--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth is just an excuse for lack of…" description: "\"The truth is just an excuse for lack of imagination.\" — Nolan Bushnell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/nolan-bushnell-5525_excuse_the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of_1278998.png" --- # The truth is just an excuse for lack of imagination. ![“The truth is just an excuse for lack of imagination.” quote by Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/nolan-bushnell-5525_excuse_the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of_1278998.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/nolan-bushnell-5525_excuse_the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of_1278998.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/nolan-bushnell-5525_excuse_the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of_1278998.png) > “The truth is just an excuse for lack of imagination.” [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagination fuels innovation; excuses arise when creativity is lacking. **In simple terms:** Lack of imagination leads to excuses. Key Takeaway Cultivate imagination. Themes creativity innovation accountability Mood inspirational critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - product development - team brainstorming Key Concepts problem solving design thinking entrepreneurship Questions to Reflect On - What imaginative solutions can replace excuses? - How can teams encourage creative risk‑taking? A Different Perspective Excuses can mask deeper systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“The truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garak/the-truth-is-usually-just-an-excuse-for-a-lack-of-imagination/) Garak > [The truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination. -Garak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/star-trek/the-truth-is-usually-just-an-excuse-for-a-lack-of-imagination-garak/) Star Trek > [I needed football - it was just something to do, an excuse to not be at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sam/i-needed-football-it-was-just-something-to-do-an-excuse-to-not-be-at/) [Michael Sam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sam/) > [“Whatever you do, just find an excuse to win!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/navy-seal-drill-sergeant/whatever-you-do-just-find-an-excuse-to-win/) Navy SEAL Drill Sergeant > [Cynicism is just an excuse for not helping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/cynicism-is-just-an-excuse-for-not-helping/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The beauty is in finding, not in what you find ; that is just an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-beauty-is-in-finding-not-in-what-you-find-that-is-just-an-excuse/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [You cant just 'steal' anyone from anybody...They were probably already prepared to leave, you're just the excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cant-just-steal-anyone-from-anybody-they-were-probably-already/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the end, photography for me is just an excuse to get to know the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graciela-iturbide/in-the-end-photography-for-me-is-just-an-excuse-to-get-to-know-the/) [Graciela Iturbide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graciela-iturbide/) > [Being in a rock band is just an excuse not to get a job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/being-in-a-rock-band-is-just-an-excuse-not-to-get-a-job/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [“If they want to come for you, they will come, and it doesn't matter what you read or what you failed to read. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-thien/if-they-want-to-come-for-you-they-will-come-and-it-doesn-t-matter/) [Madeleine Thien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-thien/) > [Love is just an excuse to getting hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-just-an-excuse-to-getting-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tomorrow is just an excuse away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smashing-pumpkins/tomorrow-is-just-an-excuse-away/) [Smashing Pumpkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smashing-pumpkins/) > [“There are only do and don’t; can or can’t is just an excuse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/there-are-only-do-and-don-t-can-or-can-t-is-just-an-excuse/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Taking your life is just an excuse to run away from your problems. Permanently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/taking-your-life-is-just-an-excuse-to-run-away-from-your-problems/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sometimes history is just an excuse for incompetence at getting along with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-voinov/sometimes-history-is-just-an-excuse-for-incompetence-at-getting-along/) [Aleksandr Voinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-voinov/) ## More by Nolan Bushnell > [Some of the best projects to ever come out of Atari or Chuck E. Cheese's were from high school dropouts, college dropouts. One guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/some-of-the-best-projects-to-ever-come-out-of-atari-or-chuck-e-cheese/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I guess I'd like to be known for being an innovator, fostering creativity, thinking outside the box. You know, keeping people playful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-guess-i-d-like-to-be-known-for-being-an-innovator-fostering/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I've always been a tech-head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-ve-always-been-a-tech-head/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [In 1980, Atari was bringing in around two billion dollars in revenue and Chuck E. Cheese's some five hundred million. I still didn't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/in-1980-atari-was-bringing-in-around-two-billion-dollars-in-revenue/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I believe that in games, when you're talking about pitting my wits and my brain against your wits and your brain, that simplicity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-believe-that-in-games-when-you-re-talking-about-pitting-my-wits-and/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [The subtle generational cues that make one thing cool and another uncool aren't always obvious to a parent. My children are my dinner-table sounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-subtle-generational-cues-that-make-one-thing-cool-and-another/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [The truly creative people tend to be outliers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-truly-creative-people-tend-to-be-outliers/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I'm a big believer in the Wii. I love the physicality of the Wii controller, and how you can get the feeling of throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-m-a-big-believer-in-the-wii-i-love-the-physicality-of-the-wii/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Women were very, very good at 'Pong'. It was part of the dating scene. The number of people who told me they met their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/women-were-very-very-good-at-pong-it-was-part-of-the-dating-scene-the/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Learning ballroom dancing is great for your brain. But it only works for three to six months. After that, you've got all the benefit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/learning-ballroom-dancing-is-great-for-your-brain-but-it-only-works/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Walk to work, even if it's four miles. Ride a bike to work. Drive a different way. On your way there, try to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/walk-to-work-even-if-it-s-four-miles-ride-a-bike-to-work-drive-a/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Hire for passion and intensity; there is training for everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/hire-for-passion-and-intensity-there-is-training-for-everything-else/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [When I was running Atari, violence against humanoid figures was not allowed. We'd let you shoot at a tank... but we drew the line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/when-i-was-running-atari-violence-against-humanoid-figures-was-not/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [You wanna build your IQ higher in the next two years? Be uncomfortable. That means, learn something where you have a beginner's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/you-wanna-build-your-iq-higher-in-the-next-two-years-be-uncomfortable/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [People hate to and will not read instructions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/people-hate-to-and-will-not-read-instructions/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) [Explore all 100 Nolan Bushnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) ## More Excuse quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [Win without boasting. Lose without excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-payson-terhune/win-without-boasting-lose-without-excuse/) [Albert Payson Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-payson-terhune/) > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Dont leave without a reason, and then try to come back with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-leave-without-a-reason-and-then-try-to-come-back-with-an-excuse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Worst Break Up Excuse; 'You deserve so much better.' Translation: They've already moved on whether you like it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/worst-break-up-excuse-you-deserve-so-much-better-translation-they-ve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lie is an excuse guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-lie-is-an-excuse-guarded/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Live with No Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyanendra/live-with-no-excuse/) [Gyanendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyanendra/) Browse all 2,435 Excuse quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The truth is just an excuse for lack of imagination.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nolan Bushnell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of-imagination/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of-imagination/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/nolan-bushnell-5525_excuse_the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of_1278998.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/nolan-bushnell-5525_excuse_the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of_1278998.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b41/nolan-bushnell-5525_excuse_the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of_1278998.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The truth is just an excuse for lack of imagination.” — Nolan Bushnell", "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": "Nolan Bushnell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The truth is just an excuse...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of-imagination/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-truth-is-just-an-excuse-for-lack-of-imagination/#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 } } ] } ```