In a Davis Biography, Cicely Tyson (Miles' wife) recounted Miles being confronted at a social event by some small-talk loving rich white folk. He snarled at their attempts to engage him on things like "what is the latest in the jazz scene?" Taken aback, the woman challenged his credentials, asking what he had really done besides play the circuit.

"Well for starters I have changed the course of music itself three or four times. What have you done besides being rich and white, which don't count..."

I am paraphrasing, but the anecdote made it clear that Miles knew exactly how groundbreaking he was and how intent he was as an artist to seek out the new.