) > [“Ryan has this blank, way too innocent expression. "Don't worry, Mr. Risk. I'd love to help Elisabeth." He turns to me and smiles. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/ryan-has-this-blank-way-too-innocent-expression-don-t-worry-mr-risk-i/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [Matt Leinart's L.A. duplex looks more like a Chuck E. Cheese safe house than a millionaire jock's crash pad. There's the requisite leather couch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-rodrick/matt-leinart-s-l-a-duplex-looks-more-like-a-chuck-e-cheese-safe-house/) [Stephen Rodrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-rodrick/) > [Don't be a hater And never a jocker Have your own style If they jock you..oh well!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystle-rubio/don-t-be-a-hater-and-never-a-jocker-have-your-own-style-if-they-jock/) Krystle Rubio > [“bond of sympathy between him and Jock,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-fitzpatrick/bond-of-sympathy-between-him-and-jock/) Percy FitzPatrick > [When I was in high school, I wasn't a nerd, I wasn't a jock. I wasn't a bad kid. I just flew under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-centineo/when-i-was-in-high-school-i-wasn-t-a-nerd-i-wasn-t-a-jock-i-wasn-t-a/) [Noah Centineo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-centineo/) > [I could have skated by as an athlete, but the world is so much bigger and more interesting than any one thing. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-could-have-skated-by-as-an-athlete-but-the-world-is-so-much-bigger/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I'd kind of expected that kids who knew about the Real World wouldn't act like jock dipwads. Guess I was wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/i-d-kind-of-expected-that-kids-who-knew-about-the-real-world-wouldn-t/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [“It made him feel like less of a man. And given how much less of a man he’d felt the past several weeks, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-betts/it-made-him-feel-like-less-of-a-man-and-given-how-much-less-of-a-man/) [Heidi Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-betts/) > [Smaller-than-Medium-Jock-but-bigger-than-Wee-Jock-Jock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/smaller-than-medium-jock-but-bigger-than-wee-jock-jock/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Browse all 98 Jock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not a philosopher. 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