--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then he [The Star Child] waited…" description: "\"Then he [The Star Child] waited, marshaling his thoughts and brooding over his still untested powers. For though he was master of the world, he was not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/arthur-c-clarke-640_brooding_then-he-the-star-child-waited-marshaling_1431413.jpg" --- # Then he \[The Star Child\] waited, marshaling his thoughts… ![“Then he [The Star Child] waited, marshaling his thoughts and brooding over his still untested powers. For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something.” quote by Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/arthur-c-clarke-640_brooding_then-he-the-star-child-waited-marshaling_1431413.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/arthur-c-clarke-640_brooding_then-he-the-star-child-waited-marshaling_1431413.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/arthur-c-clarke-640_brooding_then-he-the-star-child-waited-marshaling_1431413.jpg) > “Then he \[The Star Child\] waited, marshaling his thoughts and brooding over his still untested powers. For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something.” [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A powerful being struggles with purpose after achieving mastery, reflecting on the burden of potential. **In simple terms:** Even masters can feel lost. Key Takeaway Seek purpose beyond power. Themes purpose existential power Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - heroic journey - self-reflection - leadership Key Concepts self-doubt potential responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What will you do when you have everything? - How do you find meaning after success? A Different Perspective Power alone doesn’t guarantee direction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brooding/) [Child Waited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-waited-1220448/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Marshaling Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marshaling-thoughts-5098241/) [Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thoughts Brooding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-brooding-3515348/) [Waited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waited/) [Waited Marshaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waited-marshaling-5098240/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“To every child who waited for a savior that never came.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-salsbury/to-every-child-who-waited-for-a-savior-that-never-came/) [J.B. Salsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-salsbury/) > [“Rumination is a maladaptive form of self-reflection that has an addictive quality. When you’re constantly “in your head,” looping negative thoughts, brooding, and thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-scott/rumination-is-a-maladaptive-form-of-self-reflection-that-has-an/) [S.J. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-scott/) > [“I was used to waiting for her. As a child I'd waited for hel all the time, but it never annoyed me because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-winman/i-was-used-to-waiting-for-her-as-a-child-i-d-waited-for-hel-all-the/) [Sarah Winman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-winman/) > [...if a child waited to speak until all the grown-ups settled down and gave her some room to say her piece, the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-hannigan/if-a-child-waited-to-speak-until-all-the-grown-ups-settled-down-and/) [Katherine Hannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-hannigan/) > [Ideas come when we do not expect them, and not when we are brooding and searching at our desks. 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Give up this dangerous habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/lately-you-are-brooding-too-much-about-rights-give-up-this-dangerous/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [This element of surprise or mystery - the detective element as it is sometimes rather emptily called - is of great importance in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/this-element-of-surprise-or-mystery-the-detective-element-as-it-is/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [The brooding is better than the joy because even if the heart fills with happiness, it still mourns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-stone/the-brooding-is-better-than-the-joy-because-even-if-the-heart-fills/) [Irving Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-stone/) > [You can rake the muck this way, rake the muck that way-- it will always be muck. 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Look up to the living Christ!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-b-meyer/do-not-look-down-brooding-over-your-weakness-do-not-look-back-upon/) [F.B. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-b-meyer/) ## More by Arthur C. Clarke > [Science can destroy religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/science-can-destroy-religion-by-ignoring-it-as-well-as-by-disproving/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [We cannot predict the new forces, powers, and discoveries that will be disclosed to us when we reach the other planets and set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/we-cannot-predict-the-new-forces-powers-and-discoveries-that-will-be/) [Arthur C. 