--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Books are like seeds. They can lie…" description: "\"Books are like seeds. They can lie dormant for centuries and then flower in the most unpromising soil.\" — Carl Sagan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/carl-sagan-160_book_books-are-like-seeds-they-can-lie-dorman_2521305.jpg" --- # Books are like seeds. They can lie dormant for centuries… ![“Books are like seeds. They can lie dormant for centuries and then flower in the most unpromising soil.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/carl-sagan-160_book_books-are-like-seeds-they-can-lie-dorman_2521305.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/carl-sagan-160_book_books-are-like-seeds-they-can-lie-dorman_2521305.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/carl-sagan-160_book_books-are-like-seeds-they-can-lie-dorman_2521305.jpg) > “Books are like seeds. They can lie dormant for centuries and then flower in the most unpromising soil.” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideas can lie dormant for ages then flourish in unlikely places, like seeds waiting for the right conditions. **In simple terms:** Ideas can sprout anywhere when conditions allow. Key Takeaway Nurture ideas in diverse environments. Themes knowledge growth potential patience resilience Mood hopeful curious Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - research funding - education - personal development - innovation Key Concepts latent ideas creative incubation unexpected opportunities Questions to Reflect On - What conditions help dormant ideas grow? - How can you create fertile ground for learning? A Different Perspective Ideas may never awaken without exposure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“For the price of a modest meal you can ponder the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, the origin of species, the interpretation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/for-the-price-of-a-modest-meal-you-can-ponder-the-decline-and-fall-of/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [You write your books. You scatter your seeds. Rats might eat them, or they might rot. In California, some seeds lie dormant for decades…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/you-write-your-books-you-scatter-your-seeds-rats-might-eat-them-or/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, they had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/without-a-human-voice-to-read-them-aloud-or-a-pair-of-wide-eyes-2/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, books had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/without-a-human-voice-to-read-them-aloud-or-a-pair-of-wide-eyes/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [The quality of our life depends on the quality of the seeds that lie deep in our consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/the-quality-of-our-life-depends-on-the-quality-of-the-seeds-that-lie/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Intentions are a lot like seeds. You shove them into the ground, and every once in awhile, you water them. Largely, the seed does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-anne-radmacher/intentions-are-a-lot-like-seeds-you-shove-them-into-the-ground-and/) [Mary Anne Radmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-anne-radmacher/) > [“I promise to plant kisses like seeds on your body, so in time you can grow to love yourself as I love you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-knott-gregson/i-promise-to-plant-kisses-like-seeds-on-your-body-so-in-time-you-can/) [Tyler Knott Gregson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-knott-gregson/) > [Your thoughts are like the seeds you plant in your garden. Your beliefs are like the soil in which you plant these seeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/your-thoughts-are-like-the-seeds-you-plant-in-your-garden-your/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [“Words are like seeds, I think, planted into our hearts at a tender age.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/words-are-like-seeds-i-think-planted-into-our-hearts-at-a-tender-age/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [Principles are like seeds; they are little things which do much good, if the mind that receives them has the right attitudes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/principles-are-like-seeds-they-are-little-things-which-do-much-good/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [However vague they are, dreams have a way of concealing themselves and leave us no peace until they are translated into reality, like seeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-yutang/however-vague-they-are-dreams-have-a-way-of-concealing-themselves-and/) [Lin Yutang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-yutang/) > [Wise words are like seeds. The more you scatter them, the more they will grow into infinite gardens of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/wise-words-are-like-seeds-the-more-you-scatter-them-the-more-they/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Ideas are like seeds, apparently insignificant when first held in the hand. Once firmly planted, they can grow and flower into almost anything at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/ideas-are-like-seeds-apparently-insignificant-when-first-held-in-the/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [“Spoken words are like seeds that we plant which will eventually grow into something sweet or bitter. Our actions in this life are seeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shems-friedlander/spoken-words-are-like-seeds-that-we-plant-which-will-eventually-grow/) Shems Friedlander > [“People are just like seeds, needing the compost, in other words, harsh conditions, to grow. All the inconveniences in our lives serve as fertilizers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talidari/people-are-just-like-seeds-needing-the-compost-in-other-words-harsh/) [Talidari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talidari/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Telepathy’ literally means to feel at a distance, just as ‘telephone’ is to hear at a distance and ‘television’ is to see at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/telepathy-literally-means-to-feel-at-a-distance-just-as-telephone-is/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“On the scale of worlds—to say nothing of stars or galaxies—humans are inconsequential, a thin film of life on an obscure and solitary lump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/on-the-scale-of-worlds-to-say-nothing-of-stars-or-galaxies-humans-are/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-our-time-we-have-sifted-the-sands-of-mars-we-have-established-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ “\[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :\] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-about-fulfilled-prophecies-he/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Don't judge everyone else by your own limited experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/don-t-judge-everyone-else-by-your-own-limited-experience/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We live on a hunk of rock and metal that circles a humdrum star that is one of 400 billion other stars that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-live-on-a-hunk-of-rock-and-metal-that-circles-a-humdrum-star-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Any sufficiently crisp question can be answered by a single binary digit-0 or 1, yes or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/any-sufficiently-crisp-question-can-be-answered-by-a-single-binary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every star may be a sun to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-star-may-be-a-sun-to-someone/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Explore all 1,043 Carl Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Books are like seeds. 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