--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some say that time is like water that…" description: "\"Some say that time is like water that flows around us (like a stone in the river) and some say we flow with time (like a twig floating on the surface o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/chuck-klosterman-804_floating_some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-fl_107891.png" --- # Some say that time is like water that flows around us… ![“Some say that time is like water that flows around us (like a stone in the river) and some say we flow with time (like a twig floating on the surface of the water).” quote by Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/chuck-klosterman-804_floating_some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-fl_107891.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/chuck-klosterman-804_floating_some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-fl_107891.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/chuck-klosterman-804_floating_some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-fl_107891.png) > “Some say that time is like water that flows around us (like a stone in the river) and some say we flow with time (like a twig floating on the surface of the water).” [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contrasts two metaphors: time as an external current shaping us versus us actively moving within time, suggesting both passive and active perspectives on temporality. **In simple terms:** Time can be a river or a twig. Key Takeaway We can view time as shaping us or as something we navigate. Themes time philosophy metaphor agency Mood thoughtful contemplative Type philosophical observation metaphor When to use this quote - career planning - grief processing - creative writing Key Concepts determinism free will Practical Applications - Practice mindfulness to feel agency - Study historical patterns Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel carried by time or steering it? - How does this view affect your decisions? A Different Perspective Both metaphors oversimplify; time also includes cyclical and chaotic elements beyond linear flow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Floating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/floating/) [Flow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flow/) [Flows Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flows-like-1035475/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Like Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-stone/) [Like Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-water/) [Nostalgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgia/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stones/) [Surface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surface/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-like/) [Twigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twigs/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Water Flows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water-flows-1048163/) ## Related quotes > [“Life is like water . If we stop at a point it'll start to stink so it must be a steam which will keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arfa-zainab/life-is-like-water-if-we-stop-at-a-point-it-ll-start-to-stink-so-it/) [Arfa Zainab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arfa-zainab/) > [I don't know what you have done to me, Time spend with you goes like water in hand and time without you like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-don-t-know-what-you-have-done-to-me-time-spend-with-you-goes-like/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [You don't look back along time but down through it, like water. Sometimes this comes to the surface, sometimes that, sometimes nothing. Nothing goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/you-don-t-look-back-along-time-but-down-through-it-like-water/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Sometimes the writing flows, sometimes it's like wading through concrete. But I keep showing up each day, whether the Muse joins me or not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-hale/sometimes-the-writing-flows-sometimes-it-s-like-wading-through/) [Bruce Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-hale/) > [“Streams of conscious ‘knowing’ flows like the Nile when one is open from within.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/streams-of-conscious-knowing-flows-like-the-nile-when-one-is-open/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [“Time flows like a canoe floats, and my love would fit in your purse if you’d just empty your money into my wallet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/time-flows-like-a-canoe-floats-and-my-love-would-fit-in-your-purse-if/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Poetry is such an amazing feeling that flows like a river.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euginia-herlihy/poetry-is-such-an-amazing-feeling-that-flows-like-a-river/) [Euginia Herlihy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euginia-herlihy/) > [The law changes and flows like water, and . . . the stream of women's rights law has become a sudden rushing torrent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shana-alexander/the-law-changes-and-flows-like-water-and-the-stream-of-women-s-rights/) [Shana Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shana-alexander/) > [I may have a simple mind, but my love is simple too, and, it flows from me like a quick easy river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-kermis/i-may-have-a-simple-mind-but-my-love-is-simple-too-and-it-flows-from/) [Samuel Kermis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-kermis/) > [Some days writing flows like a stream and there are times I get stuck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-r-dhanush/some-days-writing-flows-like-a-stream-and-there-are-times-i-get-stuck/) [Aishwarya R. Dhanush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-r-dhanush/) > [Grace, like water, flows to the lowest part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/grace-like-water-flows-to-the-lowest-part/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Life is about flows not about stuff we have. Water in a tank turns bad. Water that flows gives life. Money in banks turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunter-pauli/life-is-about-flows-not-about-stuff-we-have-water-in-a-tank-turns-bad/) [Gunter Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunter-pauli/) > [“Water flows, but never changes. It's always H2O.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ljupka-cvetanova/water-flows-but-never-changes-it-s-always-h2o/) [Ljupka Cvetanova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ljupka-cvetanova/) > [Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/water-does-not-resist-water-flows-when-you-plunge-your-hand-into-it/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Water always flows downhill. So does my love. Are you prepared for a flood? You’d better build an ark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/water-always-flows-downhill-so-does-my-love-are-you-prepared-for-a/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## More by Chuck Klosterman > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I suppose we'll never know what really happened in that room, though he did tell police, "I did it because I'm a dirty dog."