--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never, ever sought validation from…" description: "\"I have never, ever sought validation from the arbiters of British poetic taste,\" — Linton Kwesi Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/linton-kwesi-johnson-35517_arbiter_i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from_2544461.png" --- # I have never, ever sought validation from the arbiters of… ![“I have never, ever sought validation from the arbiters of British poetic taste,” quote by Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/linton-kwesi-johnson-35517_arbiter_i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from_2544461.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/linton-kwesi-johnson-35517_arbiter_i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from_2544461.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/linton-kwesi-johnson-35517_arbiter_i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from_2544461.png) > “I have never, ever sought validation from the arbiters of British poetic taste,” [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reject seeking approval from established literary critics; value personal authenticity. **In simple terms:** Don’t chase critics’ approval. Key Takeaway Trust your own voice. Themes art authenticity independence Mood defiant reflective Type poetic cultural When to use this quote - writing poetry - publishing - public readings - social media expression Key Concepts literary criticism self‑validation creative freedom Questions to Reflect On - Why do you fear external validation? - How can you balance authenticity with audience reach? A Different Perspective Critics can still influence public reception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arbiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbiter/) [Arbiters British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbiters-british-1463091/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-poetic-1463085/) [Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic/) [Poetic Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic-taste-1463087/) [Sought Validation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sought-validation-1463089/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Validation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/validation/) ## Related quotes > [When a critic sets himself up as an arbiter of morality, a judge of the matter and not the manner of a work, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-a-critic-sets-himself-up-as-an-arbiter-of-morality-a-judge-of/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [The word 'truth' itself ceases to have its old meaning. It describes no longer something to be found, with the individual conscience as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-word-truth-itself-ceases-to-have-its-old-meaning-it-describes-no/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [The great arbiters of language are the women who speak it in the presence of children... What the women pass on to the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-laird/the-great-arbiters-of-language-are-the-women-who-speak-it-in-the/) [Charlton Laird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-laird/) > [Taking the decision-making process away from people disempowers them. It also makes them much less likely to buy into the decision, however right it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/taking-the-decision-making-process-away-from-people-disempowers-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom may be the ultimate arbiter, but is seldom the immediate agent in human affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fitzjames-stephen/wisdom-may-be-the-ultimate-arbiter-but-is-seldom-the-immediate-agent/) [James Fitzjames Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fitzjames-stephen/) > [To vest a few fallible men — prosecutors, judges, jurors — with vast powers of literary or artistic censorship, to convert them into what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-frank/to-vest-a-few-fallible-men-prosecutors-judges-jurors-with-vast-powers/) [Jerome Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-frank/) > [The gratitude ... should be commensurate with the boundless blessings which we enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-polk/the-gratitude-should-be-commensurate-with-the-boundless-blessings/) [James K. Polk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-polk/) > [If your only arbiter of anything is money, really you should... go and rob banks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/if-your-only-arbiter-of-anything-is-money-really-you-should-go-and/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [The single despot stands out in the face of all men, and says: I am the State: My will is law: I am your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-single-despot-stands-out-in-the-face-of-all-men-and-says-i-am-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Even those who, like me, believe that Roe v. Wade and the decisions elaborating on reproductive rights were constitutionally correct must recognize that, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-tribe/even-those-who-like-me-believe-that-roe-v-wade-and-the-decisions/) [Laurence Tribe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-tribe/) > [“It is a rash man indeed who would set himself up as final arbiter on all that happened the incredible night the Titanic went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lord/it-is-a-rash-man-indeed-who-would-set-himself-up-as-final-arbiter-on/) [Walter Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lord/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [The director is the ultimate creative arbiter of what's going to happen. And as a director myself, you really appreciate collaborating with people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-coppola/the-director-is-the-ultimate-creative-arbiter-of-what-s-going-to/) [Roman Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-coppola/) > [The point I wish plainly to bring before you on this occasion is the individuality of each human soul--our Protestant idea, the right of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/the-point-i-wish-plainly-to-bring-before-you-on-this-occasion-is-the/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [Modern science kills God and takes his place on the vacant throne. Science is the sole legitimate arbiter of all relavent truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/modern-science-kills-god-and-takes-his-place-on-the-vacant-throne/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) ## More by Linton Kwesi Johnson > [At the end of the day, life's about realising one's human potential. I don't know if I've realised mine, but I've certainly gone a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/at-the-end-of-the-day-life-s-about-realising-one-s-human-potential-i/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [I don't go to see bands any more because I've got tinnitus, so I have to avoid loud music. You get used to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/i-don-t-go-to-see-bands-any-more-because-i-ve-got-tinnitus-so-i-have/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [That the language of the poetry of Jamaican music is rastafarian or biblical language cannot simply be put down to the colonizer and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/that-the-language-of-the-poetry-of-jamaican-music-is-rastafarian-or/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [Once you have a disease like cancer, you look at life a bit differently. Some things that were important no longer seem as important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/once-you-have-a-disease-like-cancer-you-look-at-life-a-bit/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [Back in those early days when I began my apprenticeship as a poet, I also tried to voice our anger, spirit of defiance