--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Beethoven was so hard of hearing, he…" description: "\"Beethoven was so hard of hearing, he thought he was a painter.\" — George Carlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/george-carlin-155_genuine_beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thou_2125319.jpg" --- # Beethoven was so hard of hearing, he thought he was a… ![“Beethoven was so hard of hearing, he thought he was a painter.” quote by George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/george-carlin-155_genuine_beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thou_2125319.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/george-carlin-155_genuine_beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thou_2125319.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/george-carlin-155_genuine_beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thou_2125319.jpg) > “Beethoven was so hard of hearing, he thought he was a painter.” [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beethoven, despite his deafness, imagined himself as a painter, suggesting that sensory loss can shift artistic perception. **In simple terms:** Deaf Beethoven imagined painting. Key Takeaway Explore alternate creative outlets. Themes creativity perception disability Mood thoughtful insightful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - music composition - visual arts - personal reinvention Key Concepts artistic identity sensory adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How does loss reshape artistic identity? - What other senses can inspire art? A Different Perspective Deafness can also hinder artistic expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painter/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stupid people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-people/) ## Related quotes > [Until 1954, I'd only ever thought of being a painter, but I earned my money when and where I could. You could say I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/until-1954-i-d-only-ever-thought-of-being-a-painter-but-i-earned-my/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [For me becoming a painter was an Everest, in terms of what I thought a painter was. There are many roads to becoming an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caio-fonseca/for-me-becoming-a-painter-was-an-everest-in-terms-of-what-i-thought-a/) [Caio Fonseca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caio-fonseca/) > [I was born in Seoul, South Korea; then I moved to New York City at the age of seventeen. In New York, I studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sung-jin-park/i-was-born-in-seoul-south-korea-then-i-moved-to-new-york-city-at-the/) [Sung Jin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sung-jin-park/) > [I have always thought of myself as a painter derailed by circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-have-always-thought-of-myself-as-a-painter-derailed-by-circumstance/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I went to art high school and thought I'd be a painter. Unfortunately I didn't finish high school, but that's always been part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lachapelle/i-went-to-art-high-school-and-thought-i-d-be-a-painter-unfortunately/) [David LaChapelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lachapelle/) > [Money may talk, but have you ever noticed how hard of hearing it is when you call it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/money-may-talk-but-have-you-ever-noticed-how-hard-of-hearing-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My mother-in-law meant simply this,” RBG said. “Sometimes people say unkind or thoughtless things, and when they do, it is best to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irin-carmon/my-mother-in-law-meant-simply-this-rbg-said-sometimes-people-say/) [Irin Carmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irin-carmon/) > [My grandfather is hard of hearing. He needs to read lips. I don't mind him reading lips, but he uses one of those yellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kiley/my-grandfather-is-hard-of-hearing-he-needs-to-read-lips-i-don-t-mind/) [Brian Kiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kiley/) > [I wish I was hard of hearing like you. You have no idea how many times I've heard this, and how many times I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-was-hard-of-hearing-like-you-you-have-no-idea-how-many-times/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/to-the-hard-of-hearing-you-shout-and-for-the-almost-blind-you-draw/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [I was always a shy child and slightly hard of hearing, so music was my outlet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-harvey/i-was-always-a-shy-child-and-slightly-hard-of-hearing-so-music-was-my/) [Mandy Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-harvey/) > [Not only is love blind, it’s a little hard of hearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-p-cleary/not-only-is-love-blind-it-s-a-little-hard-of-hearing/) [Brian P. Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-p-cleary/) > [“We will have to call especially loud to reach Our angels, who are hard of hearing; they are hiding In the jugs of silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/we-will-have-to-call-especially-loud-to-reach-our-angels-who-are-hard/) [Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/) > [Sometimes people say unkind or thoughtless things, and when they do, it is best to be a little hard of hearing — to tune…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/sometimes-people-say-unkind-or-thoughtless-things-and-when-they-do-it/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [“Auntie Yang is not hard of hearing. She is hard of listening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/auntie-yang-is-not-hard-of-hearing-she-is-hard-of-listening/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) ## More by George Carlin > [I never go anywhere or do anything that transports me outside the boundaries of my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-never-go-anywhere-or-do-anything-that-transports-me-outside-the/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [With the proper training, I could've been an evil genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/with-the-proper-training-i-could-ve-been-an-evil-genius/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Comedy, although it is not one of the fine arts - it's a vulgar art, it's one of the people's arts, it's the spoken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/comedy-although-it-is-not-one-of-the-fine-arts-it-s-a-vulgar-art-it-s/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. ... These two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-m-completely-in-favor-of-the-separation-of-church-and-state-these/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY. Not true. Today is another day. We have no idea what tomorrow is going to be. It might turn out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/tomorrow-is-another-day-not-true-today-is-another-day-we-have-no-idea/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I was a loner as a child. I had an imaginary friend - I didn't bother with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-was-a-loner-as-a-child-i-had-an-imaginary-friend-i-didn-t-bother/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in kilometers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/kilometers-are-shorter-than-miles-save-gas-take-your-next-trip-in/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“If you guys want to get a MOM tattoo and save a little money, just get two letters done. Get about a one-inch capital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/if-you-guys-want-to-get-a-mom-tattoo-and-save-a-little-money-just-get/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/you-ve-built-up-so-much-speed-that-you-hit-70-after-that-it-s-a-day/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [It ended suddenly for Brenda, more slowly for me. My runs began getting shorter and less pleasurable. I'd feel bad after only one day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/it-ended-suddenly-for-brenda-more-slowly-for-me-my-runs-began-getting/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Is there another word for synonym?