--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always worry that I'm a dilettante: I…" description: "\"I always worry that I'm a dilettante: I know something about lots of things but don't have exhaustive knowledge of much. Take dance music: I like enoug..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c82/john-darnielle-2176_authority_i-always-worry-that-i-m-a-dilettante-i-k_903161.png" --- # I always worry that I'm a dilettante: I know something… ![“I always worry that I'm a dilettante: I know something about lots of things but don't have exhaustive knowledge of much. Take dance music: I like enough of it and its history to be able to say a word or two about this or that record, but I'm nobody's authority. I couldn't name more than a couple…” quote by John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c82/john-darnielle-2176_authority_i-always-worry-that-i-m-a-dilettante-i-k_903161.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c82/john-darnielle-2176_authority_i-always-worry-that-i-m-a-dilettante-i-k_903161.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c82/john-darnielle-2176_authority_i-always-worry-that-i-m-a-dilettante-i-k_903161.png) > “I always worry that I'm a dilettante: I know something about lots of things but don't have exhaustive knowledge of much. Take dance music: I like enough of it and its history to be able to say a word or two about this or that record, but I'm nobody's authority. I couldn't name more than a couple of good drum'n'bass acts, and I have no idea what's big in the dance world right now.” [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) ## 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 feels insecure about being a superficial know‑it‑all, lacking deep expertise in any field. **In simple terms:** Worried about being a dilettante. Key Takeaway Accept breadth, seek depth where needed. Themes insecurity knowledge humility Mood reflective anxious Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - social gatherings - learning new skills - career development Key Concepts expertise breadth vs depth self‑assessment Questions to Reflect On - What area could you deepen your knowledge? - How does breadth benefit you? A Different Perspective Depth takes time and effort, not just casual interest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Dance music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance-music/) [Dilettante Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dilettante-know-1261142/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Know Lots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-lots-1117977/) [Knowledge Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-dance-1261143/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) [Worry Dilettante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry-dilettante-1261144/) ## Related quotes > [I always worry that I'm a dilettante: I know something about lots of things but don't have exhaustive knowledge of much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/i-always-worry-that-i-m-a-dilettante-i-know-something-about-lots-of-2/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [ We have a lot of trans friends. We know lots of people who have been trying to \[model\]; we know a lot about it. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whoopi-goldberg/we-have-a-lot-of-trans-friends-we-know-lots-of-people-who-have-been/) [Whoopi Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whoopi-goldberg/) > [The reality is even if you are a hands-on Mayor or Governor or chief executive, at best, you must know about 10 or 20%…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/the-reality-is-even-if-you-are-a-hands-on-mayor-or-governor-or-chief/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [I know lots of people who are educated far beyond their intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-grizzard/i-know-lots-of-people-who-are-educated-far-beyond-their-intelligence/) [Lewis Grizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-grizzard/) > [If you are the boss it's wise to remember that there are lots of things you don't know and lots of people who hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/if-you-are-the-boss-it-s-wise-to-remember-that-there-are-lots-of/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [...You know something, don't you?" "I know lots of things--your inquiry needs to be more specific." "Just answer the question." "True/false or multiple choice?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/you-know-something-don-t-you-i-know-lots-of-things-your-inquiry-needs/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [I wouldn't presume to know something, but I have lots to learn and that's what I attempt to do through my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wright/i-wouldn-t-presume-to-know-something-but-i-have-lots-to-learn-and/) [Joe Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wright/) > [We know there are lots of leaks everywhere. There's nothing we can do about that, except not leak ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/we-know-there-are-lots-of-leaks-everywhere-there-s-nothing-we-can-do/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [We know lots of things we didn't use to know but we don't know any way to prevent 'em from happening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-know-lots-of-things-we-didn-t-use-to-know-but-we-don-t-know-any/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [“I know lots of things you don't" "Name five." "The Grand Unification Theory, tax law, binary, the capital of Azerbailan, and how tractors work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-nayeri/i-know-lots-of-things-you-don-t-name-five-the-grand-unification/) [Daniel Nayeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-nayeri/) > [Philosophers ought to aspire to know lots of different things and to forge useful synthetic perspectives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/philosophers-ought-to-aspire-to-know-lots-of-different-things-and-to/) [Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/) > [Take dance music: I like enough of it and its history to be able to say a word or two about this or that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/take-dance-music-i-like-enough-of-it-and-its-history-to-be-able-to/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [For me, I actually come from an electronic dance music background: house music, electro house, trance music, even. When I was coming out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/for-me-i-actually-come-from-an-electronic-dance-music-background/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [“The rhythm of movement is the dance of music.