"Ideas are one thing and what happens is another"

In this quote, John Cage is highlighting the distinction between concepts and their execution. He suggests that while concepts might be effective and influential, they are eventually different from the concrete results that arise from them. Concepts can be grand and motivating, however it is the actions and occasions that follow that genuinely shape our world. Cage is advising us that concepts alone are inadequate; it is the implementation and realization of those concepts that truly matter. This quote serves as a reminder to not only dream big, but to also do something about it and make those ideas a reality.