--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a person can take pleasure in…" description: "\"“When a person can take pleasure in marching in step to a piece of music it is enough to make me despise him. He has been given his big brain only by m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/walter-isaacson-384_despise_when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-march_166398.png" --- # When a person can take pleasure in marching in step to a… ![“When a person can take pleasure in marching in step to a piece of music it is enough to make me despise him. He has been given his big brain only by mistake.” quote by Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/walter-isaacson-384_despise_when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-march_166398.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/walter-isaacson-384_despise_when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-march_166398.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/walter-isaacson-384_despise_when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-march_166398.png) > ““When a person can take pleasure in marching in step to a piece of music it is enough to make me despise him. He has been given his big brain only by mistake.”” [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker condemns those who mindlessly follow cultural trends, implying true intellect resists conformity. **In simple terms:** Blindly following trends shows lack of thought. Key Takeaway Think independently, value critical thinking. Themes individualism conformity intellect Mood skeptical critical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - social media consumption - fashion trends - political rallies Key Concepts critical thinking authenticity Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever follow trends without questioning? - How can you cultivate independent thought? A Different Perspective Blind conformity can be socially rewarding, making resistance hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-brain/) [Despise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despise/) [Despise Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despise-given-1811735/) [Make Despise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-despise-1811738/) [Marching Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marching-step-1811737/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Pleasure Marching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-marching-1811736/) ## Related quotes > [That a man can take pleasure in marching in formation to the strains of a band is enough to make me despise him. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-a-man-can-take-pleasure-in-marching-in-formation-to-the-strains/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“This topic brings me to that worst outcrop of herd life, the military system, which I abhor. That a man can take pleasure in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/this-topic-brings-me-to-that-worst-outcrop-of-herd-life-the-military/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Einstein’s brain. Defying expectations that big thoughts required a big brain, Einstein’s brain actually weighed 10 percent less than the average brain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-e-tanzi/einstein-s-brain-defying-expectations-that-big-thoughts-required-a/) [Rudolph E. Tanzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-e-tanzi/) > [It is a great thing to have a big brain, a fertile imagination, grand ideals, but the man with these, bereft of a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-matthew-adams/it-is-a-great-thing-to-have-a-big-brain-a-fertile-imagination-grand/) [George Matthew Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-matthew-adams/) > [So, let's make a deal: If you do not voice all the withering comments about the weight or uselessness of this jacket that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/so-let-s-make-a-deal-if-you-do-not-voice-all-the-withering-comments/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [“Everyone in Washington’s a lawyer, dear.” He winked and turned toward the stairs that led up to his room, knowing that no offense would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tigner/everyone-in-washington-s-a-lawyer-dear-he-winked-and-turned-toward/) [Tim Tigner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tigner/) > [“He loved watching her use that big brain of hers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-hackett/he-loved-watching-her-use-that-big-brain-of-hers/) [Anna Hackett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-hackett/) > [Some automatic device clicked in her big brain, and her knees felt weak, and there was a chilly feeling in her stomach. She was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/some-automatic-device-clicked-in-her-big-brain-and-her-knees-felt/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Scientists had said, "If you keep burning coal and gas and oil, you will melt the Arctic." And then the Arctic melted just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/scientists-had-said-if-you-keep-burning-coal-and-gas-and-oil-you-will/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [“I see the wheels churning in that big brain. What's going through your pretty head?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorelei-james/i-see-the-wheels-churning-in-that-big-brain-what-s-going-through-your/) [Lorelei James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorelei-james/) > [There's something happening in the world that didn't happen before. We are acting like one big brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-banderas/there-s-something-happening-in-the-world-that-didn-t-happen-before-we/) [Antonio Banderas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-banderas/) > [“A shambling, hairy, brutish, but probably very cunning creature with a big brain behind; so someone, I think it was Sir Harry Johnston, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/a-shambling-hairy-brutish-but-probably-very-cunning-creature-with-a/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [The very large brain that humans have, plus the things that go along with it - language, art, science - seemed to have evolved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-very-large-brain-that-humans-have-plus-the-things-that-go-along/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I mean I think that when you've got a big brain, when you find yourself planted in a world with a brain big enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-mean-i-think-that-when-you-ve-got-a-big-brain-when-you-find/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I think the internet and the web is just like a big consciousness of the planet, a big brain of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-morley/i-think-the-internet-and-the-web-is-just-like-a-big-consciousness-of/) [Paul Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-morley/) ## More by Walter Isaacson > [“he never finished any of the works he began because, so sublime was his idea of art, he saw faults even in the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/he-never-finished-any-of-the-works-he-began-because-so-sublime-was/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [He had the attitude that he could do anything, and therefore so can you. He put his life in my hands. So that made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/he-had-the-attitude-that-he-could-do-anything-and-therefore-so-can/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [But the point is to get a whole new generation of people and people in general more re-engaged in news, and this has happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/but-the-point-is-to-get-a-whole-new-generation-of-people-and-people/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“There was never a good knife made of bad steel ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-never-a-good-knife-made-of-bad-steel/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Jobs's intensity was also evident in his ability to focus. He would set priorities, aim his laser attention on them, and