--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At the heart of anything good there…" description: "\"At the heart of anything good there should be a kernel of something undefinable, and if you can define it, or claim to be able to define it, then, in a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/john-peel-40422_able_at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-shou_925073.png" --- # At the heart of anything good there should be a kernel of… ![“At the heart of anything good there should be a kernel of something undefinable, and if you can define it, or claim to be able to define it, then, in a sense, you’ve missed the point.” quote by John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/john-peel-40422_able_at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-shou_925073.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/john-peel-40422_able_at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-shou_925073.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/john-peel-40422_able_at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-shou_925073.png) > “At the heart of anything good there should be a kernel of something undefinable, and if you can define it, or claim to be able to define it, then, in a sense, you’ve missed the point.” [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The essence of something good is ineffable; trying to define it reduces its mystery and value. **In simple terms:** Some things are beyond definition. Key Takeaway Embrace mystery rather than over‑analyze. Themes mystery beauty essence Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - art criticism - spiritual practice - creative writing Key Concepts aesthetic philosophy ineffability Questions to Reflect On - What experiences resist definition? - How do you appreciate the undefinable? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can strip meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Claims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/claims/) [Good Kernel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-kernel-1462476/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Kernel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kernel/) [Kernel Undefinable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kernel-undefinable-1462471/) [Missed Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missed-point-622780/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Undefinable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undefinable-1194266/) [Undefinable Define](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undefinable-define-1462474/) ## Related quotes > [though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/though-the-wide-universe-is-full-of-good-no-kernel-of-nourishing-corn/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I feel undefinable actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-feel-undefinable-actually/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am undefinable. I don't fit into any particular category.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-am-undefinable-i-don-t-fit-into-any-particular-category/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/time-is-the-most-undefinable-yet-paradoxical-of-things-the-past-is/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [It is impossible to communicate to people who have not experienced it the undefinable menace of total rationalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czeslaw-milosz/it-is-impossible-to-communicate-to-people-who-have-not-experienced-it/) [Czeslaw Milosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czeslaw-milosz/) > [Only words and conventions can isolate us from the entirely undefinable something which is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-words-and-conventions-can-isolate-us-from-the-entirely/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If the only thing we have when we leave a time of Bible study is more head knowledge and a spiritual to-do list for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevin-wax/if-the-only-thing-we-have-when-we-leave-a-time-of-bible-study-is-more/) [Trevin Wax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevin-wax/) > [When I watch dance, most of the time I just see a potential that is not there at all. I just see they missed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/when-i-watch-dance-most-of-the-time-i-just-see-a-potential-that-is/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [As I review my life, I feel I must have missed the point, either then or now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/as-i-review-my-life-i-feel-i-must-have-missed-the-point-either-then/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“A friend said, "Ah, I get it. All of my life I have gone into every next event asking, in effect, What's in it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/a-friend-said-ah-i-get-it-all-of-my-life-i-have-gone-into-every-next/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [As soon as we associate reading with a test, we've missed the point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/as-soon-as-we-associate-reading-with-a-test-we-ve-missed-the-point/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [In recent days, the media, as it usually does, has missed the whole point on immigration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/in-recent-days-the-media-as-it-usually-does-has-missed-the-whole/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [If you don't laugh at all, you've missed the point. If you only laugh, you've missed your chance from illumination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/if-you-don-t-laugh-at-all-you-ve-missed-the-point-if-you-only-laugh/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [“Not being excited is to have missed the whole point of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-chandler/not-being-excited-is-to-have-missed-the-whole-point-of-life/) [Steve Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-chandler/) > [They's a heap more to God's will than death, disapoint-ment, and like thet. Hit's God's will for us to be good and do good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olive-ann-burns/they-s-a-heap-more-to-god-s-will-than-death-disapoint-ment-and-like/) [Olive Ann Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olive-ann-burns/) ## More by John Peel > [I think a lot of the stuff I'm playing now is crap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/i-think-a-lot-of-the-stuff-i-m-playing-now-is-crap/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) > [Teenage dreams so hard to beat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/teenage-dreams-so-hard-to-beat/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) > [I never make stupid mistakes. Only very, very clever ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/i-never-make-stupid-mistakes-only-very-very-clever-ones/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) > [“I just want to hear something I haven't heard before”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/i-just-want-to-hear-something-i-haven-t-heard-before/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) > [All I ever wanted to do was hear music that I like and play it to other people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/all-i-ever-wanted-to-do-was-hear-music-that-i-like-and-play-it-to/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) > [“Melayne looked across at Ysane, who was propped up in bed, nursing her new son. Bantry, beaming as proudly as if he had miraculously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/melayne-looked-across-at-ysane-who-was-propped-up-in-bed-nursing-her/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) > [All songs are about shagging, you can't deny it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/all-songs-are-about-shagging-you-can-t-deny-it/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) > [There's always the possibility that you're going to come across a record that transforms your life. And it happens weekly. It's like a leaf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/there-s-always-the-possibility-that-you-re-going-to-come-across-a/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) > [If the audience are leaving in ambulances, you know you've done a good job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/if-the-audience-are-leaving-in-ambulances-you-know-you-ve-done-a-good/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) > [If you've got a CD that's not working, just wipe it on your trousers, and if you're not wearing any trousers, put some on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/if-you-ve-got-a-cd-that-s-not-working-just-wipe-it-on-your-trousers/) [John Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) [Explore all 11 John Peel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At the heart of anything good there should be a kernel of something undefinable, and if you can define it, or claim to be able to define it, then, in a sense, you’ve missed the point.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Peel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-should-be-a-kernel-of-something/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-should-be-a-kernel-of-something/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/john-peel-40422_able_at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-shou_925073.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/john-peel-40422_able_at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-shou_925073.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/john-peel-40422_able_at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-shou_925073.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At the heart of anything good there should be a kernel of something undefinable, and if you can define it…” — John Peel", "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 Peel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-peel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "At the heart of anything good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-should-be-a-kernel-of-something/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-peel/at-the-heart-of-anything-good-there-should-be-a-kernel-of-something/#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 } } ] } ```