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Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Astronomy, as nothing else can do, teaches men humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/astronomy-as-nothing-else-can-do-teaches-men-humility/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Nowhere in space will we rest our eyes upon the familiar shapes of trees and plants, or any of the animals that share our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/nowhere-in-space-will-we-rest-our-eyes-upon-the-familiar-shapes-of/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“The universe is full of energy, but much of it is at equilibrium. At equilibrium no energy can flow, and therefore it cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/the-universe-is-full-of-energy-but-much-of-it-is-at-equilibrium-at/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“Here the trees surrounded them with an invisible, anechoic blanket, so that every word seemed sucked into silence the moment it was uttered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/here-the-trees-surrounded-them-with-an-invisible-anechoic-blanket-so/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“I’m a scientific expert; that means I know nothing about absolutely everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/i-m-a-scientific-expert-that-means-i-know-nothing-about-absolutely/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [There were some things that only time could cure. Evil men could be destroyed, but nothing could be done with good men who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/there-were-some-things-that-only-time-could-cure-evil-men-could-be/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“Pure coincidence, of course, but a sensible man makes coincidences work for him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/pure-coincidence-of-course-but-a-sensible-man-makes-coincidences-work/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [They will have time enough, in those endless aeons, to attempt all things, and to gather all knowledge no Gods imagined by our minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/they-will-have-time-enough-in-those-endless-aeons-to-attempt-all/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“One thing seems certain. Our galaxy is now in the brief springtime of its life—a springtime made glorious by such brilliant blue-white stars as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/one-thing-seems-certain-our-galaxy-is-now-in-the-brief-springtime-of/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Now I understand,” said the last man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/now-i-understand-said-the-last-man/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) [Explore all 415 Arthur C. Clarke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) ## More Brooding quotes > [Do not look down, brooding over your weakness! Do not look back upon your past, strewn with failure! Look up to the living Christ!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-b-meyer/do-not-look-down-brooding-over-your-weakness-do-not-look-back-upon/) [F.B. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-b-meyer/) > [Rest you well, beloved Jesus, Caesar’s Lord and Israel’s King, In the brooding of the Spirit, in the darkness of the spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/rest-you-well-beloved-jesus-caesar-s-lord-and-israel-s-king-in-the/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [People are incredibly literal sometimes in how they view you. You have dark hair and pale skin? You must be brooding. The second you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-paquin/people-are-incredibly-literal-sometimes-in-how-they-view-you-you-have/) [Anna Paquin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-paquin/) > [You can rake the muck this way, rake the muck that way-- it will always be muck. Have I sinned or have I not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/you-can-rake-the-muck-this-way-rake-the-muck-that-way-it-will-always/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [The brooding is better than the joy because even if the heart fills with happiness, it still mourns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-stone/the-brooding-is-better-than-the-joy-because-even-if-the-heart-fills/) [Irving Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-stone/) > [This element of surprise or mystery - the detective element as it is sometimes rather emptily called - is of great importance in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/this-element-of-surprise-or-mystery-the-detective-element-as-it-is/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [Lately you are brooding too much about rights. Give up this dangerous habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/lately-you-are-brooding-too-much-about-rights-give-up-this-dangerous/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [The end of spring- the poet is brooding about editors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yosa-buson/the-end-of-spring-the-poet-is-brooding-about-editors/) [Yosa Buson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yosa-buson/) > [“Darkness lingered in those blue eyes, like ghosts haunted him despite only the two of them standing in this cabin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mcintyre/darkness-lingered-in-those-blue-eyes-like-ghosts-haunted-him-despite/) [Katherine McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mcintyre/) > [I've always wanted to be a brooding, deep, dark artist, but I can never keep that facade going for more than 15 minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-callen/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-a-brooding-deep-dark-artist-but-i-can-never/) [Bryan Callen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-callen/) > [Ideas come when we do not expect them, and not when we are brooding and searching at our desks. Yet ideas would certainly not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/ideas-come-when-we-do-not-expect-them-and-not-when-we-are-brooding/) [Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/) > [Lights of ships moved in the fairway-a great stir of lights going up and going down. And farther west on the upper reaches the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/lights-of-ships-moved-in-the-fairway-a-great-stir-of-lights-going-up/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [We are all prone to brood on the evil done us. That brooding becomes as a gnawing and destructive canker. Is there a virtue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/we-are-all-prone-to-brood-on-the-evil-done-us-that-brooding-becomes/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [“Great flocks of raindrops swelled and folded, and fell upon her like insects to a feast. 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