--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Its like reproaching someone who has no…" description: "\"“Its like reproaching someone who has no ear for music because he's bored at a symphony concert. Is it fair to blame me because you ascribed to me qual..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/w-somerset-maugham-237_expectation_its-like-reproaching-someone-who-has-no_2906906.jpg" --- # Its like reproaching someone who has no ear for music… ![“Its like reproaching someone who has no ear for music because he's bored at a symphony concert. Is it fair to blame me because you ascribed to me qualities that I hadn't got? I never tried to deceive you by pretending I was anything I wasn't. I was just pretty and gay. You don't ask for a pearl…” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/w-somerset-maugham-237_expectation_its-like-reproaching-someone-who-has-no_2906906.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/w-somerset-maugham-237_expectation_its-like-reproaching-someone-who-has-no_2906906.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/w-somerset-maugham-237_expectation_its-like-reproaching-someone-who-has-no_2906906.jpg) > ““Its like reproaching someone who has no ear for music because he's bored at a symphony concert. Is it fair to blame me because you ascribed to me qualities that I hadn't got? I never tried to deceive you by pretending I was anything I wasn't. I was just pretty and gay. You don't ask for a pearl necklace or a sable coat at a booth in a fair; you ask for a tin trumpet and a toy balloon.”” [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He compares being judged for music taste to being blamed for not fitting a stereotypical image, highlighting unfair expectations. **In simple terms:** He feels unfairly judged for his style. Key Takeaway Challenge assumptions about identity and taste. Themes identity stereotypes artistic integrity self‑acceptance Mood critical thought‑provoking Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - literary criticism - social commentary - personal narrative Key Concepts social expectations personal authenticity Questions to Reflect On - What stereotypes have you resisted? - How do you stay true to yourself? A Different Perspective May alienate those who value conformity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blame Ascribed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame-ascribed-4165172/) [Deceive Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceive-pretending-515409/) [Expectation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectation/) [Fair Blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair-blame-3708573/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Pretending Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending-wasn-1993088/) [Pretty Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty-gay-662326/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) ## Related quotes > [When he admitted this to me, I found myself almost annoyed. 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But all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/all-my-friends-thought-i-was-a-very-happy-human-being-because-that-s/) [Benjamin Alire Saenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“Now she had to pretend not to love the man she was pretending to love while pretending she wasn't sleeping with him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-stacey/now-she-had-to-pretend-not-to-love-the-man-she-was-pretending-to-love/) [Shannon Stacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-stacey/) > [“Time slunk by as if watching from the sidelines, pretending it wasn’t interested.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-marson/time-slunk-by-as-if-watching-from-the-sidelines-pretending-it-wasn-t/) [James Marson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-marson/) > [“Even when she was pretending she wasn’t hurt, she never pretended not to miss him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priscilla-glenn/even-when-she-was-pretending-she-wasn-t-hurt-she-never-pretended-not/) [Priscilla Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priscilla-glenn/) > [“She wouldn’t fit in at a formal ball anyway. Even if she did find dress gloves and slippers that could hide her metal monstrosities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/she-wouldn-t-fit-in-at-a-formal-ball-anyway-even-if-she-did-find/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [I knew that this was what I wanted to talk about on stage. There was no point being coy about it, or pretending that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-clary/i-knew-that-this-was-what-i-wanted-to-talk-about-on-stage-there-was/) [Julian Clary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-clary/) ## More by W. Somerset Maugham > [“A man thinks it quite natural that he should fall out of love with a woman, but it never strikes him for a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-thinks-it-quite-natural-that-he-should-fall-out-of-love-with-a/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“A man's work reveals him. In social intercourse he gives you the surface that he wishes the world to accept, but in his book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-s-work-reveals-him-in-social-intercourse-he-gives-you-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/love-is-only-a-dirty-trick-played-on-us-to-achieve-continuation-of/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-world-is-hard-and-cruel-we-are-here-none-knows-why-and-we-go-none/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“There is no more merit in having read a thousand books than in having ploughed a thousand fields.