---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't like things I work on to have…"
description: "\"I don't like things I work on to have political didacticism - there are questions, but not messages.\" — Jonathan Nolan"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jonathan-nolan-6754_like_i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-po_2218539.jpg"
---

#  I don't like things I work on to have political…

![“I don't like things I work on to have political didacticism - there are questions, but not messages.” quote by Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jonathan-nolan-6754_like_i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-po_2218539.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jonathan-nolan-6754_like_i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-po_2218539.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jonathan-nolan-6754_like_i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-po_2218539.jpg)

> “I don't like things I work on to have political didacticism - there are questions, but not messages.”

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

## About This Quote

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

He prefers storytelling that asks questions rather than preaching political messages.

**In simple terms:** Avoid didactic political messages in art.

Key Takeaway

Focus on curiosity, not agenda.

Themes

storytelling politics art questioning

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- screenwriting
- film direction
- creative workshops

Key Concepts

narrative intent audience engagement

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you provoke thought without preaching?
- What balance works for your audience?

A Different Perspective

May limit clear social impact.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Didacticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didacticism-2609478/) [Didacticism Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didacticism-questions-4941439/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Didacticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-didacticism-4941438/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-political-250320/)

## Related quotes

> [Didacticism is the death of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dunbar-nelson/didacticism-is-the-death-of-art/)

[Alice Dunbar Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dunbar-nelson/)

> [“I’ve always had a dislike of any form of didacticism, especially when it becomes the dominant element in writing. Character and emotional content should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-taylor/i-ve-always-had-a-dislike-of-any-form-of-didacticism-especially-when/)

[Peter Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-taylor/)

> [The work of the political activist inevitably involves a certain tension between the requirement that position be taken on current issues as they arise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/the-work-of-the-political-activist-inevitably-involves-a-certain/)

[Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/)

> [I used to do some philanthropic work, but with the political platform, I can contribute in a bigger way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiranjeevi/i-used-to-do-some-philanthropic-work-but-with-the-political-platform/)

[Chiranjeevi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiranjeevi/)

> [I work on a political subject quite often, and the paintings, for me, are not finished until they're printed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erro/i-work-on-a-political-subject-quite-often-and-the-paintings-for-me/)

[Erro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erro/)

> [With political means and always trying to work for political settlements and this is what I'm going to continue to work on with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/with-political-means-and-always-trying-to-work-for-political/)

[Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/)

> [It's true that it's within the realm of cultural politics that young people tend to work through political issues, which I think is good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/it-s-true-that-it-s-within-the-realm-of-cultural-politics-that-young/)

[Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/)

> [“Without critical work, political awareness is likely to remain superficial and rhetorical.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-heyward/without-critical-work-political-awareness-is-likely-to-remain/)

[Carter Heyward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-heyward/)

> [Never, never, you must never either of you remind a man at work on a political job that he may be President.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/never-never-you-must-never-either-of-you-remind-a-man-at-work-on-a/)

[Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/)

> [I went to work at political consulting firms, graphic design and communications firms and ultimately, magazines. Today, my career is in the media business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-schiff/i-went-to-work-at-political-consulting-firms-graphic-design-and/)

[Lewis Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-schiff/)

> [We need to learn to work with political systems that are not perfect instead of taking the view: let's first fix the politics, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-banerjee/we-need-to-learn-to-work-with-political-systems-that-are-not-perfect/)

[Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-banerjee/)

> [Though the views of members of the House and Senate are as divergent as the people we represent, we bear the responsibility to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/though-the-views-of-members-of-the-house-and-senate-are-as-divergent/)

[Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/)

> [Among the reasons that you go into journalism, I suppose, are some rather idealistic, even foolish reasons. In my case one of the reasons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/among-the-reasons-that-you-go-into-journalism-i-suppose-are-some/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [I think that people have to reward those individuals who are prepared to work across the political aisle. I don't see any other way;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-king/i-think-that-people-have-to-reward-those-individuals-who-are-prepared/)

[Angus King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-king/)

> [Every time you work on a political campaign, half the people hate you. That's how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-kaiser/every-time-you-work-on-a-political-campaign-half-the-people-hate-you/)

[Brittany Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-kaiser/)

