--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our minds have a tendency to wander. To…" description: "\"Our minds have a tendency to wander. To duck and feint and keep us at a slight remove from the moment at hand.\" — Dani Shapiro" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/dani-shapiro-2273_ducks_our-minds-have-a-tendency-to-wander-to-d_1475042.png" --- # Our minds have a tendency to wander. To duck and feint and… ![“Our minds have a tendency to wander. To duck and feint and keep us at a slight remove from the moment at hand.” quote by Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/dani-shapiro-2273_ducks_our-minds-have-a-tendency-to-wander-to-d_1475042.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/dani-shapiro-2273_ducks_our-minds-have-a-tendency-to-wander-to-d_1475042.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55f/dani-shapiro-2273_ducks_our-minds-have-a-tendency-to-wander-to-d_1475042.png) > “Our minds have a tendency to wander. To duck and feint and keep us at a slight remove from the moment at hand.” [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our thoughts often drift away, creating a mental distance from present experience. **In simple terms:** Minds wander away from now. Key Takeaway Notice and gently bring attention back. Themes mindfulness attention presence Mood reflective calm Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - meditation - work - study - conversation Key Concepts cognitive drift mental distance Questions to Reflect On - How can you use wandering product? - What anchors you to the present? A Different Perspective Wandering can be useful for creativity, not just distraction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ducks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ducks/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Why do drivers minds have a tendency to desert their brains as soon as they get in a car park?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-fowler/why-do-drivers-minds-have-a-tendency-to-desert-their-brains-as-soon/) [Steve Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-fowler/) > [Like it or not, males have a tendency to wander a little bit. 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We had oysters and a lovely dry white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/i-had-my-first-french-meal-and-i-never-got-over-it-it-was-just/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [The government competes in the private sector the way an alligator competes with a duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-government-competes-in-the-private-sector-the-way-an-alligator/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) ## More by Dani Shapiro > [“The writer’s life requires courage, patience, empathy, openness. It requires the ability to be alone with oneself. Gentle with oneself. To be disciplined, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/the-writer-s-life-requires-courage-patience-empathy-openness-it/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [I never troll for material. It simply presents itself, and is always unmistakable. 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There is no end to the possibilities. You can continue to promote a book for years, literally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/there-is-no-end-to-the-promotion-there-is-no-end-to-the-possibilities/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [We can't protect ourselves from pain and heartache.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/we-can-t-protect-ourselves-from-pain-and-heartache/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [A writer with her work needs to be like a dog with a bone all the time. She needs to know where she's hidden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/a-writer-with-her-work-needs-to-be-like-a-dog-with-a-bone-all-the/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [“Oh, child! Somewhere inside you, your future has already unfurled like one of those coiled-up party streamers, once shiny, shaken loose, floating gracefully for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/oh-child-somewhere-inside-you-your-future-has-already-unfurled-like/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [I never feel so alive as when I'm writing and the work is going well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/i-never-feel-so-alive-as-when-i-m-writing-and-the-work-is-going-well/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [I do strongly identify with being Jewish. I was raised Orthodox and had a childhood complicated by the fact that my father was deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/i-do-strongly-identify-with-being-jewish-i-was-raised-orthodox-and/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [The fact is that most husbands, regardless of religion - it's an old-fashioned gender divide where the husband wants to stay home and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/the-fact-is-that-most-husbands-regardless-of-religion-it-s-an-old/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [Novels are my favorite to write and read. I do like writing personal essays, too. I'm not really a short story writer, nor do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/novels-are-my-favorite-to-write-and-read-i-do-like-writing-personal/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) [Explore all 175 Dani Shapiro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) ## More Ducks quotes > [The government competes in the private sector the way an alligator competes with a duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-government-competes-in-the-private-sector-the-way-an-alligator/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [I had my first French meal and I never got over it. It was just marvelous. We had oysters and a lovely dry white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/i-had-my-first-french-meal-and-i-never-got-over-it-it-was-just/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [We only call at ducks when their rear ends are towards us. If I'm looking at you and you call my name, then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jase-robertson/we-only-call-at-ducks-when-their-rear-ends-are-towards-us-if-i-m/) [Jase Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jase-robertson/) > [Smart people duck when they hear the dread announcement 'I'm going to be perfectly honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/smart-people-duck-when-they-hear-the-dread-announcement-i-m-going-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [One of the first houses we lived in was like out of a fairy story. We had a stream that ran through our garden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-clarke/one-of-the-first-houses-we-lived-in-was-like-out-of-a-fairy-story-we/) [Emilia Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-clarke/) > [One is never alone with a rubber duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/one-is-never-alone-with-a-rubber-duck/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [ People say, "Look, your book \[Tales and Wisdom from Duck Dynasty's Favorite Uncle\] is about tall tales." And I said, "No, you don't understand,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/si-robertson/people-say-look-your-book-tales-and-wisdom-from-duck-dynasty-s/) [Si Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/si-robertson/) > [“I'm growing as a person. I'm self-farming. That's the highest form of farming, even greater than being a duck farmer, which, as you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-m-growing-as-a-person-i-m-self-farming-that-s-the-highest-form-of/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [No matter how organized your ducks are, life can turn on 2 seconds. So, you can't keep on waiting. Because, if you keep on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diem-brown/no-matter-how-organized-your-ducks-are-life-can-turn-on-2-seconds-so/) [Diem Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diem-brown/) > [To act choicelessly is to act in accord with the situation. If someone throws a rock, you duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rami-m-shapiro/to-act-choicelessly-is-to-act-in-accord-with-the-situation-if-someone/) [Rami M. Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rami-m-shapiro/) > [My God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/my-god-the-english-language-is-a-form-of-communication-conversation/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [I went to the butchers to buy a leg of lamb. "Is it Scotch?", I asked. "Why?" the butcher said in reply. "Are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chic-murray/i-went-to-the-butchers-to-buy-a-leg-of-lamb-is-it-scotch-i-asked-why/) [Chic Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chic-murray/) > [Light came to me when I realized that I did not have to consider any racial group as a whole. God made them duck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/light-came-to-me-when-i-realized-that-i-did-not-have-to-consider-any/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [In politics, Bugs Bunny always beats Daffy Duck. Daffy's always going berserk, jumping up and down, yelling. 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