--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They were properly mad in the…" description: "\"“They were properly mad in the Shakespearean sense, talking sense when you least expected it. In North London, where councillors once voted to change t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/zadie-smith-584_defense-mechanism_they-were-properly-mad-in-the-shakespear_737041.jpg" --- # They were properly mad in the Shakespearean sense, talking… ![“They were properly mad in the Shakespearean sense, talking sense when you least expected it. In North London, where councillors once voted to change the name of the area to Nirvana, it is not unusual to walk the streets and be suddenly confronted by sage words from the chalkfaced, blue-lipped, or…” quote by Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/zadie-smith-584_defense-mechanism_they-were-properly-mad-in-the-shakespear_737041.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/zadie-smith-584_defense-mechanism_they-were-properly-mad-in-the-shakespear_737041.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/zadie-smith-584_defense-mechanism_they-were-properly-mad-in-the-shakespear_737041.jpg) > ““They were properly mad in the Shakespearean sense, talking sense when you least expected it. In North London, where councillors once voted to change the name of the area to Nirvana, it is not unusual to walk the streets and be suddenly confronted by sage words from the chalkfaced, blue-lipped, or eyebrowless. From across the street or from the other end of a tube carriage they will use their schizophrenic talent for seeing connections in the random (for discerning the whole world in a grain of sand, for deriving narrative from nothing) to riddle you, to rhyme you, to strip you down, to tell you who you are and where you’re going (usually Baker Street—the great majority of modernday seers travel the Metropolitan Line) and why. But as a city we are not appreciative of these people. Our gut instinct is that they intend to embarrass us, that they’re out to shame us somehow as they lurch down the train aisle, bulbous-eyed and with carbuncled nose, preparing to ask us, inevitably, what we are looking at. What the fuck we are looking at. As a kind of preemptive defense mechanism, Londoners have learned not to look, never to look, to avoid eyes at all times so that the dreaded question “What you looking at?” and its pitiful, gutless, useless answer —“Nothing”—might be avoided.”” [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Urban street performers use chaotic creativity to challenge passersby, revealing hidden truths and provoking self‑examination. **In simple terms:** Street artists provoke thought through random connections. Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected insights from everyday encounters. Themes creativity urban life perception social critique Mood curious skeptical amused Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - commuting - tourism - public spaces - art festivals Key Concepts randomness connection identity narrative performance Questions to Reflect On - How do you react to sudden, puzzling remarks? - What value lies in random artistic expression? A Different Perspective Their methods may alienate or confuse audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defense mechanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-mechanism/) [Gut instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gut-instinct/) [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) [Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [Often I used my gut instinct to ask the questions and get the answers I thought the audience wanted to hear. 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You have to have that script there because, if you don't, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-shannon/i-m-so-respectful-of-good-writing-it-s-the-blueprint-for-the-movie/) [Molly Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-shannon/) > [An egg is a beautiful, sophisticated thing that can create even more sophisticated things, such as chickens. And we know in our heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-christian/an-egg-is-a-beautiful-sophisticated-thing-that-can-create-even-more/) [David Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-christian/) > [I give it to The Based God who really informs me and gives me that gut instinct and the power to say who's cursed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/i-give-it-to-the-based-god-who-really-informs-me-and-gives-me-that/) [Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/) > [“Every small things grows when you nurture it, Rosie. Love is just the same. 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Trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/dejavu-is-a-subconcious-reminder-of-the-contract-your-soul-signed/) [Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [“No one knows what you have been through or what your pretty little eyes have seen, but I can reassure you ~ whatever you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/no-one-knows-what-you-have-been-through-or-what-your-pretty-little/) [Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [It's gut instinct that helps me determine how to write a story. I love the surreal because I am faced with the challenge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/it-s-gut-instinct-that-helps-me-determine-how-to-write-a-story-i-love/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) ## More by Zadie Smith > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“Pretty girls lie at the centre of straight culture, dyke culture, fag culture. They sell everything, they buy everything, they ruin great men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/pretty-girls-lie-at-the-centre-of-straight-culture-dyke-culture-fag/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“I have known many true connoisseurs, with excellent tastes that range across the humanities and the culinary arts--and they never fail to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-have-known-many-true-connoisseurs-with-excellent-tastes-that-range/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [I cannot believe homosexuality is that much fun. Heterosexuality certainly is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-cannot-believe-homosexuality-is-that-much-fun-heterosexuality/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“Either everything is sacred or nothing is. And if he starts burning other people’s things, then he loses something sacred also. Everyone gets what’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/either-everything-is-sacred-or-nothing-is-and-if-he-starts-burning/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [My feeling is, having lived in different classes, that people want equality of opportunity... that's the thing that makes me despair: the idea that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/my-feeling-is-having-lived-in-different-classes-that-people-want/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [I