--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is better to entertain an idea than to…" description: "\"It is better to entertain an idea than to take it home to live with you for the rest of your life.\" — Randall Jarrell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/randall-jarrell-3811_entertain_it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-t_626255.png" --- # It is better to entertain an idea than to take it home to… ![“It is better to entertain an idea than to take it home to live with you for the rest of your life.” quote by Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/randall-jarrell-3811_entertain_it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-t_626255.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/randall-jarrell-3811_entertain_it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-t_626255.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/randall-jarrell-3811_entertain_it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-t_626255.png) > “It is better to entertain an idea than to take it home to live with you for the rest of your life.” [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas are better explored as fleeting entertainments rather than permanent companions, encouraging flexibility and open‑mindedness. **In simple terms:** Treat ideas like guests, not permanent residents. Key Takeaway Keep ideas fluid, avoid rigid attachment. Themes flexibility intellectual humility creativity Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type essayistic philosophical When to use this quote - academic debate - personal decision‑making - creative brainstorming Key Concepts critical thinking philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - When should an idea become a guiding principle? - How to balance openness with conviction? A Different Perspective Over‑entertainment can prevent deep commitment to valuable ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Rest of your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest-of-your-life/) ## Related quotes > [Audiences have taught me how to sing better and entertain better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-elling/audiences-have-taught-me-how-to-sing-better-and-entertain-better/) [Kurt Elling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-elling/) > [I always had an idea of how Five should be and it was very funny to entertain that idea when I got an audition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-gallagher/i-always-had-an-idea-of-how-five-should-be-and-it-was-very-funny-to/) [Aidan Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-gallagher/) > [“He is more rooted to the idea of home. He created this home...and established routines like watching the BBC and cooking barbecues for friends.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/he-is-more-rooted-to-the-idea-of-home-he-created-this-home-and/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [I never wanted to be home-schooled. I didn't like the idea of being home-schooled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-butterfield/i-never-wanted-to-be-home-schooled-i-didn-t-like-the-idea-of-being-2/) [Asa Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-butterfield/) > [My idea of home is not necessarily a place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kiwanuka/my-idea-of-home-is-not-necessarily-a-place/) [Michael Kiwanuka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kiwanuka/) > [“We still carry within us, in a small warm spot, the idea of home. Home as a safe place, a loving place and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/we-still-carry-within-us-in-a-small-warm-spot-the-idea-of-home-home/) [Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/) > [I think the whole idea of home is central to who we are as human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-think-the-whole-idea-of-home-is-central-to-who-we-are-as-human/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [Home, the idea of home, is my principal purpose. If people have bought a house as an investment or chosen the furniture because they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sister-parish/home-the-idea-of-home-is-my-principal-purpose-if-people-have-bought-a/) [Sister Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sister-parish/) > [I never wanted to be home-schooled. I didn't like the idea of being home-schooled. 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Wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-watson/the-darkest-nights-will-be-the-repose-if-you-don-t-let-it-form-the/) [Michael Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-watson/) > [Dreams are the directions to the rest of your life!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-atkinson/dreams-are-the-directions-to-the-rest-of-your-life/) Jim Atkinson > [Fitness is a journey, not a destination; you must continue for the rest of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-h-cooper/fitness-is-a-journey-not-a-destination-you-must-continue-for-the-rest/) [Kenneth H. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-h-cooper/) > [I think each role takes a little from you and circles around you for the rest of your life. I don't think you ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/i-think-each-role-takes-a-little-from-you-and-circles-around-you-for/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [Make the rest of your life the best of your life. Create a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-the-rest-of-your-life-the-best-of-your-life-create-a-life-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Randall Jarrell > [“She helped the hunter with the cooking as a husband helps his wife: when he had gone out to hunt and left something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/she-helped-the-hunter-with-the-cooking-as-a-husband-helps-his-wife/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [We read our mail and counted up our missions In bombers named for girls, we burned The cities we had learned about in school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/we-read-our-mail-and-counted-up-our-missions-in-bombers-named-for/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [One of the most obvious facts about grown-ups, to a child, is that they have forgotten what it is like to be a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/one-of-the-most-obvious-facts-about-grown-ups-to-a-child-is-that-they/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [Goethe said that the worst thing in art is technical facility accompanied by triteness. Many an artist, like God, has never needed to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/goethe-said-that-the-worst-thing-in-art-is-technical-facility/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [Age could not wither nor custom stale her infinite monotony: in fact, neither Age nor Custom could do anything (as they said, their voices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/age-could-not-wither-nor-custom-stale-her-infinite-monotony-in-fact/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [A poet is a man who manages, in a lifetime of standing out in thunderstorms, to be struck by lightning five or six times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/a-poet-is-a-man-who-manages-in-a-lifetime-of-standing-out-in/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [More and more people think of the critic as an indispensable middle man between writer and reader, and would no more read a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/more-and-more-people-think-of-the-critic-as-an-indispensable-middle/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [“The tags' chain stirs with the