--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't have a philosophy. I have an…" description: "\"I don't have a philosophy. I have an instinct. I accept stuff that I like.\" — Lee Klein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/lee-klein-34533_accepting_i-don-t-have-a-philosophy-i-have-an-inst_2528448.jpg" --- # I don't have a philosophy. I have an instinct. I accept… ![“I don't have a philosophy. I have an instinct. I accept stuff that I like.” quote by Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/lee-klein-34533_accepting_i-don-t-have-a-philosophy-i-have-an-inst_2528448.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/lee-klein-34533_accepting_i-don-t-have-a-philosophy-i-have-an-inst_2528448.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/359/lee-klein-34533_accepting_i-don-t-have-a-philosophy-i-have-an-inst_2528448.jpg) > “I don't have a philosophy. I have an instinct. I accept stuff that I like.” [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker relies on instinct rather than a formal philosophy, choosing only what appeals to them. **In simple terms:** Instinct guides choices, not a defined philosophy. Key Takeaway Trust your gut when deciding. Themes intuition personal choice philosophy Mood reflective confident Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - everyday decisions - creative work - relationships Key Concepts psychology decision making Questions to Reflect On - Do you trust instinct over analysis? - When does instinct fail? A Different Perspective Instinct may lack consistency or justification. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [The only thing you can do is prepare the best you can and then just accept... stuff happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-condit/the-only-thing-you-can-do-is-prepare-the-best-you-can-and-then-just/) [Carlos Condit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-condit/) > [When I was growing up, my mother, who had been through a lot of terrible things in life, taught me that when life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-seymour/when-i-was-growing-up-my-mother-who-had-been-through-a-lot-of/) [Jane Seymour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-seymour/) > [Its at night, when perhaps we should be dreaming, that the mind is most clear, that we are most able to hold all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-aldiss/its-at-night-when-perhaps-we-should-be-dreaming-that-the-mind-is-most/) [Brian Aldiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-aldiss/) > [I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is opposed to every instinct in my body. But as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-have-never-been-a-quitter-to-leave-office-before-my-term-is/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [A man may quarrel with himself alone; that is, by controverting his better instincts and knowledge when brought face to face with temptation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/a-man-may-quarrel-with-himself-alone-that-is-by-controverting-his/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [You have to follow your instinct, and that's what I've tried to do all my life, whether in music or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erol-alkan/you-have-to-follow-your-instinct-and-that-s-what-i-ve-tried-to-do-all/) [Erol Alkan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erol-alkan/) > [How could they say that they truly loved each other? They had simply grown up together, been children together, and the proximity of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/how-could-they-say-that-they-truly-loved-each-other-they-had-simply/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [As a kid, in the Runaways, I would see the interviewers start to ask about our personal lives and what we did — and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/as-a-kid-in-the-runaways-i-would-see-the-interviewers-start-to-ask/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [The dog is guided by kindly instinct to the man or woman whose heart is open to his advances. The cat often leaves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-dog-is-guided-by-kindly-instinct-to-the-man-or-woman-whose-heart/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [You don't think. It's all instinct. If you stop to think, you're gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-robinson/you-don-t-think-it-s-all-instinct-if-you-stop-to-think-you-re-gone/) [Sugar Ray Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-robinson/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) > [I will follow my instincts, be myself for good or ill, and see what will be the upshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/i-will-follow-my-instincts-be-myself-for-good-or-ill-and-see-what/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/imitation-is-the-first-instinct-of-the-awakening-mind/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) ## More by Lee Klein > [Considering that "literary fiction" is a sub-genre that's not quite the same as "literature," either, it follows that the short, semi-humorous bits posted online…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/considering-that-literary-fiction-is-a-sub-genre-that-s-not-quite-the/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [The Internet is perfect for delivering large blocks of text to people throughout the world for free. That's a plus. The downside is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/the-internet-is-perfect-for-delivering-large-blocks-of-text-to-people/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [Having a voice unlike another means you've "found yourself" as a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/having-a-voice-unlike-another-means-you-ve-found-yourself-as-a-writer/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [I really wouldn't call a lot of what's online "literature" since that word, to me, refers to a sub-genre of writing that belongs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/i-really-wouldn-t-call-a-lot-of-what-s-online-literature-since-that/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [The problem with the term "The New Fiction" is that the fiction will inevitably be old. The same could have been said about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/the-problem-with-the-term-the-new-fiction-is-that-the-fiction-will/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [I'm an only child and an American and am wholly in favor of uniqueness of voice in everything, especially music and writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/i-m-an-only-child-and-an-american-and-am-wholly-in-favor-of/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [There's a ton of good art and music and writing out there offline among a ton of trash, and the same goes with what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/there-s-a-ton-of-good-art-and-music-and-writing-out-there-offline/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [The Web ultimately is a medium used by real offline people, and as such, it'll probably be whatever we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/the-web-ultimately-is-a-medium-used-by-real-offline-people-and-as/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [If you want to change things in the USA it's best not to spend all your time writing but to take action against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/if-you-want-to-change-things-in-the-usa-it-s-best-not-to-spend-all/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [Online writing is supplementary, complementary, another part of the whole, something that's only as important as one's investment in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/online-writing-is-supplementary-complementary-another-part-of-the/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [America's all about the various voices, right? When we all speak with a common voice we verge on fascism, which is militaristic, and fundamentally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/america-s-all-about-the-various-voices-right-when-we-all-speak-with-a/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [Genre categorization is a capitalist (rather than artistic) thing, a symptom of marketing and major-chain bookshelf placement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/genre-categorization-is-a-capitalist-rather-than-artistic-thing-a/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) > [Artists used to argue about art for art's sake versus social realism etc, and now it's like the most dominate argument is related to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-klein/artists-used-to-argue-about-art-for-art-s-sake-versus-social-realism/) [Lee Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) [Explore all 14 Lee Klein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-klein/) ## More Accepting quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [This duo inside of me causes the perfect opportunity to live and learn twice as fast as those who choose to accept simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/this-duo-inside-of-me-causes-the-perfect-opportunity-to-live-and/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [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/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It takes an unusually philosophic mind to accept that all one’s suffering might be to no end, really, in the larger scheme of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-an-unusually-philosophic-mind-to-accept-that-all-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No nation being under another nation can accept gifts, and kick at the responsibility attached to those gifts, imposed by the conquering nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/no-nation-being-under-another-nation-can-accept-gifts-and-kick-at-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/) [Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) Browse all 6,788 Accepting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't have a philosophy. I have an instinct. 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