--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You took on a Quest, which is a thing…" description: "\"“You took on a Quest, which is a thing only men—and exceedingly stupid men, usually—do.”\" — Catherynne M. Valente" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/catherynne-m-valente-375_greatness_you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-onl_1921649.png" --- # You took on a Quest, which is a thing only men—and… ![“You took on a Quest, which is a thing only men—and exceedingly stupid men, usually—do.” quote by Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/catherynne-m-valente-375_greatness_you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-onl_1921649.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/catherynne-m-valente-375_greatness_you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-onl_1921649.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/catherynne-m-valente-375_greatness_you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-onl_1921649.png) > ““You took on a Quest, which is a thing only men—and exceedingly stupid men, usually—do.”” [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that embarking on a quest is a daring, often reckless act traditionally associated with men. **In simple terms:** Quests are seen as bold, foolish male pursuits. Key Takeaway Embrace courage, but temper it with wisdom. Themes courage gender roles adventure Mood defiant reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - exploration - career change - personal growth - creative projects Key Concepts heroic quest masculinity risk Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to start a quest? - How can you balance bravery with prudence? A Different Perspective Often, quests are motivated by ego rather than purpose. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quest/) ## Related quotes > [“We did everything possible to keep up the spirits of the men, but it was exceedingly difficult because there was nothing for them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/we-did-everything-possible-to-keep-up-the-spirits-of-the-men-but-it/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Pippin: Anyways, you need people of intelligence on this sort of... mission... quest... thing. Merry: Well, that rules you out, Pip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-of-the-rings/pippin-anyways-you-need-people-of-intelligence-on-this-sort-of/) [Lord Of The Rings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-of-the-rings/) > [“he had not guessed how much of the body of a Quest was simply walking .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/he-had-not-guessed-how-much-of-the-body-of-a-quest-was-simply-walking/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Funny how "question" contains the word "quest" inside it, as though any small question asked is a journey through briars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/funny-how-question-contains-the-word-quest-inside-it-as-though-any/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [A successful man is he who receives a great deal from his fellow men, usually incomparably more than corresponds to his service to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-successful-man-is-he-who-receives-a-great-deal-from-his-fellow-men/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“A woman who knows all about men usually knows one part very well and can't conceive the other parts, but that doesn't mean they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/a-woman-who-knows-all-about-men-usually-knows-one-part-very-well-and/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Of course, Italy is a country in which the number of female filmmakers is very, very low but this a question that should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-rohrwacher/of-course-italy-is-a-country-in-which-the-number-of-female-filmmakers/) [Alice Rohrwacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-rohrwacher/) > [Young men do not usually become inactive in the Church because they are given too many significant things to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/young-men-do-not-usually-become-inactive-in-the-church-because-they/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Indeed, the whole company, although thin in flesh, and generally of slight forms, and limbs, especially, are as good looking and intelligent a body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-tappan/indeed-the-whole-company-although-thin-in-flesh-and-generally-of/) [Lewis Tappan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-tappan/) > [“Sirius was a brave, clever, and energetic man, and such men are not usually content to sit at home in hiding while they believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/sirius-was-a-brave-clever-and-energetic-man-and-such-men-are-not/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [All great men usually are awakened by the great women in their lives. No matter what friction is there, if that relationship was there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/all-great-men-usually-are-awakened-by-the-great-women-in-their-lives/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [Self-Made Men are the men who owe little or nothing to birth, relationship, friendly surroundings; to wealth inherited or to early approved means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/self-made-men-are-the-men-who-owe-little-or-nothing-to-birth/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Self-Made Men are those who owe little or nothing to birth, relationship, or friendly surroundings; to wealth inherited or to early approved means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/self-made-men-are-those-who-owe-little-or-nothing-to-birth/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [What men usually ask for when they pray to God is, that two and two may not make four](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russian-proverb/what-men-usually-ask-for-when-they-pray-to-god-is-that-two-and-two/) Russian Proverb > [“In history, as in traveling, men usually see only what they already had in their own minds; and few learn much from history, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/in-history-as-in-traveling-men-usually-see-only-what-they-already-had/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) ## More by Catherynne M. Valente > [When I saw him I thought I could curl up inside him and go to sleep and never wake up." "Men are no good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/when-i-saw-him-i-thought-i-could-curl-up-inside-him-and-go-to-sleep/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [We all just keep moving, September. We keep moving until we stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/we-all-just-keep-moving-september-we-keep-moving-until-we-stop/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“You couldn't ever really fix a sad story. You could only make another. And another. And another, until you found the right one at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-couldn-t-ever-really-fix-a-sad-story-you-could-only-make-another/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“He considers it for a moment and spits out the seeds, which sprout, quickly, into tiny junkblossoms sizzling with recursive algorithms. The algorithms wriggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/he-considers-it-for-a-moment-and-spits-out-the-seeds-which-sprout/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“Truly, Mallow yearned to know everything. Curiosity was part of her, like her short blond hair and bitten fingernails.