--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It struck me that we-that moth and I-were…" description: "\"“It struck me that we-that moth and I-were two opposite extremes. My existence was as unstable as a stream, changing in every way; but the moth was lik..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/arthur-golden-1813_life_it-struck-me-that-we-that-moth-and-i-wer_1153524.png" --- # It struck me that we-that moth and I-were two opposite… ![“It struck me that we-that moth and I-were two opposite extremes. My existence was as unstable as a stream, changing in every way; but the moth was like a piece of stone, changing not at all. While thinking this thought, I reached out a finger to feel the moth’s velvety surface; but when I brushed…” quote by Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/arthur-golden-1813_life_it-struck-me-that-we-that-moth-and-i-wer_1153524.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/arthur-golden-1813_life_it-struck-me-that-we-that-moth-and-i-wer_1153524.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/arthur-golden-1813_life_it-struck-me-that-we-that-moth-and-i-wer_1153524.png) > ““It struck me that we-that moth and I-were two opposite extremes. My existence was as unstable as a stream, changing in every way; but the moth was like a piece of stone, changing not at all. While thinking this thought, I reached out a finger to feel the moth’s velvety surface; but when I brushed it with my fingertip, it turned all at once into a pile of ash without even a sound, without even a moment in which I could see it crumbling. I was so astonished I let out a cry. The swirling in my mind stopped; I felt as if I had stepped into the eye of a storm. I let the tiny shroud and its pile of ashes flutter to the ground; and now I understood the thing that had puzzled me all morning. The stale air had washed away. The past was gone.”” [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator contrasts fleeting human life with the fragile, transient nature of a moth, realizing that clinging to the past creates mental turbulence that dissolves when released. **In simple terms:** Life is fleeting; letting go eases turmoil. Key Takeaway Release attachments to find peace. Themes impermanence self‑reflection tranquility Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief processing - creative writing - personal meditation - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What attachments cause your mental storm? - How can you honor the past without being bound by it? A Different Perspective Letting go may be painful and can leave a sense of loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashes Flutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashes-flutter-3271615/) [Feel Moth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-moth-3271614/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lessons/) [Moth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moth/) [Moth Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moth-like-1414049/) [Moth Opposite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moth-opposite-3271616/) ## Related quotes > [“You could use a moth like that as a symbol in a novel, but it was trite, wasn’t it? The old moth-to-the-flame image had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-l-barkat/you-could-use-a-moth-like-that-as-a-symbol-in-a-novel-but-it-was/) [L.L. Barkat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-l-barkat/) > [“And when white moths were on the wing and moth-like stars were flickering out”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-when-white-moths-were-on-the-wing-and-moth-like-stars-were/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The spiraling flights of moths appear haphazard only because of the mechanisms of olfactory tracking are so different from our own. Using binocular vision,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/the-spiraling-flights-of-moths-appear-haphazard-only-because-of-the/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“Mustardseed grinned at Bertie. "I was never any good at geometry, but you’re stuck in a love triangle, aren’t you?" 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