--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The one recurring theme in my writing…" description: "\"The one recurring theme in my writing, and in my life in general, is confusion. The fact that anytime you think you really know something, you're going..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/conor-oberst-1535_confusion_the-one-recurring-theme-in-my-writing-an_1035216.jpg" --- # The one recurring theme in my writing, and in my life in… ![“The one recurring theme in my writing, and in my life in general, is confusion. The fact that anytime you think you really know something, you're going to find out you're wrong - that is the rule. The moments where you think you have something figured out, those are the exceptions.” quote by Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/conor-oberst-1535_confusion_the-one-recurring-theme-in-my-writing-an_1035216.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/conor-oberst-1535_confusion_the-one-recurring-theme-in-my-writing-an_1035216.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f3/conor-oberst-1535_confusion_the-one-recurring-theme-in-my-writing-an_1035216.jpg) > “The one recurring theme in my writing, and in my life in general, is confusion. The fact that anytime you think you really know something, you're going to find out you're wrong - that is the rule. The moments where you think you have something figured out, those are the exceptions.” [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes that certainty is fleeting; each belief is likely to be disproven, making confusion a constant companion. **In simple terms:** Knowledge is often temporary and mistaken. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and stay open to new information. Themes knowledge uncertainty learning humility Mood thoughtful introspective Type philosophical creative When to use this quote - academic research - creative writing - personal growth - decision making Key Concepts epistemology cognitive bias self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - What strategies help you cope with constant doubt? - When have you benefited from a mistaken belief? A Different Perspective The view may overlook moments of genuine insight that persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life in general](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-in-general/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Recurring themes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recurring-themes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I tend to describe recurring themes as being part of a writer's DNA - something so deeply embedded in us that even we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/i-tend-to-describe-recurring-themes-as-being-part-of-a-writer-s-dna/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [A related recurring theme is the exploration of how we take for granted the things in our immediate environment that are common and ordinary.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/a-related-recurring-theme-is-the-exploration-of-how-we-take-for/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [There are definitely recurring themes in humanity's relationship with our environment. The biggest is probably adaptation, because humans are incredibly good at adapting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annalee-newitz/there-are-definitely-recurring-themes-in-humanity-s-relationship-with/) [Annalee Newitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annalee-newitz/) > [We write in ways that, we generally hope, reflect real life, or at least look familiar to humans. And in life, recurring themes are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/we-write-in-ways-that-we-generally-hope-reflect-real-life-or-at-least/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [My opening line to my students, and a recurring theme in my classes, was that the big design problem isn't designing a house for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/my-opening-line-to-my-students-and-a-recurring-theme-in-my-classes/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) > [The recurring theme which predisposes people to depression is rejection and lack of self-esteem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-winters/the-recurring-theme-which-predisposes-people-to-depression-is/) [Richard Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-winters/) > [A recurring theme in the literature of secular humanism is the harsh assault upon traditional religion, especially Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guenter-lewy/a-recurring-theme-in-the-literature-of-secular-humanism-is-the-harsh/) Guenter Lewy > [My mother and I parting company at four years old is a recurring theme; although it's not symbolically necessarily present, it's present in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/my-mother-and-i-parting-company-at-four-years-old-is-a-recurring/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [I see some recurring themes: things that feel threaded together, some symbolic references, and songs about some of the big questions, like death. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chapman/i-see-some-recurring-themes-things-that-feel-threaded-together-some/) [Tracy Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chapman/) > [I guess my strongest recurring theme is honoring love, even when it's lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/i-guess-my-strongest-recurring-theme-is-honoring-love-even-when-it-s/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [Self love is a great recurring theme, the headwaters that feed my ability to be the best version of myself in every other aspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/self-love-is-a-great-recurring-theme-the-headwaters-that-feed-my/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [Is it good, bad, or neutral to recognize thematic patterns in your own work? When it comes to recurring themes, I'm of the mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/is-it-good-bad-or-neutral-to-recognize-thematic-patterns-in-your-own/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [America is the world's living myth. There's no sense of wrong when you kill an American or blame America for some local disaster. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/america-is-the-world-s-living-myth-there-s-no-sense-of-wrong-when-you/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [The recurring theme of all religions is a sympathy, empathy, connection, capacity between the human and the divine - that we were made for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/the-recurring-theme-of-all-religions-is-a-sympathy-empathy-connection/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [I really don't make a concerted effort to try to find a type of role. Maybe I've just done enough of them now where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-kinnear/i-really-don-t-make-a-concerted-effort-to-try-to-find-a-type-of-role-2/) [Greg Kinnear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-kinnear/) ## More by Conor Oberst > [Every time I finish a song... most of the time it's in my own head, like this sounds too much like a Townes Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/every-time-i-finish-a-song-most-of-the-time-it-s-in-my-own-head-like/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [There's nothing that the road cannot heal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/there-s-nothing-that-the-road-cannot-heal/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I've given up