“There’s no reason to assume that my idea of what‘s better would really be better. I resent it when other people try to inflict their ideas of betterness on me.”

—  Frank Zappa

Oui interview (1979)
Context: There’s no reason to assume that my idea of what‘s better would really be better. I resent it when other people try to inflict their ideas of betterness on me. I don’t think they know. And I can’t see any authority on the horizon that’s got any answers that seem worthwhile. Most of the things that are suggested are probably detrimental to your mental health.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 27, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "There’s no reason to assume that my idea of what‘s better would really be better. I resent it when other people try to …" by Frank Zappa?
Frank Zappa photo
Frank Zappa 129
American musician, songwriter, composer, and record and fil… 1940–1993

Related quotes

Norman Tebbit photo

“My Lords, would it not be a good idea if the Chairman of Committees and all Members resisted the mad idea of this House being dragged into this century? It is a very disagreeable century. Would it not be a better idea to drag us back perhaps into the 19th century, which in many ways was a very much better one for this country?”

Norman Tebbit (1931) English politician

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds05/text/51115-03.htm

Boris Johnson photo

“The dreadful truth is that when people come to see their MP, they have run out of better ideas.”

Boris Johnson (1964) British politician, historian and journalist

"What's wrong with 40 Liverpool Road?", Daily Telegraph, 18 September 2003, p. 24.
2000s, 2003

John Scalzi photo

“If you want me to treat your ideas with more respect, get some better ideas.”

John Scalzi (1969) American science fiction writer

Source: Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998-2008

“I was left with a great idea gutted by critical examination. But that's good. That's how we make ideas better—by trying to poke holes in them and then finding ways to fix the holes.”

Greg Craven American teacher and writer

Source: What's the Worst That Could Happen?: A Rational Response to the Climate Change Debate (2009), Chapter 1 "The Decision Grid" (p. 31)

Karl Dönitz photo

“By placing these people with foreign ideas in camps, German blood was saved. Would it have been better to have a civil war?”

Karl Dönitz (1891–1980) President of Germany; admiral in command of German submarine forces during World War II

To Leon Goldensohn, May 2, 1946, from "The Nuremberg Interviews" by Leon Goldensohn, Robert Gellately - History - 2004.

“Don't try to be better than others. Try to be better than yourself.”

Carlos Gershenson (1978) Mexican researcher

Zire Notes (May 2004 - December 2006)

Steve Biko photo

“It is better to die for an idea that will live, than to live for an idea that will die.”

Steve Biko (1946–1977) anti-apartheid activist in South Africa

Quoted in Scott MacLeod, "South Africa: Extremes in Black and Whites" http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975037,00.html, Time, March 9, 1992, p. 38
Quoted in "The Mind of Black Africa" (1996) by Dickson A. Mungazi, p. 159

Thomas Sowell photo

“The fact that the market is not doing what we wish it would do is no reason to automatically assume that the government would do better.”

Thomas Sowell (1930) American economist, social theorist, political philosopher and author
Karen Marie Moning photo

“For what other reason would you have me save you? Because I like you? Better to be useful than liked.”

Karen Marie Moning (1964) author

Source: Bloodfever

“I really envy the members of the production departments of American movie studios. Their ideas are better, and they are given much more time to work on films.”

Kenpachiro Satsuma (1947) Japanese actor

As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I" http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/satsum.htm, Kaiju Conversations (December 1993)

Related topics