--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always found the Write-What-You-Know…" description: "\"I've always found the Write-What-You-Know axiom small and stifling.\" — Laura van den Berg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/laura-van-den-berg-4314_always_i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-kno_2230659.jpg" --- # I've always found the Write-What-You-Know axiom small and… ![“I've always found the Write-What-You-Know axiom small and stifling.” quote by Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/laura-van-den-berg-4314_always_i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-kno_2230659.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/laura-van-den-berg-4314_always_i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-kno_2230659.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/laura-van-den-berg-4314_always_i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-kno_2230659.jpg) > “I've always found the Write-What-You-Know axiom small and stifling.” [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Write‑What‑You‑Know principle is critiqued as overly restrictive, limiting creative exploration and deeper understanding. **In simple terms:** The principle can stifle creativity. Key Takeaway Question rigid knowledge constraints. Themes creativity knowledge philosophy learning Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic research - creative writing - product development Key Concepts epistemology critical thinking innovation Questions to Reflect On - When is strict adherence to facts beneficial? - How can we balance knowledge with imagination? A Different Perspective May undervalue the value of structured knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Axiom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/axiom/) [Axiom Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/axiom-small-5017539/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Know Axiom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-axiom-5017540/) [Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small/) [Small Stifling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-stifling-5017538/) [Stifling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stifling/) [Write Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-know/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Florida is a most unusual place. It can feel at once stifling and like anything is possible there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/florida-is-a-most-unusual-place-it-can-feel-at-once-stifling-and-like/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I found marriage somewhat stifling. I don't know that I am the kind of man who ought to be married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-lancaster/i-found-marriage-somewhat-stifling-i-don-t-know-that-i-am-the-kind-of/) [Burt Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-lancaster/) > [Banks operate like a man who either wears his trousers round his chest, stifling breathing, as now, or round his ankles, exposing his assets.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/banks-operate-like-a-man-who-either-wears-his-trousers-round-his/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [We may as well face the fact, and face it squarely, that we are too much governed. The agencies of government have multiplied, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-h-hartley/we-may-as-well-face-the-fact-and-face-it-squarely-that-we-are-too/) [Roland H. Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-h-hartley/) > [Teach me, 0 God, not to torture myself, not to make a martyr out of myself through stifling reflection, but rather teach me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/teach-me-0-god-not-to-torture-myself-not-to-make-a-martyr-out-of/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [D.H. Lawrence had the impression – that psychoanalysis was shutting sexuality up in a bizarre sort of box painted with bourgeois motifs, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilles-deleuze/d-h-lawrence-had-the-impression-that-psychoanalysis-was-shutting/) [Gilles Deleuze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilles-deleuze/) > [Jealously was an unjust and stifling thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zane-grey/jealously-was-an-unjust-and-stifling-thing/) [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) > [Rousseau and his disciples were resolved to force men to be free; in most of the world, they triumphed; men are set free from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-kirk/rousseau-and-his-disciples-were-resolved-to-force-men-to-be-free-in/) [Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-kirk/) > [I had no intention of being an actor in the first place. But it all started when I was 20, and by the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvind-swami/i-had-no-intention-of-being-an-actor-in-the-first-place-but-it-all/) [Arvind Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvind-swami/) > [Every time you have a new tax, or every time you have to pay really an inordinate amount for a regulation, it's really stifling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-raese/every-time-you-have-a-new-tax-or-every-time-you-have-to-pay-really-an/) [John Raese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-raese/) > [“The poor are used to stifling any expression of their despair, because they must get on with life, with work, with the demands made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-simenon/the-poor-are-used-to-stifling-any-expression-of-their-despair-because/) [Georges Simenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-simenon/) > [When under the influence of certain (or some) reasons (or causes) (alcohol, war, etc - added Spir here) the low instincts are unbridled (or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/african-spir/when-under-the-influence-of-certain-or-some-reasons-or-causes-alcohol/) [African Spir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/african-spir/) > [And he’s right to say that every faction loses something when it gains a virtue: the Dauntless, brave but cruel; the Erudite, intelligent but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-he-s-right-to-say-that-every-faction-loses-something-when-it/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Science is the only truth and it is the great lie. It knows nothing, and people think it knows everything. It is misrepresented. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remy-de-gourmont/science-is-the-only-truth-and-it-is-the-great-lie-it-knows-nothing/) [Remy de Gourmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remy-de-gourmont/) > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) ## More by Laura van den Berg > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I lived in Boston for three years, and during that time, I wrote my first collection of stories, 'What the World Will Look Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-lived-in-boston-for-three-years-and-during-that-time-i-wrote-my/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I take a pretty expansive view of craft, which is to say I don't see craft as just being technique - it's also process;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-take-a-pretty-expansive-view-of-craft-which-is-to-say-i-don-t-see/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [To me, in general, something that's really rich in terms of identity about transit spaces is that they're so intimate. Especially thinking about long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/to-me-in-general-something-that-s-really-rich-in-terms-of-identity/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [To a certain degree, I think both self-narrativizing and selective memory are essential survival skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/to-a-certain-degree-i-think-both-self-narrativizing-and-selective/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [There's the public self that we present to the outer world. There's the private self, which maybe takes more time to access. But ultimately,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/there-s-the-public-self-that-we-present-to-the-outer-world-there-s/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I think my concern is I know my voice, and I know the kinds of landscapes that interest me, so my primary concern is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-think-my-concern-is-i-know-my-voice-and-i-know-the-kinds-of/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [My students are often asking me, 'What do you think are the most important qualities for a writer?' And one thing I always tells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/my-students-are-often-asking-me-what-do-you-think-are-the-most/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [As a reader, I appreciate a world that feels unsettled and also visceral, inhabitable, so that's a quality I try and bring to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/as-a-reader-i-appreciate-a-world-that-feels-unsettled-and-also/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [Youth is such a fascinating and volatile concoction of vulnerability, dependence, restlessness, relentlessness. You're still learning the terms of the world and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/youth-is-such-a-fascinating-and-volatile-concoction-of-vulnerability/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [As a genre, the best horror poses central human questions - Who can you trust? What is the cost of our secrets? What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/as-a-genre-the-best-horror-poses-central-human-questions-who-can-you/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [Paradoxically, the only thing that helps when I'm feeling despairing about writing is to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/paradoxically-the-only-thing-that-helps-when-i-m-feeling-despairing/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [“Over time, we became less sure we were something the other wanted to hold on to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/over-time-we-became-less-sure-we-were-something-the-other-wanted-to/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [Ever since I started writing in college, I have, save for a few short breaks here and there, been working away on something. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/ever-since-i-started-writing-in-college-i-have-save-for-a-few-short/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I wager we have a vast amount of literature out there that tends to the stories of men, so I've never really worried too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-wager-we-have-a-vast-amount-of-literature-out-there-that-tends-to/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) [Explore all 113 Laura van den Berg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [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/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always found the Write-What-You-Know axiom small and stifling.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laura van den Berg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-know-axiom-small-and-stifling/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-know-axiom-small-and-stifling/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/laura-van-den-berg-4314_always_i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-kno_2230659.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/laura-van-den-berg-4314_always_i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-kno_2230659.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02c/laura-van-den-berg-4314_always_i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-kno_2230659.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always found the Write-What-You-Know axiom small and stifling.” — Laura van den Berg", "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": "Laura van den Berg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've always found the Write-What-You-Know axiom...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-know-axiom-small-and-stifling/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-ve-always-found-the-write-what-you-know-axiom-small-and-stifling/#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 } } ] } ```