## More by Jonathan Nolan

> [TV is, as I'm discovering now, a marathon. You have to keep going and going and going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/tv-is-as-i-m-discovering-now-a-marathon-you-have-to-keep-going-and/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [You know, we certainly have a great budget on the show, but the expansions to world of the show really arise because, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/you-know-we-certainly-have-a-great-budget-on-the-show-but-the/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [“Time is theft, isn't that what they say? And time eventually convinces most of us that forgiveness is a virtue. Conveniently, cowardice and forgiveness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/time-is-theft-isn-t-that-what-they-say-and-time-eventually-convinces/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [We are the only instrument for understanding the universe. We have to ground it in human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/we-are-the-only-instrument-for-understanding-the-universe-we-have-to/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [“You will be late for your own funeral.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/you-will-be-late-for-your-own-funeral/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [“If time and fear aren’t enough to dissuade people from their revenge, then there’s always authority, softly shaking its head and saying, 'We understand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/if-time-and-fear-aren-t-enough-to-dissuade-people-from-their-revenge/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [You're different. You're more perfect. Time is three things for most people, but for you, for us, just one. A singularity. One moment. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/you-re-different-you-re-more-perfect-time-is-three-things-for-most/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [Television is very different than working on film. With films, you get to develop a set of characters, and then, at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/television-is-very-different-than-working-on-film-with-films-you-get/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [Every man is a mob, a chain gang of idiots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/every-man-is-a-mob-a-chain-gang-of-idiots/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [You'd have a quality insurance department, where they're making sure there aren't any glitches or weird things, and that the guests have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/you-d-have-a-quality-insurance-department-where-they-re-making-sure/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [Time is an absurdity. An abstraction. The only thing that matters is this moment. This moment a million times over. You have to trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/time-is-an-absurdity-an-abstraction-the-only-thing-that-matters-is/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [I believe we should be good custodians of the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/i-believe-we-should-be-good-custodians-of-the-earth/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [Wormholes are a gravitational phenomena. Or imaginary gravitational phenomena, as the case may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/wormholes-are-a-gravitational-phenomena-or-imaginary-gravitational/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [ We're gonna play a little bit of a game here \[Person of Interest movie\]. Greg and I felt like we had responsibility when we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/we-re-gonna-play-a-little-bit-of-a-game-here-person-of-interest-movie/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

> [It can be easy for an actor to go "Well I really have to do a lot" and then just saying "I don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/it-can-be-easy-for-an-actor-to-go-well-i-really-have-to-do-a-lot-and/)

[Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

[Explore all 97 Jonathan Nolan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/)

## More Like quotes

> [Do I look like a fool to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/do-i-look-like-a-fool-to-you/)

[Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/)

> [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/)

[Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/)

[Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/)

> [I'm a workaholic, but I also like to vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrueche-tran/i-m-a-workaholic-but-i-also-like-to-vacation/)

[Karrueche Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrueche-tran/)

> [People like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding - I do not put myself in that category.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-capaldi/people-like-sam-cooke-and-otis-redding-i-do-not-put-myself-in-that/)

[Lewis Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-capaldi/)

> [I like the Patagonia in Argentina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-gasol/i-like-the-patagonia-in-argentina/)

[Marc Gasol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-gasol/)

> [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/)

[Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/)

> [I like to wear bodysuits and things that make me feel really active and athletic and also really sensual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hawley-weld/i-like-to-wear-bodysuits-and-things-that-make-me-feel-really-active/)

[Sophie Hawley-Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hawley-weld/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [I don't want my kids to live like I do, sweating in a little metal box. I want them to have sunshine. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-higgins/i-don-t-want-my-kids-to-live-like-i-do-sweating-in-a-little-metal-box/)

[Alex Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-higgins/)

> [I like Louis C.K., Chris Rock. Old schools like Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-like-louis-c-k-chris-rock-old-schools-like-richard-pryor-and-eddie/)

[Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/)

> [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/)

> [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/)

[Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/)

[Browse all 44,534 Like quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't like things I work on to have political didacticism - there are questions, but not messages.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Nolan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-political-didacticism-there-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Like"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-political-didacticism-there-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jonathan-nolan-6754_like_i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-po_2218539.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jonathan-nolan-6754_like_i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-po_2218539.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc1/jonathan-nolan-6754_like_i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-po_2218539.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't like things I work on to have political didacticism - there are questions, but not messages.” — Jonathan Nolan",
                "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": "Jonathan Nolan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't like things I work...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-political-didacticism-there-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/i-don-t-like-things-i-work-on-to-have-political-didacticism-there-are/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