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/there-is-no-more-merit-in-having-read-a-thousand-books-than-in-having/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“I wanted to live again and again. I was willing to accept every sort of life, no matter what its pain and sorrow; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-wanted-to-live-again-and-again-i-was-willing-to-accept-every-sort/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [In Hollywood, the women are all peaches. It makes one long for an apple occasionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/in-hollywood-the-women-are-all-peaches-it-makes-one-long-for-an-apple/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Follow your inclinations with due regard to the policeman round the corner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/follow-your-inclinations-with-due-regard-to-the-policeman-round-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“His love became a prison from which he longed to escape, but he had not the strength merely to open the door-that was all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/his-love-became-a-prison-from-which-he-longed-to-escape-but-he-had/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [I did not believe him capable of love. That is an emotion in which tenderness is an essential part, but Strickland had no tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-did-not-believe-him-capable-of-love-that-is-an-emotion-in-which/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [If only the good were a little less heavy-footed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/if-only-the-good-were-a-little-less-heavy-footed/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/perfection-has-one-grave-defect-it-is-apt-to-be-dull/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“A God that can be understood is no God. Who can explain the Infinite in words?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-god-that-can-be-understood-is-no-god-who-can-explain-the-infinite/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“My dear, you used to be quite a dish; now you're quite a tureen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/my-dear-you-used-to-be-quite-a-dish-now-you-re-quite-a-tureen/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“When people say they do not care what others thing of them, for the most part they deceive themselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/when-people-say-they-do-not-care-what-others-thing-of-them-for-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) [Explore all 840 W. Somerset Maugham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## More Expectation quotes > [Keeping up with everybody's expectation is soooo hard!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi/keeping-up-with-everybody-s-expectation-is-soooo-hard/) [Naomi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi/) > [The night is saturated with inspiration¦ I cant imagine wasting a minute of it with my eyes or ears closed. I live dreams, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-timbre/the-night-is-saturated-with-inspiration-i-cant-imagine-wasting-a/) [Jamie Timbre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-timbre/) > [Representing the Selecao is a very great expectation, being able to play is even greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/representing-the-selecao-is-a-very-great-expectation-being-able-to/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [Never depend on anyone else's strength but God's strength to help you through and nor expect from anyone except God to be with you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/never-depend-on-anyone-else-s-strength-but-god-s-strength-to-help-you/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing, through the overtaking and possessing of a wish discovers the folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/uncertainty-and-expectation-are-the-joys-of-life-security-is-an/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [“Expectation and fact are two different things that people usually cannot differentiate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/expectation-and-fact-are-two-different-things-that-people-usually/) [Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/) > [Treat the people the way you expect them to treat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishchal-ningleku/treat-the-people-the-way-you-expect-them-to-treat-you/) [Nishchal Ningleku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishchal-ningleku/) > [“It felt civilised and modern. It felt refined and tantalising, all at once, like a polite collective pre-orgasm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/it-felt-civilised-and-modern-it-felt-refined-and-tantalising-all-at/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [“I have every expectation that we will see the following become a recognized human disease in the future: Metal Sickness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-have-every-expectation-that-we-will-see-the-following-become-a/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Any reasonable ruler would have the expectation and the demand the other way round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/any-reasonable-ruler-would-have-the-expectation-and-the-demand-the/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them-2/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Never expect naything from any body because human brain changes when the status changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-expect-naything-from-any-body-because-human-brain-changes-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Aspiration and expectation are two eternal life devil mangrieving Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/aspiration-and-expectation-are-two-eternal-life-devil-mangrieving/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [We part more easily with what we possess, than with our expectations of what we wish for; because expectation always goes beyond enjoyment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-home-lord-kames/we-part-more-easily-with-what-we-possess-than-with-our-expectations/) [Henry Home, Lord Kames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-home-lord-kames/) > [“Clients don't pay you to try. Their least expectation is to at least get from you value for their money. However, your aim should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-amanyire/clients-don-t-pay-you-to-try-their-least-expectation-is-to-at-least/) [Allan Amanyire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-amanyire/) [Browse all 759 Expectation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Its like reproaching someone who has no ear for music because he's bored at a symphony concert. Is it fair to blame me because you ascribed to me qualities that I hadn't got? I never tried to deceive you by pretending I was anything I wasn't. I was just pretty and gay. You don't ask for a pearl necklace or a sable coat at a booth in a fair; you ask for a tin trumpet and a toy balloon.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. 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