wind; and I sleep Paid, dead, and a soldier. Who fights for his own life Loses, loses: I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/the-tags-chain-stirs-with-the-wind-and-i-sleep-paid-dead-and-a/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [First one gets works of art, then criticism of them, then criticism of the criticism, and, finally, a book on The Literary Situation ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/first-one-gets-works-of-art-then-criticism-of-them-then-criticism-of/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [ Early in his life Mr. \[Ezra\] Pound met with strong, continued, and unintelligent opposition. If people keep opposing you when you are right, you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/early-in-his-life-mr-ezra-pound-met-with-strong-continued-and/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [Some of Mr. Gregory's poems have merely appeared in The New Yorker ; others are New Yorker poems: the inclusive topicality, the informed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/some-of-mr-gregory-s-poems-have-merely-appeared-in-the-new-yorker/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [A successful poem says what a poet wants to say, and more, with particular finality. The remarks he makes about his poems are incidental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/a-successful-poem-says-what-a-poet-wants-to-say-and-more-with/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [One Whitman is miracle enough, and when he comes again it will be the end of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/one-whitman-is-miracle-enough-and-when-he-comes-again-it-will-be-the/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [Robert Frost says in a piece of homely doggerel that he has hoped wisdom could be not only Attic but Laconic, Boeotian even -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/robert-frost-says-in-a-piece-of-homely-doggerel-that-he-has-hoped/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [Most people don't listen to classical music at all, but to rock-and-roll or hillbilly songs or some album named Music To Listen To Music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/most-people-don-t-listen-to-classical-music-at-all-but-to-rock-and/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) [Explore all 121 Randall Jarrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) ## More Entertain quotes > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [That's what TV has forgotten: how to entertain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-coogan/that-s-what-tv-has-forgotten-how-to-entertain/) [Jackie Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-coogan/) > [You can't write well what you don't read for pleasure. If it doesn't entertain you, it's not going to entertain anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/you-can-t-write-well-what-you-don-t-read-for-pleasure-if-it-doesn-t/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Some days, I think maybe we should try and be a little more conventional, but every time I try, I fail, so I'm learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seinabo-sey/some-days-i-think-maybe-we-should-try-and-be-a-little-more/) [Seinabo Sey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seinabo-sey/) > [I would entertain endorsement offers if they came along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-rutter/i-would-entertain-endorsement-offers-if-they-came-along/) [Brad Rutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-rutter/) > [I write to entertain. When people read one of my books I want them to finish with a smile on their faces, feeling a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-write-to-entertain-when-people-read-one-of-my-books-i-want-them-to/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Ryan Murphy, he basically tries to find something that's a pulse, a pressure point in our culture, and he grabs it, and he squeezes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-wittrock/ryan-murphy-he-basically-tries-to-find-something-that-s-a-pulse-a/) [Finn Wittrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-wittrock/) > [I don't want to go too far away from what I'm doing now because that would alienate my audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-church/i-don-t-want-to-go-too-far-away-from-what-i-m-doing-now-because-that/) [Charlotte Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-church/) > [We are here to entertain and ultimately put smiles on people's faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinder-mahal/we-are-here-to-entertain-and-ultimately-put-smiles-on-people-s-faces/) [Jinder Mahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jinder-mahal/) > [I'm like Cab Calloway: I love the entertainment, and I've loved entertaining people ever since I was little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyclef-jean/i-m-like-cab-calloway-i-love-the-entertainment-and-i-ve-loved/) [Wyclef Jean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyclef-jean/) > [You have come to earth to entertain and to be entertained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/you-have-come-to-earth-to-entertain-and-to-be-entertained/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [I like to entertain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrell-suggs/i-like-to-entertain/) [Terrell Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrell-suggs/) > [Our purpose is to educate as well as to entertain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-mayfield/our-purpose-is-to-educate-as-well-as-to-entertain/) [Curtis Mayfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-mayfield/) > [I'd rather entertain people than offend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kinison/i-d-rather-entertain-people-than-offend-them/) [Sam Kinison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kinison/) > [I'm a storyteller... I haves a God-given gift that I can share with you and perhaps entertain you and bring you along for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-sutter/i-m-a-storyteller-i-haves-a-god-given-gift-that-i-can-share-with-you/) [Kurt Sutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-sutter/) Browse all 465 Entertain quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is better to entertain an idea than to take it home to live with you for the rest of your life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Randall Jarrell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-to-take-it-home-to-live-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Entertain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-to-take-it-home-to-live-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/randall-jarrell-3811_entertain_it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-t_626255.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/randall-jarrell-3811_entertain_it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-t_626255.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/randall-jarrell-3811_entertain_it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-t_626255.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is better to entertain an idea than to take it home to live with you for the rest of your life.” — Randall Jarrell", "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": "Randall Jarrell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is better to entertain an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-to-take-it-home-to-live-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/it-is-better-to-entertain-an-idea-than-to-take-it-home-to-live-with/#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 } } ] } ```