and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/back-in-those-early-days-when-i-began-my-apprenticeship-as-a-poet-i/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [Writing was a political act and poetry was a cultural weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/writing-was-a-political-act-and-poetry-was-a-cultural-weapon/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [The more I read my poems, the more I find out about them. I still read them with the same passion I felt when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/the-more-i-read-my-poems-the-more-i-find-out-about-them-i-still-read/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [I wrote two poems about the '81 uprisings: 'Di Great Insohreckshan' and 'Mekin Histri.' I wrote those two poems from the perspective of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/i-wrote-two-poems-about-the-81-uprisings-di-great-insohreckshan-and/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [I am often asked why I started to write poetry. The answer is that my motivation sprang from a visceral need to creatively articulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/i-am-often-asked-why-i-started-to-write-poetry-the-answer-is-that-my/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [The modern stuff, I can take it or leave it. I like its danceability, but the DJs talk a lot of nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/the-modern-stuff-i-can-take-it-or-leave-it-i-like-its-danceability/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > […the popular music of Jamaica, the music of the people, is an essentially experiential music, not merely in the sense that the people experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/the-popular-music-of-jamaica-the-music-of-the-people-is-an/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) > [Younger people are discovering my work, even though my reggae is not like theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/younger-people-are-discovering-my-work-even-though-my-reggae-is-not/) [Linton Kwesi Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) [Explore all 13 Linton Kwesi Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/) ## More Arbiter quotes > [When a critic sets himself up as an arbiter of morality, a judge of the matter and not the manner of a work, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-a-critic-sets-himself-up-as-an-arbiter-of-morality-a-judge-of/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [The point I wish plainly to bring before you on this occasion is the individuality of each human soul--our Protestant idea, the right of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/the-point-i-wish-plainly-to-bring-before-you-on-this-occasion-is-the/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [The director is the ultimate creative arbiter of what's going to happen. And as a director myself, you really appreciate collaborating with people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-coppola/the-director-is-the-ultimate-creative-arbiter-of-what-s-going-to/) [Roman Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-coppola/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It is a rash man indeed who would set himself up as final arbiter on all that happened the incredible night the Titanic went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lord/it-is-a-rash-man-indeed-who-would-set-himself-up-as-final-arbiter-on/) [Walter Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lord/) > [Even those who, like me, believe that Roe v. Wade and the decisions elaborating on reproductive rights were constitutionally correct must recognize that, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-tribe/even-those-who-like-me-believe-that-roe-v-wade-and-the-decisions/) [Laurence Tribe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-tribe/) > [The single despot stands out in the face of all men, and says: I am the State: My will is law: I am your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-single-despot-stands-out-in-the-face-of-all-men-and-says-i-am-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [If your only arbiter of anything is money, really you should... go and rob banks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/if-your-only-arbiter-of-anything-is-money-really-you-should-go-and/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [The gratitude ... should be commensurate with the boundless blessings which we enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-k-polk/the-gratitude-should-be-commensurate-with-the-boundless-blessings/) [James K. Polk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-k-polk/) > [To vest a few fallible men — prosecutors, judges, jurors — with vast powers of literary or artistic censorship, to convert them into what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-frank/to-vest-a-few-fallible-men-prosecutors-judges-jurors-with-vast-powers/) [Jerome Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-frank/) > [Wisdom may be the ultimate arbiter, but is seldom the immediate agent in human affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fitzjames-stephen/wisdom-may-be-the-ultimate-arbiter-but-is-seldom-the-immediate-agent/) [James Fitzjames Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fitzjames-stephen/) > [Taking the decision-making process away from people disempowers them. It also makes them much less likely to buy into the decision, however right it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/taking-the-decision-making-process-away-from-people-disempowers-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The great arbiters of language are the women who speak it in the presence of children... What the women pass on to the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-laird/the-great-arbiters-of-language-are-the-women-who-speak-it-in-the/) [Charlton Laird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-laird/) > [The word 'truth' itself ceases to have its old meaning. It describes no longer something to be found, with the individual conscience as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-word-truth-itself-ceases-to-have-its-old-meaning-it-describes-no/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Modern science kills God and takes his place on the vacant throne. Science is the sole legitimate arbiter of all relavent truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/modern-science-kills-god-and-takes-his-place-on-the-vacant-throne/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) [Browse all 97 Arbiter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbiter/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have never, ever sought validation from the arbiters of British poetic taste,", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Linton Kwesi Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from-the-arbiters-of-british/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arbiter" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from-the-arbiters-of-british/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/linton-kwesi-johnson-35517_arbiter_i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from_2544461.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/linton-kwesi-johnson-35517_arbiter_i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from_2544461.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e93/linton-kwesi-johnson-35517_arbiter_i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from_2544461.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have never, ever sought validation from the arbiters of British poetic taste,” — Linton Kwesi Johnson", "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": "Linton Kwesi Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linton-kwesi-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have never, ever sought validation...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from-the-arbiters-of-british/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linton-kwesi-johnson/i-have-never-ever-sought-validation-from-the-arbiters-of-british/#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 } } ] } ```