--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't stand theory because it is…" description: "\"I can't stand theory because it is imposed by the intellectual. And the intellectual is, by definition, not a creative person. The intellectual is a pe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/mary-pratt-57900_creative_i-can-t-stand-theory-because-it-is-impos_582367.jpg" --- # I can't stand theory because it is imposed by the… ![“I can't stand theory because it is imposed by the intellectual. And the intellectual is, by definition, not a creative person. The intellectual is a person who talks about the creative process, but often doesn't understand it.” quote by Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/mary-pratt-57900_creative_i-can-t-stand-theory-because-it-is-impos_582367.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/mary-pratt-57900_creative_i-can-t-stand-theory-because-it-is-impos_582367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/mary-pratt-57900_creative_i-can-t-stand-theory-because-it-is-impos_582367.jpg) > “I can't stand theory because it is imposed by the intellectual. And the intellectual is, by definition, not a creative person. The intellectual is a person who talks about the creative process, but often doesn't understand it.” [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intellectuals often dictate theory, lacking the creative spark needed to truly understand artistic processes. **In simple terms:** Intellectuals impose theory without creativity. Key Takeaway Balance theory with creative practice. Themes theory creativity intellectualism Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - education - creative work - policy making Key Concepts philosophy art criticism Questions to Reflect On - When does theory enhance creativity? - Can intellectual rigor coexist with artistic freedom? A Different Perspective Theory can provide useful frameworks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-person/) [Creative process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-process/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) ## Related quotes > [“The intellectual is not defined by professional pursuit and type of occupation. Nor are good upbringing and a good family enough in themselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-solschenizyn/the-intellectual-is-not-defined-by-professional-pursuit-and-type-of/) [Alexander Solschenizyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-solschenizyn/) > [The intellectual is not defined by professional group and type of occupation. Nor are good upbringing and a good family enough in themselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/the-intellectual-is-not-defined-by-professional-group-and-type-of/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [“Perhaps the more that a person is an intellectual the more they are prone to misconceptions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taiichi-ohno/perhaps-the-more-that-a-person-is-an-intellectual-the-more-they-are/) [Taiichi Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taiichi-ohno/) > [“I was utterly convinced that an intellectual could never be anything but an intellectual, was simply not capable of being anything else, that his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonid-borodin/i-was-utterly-convinced-that-an-intellectual-could-never-be-anything/) Leonid Borodin > [It only takes a day to change someone from an anti-intellectual to an intellectual by persuading him that he might be one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/it-only-takes-a-day-to-change-someone-from-an-anti-intellectual-to-an/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [One of the categories of people I don't like much are intellectuals. People say, 'Oh, you're an intellectual,' and I say, 'No!' What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/one-of-the-categories-of-people-i-don-t-like-much-are-intellectuals/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [I am not an intellectual. An intellectual is someone who looks at a sausage and thinks of Picasso, whereas I just say 'pass the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-horsley/i-am-not-an-intellectual-an-intellectual-is-someone-who-looks-at-a/) [Sebastian Horsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-horsley/) > [Education should therefore include the two forms of work, manual and intellectual, for the same person, and thus make it understood by practical experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/education-should-therefore-include-the-two-forms-of-work-manual-and/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Your average sitcom writer is a very intellectual person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-rutter/your-average-sitcom-writer-is-a-very-intellectual-person/) [Brad Rutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-rutter/) > [“In every country the intellectual class is the most influential class. This is the class which can foresee advice and lead. In no country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar-2/in-every-country-the-intellectual-class-is-the-most-influential-class/) [B.R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar-2/) > [I'm usually taken for a non-intellectual, a person of limited intelligence. I don't know why, but I figure it's because physically I don't look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-m-usually-taken-for-a-non-intellectual-a-person-of-limited/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [An intellectual is a person who has discovered something more interesting than sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/an-intellectual-is-a-person-who-has-discovered-something-more/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“An intellectual person is always confident about his or her own words when he or she communicates with another individual or the public. However,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saaif-alam/an-intellectual-person-is-always-confident-about-his-or-her-own-words/) [Saaif alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saaif-alam/) > [I don't want to pretend like I'm some intellectual person who understands Flannery O'Connor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/i-don-t-want-to-pretend-like-i-m-some-intellectual-person-who/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [An intellectual is a person who's found one thing that's more interesting than sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/an-intellectual-is-a-person-who-s-found-one-thing-that-s-more/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) ## More by Mary Pratt > [The fact is that until I saw paintings as icons, I couldn't see why people painted at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pratt/the-fact-is-that-until-i-saw-paintings-as-icons-i-couldn-t-see-why/) [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) > [When I'm painting them, the whole legend and mythology of apples occurs to me, and so Adam and Eve and the snake and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pratt/when-i-m-painting-them-the-whole-legend-and-mythology-of-apples/) [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) > [The reality comes first, and the symbol comes after. I see these things, and suddenly they become symbolic of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pratt/the-reality-comes-first-and-the-symbol-comes-after-i-see-these-things/) [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) > [My only strength is finding something where most people would find nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pratt/my-only-strength-is-finding-something-where-most-people-would-find/) [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) > [Sometimes I seem to be two people. One who does not paint and one who does. The one who does not paint assumes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pratt/sometimes-i-seem-to-be-two-people-one-who-does-not-paint-and-one-who/) [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) [Explore all 6 Mary Pratt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) ## More Creative quotes > [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. 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Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/) [Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/) > [Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/anytime-i-get-the-chance-to-sing-or-work-with-michael-john-it-is-such/) [Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/) > [What Sri Chinmoy does is God-given! He has a tremendous, a fantastic creative urge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/what-sri-chinmoy-does-is-god-given-he-has-a-tremendous-a-fantastic/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. 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All intelligent people see this after the fact, but only the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-creation-lives-as-genesis-beneath-the-visible-surface-of-the-work/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) [Browse all 7,284 Creative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can't stand theory because it is imposed by the intellectual. And the intellectual is, by definition, not a creative person. 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