--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's an unnecessary burden to try to…" description: "\"It's an unnecessary burden to try to think of words and also worry at the same time whether they're the right words.\" — Peter Elbow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/peter-elbow-38489_burden_it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-thi_2686350.jpg" --- # It's an unnecessary burden to try to think of words and… ![“It's an unnecessary burden to try to think of words and also worry at the same time whether they're the right words.” quote by Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/peter-elbow-38489_burden_it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-thi_2686350.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/peter-elbow-38489_burden_it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-thi_2686350.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/peter-elbow-38489_burden_it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-thi_2686350.jpg) > “It's an unnecessary burden to try to think of words and also worry at the same time whether they're the right words.” [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes the difficulty of simultaneously choosing words and worrying about correctness. **In simple terms:** Choosing words while worrying is burdensome. Key Takeaway Focus on ideas before perfection. Themes writing self‑criticism creativity process Mood reflective encouraging practical Type educational creative When to use this quote - academic essays - creative writing - business reports Key Concepts drafting mindset editing techniques Questions to Reflect On - How can you reduce word‑choice anxiety? - What steps help prioritize ideas over perfection? A Different Perspective May reflect personal writing style. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Right words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-words/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [Don't worry about having the right words; worry more about having the right heart. It's not eloquence he seeks, just honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/don-t-worry-about-having-the-right-words-worry-more-about-having-the/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“It is an unnecessary burden to make negative judgmental assumptions about others. We are all on a journey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/it-is-an-unnecessary-burden-to-make-negative-judgmental-assumptions/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [I bear a burden that might well try Men that do all by rule, And what can I That am a wandering-witted fool But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-bear-a-burden-that-might-well-try-men-that-do-all-by-rule-and-what/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [“now. The burden of it was that if you try to follow now, and be lucky enough”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tonkin/now-the-burden-of-it-was-that-if-you-try-to-follow-now-and-be-lucky/) Peter Tonkin > [“If your scared, just stay there. No sounds, no words, and no worry. I will be fine even I get hurt. I will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ti-reh-b7/if-your-scared-just-stay-there-no-sounds-no-words-and-no-worry-i-will/) Ti Reh B7 > [Over and above the political, economic, sociological, and international implications of racial prejudices, their major significance is that they place unnecessary burdens upon human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/over-and-above-the-political-economic-sociological-and-international/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [Suffering is not holding you. You are holding suffering. When you become good at the art of letting sufferings go, then you'll come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/suffering-is-not-holding-you-you-are-holding-suffering-when-you/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/unnecessary-possessions-are-unnecessary-burdens/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [When spiritual seeking becomes too complicated, its exercies too elaborated, its doctrines too esoteric, it becomes also too artificial and the resulting achievements too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-brunton/when-spiritual-seeking-becomes-too-complicated-its-exercies-too/) [Paul Brunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-brunton/) > [Our words are very powerful, always make sure that you use the right words, which encourages people instead of discouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/our-words-are-very-powerful-always-make-sure-that-you-use-the-right/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“I set my glass down and met his eyes, feeling an overwhelming surge of affection for this man. 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Unfortunately, as none…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bloom/one-of-the-dangers-in-prayer-is-to-try-to-find-words-that-will-be/) [Anthony Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bloom/) > [Sometimes you just cant tell someone how you feel, you can never really find the right words to make them understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-just-cant-tell-someone-how-you-feel-you-can-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we had the right words, if we had the language, we would need no weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingeborg-bachmann/if-we-had-the-right-words-if-we-had-the-language-we-would-need-no/) [Ingeborg Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingeborg-bachmann/) > [“still feel the same way? Could he have changed this much on the inside too? Struggling for the right words, I opened my mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-wild/still-feel-the-same-way-could-he-have-changed-this-much-on-the-inside/) [Meredith Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-wild/) ## More by Peter Elbow > [“The real reason that language so often carries magic is because humans have trouble not ascribing special power to it. Language makes so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/the-real-reason-that-language-so-often-carries-magic-is-because/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [“The real reason that language so often carries magic is because humans have trouble not ascribing special power to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/the-real-reason-that-language-so-often-carries-magic-is-because-2/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [Meaning is not what you start with, but what you end