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/truly-mallow-yearned-to-know-everything-curiosity-was-part-of-her/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“The cicada lies in the earth for seventeen years. It is warm and dark there, it is soft and wet. Its little legs curl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/the-cicada-lies-in-the-earth-for-seventeen-years-it-is-warm-and-dark/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [We all live inside the terrible engine of authority, and it grinds and shrieks and burns so that no one will say: lines on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/we-all-live-inside-the-terrible-engine-of-authority-and-it-grinds-and/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Her heart was bruised by the kiss, smashed and surprised and unsettled by it. September thought kisses were all nice, sweet things asked for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/her-heart-was-bruised-by-the-kiss-smashed-and-surprised-and-unsettled/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“September put her hand on the grip of the Rivet Gun. She’d only just gotten it, and she’d promised to take copious notes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/september-put-her-hand-on-the-grip-of-the-rivet-gun-she-d-only-just/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Just tell yourself a story that'll satisfy you and pretend he told it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/just-tell-yourself-a-story-that-ll-satisfy-you-and-pretend-he-told-it/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“You see, the future is a kind of stew, a soup, a vichyssoise of the present and the past. That's how you get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-see-the-future-is-a-kind-of-stew-a-soup-a-vichyssoise-of-the/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Fairy tales have always been about getting through the worst of everything, the darkest and the deepest and the bloodiest of events. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/fairy-tales-have-always-been-about-getting-through-the-worst-of/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“There is a place, September, oh, very far from Pandemonium. A place where it is always autumn, where there is always cider and pumpkin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/there-is-a-place-september-oh-very-far-from-pandemonium-a-place-where/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“I was happy, the sun was high. I had enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/i-was-happy-the-sun-was-high-i-had-enough/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Who are you?" "I am Death," said the creature. "I thought that was obvious." "But you're so small!" "Only because you are small. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/who-are-you-i-am-death-said-the-creature-i-thought-that-was-obvious/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) [Explore all 621 Catherynne M. Valente quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) ## More Greatness quotes > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Every man who is high up likes to think that he has done it all himself, and the wife smiles and lets it go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-man-who-is-high-up-likes-to-think-that-he-has-done-it-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nothing-brings-out-the-lower-traits-of-human-nature-like-office/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [Men generally decide upon a middle course, which is most hazardous, for they know neither how to be entirely good nor entirely bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-generally-decide-upon-a-middle-course-which-is-most-hazardous-for/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [Greatness is not guarding yourself from people. Greatness is being accepted by the people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/greatness-is-not-guarding-yourself-from-people-greatness-is-being/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [The superior man is distressed by his want (lack) of ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-man-is-distressed-by-his-want-lack-of-ability/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Great men don't 'move to the center' - great men move the center!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/great-men-don-t-move-to-the-center-great-men-move-the-center/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Men want a challenge, but they want a challenge they can win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-gaskell/men-want-a-challenge-but-they-want-a-challenge-they-can-win/) Whitney Gaskell [Browse all 7,631 Greatness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You took on a Quest, which is a thing only men—and exceedingly stupid men, usually—do.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Catherynne M. Valente" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-only-men-and-exceedingly-stupid/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Greatness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-only-men-and-exceedingly-stupid/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/catherynne-m-valente-375_greatness_you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-onl_1921649.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/catherynne-m-valente-375_greatness_you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-onl_1921649.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/catherynne-m-valente-375_greatness_you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-onl_1921649.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You took on a Quest, which is a thing only men—and exceedingly stupid men, usually—do.” — Catherynne M. Valente", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Catherynne M. Valente", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You took on a Quest, which...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-only-men-and-exceedingly-stupid/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-took-on-a-quest-which-is-a-thing-only-men-and-exceedingly-stupid/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```