--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You shouldn't have standards that inhibit…" description: "\"You shouldn't have standards that inhibit you from writing It really doesn't make any difference if you are good or bad today. The assessment of the pr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/william-stafford-8165_assessment_you-shouldn-t-have-standards-that-inhibi_3189119.png" --- # You shouldn't have standards that inhibit you from writing… ![“You shouldn't have standards that inhibit you from writing It really doesn't make any difference if you are good or bad today. The assessment of the product is something that happens after you've done it.” quote by William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/william-stafford-8165_assessment_you-shouldn-t-have-standards-that-inhibi_3189119.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/william-stafford-8165_assessment_you-shouldn-t-have-standards-that-inhibi_3189119.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/william-stafford-8165_assessment_you-shouldn-t-have-standards-that-inhibi_3189119.png) > “You shouldn't have standards that inhibit you from writing It really doesn't make any difference if you are good or bad today. The assessment of the product is something that happens after you've done it.” [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Standards should not block creative effort; quality is judged after creation. **In simple terms:** Don't let standards stop you from writing. Key Takeaway Write first, evaluate later. Themes creativity self-doubt process Mood reflective encouraging Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - writing workshops - daily journaling - creative retreats - online blogs Key Concepts artistic freedom evaluation timing Questions to Reflect On - What standards could actually improve your work? - How do you balance freedom and quality? A Different Perspective Risk of producing low-quality work without standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [In my opinion, you keep the standards very high and you maintain one standard. 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Their differences are the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/people-know-the-difference-between-good-and-evil-in-their-hearts-if/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [The first idea the child must acquire is that of the difference between good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-first-idea-the-child-must-acquire-is-that-of-the-difference/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [It is in vain that we search for an essential difference between good and evil, for their constituents are the same. The crucial distinction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hampden-turner/it-is-in-vain-that-we-search-for-an-essential-difference-between-good/) Charles Hampden-Turner > [I'm not interested in the difference between good and bad, I'm interested in the differences between good and great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/i-m-not-interested-in-the-difference-between-good-and-bad-i-m/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [“There’s a difference between being good to someone and being good for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-sundin/there-s-a-difference-between-being-good-to-someone-and-being-good-for/) [Sarah Sundin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-sundin/) > [The difference between the good players and the great is how long they stay in their prime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-carter/the-difference-between-the-good-players-and-the-great-is-how-long/) [Cris Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-carter/) > [Courage is an angel which makes the difference between a good life and a great life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-reed/courage-is-an-angel-which-makes-the-difference-between-a-good-life/) Kate Reed > [The difference between something good and something great is attention to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/the-difference-between-something-good-and-something-great-is/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [I believe there's a strong difference between something being good and something being successful. The successful thing is something we have no control over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-warchus/i-believe-there-s-a-strong-difference-between-something-being-good/) Matthew Warchus > [Good coffee is a benefit, but great coffee is a reward, and the difference between good and great is just pennies a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wyckoff/good-coffee-is-a-benefit-but-great-coffee-is-a-reward-and-the/) Richard Wyckoff > [I've seen the bottom and I know the difference between good golf and bad golf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duval/i-ve-seen-the-bottom-and-i-know-the-difference-between-good-golf-and/) [David Duval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duval/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson ## More by William Stafford > [People wander about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/people-wander-about-what-you-are-pursuing-you-have-to-explain-about/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [Anyone who breathes is in the rhythm business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/anyone-who-breathes-is-in-the-rhythm-business/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [I don't see writing as a communication of something already discovered, as "truths" already known. Rather, I see writing as a job of experiment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-don-t-see-writing-as-a-communication-of-something-already/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [An owl sound wandered along the road with me. I didn't hear it--I breathed it into my ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/an-owl-sound-wandered-along-the-road-with-me-i-didn-t-hear-it-i/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The Way It Is There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-way-it-is-there-s-a-thread-you-follow-it-goes-among-things-that/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [It's love,' they say. You touch the right one and a whole half of the universe wakes up, a new half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/it-s-love-they-say-you-touch-the-right-one-and-a-whole-half-of-the/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [“We think it is calm here, or that our storm is the right size.