--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bono: But you write. Why do you write?…" description: "\"“Bono: But you write. Why do you write? Michka: well, because I'm unable to express things in another way. I often believe that the words that come out..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/michka-assayas-28390_failure_bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-mich_1241853.jpg" --- # Bono: But you write. Why do you write? Michka: well… ![“Bono: But you write. Why do you write? Michka: well, because I'm unable to express things in another way. I often believe that the words that come out of my mouth are not the ones I should be using. I can't cut things loose unless I'm really sure about them. It's good, but sometimes it's an…” quote by Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/michka-assayas-28390_failure_bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-mich_1241853.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/michka-assayas-28390_failure_bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-mich_1241853.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/michka-assayas-28390_failure_bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-mich_1241853.jpg) > ““Bono: But you write. Why do you write? Michka: well, because I'm unable to express things in another way. I often believe that the words that come out of my mouth are not the ones I should be using. I can't cut things loose unless I'm really sure about them. It's good, but sometimes it's an excuse. Bono: That's often an excuse. You have to dare to fail. I think that's the big one: fear of failure. I've never had a fear of failure. Isn't that mad? Michka: that's the maddest thing, but at the same time I think that's the secret. Because you've never been afraid of making a fool of yourself, you've never been afraid of looking ridiculous.”” [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing is a way to express thoughts that otherwise feel inexpressible; fear of failure can be a hidden catalyst for daring creativity. **In simple terms:** Writing reveals hidden thoughts; fear can fuel boldness. Key Takeaway Use fear as a signal to act boldly. Themes creativity fear self‑expression Mood introspective encouraging Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - artistic projects - journalaling - public speaking - entrepreneurship Key Concepts courage authenticity risk‑taking Questions to Reflect On - What would you create if fear disappeared? - How does fear shape your work? A Different Perspective Fear of failure may also paralyze; not all fear leads to productive action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear of failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-failure/) [Making a fool of yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-a-fool-of-yourself/) ## Related quotes > [“So how did you end up making a fool of yourself in front of twenty thousand people? I had a bigger hole to fill.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/so-how-did-you-end-up-making-a-fool-of-yourself-in-front-of-twenty/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [A "take" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we-think-that-we-have-to-get-it/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I try as best I can to really put all I can into what I'm doing. A lot of days I fail and there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-try-as-best-i-can-to-really-put-all-i-can-into-what-i-m-doing-a-lot/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [I go into every story thinking I'm going to fail. I think about that all the time - I think it's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/i-go-into-every-story-thinking-i-m-going-to-fail-i-think-about-that/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [If all of your relationships fail…I think you need to do some self-evaluation...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-all-of-your-relationships-fail-i-think-you-need-to-do-some-self/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We fail to say the right words, because we choose to say the wrong words! We choose to say the wrong words, because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/we-fail-to-say-the-right-words-because-we-choose-to-say-the-wrong/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [Most of the CEO's who fail think they will find the solution to their problems in Finance, Marketing, Strategic Planning, etc., but they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/most-of-the-ceo-s-who-fail-think-they-will-find-the-solution-to-their/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [“The vicious cycle starts: if you fail at something, you think it is your fault. Therefore you think you can’t do that task. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/the-vicious-cycle-starts-if-you-fail-at-something-you-think-it-is/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [I think what pushes me every day is that I'm so afraid to fail. I think it comes from what I went through in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-green/i-think-what-pushes-me-every-day-is-that-i-m-so-afraid-to-fail-i/) [A. J. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-green/) > [You are epic fail if you think you are better than me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-rudess/you-are-epic-fail-if-you-think-you-are-better-than-me/) [Jordan Rudess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-rudess/) > [“It's a horrible thing to have your body fail you. You never think about it when you're young.