QuoteProject
Tell me, he said, "What is this thing about time? Why is it better to be late than early? People are always saying, we must wait, we must wait. what are they waiting for?" "Well […] I guess people wait in order to make sure of what they feel." "And when you have waited—-has it made you sure?
James A. Baldwin
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote explores the nature of time and the reasons behind waiting, questioning if waiting leads to certainty in feelings.

James A. Baldwin's quote delves into the philosophical inquiry of time and the human tendency to wait for clarity in emotions. It prompts the reader to reflect on the reasons people postpone actions or decisions, suggesting that the act of waiting itself may not necessarily provide the certainty or understanding that individuals seek, encouraging a deeper examination of how we navigate our feelings and choices in life.

Themes

TimeWaitingFeelingsCertaintyPhilosophy

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech discussing decision-making, one might quote Baldwin to emphasize the importance of understanding the motivation behind waiting.

More from James A. Baldwin

It is dangerous to be an American Negro male. America has never wanted its Negroes to be men, and does not, generally, treat them as men. It treats them as mascots, pets, or things.
James A. BaldwinRead
The white man discovered the Cross by way of the Bible, but the black man discovered the Bible by way of the Cross.
James A. BaldwinRead
Those kids aren't dumb. But the people who run these schools want to make sure they don't get smart: they are really teaching the kids to be slaves.
James A. BaldwinRead
Experience, which destroys innocence, also leads one back to it.
James A. BaldwinRead
The reason people think it's important to be white is that they think it's important not to be black.
James A. BaldwinRead
The trick is to love somebody.... If you love one person, you see everybody else differently.
James A. BaldwinRead

Similar quotes

The mask was a thing on it's own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-conciousness.
William GoldingRead
But all fairytales have rules, and perhaps it’s their rules that actually distinguish one fairytale from the other. These rules never need to be understood. They only need to be followed. If not, what they promise won’t come true.
Jostein GaarderRead
Today Christmas has become a commercial celebration, whose bright lights hide the mystery of God’s humility, which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity. Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season, and to discover behind it the child in the stable in Bethlehem, so as to find true joy and true light.
Pope Benedict XviRead
No one in the final analysis really fails to become a Christian because of lack of arguments; he fails to become a Christian because he loves darkness rather than light and wants nothing to do with God.
William Lane CraigRead
As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge.
Henry Van DykeRead
I want an ending that's satisfying. I'm more of a classical writer than a modernist one in that I want the ending to be coherent and feel like an ending. I don't like when it just seems to putter out. I mean, life is chaotic enough.
Jeffrey EugenidesRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.