---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I give off rather mixed messages about…"
description: "\"I give off rather mixed messages about the law. On the one hand, I can honestly say I don't miss working in a law office. On the other hand I do enjoy ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-grisham-974_book_i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-t_2857633.jpg"
---

#  I give off rather mixed messages about the law. On the one…

![“I give off rather mixed messages about the law. On the one hand, I can honestly say I don't miss working in a law office. On the other hand I do enjoy watching the law and while the profession may have its problems, I have sold zillions of books out of magnifying them.” quote by John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-grisham-974_book_i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-t_2857633.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-grisham-974_book_i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-t_2857633.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-grisham-974_book_i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-t_2857633.jpg)

> “I give off rather mixed messages about the law. On the one hand, I can honestly say I don't miss working in a law office. On the other hand I do enjoy watching the law and while the profession may have its problems, I have sold zillions of books out of magnifying them.”

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Law work is ambivalent; missing routine but drawn to its drama and storytelling.

**In simple terms:** Love law’s drama.

Key Takeaway

Embrace both law’s routine and its stories.

Themes

law career ambivalence storytelling

Mood

thoughtful balanced

Type

professional inspirational

When to use this quote

- career decisions
- writing
- teaching
- public speaking

Key Concepts

literature professional identity

Questions to Reflect On

- What draws you to law?
- How do you balance routine with passion?

A Different Perspective

Idealizing law can overlook its pressures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/)

## Related quotes

> [I read a quote by James Dean when I was 17; he said, 'I'd rather starve than do a whole bunch of work that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehcad-brooks/i-read-a-quote-by-james-dean-when-i-was-17-he-said-i-d-rather-starve/)

[Mehcad Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehcad-brooks/)

> [The constitutional and political importance of the law office of the Attorney General is such that you can't just job share, and you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suella-braverman/the-constitutional-and-political-importance-of-the-law-office-of-the/)

[Suella Braverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suella-braverman/)

> [Law is not a profession at all, but rather a business service station and repair shop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adlai-e-stevenson/law-is-not-a-profession-at-all-but-rather-a-business-service-station/)

[Adlai E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adlai-e-stevenson/)

> [We might hope that the law as a profession does not vanish, because justice may vanish with it - but we could probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/we-might-hope-that-the-law-as-a-profession-does-not-vanish-because/)

[James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/)

> [All too many young people are receiving mixed messages and inaccurate information about drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-walters/all-too-many-young-people-are-receiving-mixed-messages-and-inaccurate/)

[John Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-walters/)

> [I am so used to hints and mixed messages, saying things that might mean what they sort of sound like they mean. Games and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-am-so-used-to-hints-and-mixed-messages-saying-things-that-might/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [I like to be direct." "Okay," I said. "But I warn you, I like to be evasive, inserutable and generally send mixed messages." "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/i-like-to-be-direct-okay-i-said-but-i-warn-you-i-like-to-be-evasive/)

[E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/)

> [When it comes to having conversations with girls what I hear from them is that there is a lot of pressure to look a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-gregoire-trudeau/when-it-comes-to-having-conversations-with-girls-what-i-hear-from/)

[Sophie Gregoire Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-gregoire-trudeau/)

> [“Avoid mixed messages. Speaking too sweetly or smiling while you set a limit confuses kids. It unintentionally gives a green light to your toddler’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-karp/avoid-mixed-messages-speaking-too-sweetly-or-smiling-while-you-set-a/)

[Harvey Karp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-karp/)

> [I want you to want me. If unsure keep your mixed messages to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-you-to-want-me-if-unsure-keep-your-mixed-messages-to-yourself/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Mixed messages are just part and parcel of the romantic terrain, and rather than berate yourself for any crossed wires, you'd do better to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariella-frostrup/mixed-messages-are-just-part-and-parcel-of-the-romantic-terrain-and/)

[Mariella Frostrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariella-frostrup/)

> [You get mixed messages because I have mixed feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kane/you-get-mixed-messages-because-i-have-mixed-feelings/)

