--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've discovered that rejections are not…" description: "\"I've discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on his own judgment and to say in his heart of hearts, 'To ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/saul-bellow-558_bad-thing_i-ve-discovered-that-rejections-are-not_2282761.png" --- # I've discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad… ![“I've discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on his own judgment and to say in his heart of hearts, 'To hell with you.'” quote by Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/saul-bellow-558_bad-thing_i-ve-discovered-that-rejections-are-not_2282761.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/saul-bellow-558_bad-thing_i-ve-discovered-that-rejections-are-not_2282761.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd0/saul-bellow-558_bad-thing_i-ve-discovered-that-rejections-are-not_2282761.png) > “I've discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on his own judgment and to say in his heart of hearts, 'To hell with you.'” [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rejection can be a catalyst for self‑reliance, prompting creators to trust their own voice over external approval. **In simple terms:** Rejection teaches self‑trust. Key Takeaway Embrace your own judgment. Themes creativity self‑reliance resilience Mood determined defiant Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - writing - artistic development - career setbacks Key Concepts confidence independence authorial voice Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance self‑trust with constructive criticism? - When is it wise to reject external advice? A Different Perspective Overreliance on self can ignore valuable feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Rejection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejection/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Paradise was made for tender hearts; hell, for loveless hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/paradise-was-made-for-tender-hearts-hell-for-loveless-hearts/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“Often times it is difficult to rely on your judgment when the focus on your true objective is out of alignment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-w-boyer/often-times-it-is-difficult-to-rely-on-your-judgment-when-the-focus/) [Mark W Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-boyer/) > [Rely upon your own judgment; be true to your own conscience; follow the light that is within you; all outward lights are so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/rely-upon-your-own-judgment-be-true-to-your-own-conscience-follow-the/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [I got nice rejections explaining that historical fiction was a difficult sell. But I kept trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-diament/i-got-nice-rejections-explaining-that-historical-fiction-was-a/) [Anita Diament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-diament/) > [If I were to try to break into the world of modern dance, after the first few rejections the logical response might be, practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/if-i-were-to-try-to-break-into-the-world-of-modern-dance-after-the/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [All great innovations are built on rejections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/all-great-innovations-are-built-on-rejections/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [It's not easy. I got lots of rejections when I first started out. If you want to write, you have to believe in yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/it-s-not-easy-i-got-lots-of-rejections-when-i-first-started-out-if/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“A balanced inner calmness radiates from a peaceful centre. It neither craves others' approval nor rejects others' presence. It neither pulls towards nor pushes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/a-balanced-inner-calmness-radiates-from-a-peaceful-centre-it-neither/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [Most writers, including myself, had to endure a lot of rejections before finally getting published. You could wallpaper a sizeable bathroom with the rejection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-weeks/most-writers-including-myself-had-to-endure-a-lot-of-rejections/) [Jonathan Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-weeks/) > [I couldn't tell you the ratio, but probably for every job you see me do, there would be 20 rejections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-clarke/i-couldn-t-tell-you-the-ratio-but-probably-for-every-job-you-see-me/) [Noel Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-clarke/) > [Keep reading and writing, learn how to revise, and push through rejections. My second book, Monsoon Summer, was rejected over 20 times and finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitali-perkins/keep-reading-and-writing-learn-how-to-revise-and-push-through/) [Mitali Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitali-perkins/) > [I get rejections from the New Yorker. When I had to give a little talk to the people graduating from the MBA program at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/i-get-rejections-from-the-new-yorker-when-i-had-to-give-a-little-talk/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [“The word 'NO' is the best motivation there is for the storyteller in you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/the-word-no-is-the-best-motivation-there-is-for-the-storyteller-in-you/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [“To write a lot, you should rethink your mental models of rejection and publication. Rejections are like a sales tax on publications: The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-j-silvia/to-write-a-lot-you-should-rethink-your-mental-models-of-rejection-and/) [Paul J. Silvia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-j-silvia/) > [The usual way - through a long series of rejections, revising my manuscripts, and kept trying again and again. Finally I was fortunate enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/the-usual-way-through-a-long-series-of-rejections-revising-my/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) ## More by Saul Bellow > [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [If I'm out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/if-i-m-out-of-my-mind-it-s-all-right-with-me-thought-moses-herzog/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [I have begun in old age to understand just how oddly we are all put together. We are so proud of our autonomy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-have-begun-in-old-age-to-understand-just-how-oddly-we-are-all-put/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“On Broadway it was still bright afternoon and the gassy air was almost motionless under the leaden spokes of sunlight, and sawdust footprints lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/on-broadway-it-was-still-bright-afternoon-and-the-gassy-air-was/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There are evils that have the ability to survive identification and go on for ever... money, for instance, or war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-evils-that-have-the-ability-to-survive-identification-and/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Myself is thus and so, and will continue thus and so. And why fight it? My balance comes from instability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/myself-is-thus-and-so-and-will-continue-thus-and-so-and-why-fight-it/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“A strange heart. I myself can't account for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-strange-heart-i-myself-can-t-account-for-it/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [The late philosopher Morris R. Cohen of CCNY was asked by a student in the metaphysics course, Professor Cohen, how do I know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/the-late-philosopher-morris-r-cohen-of-ccny-was-asked-by-a-student-in/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“Therefore we didn't talk of genuine things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/therefore-we-didn-t-talk-of-genuine-things/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Is our species crazy? Plenty of evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/is-our-species-crazy-plenty-of-evidence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“But now the emphasis has shifted to making it. People have surrendered their personal moral objectives to government or schools or psychologists. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/but-now-the-emphasis-has-shifted-to-making-it-people-have-surrendered/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There's a kind of emptiness at the center of life ... nothing to form your life on, or by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-s-a-kind-of-emptiness-at-the-center-of-life-nothing-to-form/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“I don't know how it all at once came to me to talk a lot, tell jokes, kick up, and suddenly have views. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-don-t-know-how-it-all-at-once-came-to-me-to-talk-a-lot-tell-jokes/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There are times when the most practical thing is to lie down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-times-when-the-most-practical-thing-is-to-lie-down/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“For knowledge of death makes us wish to extend our lives at the expense of others. And this is the root of the struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/for-knowledge-of-death-makes-us-wish-to-extend-our-lives-at-the/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) [Explore all 464 Saul Bellow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. 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I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. 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I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. 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