--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Silly things do cease to be silly if they…" description: "\"Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.\" — Jane Austen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/jane-austen-39_being-silly_silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-the_1104411.jpg" --- # Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by… ![“Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.” quote by Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/jane-austen-39_being-silly_silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-the_1104411.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/jane-austen-39_being-silly_silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-the_1104411.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/jane-austen-39_being-silly_silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-the_1104411.jpg) > “Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.” [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silliness loses its edge when performed seriously by rational people with boldness. **In simple terms:** Silliness can become serious. Key Takeaway Consider context before judging humor. Themes humor logic boldness Mood playful provocative Type satirical philosophical When to use this quote - social interactions - comedy writing - team dynamics Key Concepts social norms paradox Questions to Reflect On - What makes a silly act become meaningful? - When does boldness cross into disrespect? A Different Perspective Boldness can be misinterpreted as arrogance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-silly/) [Cease Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cease-silly-1117014/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Impudent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-impudent-1298416/) [Sensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensible/) [Sensible People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensible-people-237694/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) [Silly Sensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly-sensible-2911082/) [Silly things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly-things/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“Certainly silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/certainly-silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-they-are-done-by/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“I do not know whether it ought to be so, but certain silly things cease to be silly if done by sensible people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-do-not-know-whether-it-ought-to-be-so-but-certain-silly-things/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [I do not know whether it ought to be so, but certainly silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-do-not-know-whether-it-ought-to-be-so-but-certainly-silly-things-do/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Aren’t we running at a loss?” asked Max. 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The reason why sensible people are as conventional as they can bear to be is that conventionality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/nobody-can-live-in-society-without-conventions-the-reason-why/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [the appetite for thinking must be regulated, as all sensible people know, for it may stifle one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-appetite-for-thinking-must-be-regulated-as-all-sensible-people/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) ## More by Jane Austen > [Let us have the luxury of silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/let-us-have-the-luxury-of-silence/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“How earnestly did she then wish that her former opinions had been more reasonable, more moderate!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/how-earnestly-did-she-then-wish-that-her-former-opinions-had-been/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“it is very well worth-while to be tormented for two or three years of one's life, for the sake of being able to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/it-is-very-well-worth-while-to-be-tormented-for-two-or-three-years-of/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [ “Everybody is taken in at some period or another. \[...\] In marriage especially. \[...\] There is not one in a hundred of either sex,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/everybody-is-taken-in-at-some-period-or-another-in-marriage/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [She knew that what Marianne and her mother conjectured one moment, they believed the next: that with them, to wish was to hope, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/she-knew-that-what-marianne-and-her-mother-conjectured-one-moment/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“…for I look upon the Frasers to be about as unhappy as most other married people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/for-i-look-upon-the-frasers-to-be-about-as-unhappy-as-most-other/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“It raises my spleen more than any thing, to have the pretence of being asked, of being given a choice, and at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/it-raises-my-spleen-more-than-any-thing-to-have-the-pretence-of-being/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [her spirits wanted the solitude and silence which only numbers could give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/her-spirits-wanted-the-solitude-and-silence-which-only-numbers-could/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“But in such cases as these a good memory is unpardonable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/but-in-such-cases-as-these-a-good-memory-is-unpardonable/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“...the pleasantness of an employment does not always evince its propriety.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/the-pleasantness-of-an-employment-does-not-always-evince-its-propriety/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Such squeamish youths as cannot bear to be connected with a little absurdity are not worth a regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/such-squeamish-youths-as-cannot-bear-to-be-connected-with-a-little/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“I must tell you what you will not ask, though I may wish it unsaid the next moment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-must-tell-you-what-you-will-not-ask-though-i-may-wish-it-unsaid-the/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/lady-catherine-seemed-quite-astonished-at-not-receiving-a-direct/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“He had suffered, and he had learnt to think, two advantages that he had never known before…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/he-had-suffered-and-he-had-learnt-to-think-two-advantages-that-he-had/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Eliot's character; vanity of person and of situation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/vanity-was-the-beginning-and-the-end-of-sir-walter-eliot-s-character/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) [Explore all 2,013 Jane Austen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) ## More Being silly quotes > [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know that sometimes when you are really worried about something, it ends up not being nearly as bad as you think it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moriarty/i-know-that-sometimes-when-you-are-really-worried-about-something-it/) [Laura Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moriarty/) > [Everyone feels like this at one point in their lives and sometimes atleast once a day :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-feels-like-this-at-one-point-in-their-lives-and-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't be silly and don't waste your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/don-t-be-silly-and-don-t-waste-your-time/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [Being silly is still allowed, not excluded by adulthood. What's excluded by adulthood is thoughtlessness, so be thoughtful and silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/being-silly-is-still-allowed-not-excluded-by-adulthood-what-s/) [Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/) > [When I get tired I start being extra silly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmitb/when-i-get-tired-i-start-being-extra-silly/) [ShmitB](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmitb/) > [Bunny slippers remind me of who I am.You can't get a swelled head if you wear bunny slippers. You can't lose your sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/bunny-slippers-remind-me-of-who-i-am-you-can-t-get-a-swelled-head-if/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [I like being silly cause it makes everything better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-being-silly-cause-it-makes-everything-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ I really enjoyed stepping into that side of \[princess Margaret\] and being silly and naughty and fun. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-kirby/i-really-enjoyed-stepping-into-that-side-of-princess-margaret-and/) [Vanessa Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-kirby/) > [Hey you! Don't be silly! Put a rubber on your willie!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/hey-you-don-t-be-silly-put-a-rubber-on-your-willie/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [Ok…so I really want a quote with LOTS of comments ^^ hehe sooooo, if your reading this and want to help me out, lol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/treasured4evr/ok-so-i-really-want-a-quote-with-lots-of-comments-hehe-sooooo-if-your/) [Treasured4Evr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/treasured4evr/) > [Oh, don't be silly - EVERYONE wants this. Everyone wants to be \*us\*.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-weisberger/oh-don-t-be-silly-everyone-wants-this-everyone-wants-to-be-us/) [Lauren Weisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-weisberger/) > [Don’t be silly. Loving is easy. It’s finding someone to love you back that’s hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/don-t-be-silly-loving-is-easy-it-s-finding-someone-to-love-you-back/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [Kids love to be silly, they love to laugh, so I think it was natural for my kids to like the sort of books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/kids-love-to-be-silly-they-love-to-laugh-so-i-think-it-was-natural/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [Don't move your money from Bear! That's just being silly! Don't be silly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cramer/don-t-move-your-money-from-bear-that-s-just-being-silly-don-t-be-silly/) [Jim Cramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cramer/) [Browse all 170 Being silly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-silly/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Austen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-they-are-done-by-sensible-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being silly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-they-are-done-by-sensible-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/jane-austen-39_being-silly_silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-the_1104411.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/jane-austen-39_being-silly_silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-the_1104411.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/jane-austen-39_being-silly_silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-the_1104411.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.” — Jane Austen", "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": "Jane Austen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Silly things do cease to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-they-are-done-by-sensible-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/silly-things-do-cease-to-be-silly-if-they-are-done-by-sensible-people/#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 } } ] } ```