--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don’t cry, Booboo. Remember the flag only…" description: "\"“Don’t cry, Booboo. Remember the flag only halfway up the pole? Booboo, there are two ways to lower a flag to half-mast. Are you listening? Because no ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70b/david-foster-wallace-161_quote_don-t-cry-booboo-remember-the-flag-only_142203.jpg" --- # Don’t cry, Booboo. Remember the flag only halfway up the… ![“Don’t cry, Booboo. Remember the flag only halfway up the pole? Booboo, there are two ways to lower a flag to half-mast. Are you listening? Because no shit I really have to sleep here in a second. So listen - one way to lower the flag to half mast is just to lower the flag. There’s another way…” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70b/david-foster-wallace-161_quote_don-t-cry-booboo-remember-the-flag-only_142203.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70b/david-foster-wallace-161_quote_don-t-cry-booboo-remember-the-flag-only_142203.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70b/david-foster-wallace-161_quote_don-t-cry-booboo-remember-the-flag-only_142203.jpg) > ““Don’t cry, Booboo. Remember the flag only halfway up the pole? Booboo, there are two ways to lower a flag to half-mast. Are you listening? Because no shit I really have to sleep here in a second. So listen - one way to lower the flag to half mast is just to lower the flag. There’s another way though. You can also just raise the pole. You can raise the pole to like twice its original height. You get me? You understand what I mean, Mario?”” [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. The speaker uses a flag metaphor to illustrate that a problem can be solved by either lowering expectations or raising standards, but the listener may not grasp the point. **In simple terms:** Two ways to handle a problem: lower it or raise it. Key Takeaway Consider both lowering and raising approaches. Themes problem‑solving communication perspective Mood confused curious Type humorous conversational When to use this quote - workplace conflict - personal growth - decision making Key Concepts metaphor choice Questions to Reflect On - Which approach would you choose in a tough situation? - How can you communicate complex ideas more clearly? A Different Perspective The metaphor may confuse rather than clarify. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Flag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flag/) ## Related quotes > [“How come she never got sad?” She did get sad, Booboo. She got sad in her way instead of yours and mine. She got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/how-come-she-never-got-sad-she-did-get-sad-booboo-she-got-sad-in-her/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“So listen -- one way to lower the flag to half-mast is just to lower the flag. There's another way though. You can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/so-listen-one-way-to-lower-the-flag-to-half-mast-is-just-to-lower-the/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [By the way, I don't mean to pick nits here, but Obama has just ordered the flag at half-mast for 10 days for Mandela.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/by-the-way-i-don-t-mean-to-pick-nits-here-but-obama-has-just-ordered/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Day by day. No yesterdays and no tomorrows. The barometer never changes, the flag is always at half-mast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/day-by-day-no-yesterdays-and-no-tomorrows-the-barometer-never-changes/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [South Carolina, as a matter of compromise, displays the Confederate flag on a flagpole in front of the state capitol. Because I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edwards/south-carolina-as-a-matter-of-compromise-displays-the-confederate/) [John Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edwards/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. 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They're not Republicans, except as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/trump-devotees-don-t-care-about-shrinking-the-size-and-scope-of/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [“These days you don't need a country to have a flag, you don't need to win an election to become president, and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/these-days-you-don-t-need-a-country-to-have-a-flag-you-don-t-need-to/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [Colin Kaepernick is the latest professional athlete to spark a national debate about the meaning behind the American flag and the national anthem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/colin-kaepernick-is-the-latest-professional-athlete-to-spark-a/) Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf > [“But not without help from the NASA Technical Services Division. A flag doesn’t fly without wind. 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Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) > [To hold Old Glory, a symbol of freedom and liberty to many around the world, not just in the United States, this one means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-alvarez/to-hold-old-glory-a-symbol-of-freedom-and-liberty-to-many-around-the/) [Eddy Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-alvarez/) > [“...screaming about your rights as an American while rockin' the confederate flag is like arguing against gay marriage with a dick in your mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trae-crowder/screaming-about-your-rights-as-an-american-while-rockin-the/) [Trae Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trae-crowder/) ## More by David Foster Wallace > [“I felt more solidly composed, now that I was horizontal. I was impossible to knock down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-felt-more-solidly-composed-now-that-i-was-horizontal-i-was/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“We all have our little solipsistic delusions, ghastly intuitions of utter singularity: that we are the only one in the house who ever fills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/we-all-have-our-little-solipsistic-delusions-ghastly-intuitions-of/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“It's no accident that in a bureaucracy getting fired is called 'termination,' as in ontological erasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-s-no-accident-that-in-a-bureaucracy-getting-fired-is-called/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Footnote: 79) The anchor is gigantic and must weigh a hundred tons, and -- delightfully -- it really is anchor-shaped, i.e. the same shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/footnote-79-the-anchor-is-gigantic-and-must-weigh-a-hundred-tons-and/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“The paradoxical intercourse of audience and celebrity. 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Because I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edwards/south-carolina-as-a-matter-of-compromise-displays-the-confederate/) [John Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edwards/) > [To hold Old Glory, a symbol of freedom and liberty to many around the world, not just in the United States, this one means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-alvarez/to-hold-old-glory-a-symbol-of-freedom-and-liberty-to-many-around-the/) [Eddy Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-alvarez/) > [“...screaming about your rights as an American while rockin' the confederate flag is like arguing against gay marriage with a dick in your mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trae-crowder/screaming-about-your-rights-as-an-american-while-rockin-the/) [Trae Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trae-crowder/) > [Is burning an American flag a disgusting, reprehensible act? Yes, it absolutely is, and I would tell that to the face of absolutely anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-timpf/is-burning-an-american-flag-a-disgusting-reprehensible-act-yes-it/) [Kat Timpf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-timpf/) > [“But not without help from the NASA Technical Services Division. A flag doesn’t fly without wind. 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