--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've certainly stayed a marginal figure…" description: "\"I've certainly stayed a marginal figure, though I became a member of the \"surveillance committee\" fairly early on. I can actually live pretty well with..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/mauricio-kagel-68191_committees_i-ve-certainly-stayed-a-marginal-figure_1837310.png" --- # I've certainly stayed a marginal figure, though I became a… ![“I've certainly stayed a marginal figure, though I became a member of the "surveillance committee" fairly early on. I can actually live pretty well with this, because I'm allowed to work in peace - except when I have to give strings of interviews... And also, I've never sought a position of power…” quote by Mauricio Kagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/mauricio-kagel-68191_committees_i-ve-certainly-stayed-a-marginal-figure_1837310.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/mauricio-kagel-68191_committees_i-ve-certainly-stayed-a-marginal-figure_1837310.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/mauricio-kagel-68191_committees_i-ve-certainly-stayed-a-marginal-figure_1837310.png) > “I've certainly stayed a marginal figure, though I became a member of the "surveillance committee" fairly early on. I can actually live pretty well with this, because I'm allowed to work in peace - except when I have to give strings of interviews... And also, I've never sought a position of power in the music business. I became a teacher not so as to found a Kagel School, but to transmit knowledge. My work as a composer should be the only yardstick by which my contribution can be measured.” [Mauricio Kagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauricio-kagel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He values artistic integrity over fame, focusing on teaching and composition rather than power or commercial success. **In simple terms:** He prefers creating music and teaching over seeking fame or power. Key Takeaway Prioritize craft and mentorship. Themes integrity teaching artistic focus humility anti‑commercialism Mood reflective serious introspective Type philosophical professional personal. When to use this quote - university teaching - composition projects - public interviews - music festivals Key Concepts composer identity knowledge transmission measurement by work Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on craft affect your career trajectory? - What challenges arise from rejecting commercial ambition? A Different Perspective His modest stance may limit broader influence or funding opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Committees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committees/) [Composer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composer/) [Contribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) [Contribution Measured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution-measured-2322492/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Interviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interviews/) [Marginal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marginal/) [Marginal Figure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marginal-figure-2322491/) [Members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members/) [Music business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-business/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Position of power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position-of-power/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stayed Marginal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stayed-marginal-2322490/) [Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Transmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transmit/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Yardsticks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yardsticks/) ## Related quotes > [“Like symbolism, decadence puts forth the idea that the function of literature is to evoke impressions and 'correspondences', rather than to realistically depict the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asti-hustvedt/like-symbolism-decadence-puts-forth-the-idea-that-the-function-of/) [Asti Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asti-hustvedt/) > [The delusional is no longer marginal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/the-delusional-is-no-longer-marginal/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [Politics is about who wins and loses. The rest is of marginal interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-wilentz/politics-is-about-who-wins-and-loses-the-rest-is-of-marginal-interest/) [Sean Wilentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-wilentz/) > [I do think there is room at the very top for marginal tax changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-do-think-there-is-room-at-the-very-top-for-marginal-tax-changes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In prosperous times, the marginal workers get by. But in tough times, they get the shaft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/in-prosperous-times-the-marginal-workers-get-by-but-in-tough-times/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [I have to say there are a lot of me-too products and companies. Yet another social network, of the 15th flavor - that's common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/i-have-to-say-there-are-a-lot-of-me-too-products-and-companies-yet/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [The marginal cost of doing something 'just this once' always seems to be negligible, but the full cost will typically be much higher. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-marginal-cost-of-doing-something-just-this-once-always-seems-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Creation stories, so central in the religions of the Middle East, play a surprisingly marginal part in Greek myth. The Greeks had nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macgregor/creation-stories-so-central-in-the-religions-of-the-middle-east-play/) [Neil MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macgregor/) > [I'm still a marginal figure living from book to book, but, as long as I'm producing labour as a good Marxist prole, I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/i-m-still-a-marginal-figure-living-from-book-to-book-but-as-long-as-i/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“He thought: that's certainly how it starts. One day a person puts his legs up on a bench, then night comes and he falls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-thought-that-s-certainly-how-it-starts-one-day-a-person-puts-his/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The margin is very marginal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-robson/the-margin-is-very-marginal/) [Bobby Robson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-robson/) > [Throughout the industrial era, economists considered manufactured capital - money, factories, etc. - the principal factor in industrial production, and perceived natural capital as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-hawken/throughout-the-industrial-era-economists-considered-manufactured/) [Paul Hawken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-hawken/) > [Science is not marginal. Like art, it is a universal possession of humanity, and scientific knowledge has become a vital part of our species'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/science-is-not-marginal-like-art-it-is-a-universal-possession-of/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [“Outer happiness has Diminishing Marginal Utility; the more it grows, the satisfaction decreases. Resort to inner happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/outer-happiness-has-diminishing-marginal-utility-the-more-it-grows/) [Vikrmn: CA Vikram Verma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrmn-ca-vikram-verma/) > [Medical need is an infinitely expandable concept. There is always one more marginal procedure that can be done. There is no end to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/medical-need-is-an-infinitely-expandable-concept-there-is-always-one/) [Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/) ## More by Mauricio Kagel > [Not all musicians believe in god but they all believe in Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mauricio-kagel/not-all-musicians-believe-in-god-but-they-all-believe-in-bach/) [Mauricio Kagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauricio-kagel/) > [No one believes in God any more, but everyone believes in Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mauricio-kagel/no-one-believes-in-god-any-more-but-everyone-believes-in-bach/) [Mauricio Kagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauricio-kagel/) > [“Not all musicians believe in God, but they all believe in Johann Sebastian Bach”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mauricio-kagel/not-all-musicians-believe-in-god-but-they-all-believe-in-johann/) [Mauricio Kagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauricio-kagel/) [Explore all 4 Mauricio Kagel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauricio-kagel/) ## More Committees quotes > [My feeling has always been that 'Good Eats' would have never happened had it been left to a committee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/my-feeling-has-always-been-that-good-eats-would-have-never-happened/) [Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/) > [“The reason you have committees is that you have divided responsibilities,” Jobs said. “We don’t. At Apple you can figure out exactly who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lashinsky/the-reason-you-have-committees-is-that-you-have-divided/) [Adam Lashinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lashinsky/) > [There is not a revolution that succe Women are suffering because they are being excluded. The high military council excluded women from the committee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/there-is-not-a-revolution-that-succe-women-are-suffering-because-they/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [As the first Member of Congress from western Washington to serve on the House Agriculture Committee in over 50 years, I am proud to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/as-the-first-member-of-congress-from-western-washington-to-serve-on/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) > [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [It is necessary to get a lot of men together, for the show of the thing, otherwise the world will not believe. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/it-is-necessary-to-get-a-lot-of-men-together-for-the-show-of-the/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [Government likes committees... a lot. Committees kill all the really good ideas and generally all the really bad ideas. They produce middle-ground mush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/government-likes-committees-a-lot-committees-kill-all-the-really-good/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into committees. That'll do them in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-computers-get-too-powerful-we-can-organize-them-into-committees/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and the political director of the Romney campaign, and their two companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-caddell/when-you-have-the-chief-of-staff-of-the-republican-national-committee/) [Patrick Caddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-caddell/) > [I find it profoundly symbolic that I am appearing before a committee of fifteen men who will report to a legislative body of one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letty-cottin-pogrebin/i-find-it-profoundly-symbolic-that-i-am-appearing-before-a-committee/) [Letty Cottin Pogrebin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letty-cottin-pogrebin/) > [I come to this debate, Mr. Speaker, as one at the end of 10 years in office on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/i-come-to-this-debate-mr-speaker-as-one-at-the-end-of-10-years-in/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [I was the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the chief architects the last time we balanced a budget, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-house-budget-committee-and-one-of-the-chief/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [As Mayor, I will fully support my Arts Commission and its professional selection committees so that they can commission a full range of public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-newsom/as-mayor-i-will-fully-support-my-arts-commission-and-its-professional/) [Gavin Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-newsom/) > [What's insulting to the American people, the Senate, to this whole process is that the Republicans, with all other nominees, have said Democrats are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/what-s-insulting-to-the-american-people-the-senate-to-this-whole/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [One of the great joys this year and the year before has been how all of the people in this body, men and women,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hayes/one-of-the-great-joys-this-year-and-the-year-before-has-been-how-all/) [Robin Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hayes/) [Browse all 623 Committees quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committees/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've certainly stayed a marginal figure, though I became a member of the \"surveillance committee\" fairly early on. I can actually live pretty well with this, because I'm allowed to work in peace - except when I have to give strings of interviews... And also, I've never sought a position of power in the music business. I became a teacher not so as to found a Kagel School, but to transmit knowledge. 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