--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He was, in other words, a careful man…" description: "\"“He was, in other words, a careful man with careless impulses.”\" — Dan Simmons" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/dan-simmons-968_quote_he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with_974883.jpg" --- # He was, in other words, a careful man with careless… ![“He was, in other words, a careful man with careless impulses.” quote by Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/dan-simmons-968_quote_he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with_974883.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/dan-simmons-968_quote_he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with_974883.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/dan-simmons-968_quote_he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with_974883.jpg) > ““He was, in other words, a careful man with careless impulses.”” [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A meticulous person can still act on sudden, reckless urges. **In simple terms:** Careful people may act impulsively. Key Takeaway Balance planning with spontaneity. Themes self‑control impulses balance Mood reflective conflicted Type literary character study When to use this quote - personal relationships - creative work - decision making Key Concepts psychology human nature Questions to Reflect On - How do you manage impulsive urges? - When is spontaneity beneficial? A Different Perspective Even careful people can be overwhelmed by instinct. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“He was a man who seemed careless of his appearance, very different from the gentlemen with whom she had consorted until a few months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/he-was-a-man-who-seemed-careless-of-his-appearance-very-different/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [“Be careful your thoughts, they become your words.” Be careful your words, they become your actions.” Be careful your actions, they become your habits.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheri-fogarty/be-careful-your-thoughts-they-become-your-words-be-careful-your-words/) Cheri Fogarty > [“I came to understand that my father was a careful man. To be careful with people and with words was a rare and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/i-came-to-understand-that-my-father-was-a-careful-man-to-be-careful/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [“Ah, careful there!” The man thrust his arm behind my back and braced me. “If you fall over, you might hit your head. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-m-friesner/ah-careful-there-the-man-thrust-his-arm-behind-my-back-and-braced-me/) [Esther M. Friesner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-m-friesner/) > [Be careful with the man jewelry. A little goes a long way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/be-careful-with-the-man-jewelry-a-little-goes-a-long-way/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [Love makes the most careful man wreckless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/love-makes-the-most-careful-man-wreckless/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [“A careful man I must always be; A little fellow follows me. I know I dare not go astray For fear he’ll go the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rainey/a-careful-man-i-must-always-be-a-little-fellow-follows-me-i-know-i/) [Dennis Rainey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rainey/) > [“Be careful of the man who has just the one shot. He's the one who'll make it count. - Parvati”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarwat-chadda/be-careful-of-the-man-who-has-just-the-one-shot-he-s-the-one-who-ll/) [Sarwat Chadda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarwat-chadda/) > [“I didn’t say anything; it wasn’t my place. The words be careful never passed my lips. I just prayed them over and over in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-calmes/i-didn-t-say-anything-it-wasn-t-my-place-the-words-be-careful-never/) [Mary Calmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-calmes/) > [“Ah, yes. ‘‘Errors of caution are more likely to be considered at leisure than errors of boldness – but less likely to be considered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/ah-yes-errors-of-caution-are-more-likely-to-be-considered-at-leisure/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [I'm not saying all Trump supporters are deplorable, but I am saying that the president of the United States has got to measure his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-navarro/i-m-not-saying-all-trump-supporters-are-deplorable-but-i-am-saying/) [Ana Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-navarro/) > [Words are power. And a book is full of words. Be careful what power you get from it. But know that you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/words-are-power-and-a-book-is-full-of-words-be-careful-what-power-you/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [The more I read about words; the more careful I am about using them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-i-read-about-words-the-more-careful-i-am-about-using-them/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Boys flying kites haul in their white winged birds; You can't do that way when you're flying words. Careful with fire, is good advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-carleton/boys-flying-kites-haul-in-their-white-winged-birds-you-can-t-do-that/) [Will Carleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-carleton/) > [“I’m a very careful man. Everything I do… Remember this… Everything I do means something to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamie-dearen/i-m-a-very-careful-man-everything-i-do-remember-this-everything-i-do/) Tamie Dearen ## More by Dan Simmons > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“The Song of Kali is with us. It has been with us for a very long time. Its chorus grows and grows and grows.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/the-song-of-kali-is-with-us-it-has-been-with-us-for-a-very-long-time/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In the end, thought Sol, past logic and hope, it is dreams and the love of those dearest to us that form Abraham’s answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/in-the-end-thought-sol-past-logic-and-hope-it-is-dreams-and-the-love/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“After seven centuries of existence and at least four centuries where few citizens existed without it, the datasphere – including the All Thing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/after-seven-centuries-of-existence-and-at-least-four-centuries-where/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Context is to data what water is to a dolphin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/context-is-to-data-what-water-is-to-a-dolphin/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Pain is an interesting and off-putting thing. Few if any things in life concentrate our attention so completely and terribly, and few things are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/pain-is-an-interesting-and-off-putting-thing-few-if-any-things-in/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Luckily, even as a young man not yet become himself, John Bridgens had two things besides indecision that kept him from self-destruction - books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/luckily-even-as-a-young-man-not-yet-become-himself-john-bridgens-had/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“To be a poet, I realized, a true poet, was to become the Avatar of humanity incarnate; to accept the mantle of poet is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/to-be-a-poet-i-realized-a-true-poet-was-to-become-the-avatar-of/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Those who ignore history's lessons