up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/meaning-is-not-what-you-start-with-but-what-you-end-up-with/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [Everyone agrees in theory that we can't judge a new idea or point of view unless we enter into it and try it out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/everyone-agrees-in-theory-that-we-can-t-judge-a-new-idea-or-point-of/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [Certainty is rarely if ever possible and we increase the likelihood of getting things wrong if we succumb to the hunger for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/certainty-is-rarely-if-ever-possible-and-we-increase-the-likelihood/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [It is the moment when what was chaos is now seen as having a center of gravity. There is a shape where a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/it-is-the-moment-when-what-was-chaos-is-now-seen-as-having-a-center/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [Producing writing is not so much like filling a basin or pool once, but rather getting water to keep flowing through till finally it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/producing-writing-is-not-so-much-like-filling-a-basin-or-pool-once/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [The question for writing then is this: how long are you willing to be unheard?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/the-question-for-writing-then-is-this-how-long-are-you-willing-to-be/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [“I've come to suspect that whenever any ability is difficult to learn and rarely performed well, it's probably because contraries are called for -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/i-ve-come-to-suspect-that-whenever-any-ability-is-difficult-to-learn/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) > [Writing with voice is writing into which someone has breathed. It has that fluency, rhythm, and liveliness that exist naturally in the speech of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/writing-with-voice-is-writing-into-which-someone-has-breathed-it-has/) [Peter Elbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) [Explore all 11 Peter Elbow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/) ## More Burden quotes > [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. It's not a burden to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/everything-i-do-is-more-memorable-and-i-understand-music-more-than/) [Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/) > [I am at a point in my life where everything I have worked for starts to look like a burden, a weight on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-abou-samra/i-am-at-a-point-in-my-life-where-everything-i-have-worked-for-starts/) Simone Abou Samra > [Trump's enduring appeal is a resource to be harnessed by the Republican Party, not a burden to be jettisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/trump-s-enduring-appeal-is-a-resource-to-be-harnessed-by-the/) [Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/) > [We want to free our citizens from the burden of excessive paper documents in every office. We want paperless transactions. We will set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/we-want-to-free-our-citizens-from-the-burden-of-excessive-paper/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [The world around us is an increasingly hostile and sinful place. Occasionally that splashes onto us, and perhaps, in the case of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-world-around-us-is-an-increasingly-hostile-and-sinful-place/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [“What a burden it must be to know all the terrible things you've done and support it with arms unfit to carry it all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-weikel/what-a-burden-it-must-be-to-know-all-the-terrible-things-you-ve-done/) [K. 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It probably takes more out of you trying to hold it and keep it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/it-s-a-burden-trying-to-keep-a-secret-it-s-hard-it-probably-takes/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [I've always liked artists like Chris Burden, who would take performances, put them in galleries, and then do things that were on the edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blaine/i-ve-always-liked-artists-like-chris-burden-who-would-take/) [David Blaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blaine/) > [Our office...subjects us to great burdens and labors, dangers and temptations, with little reward or gratitude from the world. But Christ himself will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/our-office-subjects-us-to-great-burdens-and-labors-dangers-and/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The debt immense of endless gratitude, So burthensome, still paying, still to owe; Forgetful what from him I still receivd, And understood not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/the-debt-immense-of-endless-gratitude-so-burthensome-still-paying/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) [Browse all 2,567 Burden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's an unnecessary burden to try to think of words and also worry at the same time whether they're the right words.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Elbow" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-think-of-words-and-also-worry-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Burden" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-think-of-words-and-also-worry-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/peter-elbow-38489_burden_it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-thi_2686350.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/peter-elbow-38489_burden_it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-thi_2686350.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/peter-elbow-38489_burden_it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-thi_2686350.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's an unnecessary burden to try to think of words and also worry at the same time whether they're the…” — Peter Elbow", "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": "Peter Elbow", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-elbow/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's an unnecessary burden to try...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-think-of-words-and-also-worry-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-elbow/it-s-an-unnecessary-burden-to-try-to-think-of-words-and-also-worry-at/#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 } } ] } ```