--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've turned arrogance into an artform…" description: "\"I've turned arrogance into an artform, where it's so absurd that it becomes comedy. But I've never done anything to hurt anybody or steal from anyone.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/780/john-lydon-1234_absurd_i-ve-turned-arrogance-into-an-artform-wh_1113301.jpg" --- # I've turned arrogance into an artform, where it's so… ![“I've turned arrogance into an artform, where it's so absurd that it becomes comedy. But I've never done anything to hurt anybody or steal from anyone.” quote by John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/780/john-lydon-1234_absurd_i-ve-turned-arrogance-into-an-artform-wh_1113301.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/780/john-lydon-1234_absurd_i-ve-turned-arrogance-into-an-artform-wh_1113301.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/780/john-lydon-1234_absurd_i-ve-turned-arrogance-into-an-artform-wh_1113301.jpg) > “I've turned arrogance into an artform, where it's so absurd that it becomes comedy. But I've never done anything to hurt anybody or steal from anyone.” [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) ## 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 transforms arrogance into comedic performance, ensuring no harm or theft occurs, emphasizing ethical entertainment. **In simple terms:** Arrogance can be used humorously if it stays harmless. Key Takeaway Use confidence responsibly. Themes humor confidence ethics performance self‑awareness Mood confident ironic Type statement philosophical When to use this quote - stand‑up shows - public speaking - media appearances Key Concepts comedy theory personal branding social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - When does confidence become arrogance? - How to keep humor inclusive? A Different Perspective Risk of alienating audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Absurd Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd-comedy-419573/) [Anybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anybody/) [Anyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anyone/) [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Arrogance Artform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance-artform-2976668/) [Artform Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artform-absurd-2976670/) [Becomes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becomes/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurt/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Steal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steal/) [Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned/) [Turned Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-arrogance-2976669/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) ## Related quotes > [I don't hate things, but I'm turned off by arrogance. I also don't like power for the sake of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-wolfson/i-don-t-hate-things-but-i-m-turned-off-by-arrogance-i-also-don-t-like/) [Jordan Wolfson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-wolfson/) > [People can see that we are part of a tradition of absurd comedy, stretching from Spike Milligan and Peter Cook through to Monty Python…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barratt/people-can-see-that-we-are-part-of-a-tradition-of-absurd-comedy/) [Julian Barratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barratt/) > [Beware of the man who will not engage in idle conversation; he is planning to steal your walking stick or water your stock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-emerson/beware-of-the-man-who-will-not-engage-in-idle-conversation-he-is/) [William Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-emerson/) > [“Having no applicable skills, in any possible area whatsoever, effectively makes me the master of redundancy. But that info is obsolete, like my insults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/having-no-applicable-skills-in-any-possible-area-whatsoever/) [Will Advise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-advise/) > [“The schizophrenic in the sleeping bag with a live chicken and a can of tomato soup spilling onto the sidewalk had no right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-schizophrenic-in-the-sleeping-bag-with-a-live-chicken-and-a-can/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“You give a guy a license to steal, you've got to expect him to use it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-sterling/you-give-a-guy-a-license-to-steal-you-ve-got-to-expect-him-to-use-it/) [Bruce Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-sterling/) > [“Life doesn’t make sense. It’s against the law for somebody to steal your bike but apparently it doesn’t matter if somebody tries to steal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-stratton/life-doesn-t-make-sense-it-s-against-the-law-for-somebody-to-steal/) [Allan Stratton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-stratton/) > [I think I probably have the philosophy of a poor man. You know, like maybe I'd steal the pennies off a dead man's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-think-i-probably-have-the-philosophy-of-a-poor-man-you-know-like/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [Only two kinds of people exit in this world, those who steal and those who are stolen from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciel-phantomhive/only-two-kinds-of-people-exit-in-this-world-those-who-steal-and-those/) [Ciel Phantomhive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciel-phantomhive/) > [I looked at Randy White... I looked at Klecko. I looked at Gino Marchetti. I looked at a lot of players. Bob Lilly. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-long/i-looked-at-randy-white-i-looked-at-klecko-i-looked-at-gino-marchetti/) [Howie Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-long/) > [“Don't put your life in someone's hands They bound to steal it away Don't hide your mistakes 'Cause they'll find you, burn you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/three-days-grace/don-t-put-your-life-in-someone-s-hands-they-bound-to-steal-it-away/) [Three Days Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/three-days-grace/) > [Every now and then we could steal somebody else's stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-kooper/every-now-and-then-we-could-steal-somebody-else-s-stuff/) [Al Kooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-kooper/) > [“The fact that I can get away with something is the very reason why I shouldn’t do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fact-that-i-can-get-away-with-something-is-the-very-reason-why-i/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Put plainly, China seems determined to steal its way up the economic ladder, at our expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-a-wray/put-plainly-china-seems-determined-to-steal-its-way-up-the-economic/) [Christopher A. Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-a-wray/) > [ “\[..