in the ultimate folly of war are forced to do more than relive them ... they may be forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/those-who-ignore-history-s-lessons-in-the-ultimate-folly-of-war-are/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“The day before the Queen's Ball, Father had a visitor--a very young girl with literary aspirations, someone Lord Lytton had recommended visit Father and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/the-day-before-the-queen-s-ball-father-had-a-visitor-a-very-young/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [You've probably heard about the theory of steam-engine time - that even after the steam engine had been invented, it had to wait until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/you-ve-probably-heard-about-the-theory-of-steam-engine-time-that-even/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER MISUSE OF THIS CHANNEL. YOU ARE DISTURBING OTHERS WHO ARE USING IT TO SERIOUS PURPOSE. ACCESS WILL BE RESTORED…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/there-will-be-no-further-misuse-of-this-channel-you-are-disturbing/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“I know the fucking Bible, and there ain't no fucking Book of Leviathan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/i-know-the-fucking-bible-and-there-ain-t-no-fucking-book-of-leviathan/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [I loved you backward and forward in time. I loved you beyond boundaries of time and space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/i-loved-you-backward-and-forward-in-time-i-loved-you-beyond/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [ “Men who read a lot have a more sensitive disposition, added Fowler. \[...\] I did not know what to say to this. Maybe reading… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/men-who-read-a-lot-have-a-more-sensitive-disposition-added-fowler-i/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) [Explore all 307 Dan Simmons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) ## More Careless quotes > [We Americans tend to be a prodigal lot. We are as careless with our personal resources as we are with the resources of nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/we-americans-tend-to-be-a-prodigal-lot-we-are-as-careless-with-our/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [“The rich eat life, the poor eat death; so what is the problem they ask?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/the-rich-eat-life-the-poor-eat-death-so-what-is-the-problem-they-ask/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [the greater part of the suffering in the world is caused not by wicked intents and hard hearts, but by the careless desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marah-ellis-ryan/the-greater-part-of-the-suffering-in-the-world-is-caused-not-by/) [Marah Ellis Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marah-ellis-ryan/) > [It is the habit of mankind to entrust to careless hope what they long for, and to use sovereign reason to thrust aside what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/it-is-the-habit-of-mankind-to-entrust-to-careless-hope-what-they-long/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [And hast thou sworn on every slight pretence, Till perjuries are common as bad pence, While thousands, careless of the damning sin, Kiss the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/and-hast-thou-sworn-on-every-slight-pretence-till-perjuries-are/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“They are not brave, the days when we are twenty-one. They are full of little cowardices, little fears without foundation, and one is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/they-are-not-brave-the-days-when-we-are-twenty-one-they-are-full-of/) [Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/) > [Sunday morning, before we go to hear the Word of God preached...let us not rush into God’s presence careless, reckless, and unprepared, as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/sunday-morning-before-we-go-to-hear-the-word-of-god-preached-let-us/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [Being carefree, you can fit in anywhere. If you’re not carefree you keep on bumping up against things. Your life becomes so narrow, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsoknyi-rinpoche/being-carefree-you-can-fit-in-anywhere-if-you-re-not-carefree-you/) [Tsoknyi Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsoknyi-rinpoche/) > [The paradox of courage is that a man must be a little careless of his life even in order to keep it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-paradox-of-courage-is-that-a-man-must-be-a-little-careless-of-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Phaedra shook her head. “If your people mean no offense, they should not speak their thoughts out loud in front of their children, Tesadora.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/phaedra-shook-her-head-if-your-people-mean-no-offense-they-should-not/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [Galvanized people can do careless things. It is in the extreme and emotion-laden moments that distance and coolness are most required. I am tempted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/galvanized-people-can-do-careless-things-it-is-in-the-extreme-and/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [You don't have to give way to careless speech or complaining. You don't have to let your feelings get in the way of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/you-don-t-have-to-give-way-to-careless-speech-or-complaining-you-don/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Take good care of the things you have. Careless people spend more for a given standard of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crook-de-camp/take-good-care-of-the-things-you-have-careless-people-spend-more-for/) [Catherine Crook de Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crook-de-camp/) > [A lot of white men in the music industry are promoting and participating in black culture in a way that is pretty careless. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelela/a-lot-of-white-men-in-the-music-industry-are-promoting-and/) [Kelela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelela/) > [That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over, lest you should think he never could recapture the first fine careless rapture!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/that-s-the-wise-thrush-he-sings-each-song-twice-over-lest-you-should/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) Browse all 450 Careless quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He was, in other words, a careful man with careless impulses.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Simmons" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with-careless-impulses/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Careless" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with-careless-impulses/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/dan-simmons-968_quote_he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with_974883.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/dan-simmons-968_quote_he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with_974883.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d61/dan-simmons-968_quote_he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with_974883.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He was, in other words, a careful man with careless impulses.” — Dan Simmons", "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": "Dan Simmons", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He was, in other words, a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with-careless-impulses/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/he-was-in-other-words-a-careful-man-with-careless-impulses/#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 } } ] } ```