--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't imagine that a word you say is…" description: "\"Don't imagine that a word you say is going to make a blind bit of difference.\" — Howard Jacobson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/howard-jacobson-1484_blind_don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-goi_1642181.jpg" --- # Don't imagine that a word you say is going to make a blind… ![“Don't imagine that a word you say is going to make a blind bit of difference.” quote by Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/howard-jacobson-1484_blind_don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-goi_1642181.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/howard-jacobson-1484_blind_don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-goi_1642181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/howard-jacobson-1484_blind_don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-goi_1642181.jpg) > “Don't imagine that a word you say is going to make a blind bit of difference.” [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Words alone often have limited impact; actions and context matter more for real change. **In simple terms:** Words may not change much. Key Takeaway Prioritize deeds over empty talk. Themes communication action skepticism Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - political activism - personal relationships - public speaking - media commentary Key Concepts speech act theory social influence Questions to Reflect On - When have your words truly mattered? - Can you pair words with actions for greater effect? A Different Perspective Sometimes words can be powerful catalysts despite seeming insignificance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind/) [Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ## Related quotes > [If someone was like, 'Describe yourself in one word,' I would never say, 'Handsome.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-harding/if-someone-was-like-describe-yourself-in-one-word-i-would-never-say/) [Ian Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-harding/) > [“I never believe a single word that either you or I say to each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-never-believe-a-single-word-that-either-you-or-i-say-to-each-other/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true. When will you realize... Vienna waits for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/dream-on-but-don-t-imagine-they-ll-all-come-true-when-will-you/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [“Don't imagine you could ever take my place.' I told her I had never wanted to; I only wanted to occupy the one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-gilot/don-t-imagine-you-could-ever-take-my-place-i-told-her-i-had-never/) [Francoise Gilot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-gilot/) > [“But then again, if you don't imagine, nothing ever happens at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/but-then-again-if-you-don-t-imagine-nothing-ever-happens-at-all-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No i don't. I can't imagine how you, of all people, could be a burden to anyone. And i certainly don't think you're hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-leighton/no-i-don-t-i-can-t-imagine-how-you-of-all-people-could-be-a-burden-to/) [M. Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-leighton/) > [“Nothing ever happens like you imagine it will. - Margo Yeah, that's true... But then again, if you don't imagine, nothing ever happens at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-ever-happens-like-you-imagine-it-will-margo-yeah-that-s-true/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“When you don’t hear others, you don’t imagine them, they become unreal, and you are left in the wasteland of a world with only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/when-you-don-t-hear-others-you-don-t-imagine-them-they-become-unreal/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [I think what was frustrating to see a lot of good people go. You don't picture it, you don't imagine it, don't think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latoya-london/i-think-what-was-frustrating-to-see-a-lot-of-good-people-go-you-don-t/) [LaToya London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latoya-london/) > [It's true, people don't imagine I'd be particularly woody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-anderson/it-s-true-people-don-t-imagine-i-d-be-particularly-woody/) [Clive Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-anderson/) > [If you don't imagine, nothing ever happens at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/if-you-don-t-imagine-nothing-ever-happens-at-all/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If you want to do something you have to imagine it. If you don’t imagine it, it will never happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/if-you-want-to-do-something-you-have-to-imagine-it-if-you-don-t/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [Don’t recall. Don’t imagine. Don’t think. Don’t examine. Don’t control. Rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilopa/don-t-recall-don-t-imagine-don-t-think-don-t-examine-don-t-control/) [Tilopa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilopa/) > [Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/dream-on-but-don-t-imagine-they-ll-all-come-true/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [“No, I won't help you. No I won't hear you explain why I should. It really is a magical word: no. You say whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/no-i-won-t-help-you-no-i-won-t-hear-you-explain-why-i-should-it/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) ## More by Howard Jacobson > [Everything is allowable in literature, but what is not allowable in criticism is objection on the grounds of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/everything-is-allowable-in-literature-but-what-is-not-allowable-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [There's a simple arithmetical logic at work. Build more unaffordable and not always architecturally sympathetic apartments, watch the rents rise, the tarts leave, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/there-s-a-simple-arithmetical-logic-at-work-build-more-unaffordable/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [The novel is a thing of irony and ambiguity. That's at the heart of 'J', a world that has stopped arguing with itself. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/the-novel-is-a-thing-of-irony-and-ambiguity-that-s-at-the-heart-of-j/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [I was a 'reverence for life' man - 'see life steadily and see it whole' - in my days as a lecturer in English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/i-was-a-reverence-for-life-man-see-life-steadily-and-see-it-whole-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [How Donald Trump has come so far with so few words - how he even managed to keep up conversationally with all those beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/how-donald-trump-has-come-so-far-with-so-few-words-how-he-even/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [It is a nonsense to me when people come along and tell me not to be pessimistic; or that culture has always been going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/it-is-a-nonsense-to-me-when-people-come-along-and-tell-me-not-to-be/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [For me a Writing Day was an occasion for self-reproach and panic, a time to lament the passing of the years, stare out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/for-me-a-writing-day-was-an-occasion-for-self-reproach-and-panic-a/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [Even the wordiest of men know there's a time to button it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/even-the-wordiest-of-men-know-there-s-a-time-to-button-it/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [That a nation's statuary will reflect beliefs and attitudes that are no longer current or congenial hardly needs arguing. In most instances, it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/that-a-nation-s-statuary-will-reflect-beliefs-and-attitudes-that-are/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [“Was he a bad man or just a foolish one? He didn't feel bad to himself. As a husband he believed himself to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/was-he-a-bad-man-or-just-a-foolish-one-he-didn-t-feel-bad-to-himself/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [The young come in many guises: vigorous and passionate, vindictive and mean-spirited. And not every person over 65 is dozing in a retirement home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/the-young-come-in-many-guises-vigorous-and-passionate-vindictive-and/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [To a philosopher like Nietzsche, the Jew is culpable not for rejecting Christianity but for inventing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/to-a-philosopher-like-nietzsche-the-jew-is-culpable-not-for-rejecting/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [Shakespeare's always been sitting on my back, since I began reading. And, certainly, as a writer, he's who I hear all the time. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/shakespeare-s-always-been-sitting-on-my-back-since-i-began-reading/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [A novelist should make you realize nothing is stable. If you don't believe anything with robustness, you're doing something more radical than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/a-novelist-should-make-you-realize-nothing-is-stable-if-you-don-t/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [The Stop The War Coalition is a sort of home to Jew-haters because its hate music about Israel is so catchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/the-stop-the-war-coalition-is-a-sort-of-home-to-jew-haters-because/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) [Explore all 235 Howard Jacobson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) ## More Blind quotes > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [Love is so blind, it feels right when it's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/love-is-so-blind-it-feels-right-when-it-s-wrong/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“A man who saw has turned blind, A hearer deaf, A leader now leads astray!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-lichtheim/a-man-who-saw-has-turned-blind-a-hearer-deaf-a-leader-now-leads-astray/) [Miriam Lichtheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-lichtheim/) > [“What I shall feel to-morrow I cannot tell. Maybe I shall go blind again, for women are never two days alike in their minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-parker/what-i-shall-feel-to-morrow-i-cannot-tell-maybe-i-shall-go-blind/) [Gilbert Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-parker/) > [Now the stage today is to know that Self Realization gives you experiences and then your faith is established. Not blind but open enlightened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/now-the-stage-today-is-to-know-that-self-realization-gives-you/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“The heart’s blind. It’s the head that causes all the trouble. Sometimes both are stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-bromberg/the-heart-s-blind-it-s-the-head-that-causes-all-the-trouble-sometimes/) [K. Bromberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-bromberg/) > [“In the story of the blind men and the elephant, what’s usually ignored is the fact that each man’s description was correct. What Faye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hill/in-the-story-of-the-blind-men-and-the-elephant-what-s-usually-ignored/) [Nathan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hill/) > [My favorite performance would definitely be "Toxic," which was my blind audition song. It was the start of it all and it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-martinez/my-favorite-performance-would-definitely-be-toxic-which-was-my-blind/) [Melanie Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-martinez/) > [Our attitude towards evil must be freed from hatred, and has itself need to be enlightened in character...Satan rejoices when he succeeds in inspiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-berdyaev/our-attitude-towards-evil-must-be-freed-from-hatred-and-has-itself/) [Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-berdyaev/) > [If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-you-are-the-master-be-sometimes-blind-if-you-are-the-servant-be/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [I'm glad I'm blind and can't see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-wonder/i-m-glad-i-m-blind-and-can-t-see-it/) [Stevie Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-wonder/) > [Shut your eyes and you will know what I mean by thought entombed in darkness. Light comes through the senses, and not only through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/shut-your-eyes-and-you-will-know-what-i-mean-by-thought-entombed-in/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [Blind with love, my daughter has cried nightly for horses, those long-necked marchers and churners that she has mastered, any and all, reigning them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/blind-with-love-my-daughter-has-cried-nightly-for-horses-those-long/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) [Browse all 3,877 Blind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't imagine that a word you say is going to make a blind bit of difference.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Howard Jacobson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-going-to-make-a-blind-bit-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blind" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-going-to-make-a-blind-bit-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/howard-jacobson-1484_blind_don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-goi_1642181.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/howard-jacobson-1484_blind_don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-goi_1642181.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cd/howard-jacobson-1484_blind_don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-goi_1642181.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't imagine that a word you say is going to make a blind bit of difference.” — Howard Jacobson", "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": "Howard Jacobson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Don't imagine that a word you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-going-to-make-a-blind-bit-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/don-t-imagine-that-a-word-you-say-is-going-to-make-a-blind-bit-of/#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 } } ] } ```