--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Without ever exactly putting his mind to…" description: "\"“Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory. Something new appears in the world-a baby, say..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/ben-fountain-3198_billy_without-ever-exactly-putting-his-mind-to_2387256.png" --- # Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to… ![“Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory. Something new appears in the world-a baby, say, or a car or a house, or an individual shows some special talent-with luck and huge expenditures of soul and effort you might keep the project…” quote by Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/ben-fountain-3198_billy_without-ever-exactly-putting-his-mind-to_2387256.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/ben-fountain-3198_billy_without-ever-exactly-putting-his-mind-to_2387256.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/ben-fountain-3198_billy_without-ever-exactly-putting-his-mind-to_2387256.png) > ““Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory. Something new appears in the world-a baby, say, or a car or a house, or an individual shows some special talent-with luck and huge expenditures of soul and effort you might keep the project stoked for a while, but eventually, ultimately, its going down. This is a truth so brutally self-evident that he can't fathom why it's not more widely percieved, hence his contempt for the usual public shock and outrage when a particular situation goes to hell. The war is fucked? Well, duh. Nine-eleven? Slow train coming. They hate our freedoms? Yo, they hate our actual guts! Billy suspects his fellow Americans secretly know better, but something in the land is stuck on teenage drama, on extravagant theatrics of ravaged innocence and soothing mud wallows of self-justifying pity.”” [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life follows a pattern of rise and inevitable decline; new creations appear but eventually fade, reflecting a harsh reality often ignored. **In simple terms:** Everything rises then falls; new things appear but fade. Key Takeaway Accept impermanence and focus on present meaning. Themes impermanence disillusionment societal critique Mood cynical critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - political discourse - personal loss - cultural trends - media consumption Key Concepts entropy existentialism media saturation Questions to Reflect On - What does this view say about hope? - How can we find meaning amid decline? A Different Perspective Overgeneralizes; may ignore resilience and renewal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“This is a truth so brutally self-evident that he can't fathom why it's not more widely perceived, hence his contempt for the usual public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/this-is-a-truth-so-brutally-self-evident-that-he-can-t-fathom-why-it/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is standard trajectory. Something new appears in the world—a baby,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/without-ever-exactly-putting-his-mind-to-it-he-s-come-to-believe-that/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“As if sorrow is the true reality? Without ever putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/as-if-sorrow-is-the-true-reality-without-ever-putting-his-mind-to-it/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > ['Boomerang' is all about coming back from the hate and not listening to the hate. It really tells a message.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-siwa/boomerang-is-all-about-coming-back-from-the-hate-and-not-listening-to/) [JoJo Siwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-siwa/) > [“He's coming to hate the gratitude of women. It is like being fawned on by rabbits, or like being covered with syrup: you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/he-s-coming-to-hate-the-gratitude-of-women-it-is-like-being-fawned-on/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [We call them faerie. We don't believe in them. Our loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/we-call-them-faerie-we-don-t-believe-in-them-our-loss/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the terrorists hate our freedoms and democracy ... not for the real reason: because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9-11-because-the-terrorists/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [“Our president may lie, but he will lie effectively and spectacularly, with all the epic stagecraft and lighting and special effects available to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-effectively-and-spectacularly/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [“They don't hate us because of our freedoms. We have no freedoms because they hate us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alifa-rifatt/they-don-t-hate-us-because-of-our-freedoms-we-have-no-freedoms/) Alifa Rifatt > [If it were really the case that terrorists "hate us for our freedoms," we'd be getting more popular with Al Qaeda every month.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-sanchez/if-it-were-really-the-case-that-terrorists-hate-us-for-our-freedoms/) [Julian Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-sanchez/) > [“George W. Bush gave this response to the question of ‘Why do they hate us?’: ‘…They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/george-w-bush-gave-this-response-to-the-question-of-why-do-they-hate/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [“At some point Billy realized he was expecting the president to act, well, embarrassed? Ashamed? For how fucked up everything obviously was. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/at-some-point-billy-realized-he-was-expecting-the-president-to-act/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“So perhaps, it occurs to Billy, this is the whole point of civilization, the eating of beautiful meals and the taking of decorous dumps,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/so-perhaps-it-occurs-to-billy-this-is-the-whole-point-of-civilization/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“But then self-doubt has always been there for Billy, self-doubt and its cousin the berating voice, these faithful companions have always been on call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/but-then-self-doubt-has-always-been-there-for-billy-self-doubt-and/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“No matter their age or station in life, Billy can't help but regard his fellow Americans as children. They are bold and proud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/no-matter-their-age-or-station-in-life-billy-can-t-help-but-regard/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) ## More by Ben Fountain > [“The singing triggers a soft detonation at his core, molten parts of him are flying everywhere and his ears ring to the tune of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/the-singing-triggers-a-soft-detonation-at-his-core-molten-parts-of/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“Even harder was describing his sense that Shroom’s death might have ruined him for anything else, because when he died? when I felt his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/even-harder-was-describing-his-sense-that-shroom-s-death-might-have/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is standard trajectory. Something new appears in the world—a baby,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/without-ever-exactly-putting-his-mind-to-it-he-s-come-to-believe-that/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“But I am scared. Everybody's scared." "You know what I mean, like scared scared. 