Somewhere else Quote by John Cage
““Nothing more then nothing can be said. We make our lives by what we love. Being American, having been trained to be sentimental, I fought for noises … when the war came along, I decided to use only quiet sounds. There seemed to me to be no truth, no good, in anything big. Somebody asked Debussy how he wrote music. He said: “I take all the tones there are, leave out he one’s I don’t want, and use all the others”. Satie said: “When I was young, people told me; you’ll see when you’re fifty years old. Now I’m fifty. I’ve seen nothing”. Slowly as the talk goes on, we are getting nowhere – and that is a pleasure. It is not irritating to be where one is, it is only irritating to think one would like to be somewhere else. If anybody is sleepy, let him go to sleep. All I know about method is that when I’m not working I sometimes think I know something, but when I’m working, it is quit clear I know nothing.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: 1975, The New York Times
The speaker reflects on artistic minimalism, the futility of grand narratives, and the value of quiet, honest expression over pretension.
In simple terms: Art can be simple and honest, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
Key Takeaway
Embrace simplicity and presence in creation.
Themes
minimalism
authenticity
creativity
discontent
acceptance
Mood
contemplative
ironic
detached
Type
philosophical
artistic
When to use this quote
- musical composition
- personal introspection
- cultural critique
- mental health
- creative process
Key Concepts
artistic restraint
existential reflection
silence as statement
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “nothing” mean to you?
- How can quietness become a form of resistance?
A Different Perspective
It may neglect the power of collective action and social change.
![“It was at Harvard not quite forty years ago that I went into an anechoic [totally silent] chamber not expecting in that silent room to hear two sounds: one high, my nervous system in operation, one low, my blood in circulation. The reason I did not expect to hear those two sounds was that they…” quote by John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/153/john-cage-2094_blood_it-was-at-harvard-not-quite-forty-years_56114.jpg)
