--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're breaking all of the rules, even our…" description: "\"We're breaking all of the rules, even our own rules, and how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities.\" — John Cage" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/john-cage-2094_breaking_we-re-breaking-all-of-the-rules-even-our_804145.png" --- # We're breaking all of the rules, even our own rules, and… ![“We're breaking all of the rules, even our own rules, and how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities.” quote by John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/john-cage-2094_breaking_we-re-breaking-all-of-the-rules-even-our_804145.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/john-cage-2094_breaking_we-re-breaking-all-of-the-rules-even-our_804145.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/john-cage-2094_breaking_we-re-breaking-all-of-the-rules-even-our_804145.png) > “We're breaking all of the rules, even our own rules, and how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities.” [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) ## 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 critiques rule‑breaking as paradoxical, noting that even when discarding constraints, new limits are introduced. **In simple terms:** Breaking rules still creates new boundaries. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden constraints in creative work. Themes creativity paradox rules Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - artistic practice - educational workshops - creative brainstorming Key Concepts constraint theory artistic freedom process analysis Questions to Reflect On - What unseen limits arise when we reject existing rules? - How can we identify useful constraints? A Different Perspective The paradox may be used to justify endless rule‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breaking rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-rules/) ## Related quotes > [“Five Rules for Leaving a Room in Anger": One: Do not pick up your books or papers. Leave them there. They will serve as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rosenberg/five-rules-for-leaving-a-room-in-anger-one-do-not-pick-up-your-books/) Charles Rosenberg > [“She was breaking her rules. They weren't stone after all, only small and fragile as paper cranes… I understood why she held to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/she-was-breaking-her-rules-they-weren-t-stone-after-all-only-small/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [love means breaking all the rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/love-means-breaking-all-the-rules/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [You can get away with breaking all of the other rules at least once in a while, but you can't get away with breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/you-can-get-away-with-breaking-all-of-the-other-rules-at-least-once/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [Once you have your basics down, you can start breaking the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-colicchio/once-you-have-your-basics-down-you-can-start-breaking-the-rules/) [Tom Colicchio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-colicchio/) > [I always say that it's about breaking the rules. But the secret of breaking rules in a way that works is understanding what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wakeman/i-always-say-that-it-s-about-breaking-the-rules-but-the-secret-of/) [Rick Wakeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wakeman/) > [Man breaking the rules of the world like it just a mere mudwall..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yonem-elo/man-breaking-the-rules-of-the-world-like-it-just-a-mere-mudwall/) [Yonem Elo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yonem-elo/) > [“A man's life is about keeping rules, breaking them, and making new ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogwo-david-emenike/a-man-s-life-is-about-keeping-rules-breaking-them-and-making-new-ones/) [Ogwo David Emenike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogwo-david-emenike/) > [“Life is a game with breaking the rules.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/life-is-a-game-with-breaking-the-rules/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [Sometimes breaking the rules is extending the rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/sometimes-breaking-the-rules-is-extending-the-rules/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [In effect we are, bending and breaking the rules of the language. 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There's plenty of room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/honey-i-am-the-chief-of-my-train-if-critics-want-to-hop-on-board/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [Marriage is long enough to have plenty of room for time behind it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/marriage-is-long-enough-to-have-plenty-of-room-for-time-behind-it/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) ## More by John Cage > [If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/if-something-is-boring-after-two-minutes-try-it-for-four-if-still/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [ It was at Harvard not quite forty years ago that I went into an anechoic \[totally silent\] chamber not expecting in that silent room… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/it-was-at-harvard-not-quite-forty-years-ago-that-i-went-into-an/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [So somebody has talent? So what? Dime a dozen. And we're overpopulated. Actually we have more food than we have people and more art.