filter out distractions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/jobs-s-intensity-was-also-evident-in-his-ability-to-focus-he-would/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Atop the brochure McKenna put a maxim, often attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, that would become the defining precept of Jobs’s design philosophy: “Simplicity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/atop-the-brochure-mckenna-put-a-maxim-often-attributed-to-leonardo-da/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“The company began attracting influential new investors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-company-began-attracting-influential-new-investors/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“You have to remain critically vigilant.” Question every premise, challenge conventional wisdom, and never accept the truth of something merely because everyone else views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/you-have-to-remain-critically-vigilant-question-every-premise/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“in 1996, bought NeXT, bringing Jobs back. BILL ATKINSON. Early Apple employee, developed graphics for the Macintosh. CHRISANN BRENNAN. Jobs’s girlfriend at Homestead High,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/in-1996-bought-next-bringing-jobs-back-bill-atkinson-early-apple/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“The last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-last-time-there-was-this-much-excitement-about-a-tablet-it-had/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/if-you-want-to-live-your-life-in-a-creative-way-as-an-artist-you-have/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“There was a key lesson for innovation: Understand which industries are symbiotic so that you can capitalize on how they will spur each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-a-key-lesson-for-innovation-understand-which-industries-are/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“CEO Gil Amelio stumbled. Ellison may have been baffled when Jobs insisted that he was not motivated by money, but it was partly true.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/ceo-gil-amelio-stumbled-ellison-may-have-been-baffled-when-jobs/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Once a year Jobs took his most valuable employees on a retreat, which he called " The Top 100." They were picked based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/once-a-year-jobs-took-his-most-valuable-employees-on-a-retreat-which/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“An object will display the greatest difference of light and shade when it is seen in the strongest light. . . . But this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/an-object-will-display-the-greatest-difference-of-light-and-shade/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) [Explore all 593 Walter Isaacson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) ## More Despise quotes > [My whole life has conspired to bring me to this place, and I can’t despise my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/my-whole-life-has-conspired-to-bring-me-to-this-place-and-i-can-t/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-may-be-important-to-great-thinkers-to-examine-the-world-to-explain/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“You don’t know what it’s like to worry you’ll start to despise the people who help you, the ones you should love, because they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-guzeman/you-don-t-know-what-it-s-like-to-worry-you-ll-start-to-despise-the/) [Tracy Guzeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-guzeman/) > [Never despise a drink because it is easy to make and/or uses commercial mixes. Unquestioning devotion to authenticity is, in any department of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/never-despise-a-drink-because-it-is-easy-to-make-and-or-uses/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [Everyone has conscience enough to hate; few have religion enough to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/everyone-has-conscience-enough-to-hate-few-have-religion-enough-to/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [I agree that biphobia is real, but I think it's absolutely worth considering that someone who "despises" having sex with her husband - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallory-ortberg/i-agree-that-biphobia-is-real-but-i-think-it-s-absolutely-worth/) [Mallory Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallory-ortberg/) > [If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-want-to-know-how-to-make-people-shun-you-and-laugh-at-you/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I despise a person of little mind - one might as well not have any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-dunham-kelley-hawkins/i-despise-a-person-of-little-mind-one-might-as-well-not-have-any/) [Emma Dunham Kelley-Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-dunham-kelley-hawkins/) > [I despise computers in many ways. I think they’re hopelessly underevolved and overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-despise-computers-in-many-ways-i-think-they-re-hopelessly/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [With the single exception of Homer, there is no eminent writer, not even Sir Walter Scott, whom I can despise so entirely as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/with-the-single-exception-of-homer-there-is-no-eminent-writer-not/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [I despise the pleasure of pleasing people that I despise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/i-despise-the-pleasure-of-pleasing-people-that-i-despise/) [Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/) > [It was beautiful and rare, and you have every right to despise me." She stood pressed to the wall, not moving. "When you came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/it-was-beautiful-and-rare-and-you-have-every-right-to-despise-me-she/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“I'm really starting to despise good -nights and good -byes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mi-juan-yu-tu/i-m-really-starting-to-despise-good-nights-and-good-byes/) [Mi Juan Yu tu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mi-juan-yu-tu/) > [But miserable most, to love unloved? This you should pity rather than despise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-miserable-most-to-love-unloved-this-you-should-pity-rather-than/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Browse all 918 Despise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When a person can take pleasure in marching in step to a piece of music it is enough to make me despise him. He has been given his big brain only by mistake.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walter Isaacson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-marching-in-step-to-a-piece-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Despise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-marching-in-step-to-a-piece-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/walter-isaacson-384_despise_when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-march_166398.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/walter-isaacson-384_despise_when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-march_166398.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/walter-isaacson-384_despise_when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-march_166398.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When a person can take pleasure in marching in step to a piece of music it is enough to make me despise him…” — Walter Isaacson", "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": "Walter Isaacson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When a person can take pleasure...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-marching-in-step-to-a-piece-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/when-a-person-can-take-pleasure-in-marching-in-step-to-a-piece-of/#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 } } ] } ```