--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never understood what rules I was…" description: "\"I never understood what rules I was supposed to learn, and what rules I was supposed to break\" — Morton Feldman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/morton-feldman-20186_break_i-never-understood-what-rules-i-was-supp_2597064.png" --- # I never understood what rules I was supposed to learn, and… ![“I never understood what rules I was supposed to learn, and what rules I was supposed to break” quote by Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/morton-feldman-20186_break_i-never-understood-what-rules-i-was-supp_2597064.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/morton-feldman-20186_break_i-never-understood-what-rules-i-was-supp_2597064.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/morton-feldman-20186_break_i-never-understood-what-rules-i-was-supp_2597064.png) > “I never understood what rules I was supposed to learn, and what rules I was supposed to break” [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects confusion over which societal expectations to follow versus which to reject, highlighting the tension between conformity and creativity. **In simple terms:** Unclear which rules to follow or break. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions about norms. Themes conformity creativity identity Mood reflective curious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - artistic practice - education - career decisions - personal growth Key Concepts social norms personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - Which rules serve your growth? - When might breaking a rule be beneficial? A Different Perspective Rules are often ambiguous and context‑dependent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Learn Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-rules-1033291/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Rules Supposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-supposed-1833354/) [Supposed Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supposed-learn-1911718/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) [Understood Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood-rules-1911717/) ## Related quotes > [I got into NFL that way - watching it without really understanding the rules and then the more I watched it the more I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-barton/i-got-into-nfl-that-way-watching-it-without-really-understanding-the/) [Joey Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-barton/) > [You just have to do; you can't live by the rules of what you're supposed to do. I think every person is good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diplo/you-just-have-to-do-you-can-t-live-by-the-rules-of-what-you-re/) [Diplo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diplo/) > [“most of us carry secret rules for how we’re supposed to live our lives. That’s the brilliance of perfectionism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-acuff/most-of-us-carry-secret-rules-for-how-we-re-supposed-to-live-our/) [Jon Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-acuff/) > [I think it's always good not to listen to what the rules are supposed to be about the arc of the character and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/i-think-it-s-always-good-not-to-listen-to-what-the-rules-are-supposed/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [To be able to create fully, it's maybe fine that you learn the rules, but you have to forget and to rebel against those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/to-be-able-to-create-fully-it-s-maybe-fine-that-you-learn-the-rules/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [But sticking to rules just because they're there does not make them right. 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Bick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-j-bick/) > [Learn the rules, and then forget them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matsuo-basho/learn-the-rules-and-then-forget-them/) [Matsuo Basho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matsuo-basho/) > [“Learn the rules before you break them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-taylor-goldsberry/learn-the-rules-before-you-break-them/) [Steven Taylor Goldsberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-taylor-goldsberry/) > [If I grew up, you know, in the ghetto, like, and I wasn't taught any other way to talk or a way to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kreayshawn/if-i-grew-up-you-know-in-the-ghetto-like-and-i-wasn-t-taught-any/) [Kreayshawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kreayshawn/) > [When I fail or make a mistake, I ask myself what lesson I was supposed to learn or how I can show up differently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-cheatham-mosley/when-i-fail-or-make-a-mistake-i-ask-myself-what-lesson-i-was-supposed/) [Karla Cheatham Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karla-cheatham-mosley/) > [Well, my mother, she made me apply for a school where I was supposed to learn how to type. She said, well, instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-huppert/well-my-mother-she-made-me-apply-for-a-school-where-i-was-supposed-to/) [Isabelle Huppert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-huppert/) > [I think we are born into what we're supposed to learn and find out in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/i-think-we-are-born-into-what-we-re-supposed-to-learn-and-find-out-in/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [Growing up, I was vaguely aware of things that went on in church, because I was in the boys' choir at the local Episcopal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/growing-up-i-was-vaguely-aware-of-things-that-went-on-in-church/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [“Trust me, I am not going to tame your wild. I wanna teach you how to channel your crazy into your art – and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-goldin/trust-me-i-am-not-going-to-tame-your-wild-i-wanna-teach-you-how-to/) [Lisa Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-goldin/) > [To live fully, you must learn the rules and practice them to the fullest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/to-live-fully-you-must-learn-the-rules-and-practice-them-to-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) ## More by Morton Feldman > [The most interesting aspect for me, composing exclusively with patterns, is that there is not one organizational procedure more advantageous than another, perhaps because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/the-most-interesting-aspect-for-me-composing-exclusively-with/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [Art in relation to life is nothing more than a glove turned inside out. It seems to have the same shapes and contours, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/art-in-relation-to-life-is-nothing-more-than-a-glove-turned-inside/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [Since music has never had a Rembrandt, we have remained nothing more than musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/since-music-has-never-had-a-rembrandt-we-have-remained-nothing-more/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [Any professional knows that the flute and the piano is a boring combination. All you've got to arrive at is a kind of typical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/any-professional-knows-that-the-flute-and-the-piano-is-a-boring/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [For me it's the instrument. 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