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-suppose-we-ll-never-know-what-really-happened-in-that-room-though/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Do you know people who insist they like 'all kinds of music'? That actually means they like no kinds of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/do-you-know-people-who-insist-they-like-all-kinds-of-music-that/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Let's say Twitter existed during the Civil War. We would have a better understanding of people in the Confederacy who were against slavery, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/let-s-say-twitter-existed-during-the-civil-war-we-would-have-a-better/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [All my friends are rock critics, so we talk about rock criticism a lot. Because of that, in order to be part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/all-my-friends-are-rock-critics-so-we-talk-about-rock-criticism-a-lot/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [If rain is God crying, I think God is drunk and his girlfriend just slept with Zeus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/if-rain-is-god-crying-i-think-god-is-drunk-and-his-girlfriend-just/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [But no matter how many times we re-rank the presidents, in another 200 years, the top presidents will still be Washington and Lincoln and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/but-no-matter-how-many-times-we-re-rank-the-presidents-in-another-200/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Different critics go to different lengths to disagree with that sentiment, but ultimately, they're the person experiencing this art, and whatever judgment or taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/different-critics-go-to-different-lengths-to-disagree-with-that/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [First, you must love yourself. And if you do that convincingly enough, others will love you too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/first-you-must-love-yourself-and-if-you-do-that-convincingly-enough/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [Anyone who claims to be good at lying is obviously bad at lying. Thus - as a writer myself - I cannot comment on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/anyone-who-claims-to-be-good-at-lying-is-obviously-bad-at-lying-thus/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“I care about strangers when they're abstractions but feel almost nothing when they are literally in front of me. They seem like unnamed characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/i-care-about-strangers-when-they-re-abstractions-but-feel-almost/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [“Toby Keith writes songs like 1993's "Should've Been a Cowboy," and what's compelling is that you can't deconstruct its message. "Should've Been a Cowboy"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/toby-keith-writes-songs-like-1993-s-should-ve-been-a-cowboy-and-what/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [ \[On political correctness:\] Any intended message mattered less than the received message, and every received message could be interpreted in whatever way the receiver… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/on-political-correctness-any-intended-message-mattered-less-than-the/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [In baseball and sex, cliches are usually true: pitching beats hitting, and people always want to be loved by anyone who doesn't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/in-baseball-and-sex-cliches-are-usually-true-pitching-beats-hitting/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [A whole bunch of months passed and I didn't hear anything and then he emailed and asked if I could do a little piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/a-whole-bunch-of-months-passed-and-i-didn-t-hear-anything-and-then-he/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) [Explore all 364 Chuck Klosterman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) ## More Floating quotes > [Heaven? Floating about with everyone you ever knew for eternity? Me family does me 'ed in after one day at xmas, I'd rather be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/heaven-floating-about-with-everyone-you-ever-knew-for-eternity-me/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Floating in and out of consciousness...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/floating-in-and-out-of-consciousness/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [The floating world is the realm of the graphic designer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-betsky/the-floating-world-is-the-realm-of-the-graphic-designer/) [Aaron Betsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-betsky/) > [ There's a video that's been floating around on YouTube where \[Baz Luhrmann says\], "We were looking for a guy that sounded like a young… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quindon-tarver/there-s-a-video-that-s-been-floating-around-on-youtube-where-baz/) [Quindon Tarver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quindon-tarver/) > [Creation isn't forcing or commanding something into existence. It's more of a rolling over, a good stretch, blissing out, lying on the grass watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/creation-isn-t-forcing-or-commanding-something-into-existence-it-s/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [I elbowed my way into the grubby café, bought a pie that tasted of shoe polish and a pot of tea with cork crumbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/i-elbowed-my-way-into-the-grubby-caf-bought-a-pie-that-tasted-of-shoe/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Here undoubtedly lies the chief poetic energy: - in the force of imagination that pierces or exalts the solid fact, instead of floating among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/here-undoubtedly-lies-the-chief-poetic-energy-in-the-force-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'd say that golf is about 75% mental. If your state of mind gets out of kilter, you're worse off than a tomcat floating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-snead/i-d-say-that-golf-is-about-75-mental-if-your-state-of-mind-gets-out/) [Sam Snead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-snead/) > [If you can't imagine it, think clumsy silence. Think bits and pieces of floating despair. And drowning in a train.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/if-you-can-t-imagine-it-think-clumsy-silence-think-bits-and-pieces-of/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“You're back where you swore yourself you wouldn't be The familiar shackles you can't tell from your own skin Your head's under water when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/you-re-back-where-you-swore-yourself-you-wouldn-t-be-the-familiar/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [And the Raven, never flitting, Still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas Just above my chamber door; And his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/and-the-raven-never-flitting-still-is-sitting-still-is-sitting-on-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [My mother has always been the point I calibrated myself against. In knowing where she was, I could always locate myself, as well. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/my-mother-has-always-been-the-point-i-calibrated-myself-against-in/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [When you have a time of crisis what happens depends on what ideas are floating around, and what ideas have been developed, and thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-you-have-a-time-of-crisis-what-happens-depends-on-what-ideas-are/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [So if big enough droplets fell far enough fast enough, someone floating right near the metallic hydrogen layer inside Jupiter maybe, just maybe, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/so-if-big-enough-droplets-fell-far-enough-fast-enough-someone/) [Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/) [Browse all 617 Floating quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/floating/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some say that time is like water that flows around us (like a stone in the river) and some say we flow with time (like a twig floating on the surface of the water).", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chuck Klosterman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-flows-around-us-like-a-stone-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Floating" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-flows-around-us-like-a-stone-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/chuck-klosterman-804_floating_some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-fl_107891.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/chuck-klosterman-804_floating_some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-fl_107891.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/chuck-klosterman-804_floating_some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-fl_107891.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some say that time is like water that flows around us (like a stone in the river) and some say we flow with…” — Chuck Klosterman", "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": "Chuck Klosterman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Some say that time is like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-flows-around-us-like-a-stone-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/some-say-that-time-is-like-water-that-flows-around-us-like-a-stone-in/#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 } } ] } ```