Clear view Quote by Arundhati Roy
““It wasn't what lay at the end of her road that frightened Ammu as much as the nature of the road itself. No milestones marked its progress. No trees grew along it. No dappled shadows shaded it. No mists rolled over it. No birds circled it. No twists, no turns or hairpin bends obscured even momentarily, her clear view of the end. This filled Ammu with an awful dread, because she was not the kind of woman who wanted her future told. She dreaded it too much. So if she were granted one small wish perhaps it would have been Not to Know, Not to know what each day had in store for her. Not to know where she might be, next month, next year. Ten years on. Not to know which way her road might turn and what lay beyond the bend.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The God of Small Things, 1997
The fear of an unknowable future can be more terrifying than any specific outcome, especially when there are no signs or guidance.
In simple terms: Fear of unknown future; lack of guidance.
Key Takeaway
Accept uncertainty, focus on present.
Themes
fear
future
uncertainty
control
destiny
Mood
anxious
reflective
hopeful
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- career planning
- relationship decisions
- health prognosis
- travel itineraries
- personal growth
Key Concepts
existential dread
psychology of anxiety
anticipation
agency
Questions to Reflect On
- How does uncertainty affect your daily decisions?
- What can you control now?
A Different Perspective
Even without knowing the future, one can still shape it through present choices.
![“She had never driven far alone before. The notion of dividing her lovely journey into miles and hours was silly; she saw it [...] as a passage of moments, each one new, carrying her along with them, taking her down a path of incredible novelty to a new place. The journey itself was her positive…” quote by Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1dd/shirley-jackson-1526_end-of-the-world_she-had-never-driven-far-alone-before-th_1891820.jpg)
![“[...] these questions gave way, in the course of time, to a different preoccupation, namely, a slow and growing awareness of familiarity with the landscape into which she was being carried. A familiarity based not on the sighting of particular landmarks, but on her feeling that the very contours…” quote by Jonathan Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a62/jonathan-coe-10154_time_these-questions-gave-way-in-the-course-o_1715122.jpg)
