--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A person is a fool to become a writer…" description: "\"A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom.\" — Roald Dahl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/roald-dahl-899_absolute-freedom_a-person-is-a-fool-to-become-a-writer-hi_1318714.jpg" --- # A person is a fool to become a writer. His only… ![“A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom.” quote by Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/roald-dahl-899_absolute-freedom_a-person-is-a-fool-to-become-a-writer-hi_1318714.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/roald-dahl-899_absolute-freedom_a-person-is-a-fool-to-become-a-writer-hi_1318714.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/535/roald-dahl-899_absolute-freedom_a-person-is-a-fool-to-become-a-writer-hi_1318714.jpg) > “A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom.” [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Becoming a writer sacrifices material gain for total creative freedom, a trade‑off that can be seen as foolish but also liberating. **In simple terms:** Writers trade money for freedom. Key Takeaway Value freedom over material reward. Themes creativity freedom career choice risk artistic integrity Mood reflective ambitious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - publishing - freelance work - personal project - career shift - entrepreneurship Key Concepts self‑expression independence economic trade‑off Questions to Reflect On - Is absolute freedom worth economic risk? - How do writers sustain themselves? A Different Perspective Financial instability can hinder creative output. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolute freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-freedom/) [Compensation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compensation/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Fool Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool-writer-2633889/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Person Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-fool-458024/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Compensation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-compensation-4201654/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/a-person-is-a-fool-to-become-a-writer-his-only-compensation-is-2/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [The writer walks out of his workroom in a daze. He wants a drink. He needs it. It happens to be a fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-writer-walks-out-of-his-workroom-in-a-daze-he-wants-a-drink-he-2/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“The life of a writer is absolute hell compared to the life of a businessman. The writer has to force himself to work He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-life-of-a-writer-is-absolute-hell-compared-to-the-life-of-a/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“A thick-skinned person and a fool are oblivious to the ways of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haresh-sippy/a-thick-skinned-person-and-a-fool-are-oblivious-to-the-ways-of-the/) [Haresh Sippy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haresh-sippy/) > [“The life of a writer is absolute hell compared with the life of a businessman. The writer has to force himself to work. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-life-of-a-writer-is-absolute-hell-compared-with-the-life-of-a/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“The first person you should be careful not to fool is yourself. Because you are the easiest person to fool".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-feynman/the-first-person-you-should-be-careful-not-to-fool-is-yourself/) [Richard Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-feynman/) > [“There are three people one can never reason with: a drunk, a crazy person, and a fool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-alan-woods/there-are-three-people-one-can-never-reason-with-a-drunk-a-crazy/) [R. Alan Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-alan-woods/) > [No person can fool all the people all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvind-kejriwal/no-person-can-fool-all-the-people-all-the-time/) [Arvind Kejriwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvind-kejriwal/) > [“Every single person is a fool, insane, a failure, or a bad person to at least ten people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/every-single-person-is-a-fool-insane-a-failure-or-a-bad-person-to-at/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/the-first-principle-is-that-you-must-not-fool-yourself-and-you-are-2/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [If u succeed in cheating someone , then don't think that the person is fool…U should realize that the person trusts u more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-u-succeed-in-cheating-someone-then-don-t-think-that-the-person-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Education doesn't keep a person from being a fool, and the lack of it doesn't keep a person from being intelligent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/education-doesn-t-keep-a-person-from-being-a-fool-and-the-lack-of-it/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“I can't bullshit you. In all this time, you're the only person I can't fool. It's like you're bullshit-proof.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-ward/i-can-t-bullshit-you-in-all-this-time-you-re-the-only-person-i-can-t/) [H.M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-ward/) > [If you succeed in cheating on someone, Don't think that the person is a fool... Realize that the person trusted you much more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-succeed-in-cheating-on-someone-don-t-think-that-the-person-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If u succeed in cheating someone, don't think that the person is fool, do realize that the person trusted u more than u deserved..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-u-succeed-in-cheating-someone-don-t-think-that-the-person-is-fool/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) ## More by Roald Dahl > [Nowadays you can go anywhere in the world in a few hours, and nothing is fabulous any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/nowadays-you-can-go-anywhere-in-the-world-in-a-few-hours-and-nothing/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When I walked to school in the mornings I would start out alone but would pick up four other boys along the way. