--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Did you ever admire an empty-headed…" description: "\"Did you ever admire an empty-headed writer for his or her mastery of the language? No. So your own winning style must begin with ideas in your head.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/kurt-vonnegut-41_admire_did-you-ever-admire-an-empty-headed-writ_1284425.jpg" --- # Did you ever admire an empty-headed writer for his or her… ![“Did you ever admire an empty-headed writer for his or her mastery of the language? No. So your own winning style must begin with ideas in your head.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/kurt-vonnegut-41_admire_did-you-ever-admire-an-empty-headed-writ_1284425.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/kurt-vonnegut-41_admire_did-you-ever-admire-an-empty-headed-writ_1284425.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/kurt-vonnegut-41_admire_did-you-ever-admire-an-empty-headed-writ_1284425.jpg) > “Did you ever admire an empty-headed writer for his or her mastery of the language? No. So your own winning style must begin with ideas in your head.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer’s style should stem from original ideas, not from mimicking others who lack depth. **In simple terms:** Write from your own ideas. Key Takeaway Cultivate original thought before style. Themes creativity authenticity literature Mood inspirational introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing workshops - academic essays - personal journals - teaching Key Concepts originality intellectual honesty Questions to Reflect On - How do you generate original ideas? - What influences shape your voice? A Different Perspective Imitating others can still be useful for learning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Mastery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mastery/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [In 2008 I was watching Marcos Senna and Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Santi Cazorla: they were the ones that imposed that winning style…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodri/in-2008-i-was-watching-marcos-senna-and-xavi-hernandez-andres-iniesta/) [Rodri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodri/) > [“If you don’t win you can’t get away with it. And I win, I win, I always win. In the end I always win,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-l-o-brien/if-you-don-t-win-you-can-t-get-away-with-it-and-i-win-i-win-i-always/) [Timothy L. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-l-o-brien/) > [Your eloquence should be the servant of the ideas in your head. Your rule might be this: If a sentence, no matter how excellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/your-eloquence-should-be-the-servant-of-the-ideas-in-your-head-your/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The Ten Commandments don't tell you what you ought to do: They only put ideas into your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bibesco/the-ten-commandments-don-t-tell-you-what-you-ought-to-do-they-only/) [Elizabeth Bibesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bibesco/) > [Now you mustn't think that I don't have any ideas for novels in my head. I've got ideas for ten novels in my head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/now-you-mustn-t-think-that-i-don-t-have-any-ideas-for-novels-in-my/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [“When I was in high school, my math teacher Mr. Packwood used to say, “If you’re stuck on a problem, don’t sit there and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/when-i-was-in-high-school-my-math-teacher-mr-packwood-used-to-say-if/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [I got some bad ideas in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/i-got-some-bad-ideas-in-my-head/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [We grow up thinking that the best answer is in someone else's brain. Much of our education is an elaborate game of 'guess what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-von-oech/we-grow-up-thinking-that-the-best-answer-is-in-someone-else-s-brain/) [Roger von Oech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-von-oech/) > [You usually want to get something out of a painting other than the ideas that you had in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-katz/you-usually-want-to-get-something-out-of-a-painting-other-than-the/) [Alex Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-katz/) > [You can have many great ideas in your head, but what makes the difference is the action. Without action upon an idea, there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-have-many-great-ideas-in-your-head-but-what-makes-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To make something really great and different and interesting means taking risks and following these ideas in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-bird/to-make-something-really-great-and-different-and-interesting-means/) [Brad Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-bird/) > [Design: holding conflicting ideas in your head without difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-hillis/design-holding-conflicting-ideas-in-your-head-without-difficulty/) [Danny Hillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-hillis/) > [The fun of directing for me, other than working with the actors, is trying to extract those ideas that you have in your head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-gomez-rejon/the-fun-of-directing-for-me-other-than-working-with-the-actors-is/) [Alfonso Gomez-Rejon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-gomez-rejon/) > [“The last thing she wanted was to see her friend getting ideas in her head. There was such a lot of room in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-last-thing-she-wanted-was-to-see-her-friend-getting-ideas-in-her/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Ideas? My head is full of them, one after the other, but they serve no purpose there. They must be put down on paper,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilo-jos-cela/ideas-my-head-is-full-of-them-one-after-the-other-but-they-serve-no/) [Camilo Jose Cela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilo-jos-cela/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Admire quotes > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I admire Serena Williams, because, I mean, who doesn't admire Serena Williams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/i-admire-serena-williams-because-i-mean-who-doesn-t-admire-serena/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [How proud I am to be compared to Oprah. I really admire her. She's a minority woman and she's done all this by herself...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-saralegui/how-proud-i-am-to-be-compared-to-oprah-i-really-admire-her-she-s-a/) [Cristina Saralegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-saralegui/) > [I admire President Obama's ability to trust strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-admire-president-obama-s-ability-to-trust-strangers/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [I really admire people's interactions with technology that aren't tech-centric but use it as a tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-polachek/i-really-admire-people-s-interactions-with-technology-that-aren-t/) [Caroline Polachek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-polachek/) > [During my first years in the Sierra, I was ever calling on everybody within reach to admire them, but I found no one half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/during-my-first-years-in-the-sierra-i-was-ever-calling-on-everybody/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Shaw's works make me admire the magnificent tolerance and broadmindedness of the english.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/shaw-s-works-make-me-admire-the-magnificent-tolerance-and/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [I believe in a world where there are no heroes, and I've read and know humanity a lot. There are moments that I admire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-believe-in-a-world-where-there-are-no-heroes-and-i-ve-read-and-know/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I think it's really good and helpful to have the people you most admire in some other discipline than what you work in. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whit-stillman/i-think-it-s-really-good-and-helpful-to-have-the-people-you-most/) [Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whit-stillman/) > [Part of what we admire about a painting or a piece of music is the order which the artist has imposed upon what would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-storr/part-of-what-we-admire-about-a-painting-or-a-piece-of-music-is-the/) [Anthony Storr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-storr/) > [I respect and admire the Premier League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/i-respect-and-admire-the-premier-league/) [Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/) > [“Admire and appreciate your man and he will be happy on your side”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-alfiori/admire-and-appreciate-your-man-and-he-will-be-happy-on-your-side/) [Linda Alfiori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-alfiori/) > [“The thing I admire most about you is no matter how hard, or how much the world has tried to beat you, break you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-gill/the-thing-i-admire-most-about-you-is-no-matter-how-hard-or-how-much/) [Nikita Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-gill/) Browse all 2,369 Admire quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Did you ever admire an empty-headed writer for his or her mastery of the language? 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