trying to understand what people think about me. It seems like a lot of people don't like the music we make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-ve-given-up-trying-to-understand-what-people-think-about-me-it/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [You can't manufacture inspiration, so a lot of it is still a waiting game for me. There's still a lot of mystery to songwriting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/you-can-t-manufacture-inspiration-so-a-lot-of-it-is-still-a-waiting/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Cause I swear that I'm dying, slowly but its happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/cause-i-swear-that-i-m-dying-slowly-but-its-happening/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [In a way, to have whatever people talk about as "crossover success," I think it means you start making bad music. I mean, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/in-a-way-to-have-whatever-people-talk-about-as-crossover-success-i/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Men with purple hearts carry silver guns and they will kill a man for what his father has done. But what my father did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/men-with-purple-hearts-carry-silver-guns-and-they-will-kill-a-man-for/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [There's a major underlying idea as you grow up that you need to just save your money and get that affordable housing at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/there-s-a-major-underlying-idea-as-you-grow-up-that-you-need-to-just/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [To finish a song is the best feeling in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/to-finish-a-song-is-the-best-feeling-in-the-world/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I've been part of running a label since I was a kid, so I understand how it works. But the more and more I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-ve-been-part-of-running-a-label-since-i-was-a-kid-so-i-understand/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I'm ripe for the picking for the Scientologists - one of those creeps. Someone's got to find me. Some little weird cult can just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-m-ripe-for-the-picking-for-the-scientologists-one-of-those-creeps/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [When I run into a person or a kid that comes up and gives me the spiel about, 'Hey, I got your record at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/when-i-run-into-a-person-or-a-kid-that-comes-up-and-gives-me-the/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [My dad, who plays guitar and piano and was in cover bands, along with my older brother, Matt, taught me guitar and stuff. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/my-dad-who-plays-guitar-and-piano-and-was-in-cover-bands-along-with/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [I think there's a weird self-affirmation thing that happens in popular music in general. It seems like every song I hear on the radio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-think-there-s-a-weird-self-affirmation-thing-that-happens-in/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) [Explore all 230 Conor Oberst quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) ## More Confusion quotes > [The fog of illusion, the fog of confusion is hanging all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/the-fog-of-illusion-the-fog-of-confusion-is-hanging-all-over-the-world/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/) [Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/) > [Being actors we are dealing with the beauty and complexity of human confusion, no? And we are always trying to get answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/being-actors-we-are-dealing-with-the-beauty-and-complexity-of-human/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [“Wait, seriously, what's a piss pot?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-shand/wait-seriously-what-s-a-piss-pot/) [Pat Shand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-shand/) > [I think there's confusion around what the point of social networks is. A lot of different companies characterized as social networks have different goals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/i-think-there-s-confusion-around-what-the-point-of-social-networks-is/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [In history as it comes to be written, there is usually some Spirit of the Age which historians can define, but the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/in-history-as-it-comes-to-be-written-there-is-usually-some-spirit-of/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [Establish an atmosphere that energizes you. Some creative people flourish in confusion; others need to be free from interruption. Many prepare themselves for work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-leland/establish-an-atmosphere-that-energizes-you-some-creative-people/) [Nita Leland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-leland/) > [Love is doing what will enthrall the beloved with the greatest and longest joy. What will enthrall the beloved this way is the glory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/love-is-doing-what-will-enthrall-the-beloved-with-the-greatest-and/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Psychedelic drugs cause paranoia, confusion, and total loss of reality in politicians that have never taken them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/psychedelic-drugs-cause-paranoia-confusion-and-total-loss-of-reality/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [That feeling you get when you know you are forgetting something, but you don't know what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-feeling-you-get-when-you-know-you-are-forgetting-something-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-are-we-doing-here-that-is-the-question-and-we-are-blessed-in/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [But, when it comes to global warming, the public- at-large really doesn't know whom to believe anymore. And NASA has contributed to that confusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cunningham/but-when-it-comes-to-global-warming-the-public-at-large-really-doesn/) [Walter Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cunningham/) > [You know your in LOVE,because,for once.. You know reality is better than your DREAMS..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-your-in-love-because-for-once-you-know-reality-is-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In these days of faith-cures, and hypnotism, and telepathy, and subliminalities – why, the simple old world grows very confusing. But rarely, very rarely novel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-de-la-mare/in-these-days-of-faith-cures-and-hypnotism-and-telepathy-and/) [Walter de la Mare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-de-la-mare/) > [“If you want nothing to do with god then why do you say his name all the time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-reimer/if-you-want-nothing-to-do-with-god-then-why-do-you-say-his-name-all/) Emily Reimer [Browse all 1,822 Confusion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The one recurring theme in my writing, and in my life in general, is confusion. The fact that anytime you think you really know something, you're going to find out you're wrong - that is the rule. 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