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-i-walked-to-school-in-the-mornings-i-would-start-out-alone-but/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“There's no earthly way of knowing Which direction we are going There's no knowing where we're rowing Or which way the river's flowing Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/there-s-no-earthly-way-of-knowing-which-direction-we-are-going-there/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“One of the vital things for a writer who’s writing a book, which is a lengthy project and is going to take about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/one-of-the-vital-things-for-a-writer-who-s-writing-a-book-which-is-a/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“When Bruce Bogtrotter had eaten his way through half of the entire enormous cake, he paused for just a couple of seconds and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-bruce-bogtrotter-had-eaten-his-way-through-half-of-the-entire/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Eschew all those beastly adjectives...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/eschew-all-those-beastly-adjectives/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/bunkum-and-tummyrot-you-ll-never-get-anywhere-if-you-go-about-what/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [If the Good Lord intended for us to walk, he wouldn't have invented rollar skates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/if-the-good-lord-intended-for-us-to-walk-he-wouldn-t-have-invented/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-witching-hour-somebody-had-once-whispered-to-her-was-a-special/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/those-who-don-t-believe-in-magic-will-never-find-it/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/but-there-was-one-other-thing-that-the-grown-ups-also-knew-and-it-was/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-writing-about-oneself-one-must-strive-to-be-truthful-truth-is/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“the world is a scary place for such a small child”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-world-is-a-scary-place-for-such-a-small-child/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [And above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/and-above-all-watch-with-glittering-eyes-the-world-around-you-because/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“We must hurry!’ said Mr. Wonka. ‘We have so much time and so little to do! No! Wait! Strike that! Reverse it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/we-must-hurry-said-mr-wonka-we-have-so-much-time-and-so-little-to-do/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) [Explore all 318 Roald Dahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## More Absolute freedom quotes > [“My holy of holies are the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom - freedom from force and falsity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-holy-of-holies-are-the-human-body-health-intelligence-talent/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [The Marvel experience was particularly wrenching because I was sort of given absolute freedom while we were shooting, and then in post, it turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/the-marvel-experience-was-particularly-wrenching-because-i-was-sort/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [“An attempt to wrest from God the prerogatives of absolute freedom and infinity leads to the inversion of Pentecost and what is in effect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-e-gunton/an-attempt-to-wrest-from-god-the-prerogatives-of-absolute-freedom-and/) [Colin E. Gunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-e-gunton/) > [What is freedom? There is no such thing as absolute freedom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benito-mussolini/what-is-freedom-there-is-no-such-thing-as-absolute-freedom/) [Benito Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benito-mussolini/) > [Art lives where absolute freedom is, because where it is not, there can be no creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/art-lives-where-absolute-freedom-is-because-where-it-is-not-there-can/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [“After those four years, he returned to the Midwest. He'd turned twenty-five, the Age of Unfolding, and it was time to write a novel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/after-those-four-years-he-returned-to-the-midwest-he-d-turned-twenty/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [Having grown up in Bombay, from the day youre born, you have absolute freedom to choose who you want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freida-pinto/having-grown-up-in-bombay-from-the-day-youre-born-you-have-absolute/) [Freida Pinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freida-pinto/) > [Absolute freedom need not be lost as the price we must pay for the advent of civilization; men are born free, and need never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/absolute-freedom-need-not-be-lost-as-the-price-we-must-pay-for-the/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [Absolute freedom need not be lost as the price we must pay for the advent of civilization. Man may achieve liberty and abundance, freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/absolute-freedom-need-not-be-lost-as-the-price-we-must-pay-for-the-2/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [Once you have surrendered completely to God, you experience for the first time absolute freedom from the worries, problems and ills of this world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashok-kushwaha/once-you-have-surrendered-completely-to-god-you-experience-for-the/) [Ashok Kushwaha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashok-kushwaha/) > [“It is ironical that, in the very field in which Science has claimed superiority to Theology, for example - in the abandoning of dogma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-dingle/it-is-ironical-that-in-the-very-field-in-which-science-has-claimed/) [Herbert Dingle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-dingle/) > [“It was easy enough to write a sentence, but if you were going to create a work of art, the way Melville had, each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/it-was-easy-enough-to-write-a-sentence-but-if-you-were-going-to/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [... the absolute freedom of woman will be the dawn of the day of man's regeneration. In raising her he will elevate himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-celeste-claflin/the-absolute-freedom-of-woman-will-be-the-dawn-of-the-day-of-man-s/) [Tennessee Celeste Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-celeste-claflin/) > [I wish to speak a word for Nature, for absolute Freedom and Wildness, as contrasted with a Freedom and Culture merely civil, - to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-wish-to-speak-a-word-for-nature-for-absolute-freedom-and-wildness/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“The capacity to be alone is the capacity to love. It may look paradoxical to you, but it's not. It is an existential truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/the-capacity-to-be-alone-is-the-capacity-to-love-it-may-look/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) [Browse all 105 Absolute freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A person is a fool to become a writer. 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