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Without ever putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/as-if-sorrow-is-the-true-reality-without-ever-putting-his-mind-to-it/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [If you want to see a bunch of happy Americans, go out to opening day at any baseball stadium in the land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/if-you-want-to-see-a-bunch-of-happy-americans-go-out-to-opening-day/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [There was no such thing as perfection in this world, only moments of such extreme transparency that you forgot yourself, a holy mercy if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/there-was-no-such-thing-as-perfection-in-this-world-only-moments-of/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [“He decides he wants both more and less. He’d like to hang out with Beyonce in a nice way, get to know her by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/he-decides-he-wants-both-more-and-less-he-d-like-to-hang-out-with/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) [Explore all 127 Ben Fountain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) ## More Billy quotes > [“When I first met Billy I thought about sucking his eyes right out of their sockets. They’re like turquoise gum drops.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-treggiari/when-i-first-met-billy-i-thought-about-sucking-his-eyes-right-out-of/) [Jo Treggiari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-treggiari/) > [ We're really fleshing out the whole world of the show \[Difficult People\]. It's more of an ensemble now, whereas last season we were very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/we-re-really-fleshing-out-the-whole-world-of-the-show-difficult/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > ['Billy Elliot' embodies the idea that anyone can achieve anything regardless of their socio-economic background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fellner/billy-elliot-embodies-the-idea-that-anyone-can-achieve-anything/) [Eric Fellner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fellner/) > [Look at Greg Jbara! I've watched him work for years, always switching. He's literally a different human being when he's onstage in 'Billy Elliot.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-chase/look-at-greg-jbara-i-ve-watched-him-work-for-years-always-switching/) [Will Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-chase/) > [As any opera fan knows, lawyers and judges do not fare well in most operas. Just consider the productions of 'Andrea Chenier,' 'Aida, Norma,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-decrow/as-any-opera-fan-knows-lawyers-and-judges-do-not-fare-well-in-most/) [Karen DeCrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-decrow/) > [I know that this sounds grand, but I don't try to compete with other people. I like to think there's enough pie for everyone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-merchant/i-know-that-this-sounds-grand-but-i-don-t-try-to-compete-with-other/) [Stephen Merchant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-merchant/) > [“That last voice in his head. It hadn't been Billy's. It was his own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/that-last-voice-in-his-head-it-hadn-t-been-billy-s-it-was-his-own/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [It is said that a hundred gamecocks will live in perfect harmony together it you do not put a hen with them; and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-baldwin-longstreet/it-is-said-that-a-hundred-gamecocks-will-live-in-perfect-harmony/) [Augustus Baldwin Longstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-baldwin-longstreet/) > [I think you and the referee were in a minority of one, Billy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-armfield/i-think-you-and-the-referee-were-in-a-minority-of-one-billy/) [Jimmy Armfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-armfield/) > [“Most Tralfamadorians had no way of knowing Billy's body and face were not beautiful. They supposed that he was a splendid specimen. This had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/most-tralfamadorians-had-no-way-of-knowing-billy-s-body-and-face-were/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [My great-grandfather was a variety hall comedian called Billy Mack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-mack/my-great-grandfather-was-a-variety-hall-comedian-called-billy-mack/) [Lee Mack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-mack/) > [“Billy's at 44 north, 56 west and heading straight into meteorological hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/billy-s-at-44-north-56-west-and-heading-straight-into-meteorological/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [First off, I love Woody Allen. His early movies, like 'Hannah and Her Sisters,' are incredible. I also love anything by Billy Wilder, Ron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-story/first-off-i-love-woody-allen-his-early-movies-like-hannah-and-her/) [Tim Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-story/) > [I can tell you the actor who I admire the most. Billy Crudup. Do you know who he is? He's awesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tucker/i-can-tell-you-the-actor-who-i-admire-the-most-billy-crudup-do-you/) [Jonathan Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tucker/) > [When they told me there would be a statue erected at Wrigley Field, I was happy with that. I know there will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-williams/when-they-told-me-there-would-be-a-statue-erected-at-wrigley-field-i/) [Billy Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-williams/) Browse all 228 Billy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory. Something new appears in the world-a baby, say, or a car or a house, or an individual shows some special talent-with luck and huge expenditures of soul and effort you might keep the project stoked for a while, but eventually, ultimately, its going down. This is a truth so brutally self-evident that he can't fathom why it's not more widely percieved, hence his contempt for the usual public shock and outrage when a particular situation goes to hell. The war is fucked? Well, duh. Nine-eleven? Slow train coming. They hate our freedoms? 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