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-rhythm-of-movement-is-the-dance-of-music/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) ## More by John Darnielle > [I don't write my own publicity materials, I just read 'em and give 'em the OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/i-don-t-write-my-own-publicity-materials-i-just-read-em-and-give-em/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [“But secret agents, like God, only give signs to their confidants. They are also very cruel and even unhappy at times. At any rate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/but-secret-agents-like-god-only-give-signs-to-their-confidants-they/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [“I am heavy in his arms, and I feel safe there, but I am lost, and I need constantly to be shoring up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/i-am-heavy-in-his-arms-and-i-feel-safe-there-but-i-am-lost-and-i-need/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [The more I learn about stuff the more conscious I become of grave gaps in my knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/the-more-i-learn-about-stuff-the-more-conscious-i-become-of-grave/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [If you get into a fight and somebody punches you, you get two feelings. One: That really hurts. Two: That relief in the realness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/if-you-get-into-a-fight-and-somebody-punches-you-you-get-two-feelings/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [When I was a kid, I was a big science fiction fan, but current horror books were harder to get your hands on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/when-i-was-a-kid-i-was-a-big-science-fiction-fan-but-current-horror/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [It's impossible to be content all the time - you have to learn to be content in places where you're unhappy and owning your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/it-s-impossible-to-be-content-all-the-time-you-have-to-learn-to-be/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [“It's in the nature of the landscape to change, and it's in the nature of people to help the process along...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/it-s-in-the-nature-of-the-landscape-to-change-and-it-s-in-the-nature/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [Everybody is in various states of needing to transcend something. I believe in mental health care, but when we call people "crazy," we exclude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/everybody-is-in-various-states-of-needing-to-transcend-something-i/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [“But resiliency only means that a thing retains its shape. That it doesn’t break, or lose its ability to function. It doesn’t mean a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/but-resiliency-only-means-that-a-thing-retains-its-shape-that-it/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [“One thing I’ve learned is it’s better sometimes, in the weeds, to resist the temptation to stand up and follow the compass. \*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/one-thing-i-ve-learned-is-it-s-better-sometimes-in-the-weeds-to/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [People always talk about good time rock and roll, Chuck Berry or whatever, like this liberating force for feeling good. But what I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/people-always-talk-about-good-time-rock-and-roll-chuck-berry-or/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [It's hard always to say what it is one likes about a place, for me. I feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/it-s-hard-always-to-say-what-it-is-one-likes-about-a-place-for-me-i/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [“Another nagging little question lodged like a bit of grapeshot in his chest. It was nothing major, but the place where he stored them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/another-nagging-little-question-lodged-like-a-bit-of-grapeshot-in-his/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [I'm not really a goal-oriented guy. I started doing the Mountain Goats just for the sheer hell of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/i-m-not-really-a-goal-oriented-guy-i-started-doing-the-mountain-goats/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) [Explore all 181 John Darnielle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/) [Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/) > [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/) [Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/) > [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. 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Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/) [Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/) [Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always worry that I'm a dilettante: I know something about lots of things but don't have exhaustive knowledge of much. Take dance music: I like enough of it and its history to be able to say a word or two about this or that record, but I'm nobody's authority. 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