--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's this common sense idea that in…" description: "\"There's this common sense idea that in order to appeal to the biggest number of people, you have to write something very general, but my experience is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/noah-hawley-3673_common-sense_there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-o_1711314.jpg" --- # There's this common sense idea that in order to appeal to… ![“There's this common sense idea that in order to appeal to the biggest number of people, you have to write something very general, but my experience is the more specific you make something, the more people respond to it, in a very odd way.” quote by Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/noah-hawley-3673_common-sense_there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-o_1711314.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/noah-hawley-3673_common-sense_there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-o_1711314.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/noah-hawley-3673_common-sense_there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-o_1711314.jpg) > “There's this common sense idea that in order to appeal to the biggest number of people, you have to write something very general, but my experience is the more specific you make something, the more people respond to it, in a very odd way.” [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that specificity in storytelling creates stronger audience connection than generic content. **In simple terms:** Specific details attract more listeners. Key Takeaway Focus on unique, detailed storytelling. Themes storytelling specificity audience creativity Mood insightful encouraging Type advice creative When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - brand messaging - advertising campaigns Key Concepts character depth world‑building targeted marketing Questions to Reflect On - What specific element makes your story stand out? - How can you balance specificity with universal themes? A Different Perspective Over‑specificity may limit broader appeal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I think New York is a good place to write in general because it's a grid. It's organized. You know where you are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-turner/i-think-new-york-is-a-good-place-to-write-in-general-because-it-s-a/) [Alex Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-turner/) > [I am not interested in political writing, because it's limited in its scope. I try to write general, human kinds of songs, which suggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ervin-beam/i-am-not-interested-in-political-writing-because-it-s-limited-in-its/) [Samuel Ervin Beam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ervin-beam/) > [I definitely write about my life and the issues I might have or the dilemmas I'm going through, but usually I write about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oh-land/i-definitely-write-about-my-life-and-the-issues-i-might-have-or-the/) [Oh Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oh-land/) > [I tweet because it allows me to say anything I want and sometimes people respond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-biegel/i-tweet-because-it-allows-me-to-say-anything-i-want-and-sometimes/) [Kevin Biegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-biegel/) > [People respond to any good you can do in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ry-cooder/people-respond-to-any-good-you-can-do-in-music/) [Ry Cooder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ry-cooder/) > [If you create something that is asking for people to respond as they're going to respond, you have to allow them to respond as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/if-you-create-something-that-is-asking-for-people-to-respond-as-they/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [If you believe in your art, and you love what you do, that energy will go out, and people will respond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-conniff/if-you-believe-in-your-art-and-you-love-what-you-do-that-energy-will/) [Ray Conniff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-conniff/) > [I don't think it's such a bad idea that people learn the same history in school. I think it tends to ground people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/i-don-t-think-it-s-such-a-bad-idea-that-people-learn-the-same-history/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [What people respond to is intimacy and regularity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-holmes/what-people-respond-to-is-intimacy-and-regularity/) [Pete Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-holmes/) > [I'm out there to be real, and I think people respond to that. If you have some image that you're protecting, eventually people get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/i-m-out-there-to-be-real-and-i-think-people-respond-to-that-if-you/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [When someone comes forward and is an individual, such as a Lady Gaga or a Katy Perry, people respond to them because there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-goreski/when-someone-comes-forward-and-is-an-individual-such-as-a-lady-gaga/) [Brad Goreski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-goreski/) > [I think people respond to dystopian stories because they're ways of acting out anxieties that we have and fears that we have about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-think-people-respond-to-dystopian-stories-because-they-re-ways-of/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [You can't be responsible for the way people respond to you. You're only responsible for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-principal/you-can-t-be-responsible-for-the-way-people-respond-to-you-you-re/) [Victoria Principal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-principal/) > [People respond to real problems from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-coen/people-respond-to-real-problems-from-the-heart/) [Ethan Coen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-coen/) > [There's a lot of negative things trying to pull people down, and I think people respond when you tell them that hey, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/there-s-a-lot-of-negative-things-trying-to-pull-people-down-and-i/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## More by Noah Hawley > [It's always very important to me to try to create a story that feels unpredictable. You can't jump ahead and see what's coming, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/it-s-always-very-important-to-me-to-try-to-create-a-story-that-feels/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [A two-hour movie tends to be a plot-delivery device; you tend to have to introduce all the characters, say what the goal is, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/a-two-hour-movie-tends-to-be-a-plot-delivery-device-you-tend-to-have/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [For some reason, I tend to take on the stuff that people are really passionate about. If you make a list of people you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/for-some-reason-i-tend-to-take-on-the-stuff-that-people-are-really/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [One of the things that I've always appreciated about the 'X-Men' style of storytelling versus other Marvel stories is how fluid the line between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/one-of-the-things-that-i-ve-always-appreciated-about-the-x-men-style/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [One of the things I've always loved about genre, comic books, science fiction and fantasy is that there's a certain level of playfulness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/one-of-the-things-i-ve-always-loved-about-genre-comic-books-science/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [What's great