--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem is maddening. The thing you…" description: "\"The problem is maddening. The thing you seek is so close, you feel you could reach out and touch it. You feel it is your immutable destiny to do so. Yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/dave-sim-19321_certain_the-problem-is-maddening-the-thing-you-s_975101.jpg" --- # The problem is maddening. The thing you seek is so close… ![“The problem is maddening. The thing you seek is so close, you feel you could reach out and touch it. You feel it is your immutable destiny to do so. You have not come this far and at such a cost merely to turn around and go back. There is a solution. Of this you are certain. Now, no longer a game…” quote by Dave Sim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/dave-sim-19321_certain_the-problem-is-maddening-the-thing-you-s_975101.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/dave-sim-19321_certain_the-problem-is-maddening-the-thing-you-s_975101.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/dave-sim-19321_certain_the-problem-is-maddening-the-thing-you-s_975101.jpg) > “The problem is maddening. The thing you seek is so close, you feel you could reach out and touch it. You feel it is your immutable destiny to do so. You have not come this far and at such a cost merely to turn around and go back. There is a solution. Of this you are certain. Now, no longer a game of mass, a game of destiny, it has become, instead a contest of wills. You focus on That Which You Seek as if your gaze alone might bring it closer or narrow the distance between you. Just as it feels as if your mind itself will explode from the strain.” [Dave Sim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-sim/) ## 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 describes the intense frustration of pursuing a goal that feels both inevitable and just out of reach, turning the effort into a mental battle of wills. **In simple terms:** Pursuing a near‑reach goal feels exhausting and like a mental battle. Key Takeaway Recognize the mental strain and break the goal into manageable steps. Themes determination frustration goal pursuit mental strain Mood tense driven reflective Type motivational philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - creative projects - career milestones - personal ambitions - academic research Key Concepts psychology of motivation destiny myth willpower cognitive overload Questions to Reflect On - What practical steps can you take to complement your mental focus? - How do you balance willpower with realistic planning? A Different Perspective The focus on will alone may overlook practical strategies needed to achieve the goal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Contests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contests/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Distance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distance/) [Feel Immutable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-immutable-1899376/) [Feel Reach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-reach-315375/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Reach out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach-out/) [Seek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seek/) [Seek Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seek-close-1899375/) [Solutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solutions/) [Strain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strain/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) ## Related quotes > [“What you seek is close by and rises to meet you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-h-lderlin/what-you-seek-is-close-by-and-rises-to-meet-you/) [Friedrich Hölderlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-h-lderlin/) > [“When you feel down and out you must reach up and out--to Spirit! 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Now, no longer a game of mass, a game of destiny, it has become, instead a contest of wills. You focus on That Which You Seek as if your gaze alone might bring it closer or narrow the distance between you. 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