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/so-somebody-has-talent-so-what-dime-a-dozen-and-we-re-overpopulated/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [“...the important questions are answered by not liking only but disliking and accepting equally what one likes and dislikes. Otherwise there is no access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/the-important-questions-are-answered-by-not-liking-only-but-disliking/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [The material of music is sound and silence. Integrating these is composing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/the-material-of-music-is-sound-and-silence-integrating-these-is/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [There is poetry as soon as we realize that we possess nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/there-is-poetry-as-soon-as-we-realize-that-we-possess-nothing/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [To see, one must go beyond the imiagination and for that one must stand absolutely still as though at the center of a leap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/to-see-one-must-go-beyond-the-imiagination-and-for-that-one-must/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Value judgments are destructive to our proper business, which is curiosity and awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/value-judgments-are-destructive-to-our-proper-business-which-is/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Our intention is to affirm this life, not to bring order out of chaos, nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/our-intention-is-to-affirm-this-life-not-to-bring-order-out-of-chaos/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [There are some good people in it, but the orchestra as a whole is equivalent to a gang bent on destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/there-are-some-good-people-in-it-but-the-orchestra-as-a-whole-is/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [Art's purpose is to sober and quiet the mind so that it is in accord with what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cage/art-s-purpose-is-to-sober-and-quiet-the-mind-so-that-it-is-in-accord/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cage/) > [People who aren't artists often feel that artists are inspired. 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Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [“A man's life is about keeping rules, breaking them, and making new ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogwo-david-emenike/a-man-s-life-is-about-keeping-rules-breaking-them-and-making-new-ones/) [Ogwo David Emenike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogwo-david-emenike/) > [“Even the most loyal person had their breaking point”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vi-keeland/even-the-most-loyal-person-had-their-breaking-point/) [Vi Keeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vi-keeland/) > [“I don't want to break my memories with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arzum-uzun/i-don-t-want-to-break-my-memories-with-you/) [Arzum Uzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arzum-uzun/) > [Sometimes you never notice when somebody is breaking your heart, until they are through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/sometimes-you-never-notice-when-somebody-is-breaking-your-heart-until/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I want to remind people of a different kind of glamour, a different look, and breaking the rules of fashion. I wanna break the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dita-von-teese/i-want-to-remind-people-of-a-different-kind-of-glamour-a-different/) [Dita Von Teese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dita-von-teese/) > [I'm a very, very impatient person when it comes to breaking news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan-mitchell/i-m-a-very-very-impatient-person-when-it-comes-to-breaking-news/) [Donovan Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovan-mitchell/) > [If the many allegations made to this date are true, then the burglars who broke into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/if-the-many-allegations-made-to-this-date-are-true-then-the-burglars/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [It was very hard breaking into the film industry in Britain. I had been to art school, and I was painting and doing commercials.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/it-was-very-hard-breaking-into-the-film-industry-in-britain-i-had/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) > [“Turns out there’s a way to give in without losing. You got to find some slack in you. Just this side of your breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-wrinkle/turns-out-there-s-a-way-to-give-in-without-losing-you-got-to-find/) [Margaret Wrinkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-wrinkle/) > [I just realized early on when I was breaking out a lot, my skin was super oily and it was confused and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cooper/i-just-realized-early-on-when-i-was-breaking-out-a-lot-my-skin-was/) [Alex Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cooper/) > [I believe that the dissolution of a marriage comes about by the breaking down of self-esteem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dixie-carter/i-believe-that-the-dissolution-of-a-marriage-comes-about-by-the/) [Dixie Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dixie-carter/) > [I may have the 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' soundtrack, which I've been told is embarrassing, but come on, there are some good songs on there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floriana-lima/i-may-have-the-twilight-breaking-dawn-soundtrack-which-i-ve-been-told/) Floriana Lima > [Me breaking up with my Ex is a another girls come up!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/me-breaking-up-with-my-ex-is-a-another-girls-come-up/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [My home is different from my mother's, because hers is filled with beautiful objects that I was always afraid of breaking. My home is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/my-home-is-different-from-my-mother-s-because-hers-is-filled-with/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) Browse all 751 Breaking quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're breaking all of the rules, even our own rules, and how do we do that? 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