--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man who took great pride in his lawn…" description: "\"A man who took great pride in his lawn found himself with a large crop of dandelions. He tried every method he knew to get rid of them. Still they plag..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/010/anthony-de-mello-1331_agriculture_a-man-who-took-great-pride-in-his-lawn-f_1556705.jpg" --- # A man who took great pride in his lawn found himself with… ![“A man who took great pride in his lawn found himself with a large crop of dandelions. He tried every method he knew to get rid of them. Still they plagued him. Finally he wrote the department of agriculture. He enumerated all the things he had tried and closed his letter with the question: "What…” quote by Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/010/anthony-de-mello-1331_agriculture_a-man-who-took-great-pride-in-his-lawn-f_1556705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/010/anthony-de-mello-1331_agriculture_a-man-who-took-great-pride-in-his-lawn-f_1556705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/010/anthony-de-mello-1331_agriculture_a-man-who-took-great-pride-in-his-lawn-f_1556705.jpg) > “A man who took great pride in his lawn found himself with a large crop of dandelions. He tried every method he knew to get rid of them. Still they plagued him. Finally he wrote the department of agriculture. He enumerated all the things he had tried and closed his letter with the question: "What shall I do now?" In due course the reply came: "We suggest you learn to love them."” [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A man obsessively battles weeds, only to be told to accept them, highlighting futility of control. **In simple terms:** Accept what you cannot change. Key Takeaway Let go of obsessive control. Themes acceptance control nature Mood thoughtful calm Type self‑help philosophical When to use this quote - gardening - stress management - personal growth - coaching Key Concepts mindfulness resilience Questions to Reflect On - What can we learn from unwanted growth? - When is resistance useful? A Different Perspective Advice may seem dismissive of legitimate concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agriculture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agriculture/) [Closed Letter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closed-letter-548585/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Crop Dandelions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crop-dandelions-5831667/) [Crops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crops/) [Dandelions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dandelions/) [Dandelions Tried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dandelions-tried-5831666/) [Department](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/department/) [Dues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dues/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Lawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawn/) [Lawns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawns/) [Letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letters/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/method/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) ## Related quotes > [If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mason/if-dandelions-were-hard-to-grow-they-would-be-most-welcome-on-any-lawn/) [Andrew Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mason/) > [I am not a lover of lawns. Rather would I see daisies in their thousands, ground ivy, hawkweed, and even the hated plantain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-hudson/i-am-not-a-lover-of-lawns-rather-would-i-see-daisies-in-their/) [William Henry Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-henry-hudson/) > [Flowers are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities of the world. If dandelions were hard to grow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mason/flowers-are-a-proud-assertion-that-a-ray-of-beauty-out-values-all-the/) [Andrew Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mason/) > [“was paler. Her hand closed on the letter it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-wentworth/was-paler-her-hand-closed-on-the-letter-it/) [Patricia Wentworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-wentworth/) > [“One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/one-small-hand-closed-on-the-letter-beside-him-and-he-slept-on-not/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [The grass is always greener once you don't have to mow a lawn anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-milholland/the-grass-is-always-greener-once-you-don-t-have-to-mow-a-lawn-anymore/) [R. K. Milholland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-milholland/) > [If I ever wanted a gnome, I guess Id just stand out on my lawn for a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-christ/if-i-ever-wanted-a-gnome-i-guess-id-just-stand-out-on-my-lawn-for-a/) [Johnny Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-christ/) > [It's not that the grass is greener on the other side, it's that you can never be on both sides of the lawn at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/it-s-not-that-the-grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side-it-s-that-you/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [I always thought a yard was three feet, then I started mowing the lawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lettie-cowman/i-always-thought-a-yard-was-three-feet-then-i-started-mowing-the-lawn/) [Lettie Cowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lettie-cowman/) > [Sprawled out on the front lawn Looking up at an ordinary sky It could fall on me and somehow be The day I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-burd/sprawled-out-on-the-front-lawn-looking-up-at-an-ordinary-sky-it-could/) [Nick Burd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-burd/) > [If the grass is greener somewhere else...start watering your own lawn!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/if-the-grass-is-greener-somewhere-else-start-watering-your-own-lawn/) [Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/) > [Crabgrass is aptly descriptive of this hated weed, for it does scuttle quickly through a lawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-lacy/crabgrass-is-aptly-descriptive-of-this-hated-weed-for-it-does-scuttle/) [Allen Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-lacy/) > [“I've never written a quote I feel would be suitable for my gravestone. Wouldn't it be ironic if it were this one? Oh, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lilly/i-ve-never-written-a-quote-i-feel-would-be-suitable-for-my-gravestone/) [Ryan Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lilly/) > [I just can't recruit where there's grass around. You gotta have a concrete lawn before I feel comfortable enough to go in and talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-mcguire/i-just-can-t-recruit-where-there-s-grass-around-you-gotta-have-a/) [Al McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-mcguire/) > [It's something he used to say when he was happy. It could be a very, very simple day. We might be sitting out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grant/it-s-something-he-used-to-say-when-he-was-happy-it-could-be-a-very/) [Jennifer Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grant/) ## More by Anthony de Mello > [The poor think they will be happy when they become rich. The rich think they will be happy when they are rid of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-poor-think-they-will-be-happy-when-they-become-rich-the-rich/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You only change what you understand. What you do not understand and are not aware of, you repress. You dont change. But when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-only-change-what-you-understand-what-you-do-not-understand-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master what he thought about this. The Master said, "Wait."