--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My things really are written with an…" description: "\"My things really are written with an appalling lack of practicality!\" — Johannes Brahms" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/johannes-brahms-20517_appalling_my-things-really-are-written-with-an-app_2900706.jpg" --- # My things really are written with an appalling lack of… ![“My things really are written with an appalling lack of practicality!” quote by Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/johannes-brahms-20517_appalling_my-things-really-are-written-with-an-app_2900706.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/johannes-brahms-20517_appalling_my-things-really-are-written-with-an-app_2900706.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/johannes-brahms-20517_appalling_my-things-really-are-written-with-an-app_2900706.jpg) > “My things really are written with an appalling lack of practicality!” [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker laments that their writing lacks practicality, implying a tension between artistic expression and functional usefulness. **In simple terms:** Their writing is not practical. Key Takeaway Balance creativity with usefulness. Themes art practicality self‑critique productivity Mood thoughtful critical Type reflective self‑critical When to use this quote - academic work - personal projects - daily tasks Key Concepts creative writing design thinking Questions to Reflect On - When is practicality essential in writing? - How can artistic work serve functional purposes? A Different Perspective Practicality may be subjective and context‑dependent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appalling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appalling/) [Appalling Lack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appalling-lack-4122870/) [Lack Practicality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-practicality-4031926/) [Practicality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practicality/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) [Written Appalling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written-appalling-4122869/) ## Related quotes > [It is the fragrant lack of practicality that makes high-heeled shoes so fascinating: in terms of static mechanics they induce a sort of insecurity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-bayley/it-is-the-fragrant-lack-of-practicality-that-makes-high-heeled-shoes/) [Stephen Bayley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-bayley/) > [What would become of all historical biography if it was written only with consideration for other peoples' feelings?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/what-would-become-of-all-historical-biography-if-it-was-written-only/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [New York is appalling, fantastically charmless and elaborately dire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/new-york-is-appalling-fantastically-charmless-and-elaborately-dire/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“I’m tired of the news. 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And I don't say that in a negative way-they have an appalling job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/you-never-know-with-politicians-what-they-are-really-saying-and-i-don/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The fictional narratives that television, film, and the news provide for girls and young women are appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-fictional-narratives-that-television-film-and-the-news-provide/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [What is this life but the sound of an appalling love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/what-is-this-life-but-the-sound-of-an-appalling-love/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [This new thing about liking yourself, I find that absolutely appalling. Anyone who likes themselves, I just can't go too close to them. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-bouquet/this-new-thing-about-liking-yourself-i-find-that-absolutely-appalling/) [Carole Bouquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-bouquet/) > [The neglect this implied, the suffering and wasted quality of human life were appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hollows/the-neglect-this-implied-the-suffering-and-wasted-quality-of-human/) [Fred Hollows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hollows/) ## More by Johannes Brahms > [One should never forget that by actually perfecting one piece one gains and learns more than by starting or half-finishing a dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/one-should-never-forget-that-by-actually-perfecting-one-piece-one/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [What would become of all historical biography if it was written only with consideration for other peoples' feelings?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/what-would-become-of-all-historical-biography-if-it-was-written-only/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [In my study I can lay my hand on the Bible in the pitch dark. All truly inspired ideas come from God. The powers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/in-my-study-i-can-lay-my-hand-on-the-bible-in-the-pitch-dark-all/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [Reviewer: 'One of your themes was very similar to one of Beethoven's!' Brahms replied, 'Of course it is. Everyone steals - the important thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/reviewer-one-of-your-themes-was-very-similar-to-one-of-beethoven-s/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [I sometimes ponder on variation form and it seems to me it ought to be more restrained, purer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/i-sometimes-ponder-on-variation-form-and-it-seems-to-me-it-ought-to/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [We cling nervously to the melody, but we don't handle it freely, we don't really make anything new out of it, we merely overload…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/we-cling-nervously-to-the-melody-but-we-don-t-handle-it-freely-we-don/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [To follow in Beethoven's footsteps transcends one's strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/to-follow-in-beethoven-s-footsteps-transcends-one-s-strength/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [A symphony is no joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/a-symphony-is-no-joke/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [If there is anyone here whom I have not insulted, I beg his pardon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/if-there-is-anyone-here-whom-i-have-not-insulted-i-beg-his-pardon/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [The only true immortality lies in one's children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/the-only-true-immortality-lies-in-one-s-children/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [Straight-away