--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never have I been able to settle in life…" description: "\"Never have I been able to settle in life. Always seated askew, as if on the arm of a chair; ready to get up, to leave.\" — Andre Gide" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85b/andre-gide-790_able_never-have-i-been-able-to-settle-in-life_3072667.png" --- # Never have I been able to settle in life. Always seated… ![“Never have I been able to settle in life. Always seated askew, as if on the arm of a chair; ready to get up, to leave.” quote by Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85b/andre-gide-790_able_never-have-i-been-able-to-settle-in-life_3072667.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85b/andre-gide-790_able_never-have-i-been-able-to-settle-in-life_3072667.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85b/andre-gide-790_able_never-have-i-been-able-to-settle-in-life_3072667.png) > “Never have I been able to settle in life. Always seated askew, as if on the arm of a chair; ready to get up, to leave.” [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker feels restless, never fully comfortable or settled, always ready to move on. **In simple terms:** Restlessness prevents settling down. Key Takeaway Embrace stability or channel restlessness constructively. Themes restlessness identity transience Mood uneasy reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - career changes - relationships - travel - creative projects Key Concepts existentialism self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - What does settling mean to you? - How can you balance restlessness with commitment? A Different Perspective Constant movement may hinder deep connections and lasting achievements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Seated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seated/) ## Related quotes > [The road falls dark as day turns to night. Light no longer found on this road travelled. Why dont you settle? Life. Answers the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlyn-norton/the-road-falls-dark-as-day-turns-to-night-light-no-longer-found-on/) [Kaitlyn Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlyn-norton/) > [Most people settle in life, and that's not me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-corbin/most-people-settle-in-life-and-that-s-not-me/) [Baron Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-corbin/) > [“Often people that settle in life are those that only do what they can with what they have and where they are. Never settle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/often-people-that-settle-in-life-are-those-that-only-do-what-they-can/) [Shannon l. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Here's a glorious thought: You don't have to settle. Ever. In life, in love, in your career…ANYWHERE!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/here-s-a-glorious-thought-you-don-t-have-to-settle-ever-in-life-in/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [If you settle in life, you don't go further.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/if-you-settle-in-life-you-don-t-go-further/) [Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/) > [“I had enough to wrestle, wrangle and settle back into, with this one life of mine. Besides, I knew beyond a shadow of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-had-enough-to-wrestle-wrangle-and-settle-back-into-with-this-one/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“My greatest fear for my life and yours is that we'll just get busy and distracted and settle for a mediocre, unexamined life. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wilson/my-greatest-fear-for-my-life-and-yours-is-that-we-ll-just-get-busy/) [Pete Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wilson/) > [“Don’t you dare settle for anything other than the life you want to live. Look at your life. Look at every area. See what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendon-burchard/don-t-you-dare-settle-for-anything-other-than-the-life-you-want-to/) [Brendon Burchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendon-burchard/) > [“Most people settle in life with no satisfaction. Winners are satisfied without ever settling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-woodward/most-people-settle-in-life-with-no-satisfaction-winners-are-satisfied/) [Orrin Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-woodward/) > [“We are all seeking the unobtainable. Until we find it, we settle for life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-freestone/we-are-all-seeking-the-unobtainable-until-we-find-it-we-settle-for/) [Jack Freestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-freestone/) > [Don't settle for what life gives you; make life better and build something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/don-t-settle-for-what-life-gives-you-make-life-better-and-build/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [There is someone out there that will love you.They'll want you for you.Don't settle for less.Life is short and I'm tired of wasting it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-glines/there-is-someone-out-there-that-will-love-you-they-ll-want-you-for/) [Abbi Glines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-glines/) > [Be sincere; be brief; be seated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/be-sincere-be-brief-be-seated/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [“It is no mean happiness...to be seated in the mean”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/it-is-no-mean-happiness-to-be-seated-in-the-mean/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Once I was seated, I couldn't help people-watching. I'll admit it, I'm an addict from way back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/once-i-was-seated-i-couldn-t-help-people-watching-i-ll-admit-it-i-m/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## More by Andre Gide > [Without mysticism man can achieve nothing great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/without-mysticism-man-can-achieve-nothing-great/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“The things one feels are different about oneself are the things that are rare, that give each person their value - and these are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/the-things-one-feels-are-different-about-oneself-are-the-things-that/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [I believe that in every circumstance I have been able to see rather clearly the most advantageous course I could follow, which is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/i-believe-that-in-every-circumstance-i-have-been-able-to-see-rather/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Know thyself. A maxim as pernicious as it is ugly. Whoever studies himself arrest his own development. A caterpillar who seeks to know himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/know-thyself-a-maxim-as-pernicious-as-it-is-ugly-whoever-studies/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“There is a germ of revolt lying in the spirit of inquiry and critical curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/there-is-a-germ-of-revolt-lying-in-the-spirit-of-inquiry-and-critical/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Oh, would that my mind could let fall its dead ideas, as the tree does its withered leaves!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/oh-would-that-my-mind-could-let-fall-its-dead-ideas-as-the-tree-does/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [God lies ahead. I convince myself and constantly repeat to myself that: He depends on us. It is through us that God is achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/god-lies-ahead-i-convince-myself-and-constantly-repeat-to-myself-that/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“Welcome everything that comes to you, but do not long for anything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/welcome-everything-that-comes-to-you-but-do-not-long-for-anything-else/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [There are many things that seem impossible only so long as one does not attempt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/there-are-many-things-that-seem-impossible-only-so-long-as-one-does/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [Envying another man's happiness is madness; you wouldn't know what to do with it if you had it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/envying-another-man-s-happiness-is-madness-you-wouldn-t-know-what-to/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [So long as we live among men, let us cherish humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/so-long-as-we-live-among-men-let-us-cherish-humanity/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [It is one of life's laws that as soon as one door closes another opens. But the tragedy is we look at the closed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/it-is-one-of-life-s-laws-that-as-soon-as-one-door-closes-another/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“What would a narrative of happiness be like? All that can be described is what prepares it, and then what destroys it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/what-would-a-narrative-of-happiness-be-like-all-that-can-be-described/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [It is with noble sentiments that bad literature gets written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/it-is-with-noble-sentiments-that-bad-literature-gets-written/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) > [“C'est dans l'extraordinaire que je me sens le plus naturel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/c-est-dans-l-extraordinaire-que-je-me-sens-le-plus-naturel/) [André Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) [Explore all 304 Andre Gide quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- 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/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Never have I been able to settle in life. 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