--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At a certain age I just stopped arguing…" description: "\"At a certain age I just stopped arguing. I realized that there was no way [my father] could see, because for him to approve of what I was doing, he wou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13e/george-michael-1332_age_at-a-certain-age-i-just-stopped-arguing_2425102.png" --- # At a certain age I just stopped arguing. I realized that… ![“At a certain age I just stopped arguing. I realized that there was no way [my father] could see, because for him to approve of what I was doing, he would have to have some belief in me as a musician.” quote by George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13e/george-michael-1332_age_at-a-certain-age-i-just-stopped-arguing_2425102.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13e/george-michael-1332_age_at-a-certain-age-i-just-stopped-arguing_2425102.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13e/george-michael-1332_age_at-a-certain-age-i-just-stopped-arguing_2425102.png) > “At a certain age I just stopped arguing. I realized that there was no way \[my father\] could see, because for him to approve of what I was doing, he would have to have some belief in me as a musician.” [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He stopped trying to convince his father, recognizing that approval required belief, not just argument. **In simple terms:** He stopped arguing because his father needed belief, not proof. Key Takeaway Accept that some people need belief, not persuasion. Themes family self‑acceptance creativity Mood reflective resigned Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - seeking parental approval - pursuing artistic career - family discussions - self‑reflection Key Concepts validation belief generational expectations Questions to Reflect On - How do you seek validation without compromising self? - What role does belief play in family support? A Different Perspective Not all relationships can be changed through logic alone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) [Arguing Realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing-realized-6149435/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-age/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Approve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-approve-2705893/) [I realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-realized/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Stopped Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stopped-arguing-2875611/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [My brother, Cecil Edward Chesterton, was born when I was about five years old; and, after a brief pause, began to argue. 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I’ll be making records if I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/after-you-reach-a-certain-age-they-think-you-re-over-well-i-will/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [Those of us of a certain age grew up expecting that by now we would have Rosie the Robot from 'The Jetsons' in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/those-of-us-of-a-certain-age-grew-up-expecting-that-by-now-we-would/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [Unless you're of a certain age, you may not know my name, but you can Google it - I was a pretty big movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tab-hunter/unless-you-re-of-a-certain-age-you-may-not-know-my-name-but-you-can/) [Tab Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tab-hunter/) ## More by George Michael > [ When Andrew \[Ridgeley\] first met my family, he heard my mom calling me "Yorgos." He just abbreviated it to Yog, and unfortunately it stuck.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/when-andrew-ridgeley-first-met-my-family-he-heard-my-mom-calling-me/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [ \[My family\] is one of the strongest families you're ever likely to see. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/my-family-is-one-of-the-strongest-families-you-re-ever-likely-to-see/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [The first sign of real obsession with music was with an old wind-up gramophone that mum had thrown out into the garage. My parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/the-first-sign-of-real-obsession-with-music-was-with-an-old-wind-up/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I'm a perfectionist. 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I enjoy this experience, but I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-find-it-difficult-enough-as-it-is-to-keep-some-kind-of-normality-in/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I want to make a pop album - something more upbeat than my stuff was in the '90s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-want-to-make-a-pop-album-something-more-upbeat-than-my-stuff-was-in/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [If I can just live further from the spotlight I think that'll be better for all really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/if-i-can-just-live-further-from-the-spotlight-i-think-that-ll-be/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [Because of the media, the way the world is perceived is as a place where resources and time are running out. We're taught that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/because-of-the-media-the-way-the-world-is-perceived-is-as-a-place/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [ Obviously, \[Wham!\] made me a lot more comfortable as a musician. I was very confident that I would become a successful musician, but I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/obviously-wham-made-me-a-lot-more-comfortable-as-a-musician-i-was/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [“I should have known better than to cheat a friend / And waste the chance that I'd been given / So I'm never gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-should-have-known-better-than-to-cheat-a-friend-and-waste-the/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I don't really feel I deserve something if I haven't had to fight for it. It's not a conscious attitude, and it's stupid and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-don-t-really-feel-i-deserve-something-if-i-haven-t-had-to-fight-for/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I had been obsessed with insects and creepy-crawlies: I used to get up at five o'clock in the morning and go out into this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-had-been-obsessed-with-insects-and-creepy-crawlies-i-used-to-get-up/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I think part of it has got to be compensation, yes, for the fact that when I was a kid, I wasn't particularly attractive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-think-part-of-it-has-got-to-be-compensation-yes-for-the-fact-that/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I find it too terrifying to go out in L.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-find-it-too-terrifying-to-go-out-in-l-a/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [In terms of my work, I've never been reticent in terms of defining my sexuality. I write about my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/in-terms-of-my-work-i-ve-never-been-reticent-in-terms-of-defining-my/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) [Explore all 255 George Michael quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [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/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At a certain age I just stopped arguing. 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