don't keep any copies of my books in the house - they go to my mum's flat. I don't like them around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-don-t-keep-any-copies-of-my-books-in-the-house-they-go-to-my-mum-s/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [But it makes an immigrant laugh to hear the fears of the nationalist, scared of infection, penetration, miscegenation, when this is small fry, peanuts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/but-it-makes-an-immigrant-laugh-to-hear-the-fears-of-the-nationalist/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [Oh, I know that. You know me, baby, I cannot be broken. Takes a giant to snap me in half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/oh-i-know-that-you-know-me-baby-i-cannot-be-broken-takes-a-giant-to/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“In short, it was precisely the kind of friendship and Englishman makes on holiday, that he can make only on holiday. A friendship that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/in-short-it-was-precisely-the-kind-of-friendship-and-englishman-makes/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [I suppose I often think of my writing as quite impersonal. But it turned out, when my father died, writing was exactly what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-suppose-i-often-think-of-my-writing-as-quite-impersonal-but-it/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“Some of us are happy with our African hair, thank you very much. I don't want some poor Indian girl's hair. And I wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/some-of-us-are-happy-with-our-african-hair-thank-you-very-much-i-don/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [You can't state difference and also state equality. We have to state sameness to understand equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-can-t-state-difference-and-also-state-equality-we-have-to-state/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“(Unlike many others around this time, Joyce felt no shame about using the term 'middle class'. In the Chalfen lexicon the middle classes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/unlike-many-others-around-this-time-joyce-felt-no-shame-about-using/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [A lot of women, when they're young, feel they have very good friends, and find later on that friendship is complicated. It's easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/a-lot-of-women-when-they-re-young-feel-they-have-very-good-friends/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) [Explore all 457 Zadie Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) ## More Defense mechanism quotes > [“How can you love someone when you know they will never truly love you back because they can’t ever love you back? Your brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-moore/how-can-you-love-someone-when-you-know-they-will-never-truly-love-you/) [Portia Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-moore/) > [When you're walking at the airport, you're expected to smile at people because they know you... I find that tough. I'm only trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-kaif/when-you-re-walking-at-the-airport-you-re-expected-to-smile-at-people/) [Katrina Kaif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-kaif/) > [Christianity has a built-in defense system: anything that questions a belief, no matter how logical the argument is, is the work of Satan by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/christianity-has-a-built-in-defense-system-anything-that-questions-a/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [Black people in America have to, for their own protection, develop a defense mechanism, and I just grew terribly tired of it. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/black-people-in-america-have-to-for-their-own-protection-develop-a/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [“We live in an era where everyone is terrified of being caught trying. So, the defense mechanism is to pretend you never gave a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lokesh-tuli/we-live-in-an-era-where-everyone-is-terrified-of-being-caught-trying/) [Lokesh Tuli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lokesh-tuli/) > [“DENIAL Defense mechanism in which the existence of unpleasant realities is disavowed; refers to keeping out of conscious awareness any aspects of external reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-sadock/denial-defense-mechanism-in-which-the-existence-of-unpleasant/) Benjamin Sadock > [When my wife and I met, I couldn't talk to her - and my defense mechanism is sarcasm. I belittle someone with verbal pokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-vogel/when-my-wife-and-i-met-i-couldn-t-talk-to-her-and-my-defense/) [Mike Vogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-vogel/) > [I don't really know. I think the first test is when you're very little and you fart, and you laugh at it and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mchale/i-don-t-really-know-i-think-the-first-test-is-when-you-re-very-little/) [Joel McHale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mchale/) > [As a kid I was short and only weighed 95 pounds. And though I was active in a lot of Sports and got along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-conway/as-a-kid-i-was-short-and-only-weighed-95-pounds-and-though-i-was/) [Tim Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-conway/) > [“Instead of seeing bad in yourself, you perceive it in others. It’s a defense mechanism. One that allows people to go on believing they’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koren-zailckas/instead-of-seeing-bad-in-yourself-you-perceive-it-in-others-it-s-a/) [Koren Zailckas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koren-zailckas/) > [The nerves of the skin send pain signals to the brain to warn us of the danger from and impending injury. 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In North London, where councillors once voted to change the name of the area to Nirvana, it is not unusual to walk the streets and be suddenly confronted by sage words from the chalkfaced, blue-lipped, or eyebrowless. From across the street or from the other end of a tube carriage they will use their schizophrenic talent for seeing connections in the random (for discerning the whole world in a grain of sand, for deriving narrative from nothing) to riddle you, to rhyme you, to strip you down, to tell you who you are and where you’re going (usually Baker Street—the great majority of modernday seers travel the Metropolitan Line) and why. But as a city we are not appreciative of these people. Our gut instinct is that they intend to embarrass us, that they’re out to shame us somehow as they lurch down the train aisle, bulbous-eyed and with carbuncled nose, preparing to ask us, inevitably, what we are looking at. What the fuck we are looking at. 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