---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's no law that says you have to be…"
description: "\"There's no law that says you have to be consistent in your preferences.\" — Howard Jacobson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/howard-jacobson-1484_consistent_there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be_2563539.jpg"
---

#  There's no law that says you have to be consistent in your…

![“There's no law that says you have to be consistent in your preferences.” quote by Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/howard-jacobson-1484_consistent_there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be_2563539.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/howard-jacobson-1484_consistent_there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be_2563539.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/howard-jacobson-1484_consistent_there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be_2563539.jpg)

> “There's no law that says you have to be consistent in your preferences.”

[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.

Consistency is not required; preferences can change legitimately.

**In simple terms:** You can change your mind.

Key Takeaway

Embrace flexibility.

Themes

preferences consistency personal growth

Mood

open reflective

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- career choices
- relationships
- political views

Key Concepts

identity fluidity decision making

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you justify changing preferences?
- What benefits arise from adaptability?

A Different Perspective

Inconsistency may appear unreliable.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/)

## Related quotes

> [“The evidence presents a profound challenge to the idea that humans have consistent preferences and know how to maximize them, a cornerstone of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-evidence-presents-a-profound-challenge-to-the-idea-that-humans/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“The law says do good be right. Grace says Jesus made you right so now you are good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-warren/the-law-says-do-good-be-right-grace-says-jesus-made-you-right-so-now/)

[John Paul Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-warren/)

> [“Natural law says that matter cannot be created or destroyed, but that was pre-spanx.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-scottoline/natural-law-says-that-matter-cannot-be-created-or-destroyed-but-that/)

[Lisa Scottoline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-scottoline/)

> [“You’ll move if I say so,” Hap said. “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-jordan/you-ll-move-if-i-say-so-hap-said-for-the-husband-is-the-head-of-the/)

[Hillary Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-jordan/)

> [“There were twelve in all in the party, five adults and six children—and Ona, who was a little of both. They had a hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/there-were-twelve-in-all-in-the-party-five-adults-and-six-children/)

[Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/)

> [... do not listen to vain and empty talk, in which the majority of world-loving people spend their time, and do not take pleasure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-scupoli/do-not-listen-to-vain-and-empty-talk-in-which-the-majority-of-world/)

[Lorenzo Scupoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-scupoli/)

> [“Just because the law says it, that doesn't make it true." "Yeah, well, just because the law says it, it doesn't make it false,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/just-because-the-law-says-it-that-doesn-t-make-it-true-yeah-well-just/)

[Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/)

> [The law says you cannot touch, but I see a lot of lawbreakers up in this house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/the-law-says-you-cannot-touch-but-i-see-a-lot-of-lawbreakers-up-in/)

[Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/)

> [“The letter of the law says, “Let them glean.” The spirit of the law says, “Feed them.” Two entirely different concepts. Ruth’s bold proposal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-custis-james/the-letter-of-the-law-says-let-them-glean-the-spirit-of-the-law-says/)

[Carolyn Custis James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-custis-james/)

> [“The law says I own that land, and the law, we are told, is what makes us men under God instead of beasts in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/the-law-says-i-own-that-land-and-the-law-we-are-told-is-what-makes-us/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [Instead of focusing on what the law says about trans people, which is really what the law is saying about itself as a protector…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/instead-of-focusing-on-what-the-law-says-about-trans-people-which-is/)

[Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/)

> [You can't make people stop loving each other just because a law says it's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kessler/you-can-t-make-people-stop-loving-each-other-just-because-a-law-says/)

[Liz Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kessler/)

> [Her hands quieted. "Yeah. Because even if the law says that no one is responsible for anyone else, helping someone who needs it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/her-hands-quieted-yeah-because-even-if-the-law-says-that-no-one-is/)

[Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/)

> [“There's no law that says you can't balance love and battle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryohgo-narita/there-s-no-law-that-says-you-can-t-balance-love-and-battle/)

[Ryohgo Narita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryohgo-narita/)

> [I'd like to know what law is it that says that a woman is a better parent, simply by virtue of her sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benton/i-d-like-to-know-what-law-is-it-that-says-that-a-woman-is-a-better/)

[Robert Benton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benton/)

## 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 Consistent quotes

> [The most important thing is consistent football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callum-hudson-odoi/the-most-important-thing-is-consistent-football/)

[Callum Hudson-Odoi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callum-hudson-odoi/)

> [I believe that simple, consistent shifts in our thinking and actions can lead to the miraculous in all aspects of our daily lives, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/i-believe-that-simple-consistent-shifts-in-our-thinking-and-actions/)

[Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/)

> [Humor is consistent with pathos, whilst wit is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/humor-is-consistent-with-pathos-whilst-wit-is-not/)

[Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/)

> [If I do the same thing consistently, no matter how I feel, I'm probably going to produce a consistent result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-seager/if-i-do-the-same-thing-consistently-no-matter-how-i-feel-i-m-probably/)

[Corey Seager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-seager/)

> [Staying consistent is even more important in three-out-of-five-set matches, to be able to wear on guys over that long of a match, if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shelton/staying-consistent-is-even-more-important-in-three-out-of-five-set/)

[Ben Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shelton/)

> [If all areas of my game are pretty consistent, that's all I hope for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-larson/if-all-areas-of-my-game-are-pretty-consistent-that-s-all-i-hope-for/)

[Jordan Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-larson/)

> [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [I want to be the best, it's not about the ranking, it's about being consistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saina-nehwal/i-want-to-be-the-best-it-s-not-about-the-ranking-it-s-about-being/)

[Saina Nehwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saina-nehwal/)

> [The one thing that seems to be consistent through all my work that I like, and I experimented a lot, is the viewer is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-misrach/the-one-thing-that-seems-to-be-consistent-through-all-my-work-that-i/)

[Richard Misrach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-misrach/)

> [Consistent style prevents presentation from getting in the way of content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/consistent-style-prevents-presentation-from-getting-in-the-way-of/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [I reject the idea there are just two sides. I think that with the amount of ideas and thoughts there are, it's not even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-reject-the-idea-there-are-just-two-sides-i-think-that-with-the/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [I definitely go through periods where I'm in a particular mood, or there's a consistent imaginative context that I feel I'm in, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/i-definitely-go-through-periods-where-i-m-in-a-particular-mood-or/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [“You don’t have to be strong, or fast, or impressive. Just consistent. The rest will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-allen-dunn/you-don-t-have-to-be-strong-or-fast-or-impressive-just-consistent-the/)

[Randall Allen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-allen-dunn/)

> [Didn't think her vision was consistent with the ORC, especially the way the Council wishes to work with the ORC. For example, with regard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/didn-t-think-her-vision-was-consistent-with-the-orc-especially-the/)

[Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/)

> [I wanted to be consistent with my exercise, so I committed to working out for 30 days in a row, no matter what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-sims/i-wanted-to-be-consistent-with-my-exercise-so-i-committed-to-working/)

[Molly Sims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-sims/)

Browse all 1,410 Consistent quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There's no law that says you have to be consistent in your preferences.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Howard Jacobson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be-consistent-in-your-preferences/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Consistent"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be-consistent-in-your-preferences/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/howard-jacobson-1484_consistent_there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be_2563539.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/howard-jacobson-1484_consistent_there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be_2563539.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/howard-jacobson-1484_consistent_there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be_2563539.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's no law that says you have to be consistent in your preferences.” — 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": "There's no law that says you...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be-consistent-in-your-preferences/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/there-s-no-law-that-says-you-have-to-be-consistent-in-your-preferences/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
