--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If art were to redeem man, it could do so…" description: "\"If art were to redeem man, it could do so only by saving him from the seriousness of life and restoring him to an unexpected boyishness.\" — John Lennon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/john-lennon-322_art_if-art-were-to-redeem-man-it-could-do-so_2080216.jpg" --- # If art were to redeem man, it could do so only by saving… ![“If art were to redeem man, it could do so only by saving him from the seriousness of life and restoring him to an unexpected boyishness.” quote by John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/john-lennon-322_art_if-art-were-to-redeem-man-it-could-do-so_2080216.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/john-lennon-322_art_if-art-were-to-redeem-man-it-could-do-so_2080216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/john-lennon-322_art_if-art-were-to-redeem-man-it-could-do-so_2080216.jpg) > “If art were to redeem man, it could do so only by saving him from the seriousness of life and restoring him to an unexpected boyishness.” [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art can rescue humanity by reintroducing childlike wonder, counteracting life's seriousness. **In simple terms:** Art restores youthful joy. Key Takeaway Embrace playful creativity. Themes creativity humor humanism Mood lighthearted inspirational Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - education - mental health - art therapy Key Concepts playfulness existential relief Questions to Reflect On - How can you incorporate play into work? - What role does humor play in coping? A Different Perspective Seriousness can dominate daily life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Redeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-redeem-3484116/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Boyishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boyishness-1121144/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Man Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-saving-4059170/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Redeem Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/redeem-man-1727076/) [Restoring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restoring/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/) [Seriousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seriousness/) [Unexpected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unexpected/) [Unexpected Boyishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unexpected-boyishness-4059169/) ## Related quotes > [Were art to redeem man, it could do so only by saving him from the seriousness of life and restoring him to an unexpected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/were-art-to-redeem-man-it-could-do-so-only-by-saving-him-from-the/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [I have always thought it would be easier to redeem a man steeped in vice and crime than a greedy, narrow-minded, pitiless merchant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-have-always-thought-it-would-be-easier-to-redeem-a-man-steeped-in/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [We can always redeem the man who aspires and strives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-can-always-redeem-the-man-who-aspires-and-strives/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The friendship of fine-hearted, generous boys, nurtured amid the romance-engendering comforts and elegancies of life, sometimes transcends the bounds of mere boyishness, and revels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/the-friendship-of-fine-hearted-generous-boys-nurtured-amid-the/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“When boys grow into men, their boyishness is still apparent each time they abandon themselves a little. 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Transparency is the politics of managing mistrust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-krastev/transparency-is-not-about-restoring-trust-in-institutions/) [Ivan Krastev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-krastev/) > [That is very different from how it used to be in the 20th century. Media was very one way. There's a small little industry.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/that-is-very-different-from-how-it-used-to-be-in-the-20th-century/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [Restoring nature to its natural state is a cause beyond party and beyond factions. It has become a common cause of all the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/restoring-nature-to-its-natural-state-is-a-cause-beyond-party-and/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) ## More by John Lennon > [Well, I don't want to be king, I want to be real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/well-i-don-t-want-to-be-king-i-want-to-be-real/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [ We went to America a few times and \[Brian\] Epstein always tried to waffle on at us about saying nothing about Vietnam. So there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/we-went-to-america-a-few-times-and-brian-epstein-always-tried-to/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [As someone from the working class I was always interested in Russia and China and everything that related to the working class, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/as-someone-from-the-working-class-i-was-always-interested-in-russia/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I never went to high school reunions. 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Think peace, live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/if-you-want-to-get-peace-you-can-get-it-as-soon-as-you-like-if-we-all/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [The reason why kids are crazy is because nobody can face the responsibility of bringing them up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/the-reason-why-kids-are-crazy-is-because-nobody-can-face-the/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [In my case I've never not been political, though religion tended to overshadow it in my acid days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/in-my-case-i-ve-never-not-been-political-though-religion-tended-to/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-wasn-t-saying-whatever-they-re-saying-i-was-saying-i-m-sorry-i-said/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me. It's like being possessed. 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If people can't face up to the fact of other people being naked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/the-main-hangup-in-the-world-today-is-hypocrisy-and-insecurity-if/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) [Explore all 681 John Lennon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. 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