--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And then also, again, still, what are…" description: "\"“And then also, again, still, what are those boundaries, if they’re not baselines, that contain and direct its infinite expansion inward, that make ten..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/582/david-foster-wallace-161_david-foster-wallace_and-then-also-again-still-what-are-those_3042618.jpg" --- # And then also, again, still, what are those boundaries, if… ![“And then also, again, still, what are those boundaries, if they’re not baselines, that contain and direct its infinite expansion inward, that make tennis like chess on the run, beautiful and infinitely dense? The true opponent, the enfolding boundary, is the player himself. Always and only the…” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/582/david-foster-wallace-161_david-foster-wallace_and-then-also-again-still-what-are-those_3042618.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/582/david-foster-wallace-161_david-foster-wallace_and-then-also-again-still-what-are-those_3042618.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/582/david-foster-wallace-161_david-foster-wallace_and-then-also-again-still-what-are-those_3042618.jpg) > ““And then also, again, still, what are those boundaries, if they’re not baselines, that contain and direct its infinite expansion inward, that make tennis like chess on the run, beautiful and infinitely dense? The true opponent, the enfolding boundary, is the player himself. Always and only the self out there, on court, to be met, fought, brought to the table to hammer out terms. The competing boy on the net’s other side: he is not the foe: he is more the partner in the dance. He is the what is the word excuse or occasion for meeting the self. As you are his occasion. Tennis’s beauty’s infinite roots are self-competitive. You compete with your own limits to transcend the self in imagination and execution. Disappear inside the game: break through limits: transcend: improve: win. Which is why tennis is an essentially tragic enterprise… You seek to vanquish and transcend the limited self whose limits make the game possible in the first place. It is tragic and sad and chaotic and lovely. All life is the same, as citizens of the human State: the animating limits are within, to be killed and mourned, over and over again…Mario thinks hard again. He’s trying to think of how to articulate something like: But then is battling and vanquishing the self the same as destroying yourself? Is that like saying life is pro-death? … And then but so what’s the difference between tennis and suicide, life and death, the game and its own end?”” [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tennis mirrors life: the opponent is oneself, and the game is a dance of limits and transcendence, revealing both beauty and tragedy in striving beyond self‑imposed boundaries. **In simple terms:** The game is a self‑challenge, not a fight against others. Key Takeaway Use sport or art to explore personal limits. Themes self‑growth competition philosophy Mood introspective melancholic Type literary motivational When to use this quote - sports coaching - creative workshops - therapy sessions - personal development Key Concepts existentialism limit‑transcendence play paradox Questions to Reflect On - What personal limits do you see as opponents? - How can you balance self‑challenge with self‑compassion? A Different Perspective The metaphor may over‑intellectualize simple activities, risking paralysis by analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [David-foster-wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/david-foster-wallace-2/) [Destroying yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroying-yourself/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Infinite jest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinite-jest/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis/) [Tennis balls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis-balls/) ## Related quotes > [“The true opponent, the enfolding boundary, is the player himself. 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He’s trying to think of how to articulate something like: But then is battling and vanquishing the self the same as destroying yourself? 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