[Sarah Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kane/)

> [I think society perpetuates a lot of mixed messages about what it means to be beautiful for all women, but especially for black women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franchesca-ramsey/i-think-society-perpetuates-a-lot-of-mixed-messages-about-what-it/)

[Franchesca Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franchesca-ramsey/)

> [From childhood to adolescence, girls face mixed messages about displaying power and authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/from-childhood-to-adolescence-girls-face-mixed-messages-about/)

[Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/)

> [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/)

[David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/)

## More by John Grisham

> [“Do you read them? Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald?" "Only if I have to. I try to avoid old dead white men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/do-you-read-them-faulkner-hemingway-fitzgerald-only-if-i-have-to-i/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [“Cuando duermes, engañas al sistema. El tiempo del sueño te pertenece a ti y no al Estado.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/cuando-duermes-enga-as-al-sistema-el-tiempo-del-sue-o-te-pertenece-a/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [“The Senator did not know who owned the jet, nor had he ever met Mr. Trudeau, which in most cultures would seem odd since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/the-senator-did-not-know-who-owned-the-jet-nor-had-he-ever-met-mr/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [“What kind of name is Siler-Spence? I mean, what's wrong with these women who use hyphens? What if her name was Skowinski and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/what-kind-of-name-is-siler-spence-i-mean-what-s-wrong-with-these/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [“In that case, the truck driver took the stand, swore to tell the truth, then lied for three hours. He said Gretchen crossed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-that-case-the-truck-driver-took-the-stand-swore-to-tell-the-truth/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [I'm being followed so much I'm causing traffic jams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-m-being-followed-so-much-i-m-causing-traffic-jams/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [Quite often I can be in a bookshop, standing beneath a great big picture of myself and paying for a book with a credit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/quite-often-i-can-be-in-a-bookshop-standing-beneath-a-great-big/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [Reading is by far the most successful pursuit of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/reading-is-by-far-the-most-successful-pursuit-of-happiness/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [“We were invincible because we were eighteen and stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/we-were-invincible-because-we-were-eighteen-and-stupid/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [“One good thing about jail is that it allows you to think a lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/one-good-thing-about-jail-is-that-it-allows-you-to-think-a-lot/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [In my case, once you sell a lot of books and you are labeled a bestselling author, the serious critics are never gonna say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-my-case-once-you-sell-a-lot-of-books-and-you-are-labeled-a/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [Twenty years on, the books are still fun to write and I've still got lots of stories I want to tell, mainly about social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/twenty-years-on-the-books-are-still-fun-to-write-and-i-ve-still-got/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [Sometimes I can tackle an issue -homelessness, tobacco litigation, insurance fraud, the death penalty - and wrap a good story around it. These are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/sometimes-i-can-tackle-an-issue-homelessness-tobacco-litigation/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [“So why do these guys hate your guts?” “Because they believe strip-mining is a good thing. It provides jobs, and there are few jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/so-why-do-these-guys-hate-your-guts-because-they-believe-strip-mining/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

> [“In little pockets of conversation, old men were telling stories of ancient floods. Women were talking of about how much rain there'd been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-little-pockets-of-conversation-old-men-were-telling-stories-of/)

[John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

[Explore all 316 John Grisham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I give off rather mixed messages about the law. On the one hand, I can honestly say I don't miss working in a law office. On the other hand I do enjoy watching the law and while the profession may have its problems, I have sold zillions of books out of magnifying them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Grisham"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-the-law-on-the-one-hand-i-can/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-the-law-on-the-one-hand-i-can/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-grisham-974_book_i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-t_2857633.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-grisham-974_book_i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-t_2857633.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-grisham-974_book_i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-t_2857633.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I give off rather mixed messages about the law. On the one hand, I can honestly say I don't miss working in…” — John Grisham",
                "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": "John Grisham",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I give off rather mixed messages...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-the-law-on-the-one-hand-i-can/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-give-off-rather-mixed-messages-about-the-law-on-the-one-hand-i-can/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