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-a-horrible-thing-to-have-your-body-fail-you-you-never-think/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [People fail because they think big, but do not act upon their dreams; I planned my future from the start; I knew what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanishk-bagchi/people-fail-because-they-think-big-but-do-not-act-upon-their-dreams-i/) [Tanishk Bagchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanishk-bagchi/) > [When you're present, be present the best you can. Like I said, we all fail. But I think from a dad standpoint, children want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-rivers/when-you-re-present-be-present-the-best-you-can-like-i-said-we-all/) [Philip Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-rivers/) > [We do wrong willfully when we fail to think hard about whether what we're doing is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/we-do-wrong-willfully-when-we-fail-to-think-hard-about-whether-what/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [If I try to figure out what people want and give it to them, it's a failure. If I try to please people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-louris/if-i-try-to-figure-out-what-people-want-and-give-it-to-them-it-s-a/) [Gary Louris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-louris/) ## More by Michka Assayas > [“There are stories to tell that are not songs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/there-are-stories-to-tell-that-are-not-songs/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [I think cynicism often disguises itself as humour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/i-think-cynicism-often-disguises-itself-as-humour/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“The more you experience love, the more full of it you should be. But the opposite sometimes happens, because you fear the loss of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/the-more-you-experience-love-the-more-full-of-it-you-should-be-but/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“I don't like to abuse alcohol-anything you abuse will abuse you back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/i-don-t-like-to-abuse-alcohol-anything-you-abuse-will-abuse-you-back/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“Rage, there's a rage in me that I have to rely on others, even though I'm very good at relying on others. But at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/rage-there-s-a-rage-in-me-that-i-have-to-rely-on-others-even-though-i/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“He always had this thing about him, that he wouldn't nominate himself to run in the race. But if he was put in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/he-always-had-this-thing-about-him-that-he-wouldn-t-nominate-himself/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“Time often is forgiving and dismissive of the influences, because they recede. We look at Sgt. Pepper and we go "wow! How did they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/time-often-is-forgiving-and-dismissive-of-the-influences-because-they/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“Where that rage comes from? Partly, I would say it's a sense that a life can be taken away from you, quickly, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/where-that-rage-comes-from-partly-i-would-say-it-s-a-sense-that-a/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [My point about alcohol is that if you abuse something, it abuses you back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/my-point-about-alcohol-is-that-if-you-abuse-something-it-abuses-you/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [Look, the job of life is to turn your negatives into positives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/look-the-job-of-life-is-to-turn-your-negatives-into-positives/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [I've always believed in instinct over intellect. The instinct is what you always knew; intellect is what you figure out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/i-ve-always-believed-in-instinct-over-intellect-the-instinct-is-what/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“So how did you end up making a fool of yourself in front of twenty thousand people? I had a bigger hole to fill.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/so-how-did-you-end-up-making-a-fool-of-yourself-in-front-of-twenty/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“You have so mamy different personas. The one i meet in Dublin, the one who speaks on the phone. There are a few other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/you-have-so-mamy-different-personas-the-one-i-meet-in-dublin-the-one/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“I think the time that I knew that I was capable of all the things that I disliked the most in other people was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/i-think-the-time-that-i-knew-that-i-was-capable-of-all-the-things/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) > [“I took a kind of ex-boyfriend initiative. I guess I wanted to know whether the past was still breathing inside of us. Because inasmuch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/i-took-a-kind-of-ex-boyfriend-initiative-i-guess-i-wanted-to-know/) [Michka Assayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) [Explore all 19 Michka Assayas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Bono: But you write. Why do you write? Michka: well, because I'm unable to express things in another way. I often believe that the words that come out of my mouth are not the ones I should be using. I can't cut things loose unless I'm really sure about them. It's good, but sometimes it's an excuse. Bono: That's often an excuse. You have to dare to fail. I think that's the big one: fear of failure. I've never had a fear of failure. Isn't that mad? Michka: that's the maddest thing, but at the same time I think that's the secret. Because you've never been afraid of making a fool of yourself, you've never been afraid of looking ridiculous.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michka Assayas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-michka-well-because-i-m-unable-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-michka-well-because-i-m-unable-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/michka-assayas-28390_failure_bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-mich_1241853.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/michka-assayas-28390_failure_bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-mich_1241853.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a7/michka-assayas-28390_failure_bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-mich_1241853.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Bono: But you write. Why do you write? Michka: well, because I'm unable to express things in another way. I…” — Michka Assayas", "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": "Michka Assayas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michka-assayas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Bono: But you write. Why do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-michka-well-because-i-m-unable-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michka-assayas/bono-but-you-write-why-do-you-write-michka-well-because-i-m-unable-to/#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 } } ] } ```