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-zealous-disciple-expressed-a-desire-to-teach-others-the-truth-and/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [As the Arabs say, "The nature of rain is the same, but it makes thorns grow in the marshes and flowers in the gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/as-the-arabs-say-the-nature-of-rain-is-the-same-but-it-makes-thorns/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Sinners often speak the truth. And saints have led people astray. Examine what is said, not the one who says it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/sinners-often-speak-the-truth-and-saints-have-led-people-astray/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Isn't there such a thing as social liberation?" "Of course there is," said the Master. "How would you describe it?" "Liberation from the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/isn-t-there-such-a-thing-as-social-liberation-of-course-there-is-said/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [The important thing is not to know who "I" is or what "I" is. You'll never succeed. There are no words for it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/the-important-thing-is-not-to-know-who-i-is-or-what-i-is-you-ll-never/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [And increasingly - you know this and so do I we're losing the youth everywhere. They hate us; they are not interested in having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-increasingly-you-know-this-and-so-do-i-we-re-losing-the-youth/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Spirituality practiced in the state of activity is incomparably superior to that practiced in a state of withdrawel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/spirituality-practiced-in-the-state-of-activity-is-incomparably/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You know, all mystics - Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion - are unanimous on one thing:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-know-all-mystics-catholic-christian-non-christian-no-matter-what/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [There were rules in the monastery, but the Master always warned against the tyranny of the law. 'Obedience keeps the rules,' he would say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/there-were-rules-in-the-monastery-but-the-master-always-warned/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [A disciple, in his reverence for the Master, looked upon him as God incarnate. "Tell me, O Master," he said, "why you have come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/a-disciple-in-his-reverence-for-the-master-looked-upon-him-as-god/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [“And how about you? Do you want to understand and play the game of life or fool around with miracles?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/and-how-about-you-do-you-want-to-understand-and-play-the-game-of-life/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-don-t-have-to-add-anything-in-order-to-be-happy-you-ve-got-to/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Rare indeed, is the relationship in which the other is not cultivated for what one can get for oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/rare-indeed-is-the-relationship-in-which-the-other-is-not-cultivated/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) [Explore all 253 Anthony de Mello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) ## More Agriculture quotes > [Advances in technology will continue to reach far into every sector of our economy. Future job and economic growth in industry, defense, transportation, agriculture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bond/advances-in-technology-will-continue-to-reach-far-into-every-sector/) [Christopher Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bond/) > [To husband is to use with care, to keep, to save, to make last, to conserve. Old usage tells us that there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/to-husband-is-to-use-with-care-to-keep-to-save-to-make-last-to/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [As the first Member of Congress from western Washington to serve on the House Agriculture Committee in over 50 years, I am proud to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/as-the-first-member-of-congress-from-western-washington-to-serve-on/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) > [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/) [Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/) > [I would say my fraternity was nothing but a bunch of farm boys; we weren't really in the whole fraternity scene, but yeah, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-would-say-my-fraternity-was-nothing-but-a-bunch-of-farm-boys-we/) [Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/) > [I grew up in Italy, and our country is a country of great agriculture and food produce. It wasn't like I was urban and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/i-grew-up-in-italy-and-our-country-is-a-country-of-great-agriculture/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [Farmers, get out your sense of humor. Congress meets to relieve you again next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/farmers-get-out-your-sense-of-humor-congress-meets-to-relieve-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Sara Scherr and Jeff McNeely have given us a thoughtful, sensible book about a topic of great importance to the world. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-serageldin/sara-scherr-and-jeff-mcneely-have-given-us-a-thoughtful-sensible-book/) [Ismail Serageldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-serageldin/) > [People want development, modern thinking. They want to encourage and support research in agriculture and other fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharad-pawar/people-want-development-modern-thinking-they-want-to-encourage-and/) [Sharad Pawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharad-pawar/) > [Growing corn, which from a biological perspective had always been a process of capturing sunlight to turn into food, has in no small measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/growing-corn-which-from-a-biological-perspective-had-always-been-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [When politicians talk of loan waiver, they are accepting that agriculture is not economically viable. They are giving a wrong signal that farming is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-s-swaminathan/when-politicians-talk-of-loan-waiver-they-are-accepting-that/) [M. S. Swaminathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-s-swaminathan/) > [Nitrogen-based fertilizers, which came into wide use after World War II, helped prompt the agricultural revolution that has allowed the Earth to feed its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/nitrogen-based-fertilizers-which-came-into-wide-use-after-world-war/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [Agriculture is one economic activity that does not obey the laws of demand and supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/agriculture-is-one-economic-activity-that-does-not-obey-the-laws-of/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [More than a mere alternative strategy, regenerative agriculture represents a fundamental shift in our culture’s relationship to nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eisenstein/more-than-a-mere-alternative-strategy-regenerative-agriculture/) [Charles Eisenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eisenstein/) [Browse all 889 Agriculture quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agriculture/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man who took great pride in his lawn found himself with a large crop of dandelions. 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