--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As soon as you start preaching, nobody…" description: "\"As soon as you start preaching, nobody wants to hear you because then you're a jerk.\" — Neil Young" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/neil-young-969_jerk_as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wa_1707665.jpg" --- # As soon as you start preaching, nobody wants to hear you… ![“As soon as you start preaching, nobody wants to hear you because then you're a jerk.” quote by Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/neil-young-969_jerk_as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wa_1707665.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/neil-young-969_jerk_as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wa_1707665.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/neil-young-969_jerk_as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wa_1707665.jpg) > “As soon as you start preaching, nobody wants to hear you because then you're a jerk.” [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Preaching or expressing strong opinions often alienates listeners, making the speaker seem arrogant. **In simple terms:** Speaking loudly can push people away. Key Takeaway Speak with humility to be heard. Themes communication humility public perception Mood thoughtful cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - public speaking - activism - leadership Key Concepts social influence message framing Questions to Reflect On - How can you convey conviction without alienating? - When is boldness appropriate? A Different Perspective Not all audiences reject strong messages; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hear Jerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear-jerk-1215228/) [Jerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jerk/) [Preaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preaching/) [Preaching Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preaching-wants-1215229/) [Start Preaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-preaching-1215227/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [If you want to meet the needs of the poor in this world, there is no better place to start than by preaching the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-p-yohannan/if-you-want-to-meet-the-needs-of-the-poor-in-this-world-there-is-no/) [K.P. Yohannan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-p-yohannan/) > [I'd never go up to somebody and start preaching, but if somebody asks I'm willing to talk about it. Often, after people have seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moeen-ali/i-d-never-go-up-to-somebody-and-start-preaching-but-if-somebody-asks/) [Moeen Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moeen-ali/) > [“There is some blogging jerk out there who feels he can generalize his way to validity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/there-is-some-blogging-jerk-out-there-who-feels-he-can-generalize-his/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Love is bullshit. Emotion is bullshit. I am a rock. A jerk. I'm an uncaring asshole and proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/love-is-bullshit-emotion-is-bullshit-i-am-a-rock-a-jerk-i-m-an/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I have tons of tunes, maybe 30 tunes that I still think are great, and only because some jerk at a record company didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-have-tons-of-tunes-maybe-30-tunes-that-i-still-think-are-great-and/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [“A sadistic jerk?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/a-sadistic-jerk/) [L.J. Shen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-shen/) > [If I'd had a great level of success early on, who knows how I would have responded. I might have been a complete jerk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/if-i-d-had-a-great-level-of-success-early-on-who-knows-how-i-would/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [True success is figuring out your life and career so you never have to be around jerks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/true-success-is-figuring-out-your-life-and-career-so-you-never-have/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [Even the jerks earn some of our affection. We can be glad they're gone and yet still mourn the good parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/even-the-jerks-earn-some-of-our-affection-we-can-be-glad-they-re-gone/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [If you're working on better conditions for prisoners, if you make that a popular issue and you invite mainstream media to weigh in on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/if-you-re-working-on-better-conditions-for-prisoners-if-you-make-that/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [It's hard to know exactly how people develop the characters they do. There could be people from humble beginnings that turn into jerks. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maraniss/it-s-hard-to-know-exactly-how-people-develop-the-characters-they-do/) [David Maraniss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maraniss/) > [The word relationship best refers to the connection between parasite and host, or shark and remora. It's a biological term. I'd rather be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-shoales/the-word-relationship-best-refers-to-the-connection-between-parasite/) [Ian Shoales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-shoales/) > [Guys are like roller-coasters¦everytime you recover from the last one theres another JERK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/guys-are-like-roller-coasters-everytime-you-recover-from-the-last-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A jerk will keep hurting you then apologize to keep you from leaving them, and then do it all over again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/a-jerk-will-keep-hurting-you-then-apologize-to-keep-you-from-leaving/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“Even to be impaled by a happy fate makes you jerk against the knowledge of inevitability, of final commitment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-reid-banks/even-to-be-impaled-by-a-happy-fate-makes-you-jerk-against-the/) [Lynne Reid Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-reid-banks/) ## More by Neil Young > [A lot of people that buy vinyl today don’t realise that they’re listening to CD masters on vinyl and that’s because the record companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/a-lot-of-people-that-buy-vinyl-today-don-t-realise-that-they-re/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Let's roll for justice, let's roll for truth. Let's not let our children grow up fearful in their youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/let-s-roll-for-justice-let-s-roll-for-truth-let-s-not-let-our/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them. And I try to forgive them anyway I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/don-t-feel-like-satan-but-i-am-to-them-and-i-try-to-forgive-them/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [I never knew a man could tell so many lies, he had a different story for every set of eyes. How can he remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-never-knew-a-man-could-tell-so-many-lies-he-had-a-different-story/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [It's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/it-s-the-woman-in-you-that-makes-you-want-to-play-this-game/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Keep it moving. Don't hoard. Money's no good, get rid of it. Turn it into people doing things. Turn it into jobs. Turn it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/keep-it-moving-don-t-hoard-money-s-no-good-get-rid-of-it-turn-it-into/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [My dad passed away...and suddenly I found myself at the top of the tree and looking at the sky instead of at my mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/my-dad-passed-away-and-suddenly-i-found-myself-at-the-top-of-the-tree/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [The Arabic states have to be integrated into the Iraqi reconstruction. We need the help of the Arabic community, which understands its culture. Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/the-arabic-states-have-to-be-integrated-into-the-iraqi-reconstruction/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Said the condor to the preying mantis, we're gonna lose this place just like we lost Atlantis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/said-the-condor-to-the-preying-mantis-we-re-gonna-lose-this-place/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [With Crazy Horse, it's all one big, growing, smoldering sound, and I'm part of it. It's like gliding, or some sort of natural surfing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/with-crazy-horse-it-s-all-one-big-growing-smoldering-sound-and-i-m/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [It doesn't mean that much to me to mean that much to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/it-doesn-t-mean-that-much-to-me-to-mean-that-much-to-you/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Cocaine eyes won't hide your face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/cocaine-eyes-won-t-hide-your-face/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Now I'm livin' out here on the beach, but those seagulls are still out of reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/now-i-m-livin-out-here-on-the-beach-but-those-seagulls-are-still-out/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [I've always been better moving than I am standing still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-ve-always-been-better-moving-than-i-am-standing-still/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Don't think. The worst songs I've ever written happen when I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/don-t-think-the-worst-songs-i-ve-ever-written-happen-when-i-think/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) [Explore all 317 Neil Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) ## More Jerk quotes > [“Even to be impaled by a happy fate makes you jerk against the knowledge of inevitability, of final commitment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-reid-banks/even-to-be-impaled-by-a-happy-fate-makes-you-jerk-against-the/) [Lynne Reid Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-reid-banks/) > [A jerk will keep hurting you then apologize to keep you from leaving them, and then do it all over again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/a-jerk-will-keep-hurting-you-then-apologize-to-keep-you-from-leaving/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Guys are like roller-coasters¦everytime you recover from the last one theres another JERK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/guys-are-like-roller-coasters-everytime-you-recover-from-the-last-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The word relationship best refers to the connection between parasite and host, or shark and remora. It's a biological term. I'd rather be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-shoales/the-word-relationship-best-refers-to-the-connection-between-parasite/) [Ian Shoales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-shoales/) > [It's hard to know exactly how people develop the characters they do. There could be people from humble beginnings that turn into jerks. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maraniss/it-s-hard-to-know-exactly-how-people-develop-the-characters-they-do/) [David Maraniss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maraniss/) > [If you're working on better conditions for prisoners, if you make that a popular issue and you invite mainstream media to weigh in on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/if-you-re-working-on-better-conditions-for-prisoners-if-you-make-that/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Even the jerks earn some of our affection. We can be glad they're gone and yet still mourn the good parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/even-the-jerks-earn-some-of-our-affection-we-can-be-glad-they-re-gone/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [True success is figuring out your life and career so you never have to be around jerks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/true-success-is-figuring-out-your-life-and-career-so-you-never-have/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [If I'd had a great level of success early on, who knows how I would have responded. I might have been a complete jerk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/if-i-d-had-a-great-level-of-success-early-on-who-knows-how-i-would/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [“A sadistic jerk?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/a-sadistic-jerk/) [L.J. Shen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-shen/) > [I have tons of tunes, maybe 30 tunes that I still think are great, and only because some jerk at a record company didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/i-have-tons-of-tunes-maybe-30-tunes-that-i-still-think-are-great-and/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Love is bullshit. Emotion is bullshit. I am a rock. A jerk. I'm an uncaring asshole and proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/love-is-bullshit-emotion-is-bullshit-i-am-a-rock-a-jerk-i-m-an/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Sure it's bad when someone is a Jerk to you... But things could be worse... You could be that Jerk...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sure-it-s-bad-when-someone-is-a-jerk-to-you-but-things-could-be-worse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What's success anyway? Is success about making the most money? No, money for the most part turns people into jerks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/what-s-success-anyway-is-success-about-making-the-most-money-no-money/) [Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/) > [Wah, wah, wah wah wah You're a jerk!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/new-boyz/wah-wah-wah-wah-wah-you-re-a-jerk/) [New Boyz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/new-boyz/) [Browse all 513 Jerk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jerk/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As soon as you start preaching, nobody wants to hear you because then you're a jerk.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Young" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wants-to-hear-you-because-then/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Jerk" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wants-to-hear-you-because-then/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/neil-young-969_jerk_as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wa_1707665.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/neil-young-969_jerk_as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wa_1707665.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/548/neil-young-969_jerk_as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wa_1707665.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As soon as you start preaching, nobody wants to hear you because then you're a jerk.” — Neil Young", "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": "Neil Young", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As soon as you start preaching,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wants-to-hear-you-because-then/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/as-soon-as-you-start-preaching-nobody-wants-to-hear-you-because-then/#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 } } ] } ```