the ideas flow in upon me, directly from God, and not only do I see distinct themes in my mind's eye, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/straight-away-the-ideas-flow-in-upon-me-directly-from-god-and-not/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [It is not hard to compose, but what is fabulously hard is to leave the superfluous notes under the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/it-is-not-hard-to-compose-but-what-is-fabulously-hard-is-to-leave-the/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [It is not hard to compose but it is wonderfully hard to let the superfluous notes fall under the table. . . So many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/it-is-not-hard-to-compose-but-it-is-wonderfully-hard-to-let-the/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [If we cannot write with the beauty of Mozart, let us at least try to write with his purity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/if-we-cannot-write-with-the-beauty-of-mozart-let-us-at-least-try-to/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [Never criticize the composition of a Royal Highness. You never know who may have written it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/never-criticize-the-composition-of-a-royal-highness-you-never-know/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) [Explore all 30 Johannes Brahms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) ## More Appalling quotes > [The neglect this implied, the suffering and wasted quality of human life were appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hollows/the-neglect-this-implied-the-suffering-and-wasted-quality-of-human/) [Fred Hollows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hollows/) > [This new thing about liking yourself, I find that absolutely appalling. Anyone who likes themselves, I just can't go too close to them. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-bouquet/this-new-thing-about-liking-yourself-i-find-that-absolutely-appalling/) [Carole Bouquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-bouquet/) > [What is this life but the sound of an appalling love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/what-is-this-life-but-the-sound-of-an-appalling-love/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [The fictional narratives that television, film, and the news provide for girls and young women are appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-fictional-narratives-that-television-film-and-the-news-provide/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [You never know with politicians what they are really saying. And I don't say that in a negative way-they have an appalling job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/you-never-know-with-politicians-what-they-are-really-saying-and-i-don/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [Regret is an appalling waste of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/regret-is-an-appalling-waste-of-time/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [The quality of writing attracts me to films, also who the other actors are, who the director is, where it's being shot. Any or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/the-quality-of-writing-attracts-me-to-films-also-who-the-other-actors/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [All my friends' mothers were appalling women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/all-my-friends-mothers-were-appalling-women/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Every other writer's process is sort of vaguely scary and appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/every-other-writer-s-process-is-sort-of-vaguely-scary-and-appalling/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“Life is short and the number of books is appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/life-is-short-and-the-number-of-books-is-appalling/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [All of television's appalling, but this is hardly a new statement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/all-of-television-s-appalling-but-this-is-hardly-a-new-statement/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“I’m tired of the news. I’m tired of the way it makes things spectacular that aren’t, and deals so simplistically with what’s truly appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/i-m-tired-of-the-news-i-m-tired-of-the-way-it-makes-things-2/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [New York is appalling, fantastically charmless and elaborately dire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/new-york-is-appalling-fantastically-charmless-and-elaborately-dire/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [The economic and social decline of Zimbabwe is shocking and appalling. Life there is unrecognisable from that of the recent past. Each day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/the-economic-and-social-decline-of-zimbabwe-is-shocking-and-appalling/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [A female friend who caught me watching Fashion TV reckons its audience is largely made up of slobbering men who are just taking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-smith/a-female-friend-who-caught-me-watching-fashion-tv-reckons-its/) [Arthur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-smith/) [Browse all 95 Appalling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appalling/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My things really are written with an appalling lack of practicality!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Johannes Brahms" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/my-things-really-are-written-with-an-appalling-lack-of-practicality/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appalling" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/my-things-really-are-written-with-an-appalling-lack-of-practicality/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/johannes-brahms-20517_appalling_my-things-really-are-written-with-an-app_2900706.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/johannes-brahms-20517_appalling_my-things-really-are-written-with-an-app_2900706.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28a/johannes-brahms-20517_appalling_my-things-really-are-written-with-an-app_2900706.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My things really are written with an appalling lack of practicality!” — Johannes Brahms", "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": "Johannes Brahms", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My things really are written with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/my-things-really-are-written-with-an-appalling-lack-of-practicality/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/my-things-really-are-written-with-an-appalling-lack-of-practicality/#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 } } ] } ```