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/is-there-another-word-for-synonym/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [The whole idea of the pursuit of goods and possessions has completely corrupted the human experience, along with religion, which I think limits the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/the-whole-idea-of-the-pursuit-of-goods-and-possessions-has-completely/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [These days many politicians are demanding change. Just like homeless people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/these-days-many-politicians-are-demanding-change-just-like-homeless/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/you-know-the-good-part-about-all-those-executions-in-texas-fewer/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [What was the best thing before sliced bread?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/what-was-the-best-thing-before-sliced-bread/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) [Explore all 1,098 George Carlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) ## More Beethoven quotes > [For me, musicians are poets. Beethoven describes himself as a poet of tones, just like Coltrane's a poet of tempo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/for-me-musicians-are-poets-beethoven-describes-himself-as-a-poet-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I believe so, but at first he must know. He must know in which spirit Beethoven has composed this piece. He must try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-masur/i-believe-so-but-at-first-he-must-know-he-must-know-in-which-spirit/) [Kurt Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-masur/) > [And now, in honour of the 150th anniversary of Beethoven's death, I would like to play 'Clear the Saloon', er, 'Clair de Lune', by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-borge/and-now-in-honour-of-the-150th-anniversary-of-beethoven-s-death-i/) [Victor Borge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-borge/) > [“That Beethoven was capable of producing the ultimate musical definition of heroism in this context is itself extraordinary, for he was able to evoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-solomon/that-beethoven-was-capable-of-producing-the-ultimate-musical/) Maynard Solomon > [“He had said it bravely, and that is why one can trust Beethoven when he says other things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/he-had-said-it-bravely-and-that-is-why-one-can-trust-beethoven-when/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [The point of recapitulation in the first movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony unleashes one of the most horrifyingly violent episodes in the history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mcclary/the-point-of-recapitulation-in-the-first-movement-of-beethoven-s/) [Susan McClary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-mcclary/) > [“You'll have a good, secure life when being alive means more to you than security, love more than money, your freedom more than public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/you-ll-have-a-good-secure-life-when-being-alive-means-more-to-you/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [I shall never forget Juliek. How could I forget this concert given before an audience of the dead and dying? Even today, when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-shall-never-forget-juliek-how-could-i-forget-this-concert-given/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“Did Beethoven create his symphonies for his glorification? I don't believe it. I believe he created them because the music in his soul demanded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/did-beethoven-create-his-symphonies-for-his-glorification-i-don-t/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“On behalf of all that is good and melodic, Ludwig van Beethoven, I apologize.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-strohmeyer/on-behalf-of-all-that-is-good-and-melodic-ludwig-van-beethoven-i/) [Sarah Strohmeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-strohmeyer/) > [Beethoven can't really be great because his picture isn't on a bubble gum card.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/beethoven-can-t-really-be-great-because-his-picture-isn-t-on-a-bubble/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [“I hope Ludwig van Beethoven gets his cut, Langdon thought, fairly certain that the original inventor of bone conduction technology was the eighteenth-century composer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/i-hope-ludwig-van-beethoven-gets-his-cut-langdon-thought-fairly/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [“A deaf composer's like a cook who's lost his sense of taste. A frog that's lost its webbed feet. A truck driver with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/a-deaf-composer-s-like-a-cook-who-s-lost-his-sense-of-taste-a-frog/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Pulse as an active means of expression, Stravinsky and Beethoven are the two masters of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esa-pekka-salonen/pulse-as-an-active-means-of-expression-stravinsky-and-beethoven-are/) [Esa-Pekka Salonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esa-pekka-salonen/) > [I think there are very few people that I would give the title of genius to, really, but Beethoven unquestionably is one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/i-think-there-are-very-few-people-that-i-would-give-the-title-of/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) Browse all 240 Beethoven quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Beethoven was so hard of hearing, he thought he was a painter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Carlin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thought-he-was-a-painter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beethoven" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thought-he-was-a-painter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/george-carlin-155_genuine_beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thou_2125319.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/george-carlin-155_genuine_beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thou_2125319.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a6/george-carlin-155_genuine_beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thou_2125319.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Beethoven was so hard of hearing, he thought he was a painter.” — George Carlin", "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": "George Carlin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Beethoven was so hard of hearing,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thought-he-was-a-painter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/beethoven-was-so-hard-of-hearing-he-thought-he-was-a-painter/#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 } } ] } ```