--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A sentence is born into this world…" description: "\"A sentence is born into this world neither good nor bad, and that to establish its character is a question of the subtlest possible adjustments, a proc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/rachel-cusk-3482_adjustment_a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neith_591903.png" --- # A sentence is born into this world neither good nor bad… ![“A sentence is born into this world neither good nor bad, and that to establish its character is a question of the subtlest possible adjustments, a process of intuition to which exaggeration and force are fatal.” quote by Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/rachel-cusk-3482_adjustment_a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neith_591903.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/rachel-cusk-3482_adjustment_a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neith_591903.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/rachel-cusk-3482_adjustment_a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neith_591903.png) > “A sentence is born into this world neither good nor bad, and that to establish its character is a question of the subtlest possible adjustments, a process of intuition to which exaggeration and force are fatal.” [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sentences start neutral; their meaning forms through subtle, intuitive adjustments, while exaggeration and force distort them. **In simple terms:** Sentences are neutral until shaped gently. Key Takeaway Use nuance, avoid over‑emphasis. Themes language writing intuition Mood reflective analytical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - creative writing workshops - editing - public speaking Key Concepts semantic development subtlety communication Questions to Reflect On - What subtle changes can improve a sentence’s impact? - When might a stronger tone be appropriate? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can strip a sentence of its natural rhythm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Exaggeration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaggeration/) [Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“the translator says that a sentence is born into this world neither good nor bad, and that to establish its character is a question…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/the-translator-says-that-a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neither/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [What was Aristotle’s life?’ Well, the answer lay in a single sentence: ‘He was born, he thought, he died.’ And all the rest is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/what-was-aristotle-s-life-well-the-answer-lay-in-a-single-sentence-he/) [Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/) > [With any television series - and it's something that is taken for granted with movies because you have the whole arc within two hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/with-any-television-series-and-it-s-something-that-is-taken-for/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [Establish character - otherwise, it is difficult to connect with what is frightening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goldman/establish-character-otherwise-it-is-difficult-to-connect-with-what-is/) [Jane Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goldman/) > [Usually when I'm trying to establish character, I try and find out where they live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-mina/usually-when-i-m-trying-to-establish-character-i-try-and-find-out/) [Denise Mina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-mina/) > [I supply a presence. There are never any long dialogue scenes to establish a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bronson/i-supply-a-presence-there-are-never-any-long-dialogue-scenes-to/) [Charles Bronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bronson/) > [It takes a while to establish a character. Richard Boone once told me he didn't really get the character in 'Have Gun - Will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-graves/it-takes-a-while-to-establish-a-character-richard-boone-once-told-me/) [Peter Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-graves/) > [In the digital space, writers and directors get time to build and establish a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasika-dugal/in-the-digital-space-writers-and-directors-get-time-to-build-and/) [Rasika Dugal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasika-dugal/) > [Before you are five and twenty you must establish a character that will serve you all your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuthbert-collingwood-1st-baron-collingwood/before-you-are-five-and-twenty-you-must-establish-a-character-that/) Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood > [Whatever disgrace we may have deserved, it is almost always in our power to re-establish our character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/whatever-disgrace-we-may-have-deserved-it-is-almost-always-in-our/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [In a series, you have the luxury of time to establish the character and build a rhythm. In a TV movie, you've got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-penny/in-a-series-you-have-the-luxury-of-time-to-establish-the-character/) [Joe Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-penny/) > [“Fuck anybody who’d call a hill a mountain and name it after themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-d-aliwat/fuck-anybody-who-d-call-a-hill-a-mountain-and-name-it-after-themselves/) [A.D. Aliwat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-d-aliwat/) > [To underestimate oneself is as much an exaggeration of one's powers than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/to-underestimate-oneself-is-as-much-an-exaggeration-of-one-s-powers/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [It takes a little more time to get into the role, but not very much more. In making a record you don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-callas/it-takes-a-little-more-time-to-get-into-the-role-but-not-very-much/) [Maria Callas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-callas/) > [Drill in exact translation is an excellent way of disposing the mind against that looseness and exaggeration with which the sensationalists have corrupted our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/drill-in-exact-translation-is-an-excellent-way-of-disposing-the-mind/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) ## More by Rachel Cusk > [A creative writing workshop will contain students whose ambitions and abilities, whose conceptions of literature itself, are so diverse that what they have in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-creative-writing-workshop-will-contain-students-whose-ambitions-and/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [“If a man had a nasty side to his character, she wanted to get to it immediately and confront it. She didn’t want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/if-a-man-had-a-nasty-side-to-his-character-she-wanted-to-get-to-it/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [If I know somebody is coming 'round, it is incredibly difficult for me to work because I'm waiting for this interruption - even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/if-i-know-somebody-is-coming-round-it-is-incredibly-difficult-for-me/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [I felt that I could swim for miles, out into the ocean: a desire for freedom, an impulse to move, tugged at me as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/i-felt-that-i-could-swim-for-miles-out-into-the-ocean-a-desire-for/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [The creativity of childhood was often surrendered amid feelings of unworthiness. So the idea that others are demanding to be given it back -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/the-creativity-of-childhood-was-often-surrendered-amid-feelings-of/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [A neighbor is something that belongs to the stable world of home life, the thing that lives next door