is that each medium has a unique set of things that it does and does well. Film is a visual medium, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/what-s-great-is-that-each-medium-has-a-unique-set-of-things-that-it/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [I think that we're pattern-seeking animals, and what we like best is a story where everything fits together, where there's no puzzle pieces left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/i-think-that-we-re-pattern-seeking-animals-and-what-we-like-best-is-a/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [Obviously, when you do something with drama and comedy in it - and by that, I mean a scene that has drama and comedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/obviously-when-you-do-something-with-drama-and-comedy-in-it-and-by/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [The last thing you want is to be desperate in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/the-last-thing-you-want-is-to-be-desperate-in-hollywood/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [I'm not that guy who thinks I have all the answers. Writing is a means of communicating, and if enough people say, 'I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/i-m-not-that-guy-who-thinks-i-have-all-the-answers-writing-is-a-means/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [I think a writer's first job is to entertain, even in novels: to tell a compelling story that pulls the reader along toward an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/i-think-a-writer-s-first-job-is-to-entertain-even-in-novels-to-tell-a/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [I think for really good-hearted people, that idea of putting yourself in the shoes of a monster to figure out why they acted that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/i-think-for-really-good-hearted-people-that-idea-of-putting-yourself/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > ['Downton Abbey' didn't have the impact it had just because it was a good story about people. It was something about that period and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/downton-abbey-didn-t-have-the-impact-it-had-just-because-it-was-a/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [Making a new season for 'Legion' is not something you just switch into. It's not something you do between dropping the kids off in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/making-a-new-season-for-legion-is-not-something-you-just-switch-into/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [It's amazing how flexible the human mind is in terms of jumping into a backstory or an aside. Vonnegut is a great example -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/it-s-amazing-how-flexible-the-human-mind-is-in-terms-of-jumping-into/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) [Explore all 124 Noah Hawley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) ## More Common sense quotes > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) > [Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/common-sense-is-nothing-more-than-a-deposit-of-prejudices-laid-down/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/) [Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/) > [Common sense is the guy who tells you that you ought to have had your brakes relined last week before you smashed a front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/common-sense-is-the-guy-who-tells-you-that-you-ought-to-have-had-your/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Below the 40th latitude there is no law; below the 50th no god; below the 60th no common sense and below the 70th no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley/below-the-40th-latitude-there-is-no-law-below-the-50th-no-god-below/) [Kim Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley/) > [I have never seen either a drop of piety or a grain of truth or ingenuousness - nay, I have never found common sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/i-have-never-seen-either-a-drop-of-piety-or-a-grain-of-truth-or/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [How is it that labels like 'centrist' and 'moderate,' which common sense tells us should reflect the views of a majority of Americans, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/how-is-it-that-labels-like-centrist-and-moderate-which-common-sense/) [Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/) > [“It was true that common sense wasn’t her forte. It wasn’t that she was silly or stupid, but she heard so many more voices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/it-was-true-that-common-sense-wasn-t-her-forte-it-wasn-t-that-she-was/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [“The accident in your rearview mirror already happened. The one in front of you is still preventable. Pay attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nakia-r-laushaul/the-accident-in-your-rearview-mirror-already-happened-the-one-in/) [Nakia R. Laushaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nakia-r-laushaul/) > [In Raleigh, partisan battles, power struggles and lawsuits might grab the headlines, but we have to work together where we can. To look beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/in-raleigh-partisan-battles-power-struggles-and-lawsuits-might-grab/) [Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/) > [“Listen: Common sense doesn't mean what it used to mean." -Matthias Chalmers, STAIRWAY2 HEAVEN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-thompson/listen-common-sense-doesn-t-mean-what-it-used-to-mean-matthias/) Chaz Thompson > [“when people’s brains are in defensive mode, it becomes harder to see common sense. Small disagreements can end up holding back progress beyond reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-webb/when-people-s-brains-are-in-defensive-mode-it-becomes-harder-to-see/) [Caroline Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-webb/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [ As we have seen after every other \[Donald\] Trump controversy, this one only increased their enthusiasm for him. His supporters thought the idea of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/as-we-have-seen-after-every-other-donald-trump-controversy-this-one/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Browse all 1,942 Common sense quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-sense/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's this common sense idea that in order to appeal to the biggest number of people, you have to write something very general, but my experience is the more specific you make something, the more people respond to it, in a very odd way.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noah Hawley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-order-to-appeal-to-the-biggest/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Common sense" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-order-to-appeal-to-the-biggest/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/noah-hawley-3673_common-sense_there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-o_1711314.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/noah-hawley-3673_common-sense_there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-o_1711314.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/507/noah-hawley-3673_common-sense_there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-o_1711314.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's this common sense idea that in order to appeal to the biggest number of people, you have to write…” — Noah Hawley", "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": "Noah Hawley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's this common sense idea that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-order-to-appeal-to-the-biggest/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/there-s-this-common-sense-idea-that-in-order-to-appeal-to-the-biggest/#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 } } ] } ```