--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not at all contemporary, not even…" description: "\"I'm not at all contemporary, not even modern, and the fact that I would be so quaintly attracted to that wrestling rule makes me, I suppose, seem all t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/john-irving-337_behavior_i-m-not-at-all-contemporary-not-even-mod_1089950.png" --- # I'm not at all contemporary, not even modern, and the fact… ![“I'm not at all contemporary, not even modern, and the fact that I would be so quaintly attracted to that wrestling rule makes me, I suppose, seem all the more old-fashioned. I believe in rules of behavior, and I'm quite interested in stories about the consequences of breaking those rules.” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/john-irving-337_behavior_i-m-not-at-all-contemporary-not-even-mod_1089950.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/john-irving-337_behavior_i-m-not-at-all-contemporary-not-even-mod_1089950.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/john-irving-337_behavior_i-m-not-at-all-contemporary-not-even-mod_1089950.png) > “I'm not at all contemporary, not even modern, and the fact that I would be so quaintly attracted to that wrestling rule makes me, I suppose, seem all the more old-fashioned. I believe in rules of behavior, and I'm quite interested in stories about the consequences of breaking those rules.” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## 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 The speaker feels outdated yet fascinated by an old rule, highlighting a tension between nostalgia and modernity. **In simple terms:** Old rules feel nostalgic but can seem outdated. Key Takeaway Balance respect for tradition with contemporary relevance. Themes nostalgia tradition modernity Mood thoughtful nostalgic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - literary analysis - social commentary - personal reflection Key Concepts cultural shift personal identity rule-breaking Questions to Reflect On - Do you cling to past norms? - What modern values can coexist with old traditions? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize the past, ignoring progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Breaking rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-rules/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Old fashioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-fashioned/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in rules of behavior, and I'm quite interested in stories about the consequences of breaking those rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-believe-in-rules-of-behavior-and-i-m-quite-interested-in-stories/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [What attracted me to wrestling was the entertainment factor. I loved watching how into the show the fans get, and also how physical it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-deville/what-attracted-me-to-wrestling-was-the-entertainment-factor-i-loved/) [Sonya Deville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-deville/) > [I would definitely say the WWE superstars are underrated athletically. In fact, that's one of the things that always attracted me to wrestling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/i-would-definitely-say-the-wwe-superstars-are-underrated-athletically/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [I didn't take a lot of crap from people, and I didn't follow the conventional rules of behavior that we're supposed to follow -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-stallworth/i-didn-t-take-a-lot-of-crap-from-people-and-i-didn-t-follow-the/) [Ron Stallworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-stallworth/) > [“They conducted themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with an amusement park.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/they-conducted-themselves-according-to-the-rules-of-behavior/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Everything is very nearly over. And so none of the normal rules of behavior apply. And so none of my actions can have consequences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-baume/everything-is-very-nearly-over-and-so-none-of-the-normal-rules-of/) [Sara Baume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-baume/) > [The best thing about Sci-Fi, which is my favorite genre, is that there are no rules for behavior. So you can do anything you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/the-best-thing-about-sci-fi-which-is-my-favorite-genre-is-that-there/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [I'm old-fashioned, a storyteller. I'm not an analyst and I'm not an intellectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-m-old-fashioned-a-storyteller-i-m-not-an-analyst-and-i-m-not-an/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I'm not a twentieth-century novelist, I'm not modern, and certainly not postmodern. I follow the form of the nineteenth-century novel; that was the century…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-m-not-a-twentieth-century-novelist-i-m-not-modern-and-certainly-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I'm a very old-fashioned novelist. I write 19th-century novels, where a lot of rules apply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-m-a-very-old-fashioned-novelist-i-write-19th-century-novels-where-a/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Life," Garp wrote, "is sadly not structured like a good old-fashioned novel. Instead an end occurs when those who are meant to peter out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/life-garp-wrote-is-sadly-not-structured-like-a-good-old-fashioned/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Bend the rules only if you have learned them; break the rules only if you have mastered them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/bend-the-rules-only-if-you-have-learned-them-break-the-rules-only-if/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [Art is all about doing what you shouldn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nobuyoshi-araki/art-is-all-about-doing-what-you-shouldn-t/) [Nobuyoshi Araki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nobuyoshi-araki/) > [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/) > [“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/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## More Behavior quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) Burne Hogarth > [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) J. Willard Gibbs > [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 tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not at all contemporary, not even modern, and the fact that I would be so quaintly attracted to that wrestling rule makes me, I suppose, seem all the more old-fashioned. 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