to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-neighbor-is-something-that-belongs-to-the-stable-world-of-home-life/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [Help is dangerous because it exists outside the human economy: the only payment for help is gratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/help-is-dangerous-because-it-exists-outside-the-human-economy-the/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [A feminist man is a bit like a vegetarian: it's the humanitarian principle he's defending, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-feminist-man-is-a-bit-like-a-vegetarian-it-s-the-humanitarian/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [Feminism remains something that needs to be explained to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/feminism-remains-something-that-needs-to-be-explained-to-people/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [“At the time, he had got rid of her so efficiently and so suavely that she had felt almost reassured even as she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/at-the-time-he-had-got-rid-of-her-so-efficiently-and-so-suavely-that/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [“From the distance of England the Italian cuisine seems to be all things to all people. It does not expect you to bend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/from-the-distance-of-england-the-italian-cuisine-seems-to-be-all/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [You could time a suburban story by your watch: it lasts as long as it takes a small furry animal that's lonely to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/you-could-time-a-suburban-story-by-your-watch-it-lasts-as-long-as-it/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [It is expected that a children's story will raise a difficulty and then resolve it: increasingly, this resolution is so prompt and so resounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/it-is-expected-that-a-children-s-story-will-raise-a-difficulty-and/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [Human beings have a need, generally, to destroy things. The Freudian principle of civilisation is correct. There's always, always a difference between the family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/human-beings-have-a-need-generally-to-destroy-things-the-freudian/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [I don't think I knew that you could be a novelist. I think a lot of my students are in the same condition. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/i-don-t-think-i-knew-that-you-could-be-a-novelist-i-think-a-lot-of-my/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) [Explore all 128 Rachel Cusk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) ## More Adjustment quotes > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-johnson/the-human-body-has-been-designed-to-resist-an-infinite-number-of/) Harry Johnson > [The chances are that you have already come to believe that happiness is unattainable. But men have attained it. And they have attained it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-chances-are-that-you-have-already-come-to-believe-that-happiness/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [The biggest adjustment from the minors was learning to spend $45 in meal money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-van-slyke/the-biggest-adjustment-from-the-minors-was-learning-to-spend-45-in/) [Andy Van Slyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-van-slyke/) > [Memory, with its fugitive adjustments, is the merciful veil to the grim enactments of the first law. It hides the anguish in the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-aumonier/memory-with-its-fugitive-adjustments-is-the-merciful-veil-to-the-grim/) [Stacy Aumonier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-aumonier/) > [Success comes from repeated efforts day in and day out. You learn from your mistakes, make adjustments and continue pressing forward until you achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/success-comes-from-repeated-efforts-day-in-and-day-out-you-learn-from/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [If your plan isn't working, adjust your plan. Never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-martin/if-your-plan-isn-t-working-adjust-your-plan-never-give-up/) Matt Martin > [I think I'm constantly in a state of adjustment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-think-i-m-constantly-in-a-state-of-adjustment/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [The terror of the atom age is not the violence of the new power but the speed of man's adjustment to it, the speed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/the-terror-of-the-atom-age-is-not-the-violence-of-the-new-power-but/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [I'm intrigued by films that have a singular vision behind them. A lot of studio movies have ten writers by the time they're done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-gugino/i-m-intrigued-by-films-that-have-a-singular-vision-behind-them-a-lot/) [Carla Gugino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-gugino/) > [“It is not even governed by ‘nature’. It is simply a natural adjustment! ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/it-is-not-even-governed-by-nature-it-is-simply-a-natural-adjustment/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Time management is probably the biggest thing I've had to learn to deal with being on the PGA Tour, whether it be media or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-fowler/time-management-is-probably-the-biggest-thing-i-ve-had-to-learn-to/) [Rickie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-fowler/) > [Game management, game decisions, adjustments, seeing things during games - it's all important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-belichick/game-management-game-decisions-adjustments-seeing-things-during-games/) [Bill Belichick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-belichick/) > [Instead of imposing your will on every situation...focus on including everyone else, and just that little adjustment of attitude gives you the space to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/instead-of-imposing-your-will-on-every-situation-focus-on-including/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [A lot of people just thought I'd be a .260 hitter all my life. I was kind of like, 'Let me make some adjustments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-francoeur/a-lot-of-people-just-thought-i-d-be-a-260-hitter-all-my-life-i-was/) [Jeff Francoeur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-francoeur/) Browse all 391 Adjustment quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A sentence is born into this world neither good nor bad, and that to establish its character is a question of the subtlest possible adjustments, a process of intuition to which exaggeration and force are fatal.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rachel Cusk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neither-good-nor-bad-and-that-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adjustment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neither-good-nor-bad-and-that-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/rachel-cusk-3482_adjustment_a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neith_591903.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/rachel-cusk-3482_adjustment_a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neith_591903.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/rachel-cusk-3482_adjustment_a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neith_591903.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A sentence is born into this world neither good nor bad, and that to establish its character is a question…” — Rachel Cusk", "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": "Rachel Cusk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A sentence is born into this...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neither-good-nor-bad-and-that-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/a-sentence-is-born-into-this-world-neither-good-nor-bad-and-that-to/#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 } } ] } ```