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/we-think-it-is-calm-here-or-that-our-storm-is-the-right-size/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [“There may be losses too great to understand That rove after you and--faint and terrible-- rip unknown through your hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/there-may-be-losses-too-great-to-understand-that-rove-after-you-and/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [It is as if the ordinary language we use every day has a hidden set of signals, a kind of secret code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/it-is-as-if-the-ordinary-language-we-use-every-day-has-a-hidden-set/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [My question is "when did other people give up the idea of being a poet?" You know, when we are kids we make up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/my-question-is-when-did-other-people-give-up-the-idea-of-being-a-poet/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The things you do not have to say make you rich. Saying the things you do not have to say weakens your talk. Hearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-things-you-do-not-have-to-say-make-you-rich-saying-the-things-you/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [“I am your own way of looking at things," she said. "When you allow me to live with you, every glance at the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-am-your-own-way-of-looking-at-things-she-said-when-you-allow-me-to/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [I heard a bird congratulating itself all day for being a jay. Nobody cared. But it was glad all over again, and said so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/i-heard-a-bird-congratulating-itself-all-day-for-being-a-jay-nobody/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [The earth says have a place, be what that place requires; hear the sound the birds imply and see as deep as ridges go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/the-earth-says-have-a-place-be-what-that-place-requires-hear-the/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) > [You can lie at a banquet but you have to be honest in the kitchen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stafford/you-can-lie-at-a-banquet-but-you-have-to-be-honest-in-the-kitchen/) [William Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) [Explore all 83 William Stafford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stafford/) ## More Assessment quotes > [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/) Frank H. T. Rhodes > [I would say my fraternity was nothing but a bunch of farm boys; we weren't really in the whole fraternity scene, but yeah, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-would-say-my-fraternity-was-nothing-but-a-bunch-of-farm-boys-we/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [So a truthful assessment of how America is doing in the war on terror as a result of President Bush's war on Iraq is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-olver/so-a-truthful-assessment-of-how-america-is-doing-in-the-war-on-terror/) [John Olver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-olver/) > [A mighty maze! But not without a plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/a-mighty-maze-but-not-without-a-plan/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [No one seriously doubts Socrates' maxim: The unexamined life isn't worth living. Self-assessment and attempts at self-improvement are essential aspects of "the good life."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-burton/no-one-seriously-doubts-socrates-maxim-the-unexamined-life-isn-t/) [Robert A. Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-burton/) > [“To assess the quality of thoughts of people, don't listen to their words, but watch their actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/to-assess-the-quality-of-thoughts-of-people-don-t-listen-to-their/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Even without voting, illegal aliens do affect who gets elected president, and that's since the Electoral College elects the president, and the states are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/even-without-voting-illegal-aliens-do-affect-who-gets-elected/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [President Obama had voiced strong support for the effort in Afghanistan during his campaign, pledging to add two brigades, which he did. But since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/president-obama-had-voiced-strong-support-for-the-effort-in/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [Before the curse of statistics fell upon mankind we lived a happy, innocent life, full of merriment and go and informed by fairly good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/before-the-curse-of-statistics-fell-upon-mankind-we-lived-a-happy/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [If you want to zoom down the expert slope tomorrow, you have to fall down the bunny slope today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-lewis/if-you-want-to-zoom-down-the-expert-slope-tomorrow-you-have-to-fall/) [Cynthia Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-lewis/) > [Commercialism that has absolutely no relationship to quality whatsoever, only quantitative assessment of a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/commercialism-that-has-absolutely-no-relationship-to-quality/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [I made my own assessment of my life, and I began to live it. That was freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-flores/i-made-my-own-assessment-of-my-life-and-i-began-to-live-it-that-was/) [Fernando Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-flores/) > [Patronizing the Arts is a brilliantly nuanced assessment of why universities must become art patrons. Learning from the twentieth-century university's embrace of Big Science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-phelan/patronizing-the-arts-is-a-brilliantly-nuanced-assessment-of-why/) [Peggy Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-phelan/) > [“The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System measures accuracy, comprehension, and fluency. (There are also assessments in the system that measure phonemic awareness, phonics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-landrigan/the-fountas-and-pinnell-benchmark-assessment-system-measures-accuracy/) [Clare Landrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-landrigan/) > [“In fact, they’re trained in risk assessment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yrsa-sigur-ard-ttir/in-fact-they-re-trained-in-risk-assessment/) [Yrsa Sigurðardóttir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yrsa-sigur-ard-ttir/) Browse all 313 Assessment quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You shouldn't have standards that inhibit you from writing It really doesn't make any difference if you are good or bad today. 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