\] we human beings are ready and willing to steal something that does not explicitly reference monetary value - that is, something that lacks… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/we-human-beings-are-ready-and-willing-to-steal-something-that-does/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## More by John Lydon > [Music is escapism from the grim realities of life. But then as soon as you escape into the music, from my point of view,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/music-is-escapism-from-the-grim-realities-of-life-but-then-as-soon-as/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not one for like soul-searching, sour fizzy moments. I come from the school of hard knocks, "f\*\*king get on with it", that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-not-one-for-like-soul-searching-sour-fizzy-moments-i-come-from/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [All the things that you would have thought would have made me a professional A1 criminal... wrong. I decided that was too lazy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/all-the-things-that-you-would-have-thought-would-have-made-me-a/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Stroll into work at 10. Lunch from 12 till three. Leave work at five. That's living!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/stroll-into-work-at-10-lunch-from-12-till-three-leave-work-at-five/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Live music is healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/live-music-is-healthy/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I never wore a studded leather jacket, y'know. Ne-va! If I had had the money I wouldn't have spent it on shit like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-never-wore-a-studded-leather-jacket-y-know-ne-va-if-i-had-had-the/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I've always strived to maintain a very healthy, friendly working situation, and lo and behold, it only took forty years, so the next sixty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-ve-always-strived-to-maintain-a-very-healthy-friendly-working/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [This is a very difficult thing to remain independent and persistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/this-is-a-very-difficult-thing-to-remain-independent-and-persistent/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [A record company used to be a very good thing, but they ended up soul-destroyingly trapping people in the accounting department. And you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/a-record-company-used-to-be-a-very-good-thing-but-they-ended-up-soul/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [Destroy everything. That's all well and fine, but you got to offer something in it's place. Since I always have a point and purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/destroy-everything-that-s-all-well-and-fine-but-you-got-to-offer/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [For me people are people, without meaning to sound corny, it's a plain natural fact, music is a universal language and I've always known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/for-me-people-are-people-without-meaning-to-sound-corny-it-s-a-plain/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I'm not great at dealing with death, I have to say. I find death very hard: my mum, my dad, Sid Vicious. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-m-not-great-at-dealing-with-death-i-have-to-say-i-find-death-very/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [The joy of life is in the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/the-joy-of-life-is-in-the-work/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I have a sensible set of values that tell me to never lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-have-a-sensible-set-of-values-that-tell-me-to-never-lie/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I always knew the Sixties wasn't a revolution. It really was just a bunch of university students with wealthy parents having fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-always-knew-the-sixties-wasn-t-a-revolution-it-really-was-just-a/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) [Explore all 269 John Lydon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) ## More Absurd quotes > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is human nature to think wisely and to act in an absurd fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/it-is-human-nature-to-think-wisely-and-to-act-in-an-absurd-fashion/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [It is a dangerous and fateful presumption, besides the absurd temerity that it implies, to disdain what we do not comprehend. For after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-dangerous-and-fateful-presumption-besides-the-absurd-temerity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought to myself: if it’s true that every person has a star in the sky, mine must be distant, dim, and absurd. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadegh-hedayat/i-thought-to-myself-if-it-s-true-that-every-person-has-a-star-in-the/) [Sadegh Hedayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadegh-hedayat/) > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I have never heard enough classical music to be able to enjoy it; & the simple truth is, I detest it. Not mildly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-heard-enough-classical-music-to-be-able-to-enjoy-it-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [To deprecate human reason by saying that none of us is or can be omniscient is absurd, for it takes an impossible standard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/to-deprecate-human-reason-by-saying-that-none-of-us-is-or-can-be/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [The absurd duty, too often inculcated, of obeying a parent only on account of his being a parent, shackles the mind, and prepares it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/the-absurd-duty-too-often-inculcated-of-obeying-a-parent-only-on/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-workman-of-today-works-every-day-in-his-life-at-the-same-tasks/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I was once part of a Christmas cabaret. I sang 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.' I tap-danced. I had a ten-gallon hat. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-was-once-part-of-a-christmas-cabaret-i-sang-i-saw-mommy-kissing/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [Solitude produces originality, bold and astonishing beauty, poetry. But solitude also produces perverseness, the disproportianate, the absurd and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/solitude-produces-originality-bold-and-astonishing-beauty-poetry-but/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) [Browse all 1,644 Absurd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've turned arrogance into an artform, where it's so absurd that it becomes comedy. 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