--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At school any spontaneous act was likely…" description: "\"At school any spontaneous act was likely to get me into trouble. I learned never to act on impulse, and that whatever came into my mind first should be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/keith-johnstone-13430_enough_at-school-any-spontaneous-act-was-likely_2581474.png" --- # At school any spontaneous act was likely to get me into… ![“At school any spontaneous act was likely to get me into trouble. I learned never to act on impulse, and that whatever came into my mind first should be rejected in favour of better ideas. I learned that my imagination Wasn’t ‘good’ enough. I learned that the first idea was unsatisfactory because…” quote by Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/keith-johnstone-13430_enough_at-school-any-spontaneous-act-was-likely_2581474.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/keith-johnstone-13430_enough_at-school-any-spontaneous-act-was-likely_2581474.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf5/keith-johnstone-13430_enough_at-school-any-spontaneous-act-was-likely_2581474.png) > “At school any spontaneous act was likely to get me into trouble. I learned never to act on impulse, and that whatever came into my mind first should be rejected in favour of better ideas. I learned that my imagination Wasn’t ‘good’ enough. I learned that the first idea was unsatisfactory because it was (1) psychotic; (2) obscene; (3) unoriginal. The truth is that the best ideas are often psychotic, obscene and unoriginal.” [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Impulse ideas are often dismissed, but the most creative concepts can be wild, shocking, and familiar. **In simple terms:** Great ideas may seem crazy or unoriginal. Key Takeaway Embrace bold, unconventional thinking. Themes creativity impulse control improvisation Mood thoughtful inspirational Type creative practical When to use this quote - writing - stage performance - product design - problem solving - brainstorming Key Concepts psychotic obscene unoriginal innovation Questions to Reflect On - When should you filter out harmful ideas? - How to balance originality with responsibility? A Different Perspective Risk of glorifying harmful or offensive content. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [My imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-imagination/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Spontaneous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spontaneous/) ## Related quotes > [Truth is that the best ideas are often psychotic, obscene and unoriginal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/truth-is-that-the-best-ideas-are-often-psychotic-obscene-and/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [“Kindness is a spontaneous act with no expectation in return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/kindness-is-a-spontaneous-act-with-no-expectation-in-return/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Socialism reached into her mind, to be rejected. She had never understood it clearly, but it seemed to her a state of mind where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/socialism-reached-into-her-mind-to-be-rejected-she-had-never/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [This is not what I thought physics was about when I started out: I learned that the idea is to explain nature in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-christian-von-baeyer/this-is-not-what-i-thought-physics-was-about-when-i-started-out-i/) [Hans Christian von Baeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-christian-von-baeyer/) > [I've long ago learned that if an idea will stand on its own, it'll stand having the light shone on it. But if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fogerty/i-ve-long-ago-learned-that-if-an-idea-will-stand-on-its-own-it-ll/) [John Fogerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fogerty/) > [I imagine like most of us that I'd like obscene amounts of money but the people I met and worked with who have those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isaacs/i-imagine-like-most-of-us-that-i-d-like-obscene-amounts-of-money-but/) [Jason Isaacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isaacs/) > [Whether my acting was obscene, or whether it was distasteful, well, Judge Rehnquist, who just recently passed away couldn't define pornography. His comment on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reems/whether-my-acting-was-obscene-or-whether-it-was-distasteful-well/) [Harry Reems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reems/) > [“The worst possible sexual education: a taboo imposed by the Catholic church plus romantic literature elevating love to unreal heights plus the obscene language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czeslaw-milosz/the-worst-possible-sexual-education-a-taboo-imposed-by-the-catholic/) [Czeslaw Milosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czeslaw-milosz/) > [When the commission finds that a pig has entered the parlor, the exercise of its regulatory power does not depend on proof that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-the-commission-finds-that-a-pig-has-entered-the-parlor-the/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [The most important truths always appear first as blasphemies or obscenities. That's why every great innovator is persecuted. 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This is the mantra of the financial-crisis era, one that saw virtually every major bank and financial company on Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/nobody-goes-to-jail-this-is-the-mantra-of-the-financial-crisis-era/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [The only thing that is obscene is censorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-thing-that-is-obscene-is-censorship/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Women should be obscene and not heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/women-should-be-obscene-and-not-heard/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) ## More by Keith Johnstone > [Suppose Mozart had tried to be original? It would have been like a man at the North Pole trying to walk north, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/suppose-mozart-had-tried-to-be-original-it-would-have-been-like-a-man/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [An artist who is inspired is being obvious. He’s not making any decisions, he’s not weighing one idea against another. He’s accepting his first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/an-artist-who-is-inspired-is-being-obvious-he-s-not-making-any/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [I was crazy about silent comedy - in the old days, and crazy about Japanese movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/i-was-crazy-about-silent-comedy-in-the-old-days-and-crazy-about/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [The problem's always been to deal with the fear.Cos the fear is pretty . . . it ruins everybody really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/the-problem-s-always-been-to-deal-with-the-fear-cos-the-fear-is/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [None of us really grow up. 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Sometimes I go back to do a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/i-left-my-theatre-the-loose-moose-almost-twenty-years-ago-and-i/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [There are people who prefer to say ‘Yes’, and there are people who prefer to say ‘No’. Those who say ‘Yes’ are rewarded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/there-are-people-who-prefer-to-say-yes-and-there-are-people-who/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [I don't even think you should tell the audience you're improvising. It's like an apology in case it's bad : 'we're just making it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/i-don-t-even-think-you-should-tell-the-audience-you-re-improvising-it/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [You can sort of trick people into being really good. Even if they didn't know anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/you-can-sort-of-trick-people-into-being-really-good-even-if-they-didn/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [The best laughs are on the recognition of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/the-best-laughs-are-on-the-recognition-of-truth/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [If you have a good idea, open your mouth and say something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/if-you-have-a-good-idea-open-your-mouth-and-say-something-else/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [Enjoy things even when you’re screwing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-johnstone/enjoy-things-even-when-you-re-screwing-up/) [Keith Johnstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-johnstone/) > [My feeling is the moment the theatre is not full you have to do something else. 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I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. 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