--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have pointed rhythmically at the…" description: "\"“I have pointed rhythmically at the ceiling to the two-four beat of the same disco music I hated pointing at the ceiling to in 1977.”\" — David Foster W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/david-foster-wallace-161_disco-music_i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceili_791384.jpg" --- # I have pointed rhythmically at the ceiling to the two-four… ![“I have pointed rhythmically at the ceiling to the two-four beat of the same disco music I hated pointing at the ceiling to in 1977.” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/david-foster-wallace-161_disco-music_i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceili_791384.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/david-foster-wallace-161_disco-music_i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceili_791384.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/david-foster-wallace-161_disco-music_i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceili_791384.jpg) > ““I have pointed rhythmically at the ceiling to the two-four beat of the same disco music I hated pointing at the ceiling to in 1977.”” [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 narrator critiques his habit of rhythmically looking at the ceiling while listening to disliked disco music. **In simple terms:** He mocks his own repetitive, mindless behavior. Key Takeaway Break habits that distract from presence. Themes habit self‑awareness music distraction nostalgia Mood wry critical Type essay personal narrative When to use this quote - daily routines - music listening - self‑reflection Key Concepts mindfulness behavioral patterns cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - Why do we repeat meaningless actions? - How can we become more present? A Different Perspective Habit may be comforting despite being pointless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beat Disco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beat-disco-6077147/) [Ceiling Beat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceiling-beat-6077144/) [Disco music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disco-music/) [Pointed Rhythmically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pointed-rhythmically-6077145/) [Rhythmically Ceiling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythmically-ceiling-6077146/) ## Related quotes > [I think music changed when Bruce Springstee came on the scene. I think if it wasn't for Bruce Springstee, music would have gone in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-baxter/i-think-music-changed-when-bruce-springstee-came-on-the-scene-i-think/) [Jeff Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-baxter/) > [I became obsessed with Simian Mobile Disco's music and poorly attempted to make my own techno music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-marshall/i-became-obsessed-with-simian-mobile-disco-s-music-and-poorly/) [Winston Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-marshall/) > [God had to create disco music so I could be born and be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-summer/god-had-to-create-disco-music-so-i-could-be-born-and-be-successful/) [Donna Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-summer/) > [“There is nothing. Only warm, primordial blackness. Your conscience ferments in it — no larger than a single grain of malt. You don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kurvitz/there-is-nothing-only-warm-primordial-blackness-your-conscience/) [Robert Kurvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kurvitz/) > [There was a movement called 'disco sucks', it was a shame to like disco, but then there was no music to dance to, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guetta/there-was-a-movement-called-disco-sucks-it-was-a-shame-to-like-disco/) [David Guetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guetta/) > [Disco music has had its opportunity earlier and now the young people have taken it to another level. DJs are using our music and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-mitchell/disco-music-has-had-its-opportunity-earlier-and-now-the-young-people/) [Liz Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-mitchell/) > [“Love is an art, Berk. Just like painting or music. Some painters draw mere lines, scratches on the canvas and call them art; some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-afsin-ilgar/love-is-an-art-berk-just-like-painting-or-music-some-painters-draw/) [T. Afsin Ilgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-afsin-ilgar/) > [New York is like a disco, but without the music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/new-york-is-like-a-disco-but-without-the-music/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [I think one of my highpoints was definitely well, everything started turning around on Barry Manilow week. I had so much fun on disco…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-degarmo/i-think-one-of-my-highpoints-was-definitely-well-everything-started/) [Diana DeGarmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-degarmo/) > [I'm a big cultural pusher when it comes to hip-hop, disco music, comedy, all that stuff that I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-cole/i-m-a-big-cultural-pusher-when-it-comes-to-hip-hop-disco-music-comedy/) [Deon Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-cole/) > [I hate labels because it should be just music. I don't see anything wrong with disco. Call it anything. It's music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-hate-labels-because-it-should-be-just-music-i-don-t-see-anything/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [Disco music in the '70s was just a call to go wild and party and dance with no thought or conscience or regard for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-reeves/disco-music-in-the-70s-was-just-a-call-to-go-wild-and-party-and-dance/) [Martha Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-reeves/) > [Disco music can only take you so far because it's plastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/disco-music-can-only-take-you-so-far-because-it-s-plastic/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [Since I was gay and loved disco music, it was kinda pre-programmed that my first experiences with house music and acid - which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justus-kohncke/since-i-was-gay-and-loved-disco-music-it-was-kinda-pre-programmed/) [Justus Kohncke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justus-kohncke/) > [I really wanted to be a blues/jazz/gospel singer, but times had changed and disco was now the music - the new sound. I embraced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-mitchell/i-really-wanted-to-be-a-blues-jazz-gospel-singer-but-times-had/) [Liz Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-mitchell/) ## 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. The suppressed awareness that the whole reason ordinary people found celebrity fascinating was that they were not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-paradoxical-intercourse-of-audience-and-celebrity-the-suppressed/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“I am coming to see that the sensation of the worst nightmares, a sensation that can be felt asleep or awake, is identical to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-am-coming-to-see-that-the-sensation-of-the-worst-nightmares-a/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“He cranks the condo’s AC way down at night and still most mornings wakes up soaked, fetally curled, entombed in that kind of psychic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/he-cranks-the-condo-s-ac-way-down-at-night-and-still-most-mornings/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“To me, at least in retrospect, the really interesting question is why dullness proves to be such a powerful impediment to attention. Why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-me-at-least-in-retrospect-the-really-interesting-question-is-why/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“If you’re subjected to enough great salesmen and salespitches and marketing concepts for long enough—like from your earliest Saturday-morning cartoons, let’s say—it is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/if-you-re-subjected-to-enough-great-salesmen-and-salespitches-and/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“Why is the truth usually not just un- but anti-interesting?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/why-is-the-truth-usually-not-just-un-but-anti-interesting/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“She almost reminds the engineer of certain types in high school whom everyone adored because you sensed it made no difference to them whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/she-almost-reminds-the-engineer-of-certain-types-in-high-school-whom/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [To be, in a word, unborable… It is the key to modern life. If you are immune to boredom, there is literally nothing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-be-in-a-word-unborable-it-is-the-key-to-modern-life-if-you-are/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“It is within your power to experience a crowded, loud, slow, consumer-hell-type situation as not only meaningful but sacred, on fire with the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-is-within-your-power-to-experience-a-crowded-loud-slow-consumer/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“The happy pleasure of the person alone, yes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-happy-pleasure-of-the-person-alone-yes/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [There is such a thing as raw, unalloyed, agendaless kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/there-is-such-a-thing-as-raw-unalloyed-agendaless-kindness/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) [Explore all 999 David Foster Wallace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## More Disco music quotes > [I think music changed when Bruce Springstee came on the scene. I think if it wasn't for Bruce Springstee, music would have gone in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-baxter/i-think-music-changed-when-bruce-springstee-came-on-the-scene-i-think/) [Jeff Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-baxter/) > [Since I was gay and loved disco music, it was kinda pre-programmed that my first experiences with house music and acid - which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justus-kohncke/since-i-was-gay-and-loved-disco-music-it-was-kinda-pre-programmed/) [Justus Kohncke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justus-kohncke/) > [Disco music can only take you so far because it's plastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-pickett/disco-music-can-only-take-you-so-far-because-it-s-plastic/) [Wilson Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-pickett/) > [Disco music in the '70s was just a call to go wild and party and dance with no thought or conscience or regard for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-reeves/disco-music-in-the-70s-was-just-a-call-to-go-wild-and-party-and-dance/) [Martha Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-reeves/) > [I hate labels because it should be just music. I don't see anything wrong with disco. Call it anything. It's music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-hate-labels-because-it-should-be-just-music-i-don-t-see-anything/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [I'm a big cultural pusher when it comes to hip-hop, disco music, comedy, all that stuff that I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-cole/i-m-a-big-cultural-pusher-when-it-comes-to-hip-hop-disco-music-comedy/) [Deon Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-cole/) > [I think one of my highpoints was definitely well, everything started turning around on Barry Manilow week. I had so much fun on disco…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-degarmo/i-think-one-of-my-highpoints-was-definitely-well-everything-started/) [Diana DeGarmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-degarmo/) > [New York is like a disco, but without the music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/new-york-is-like-a-disco-but-without-the-music/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [“Love is an art, Berk. Just like painting or music. Some painters draw mere lines, scratches on the canvas and call them art; some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-afsin-ilgar/love-is-an-art-berk-just-like-painting-or-music-some-painters-draw/) [T. Afsin Ilgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-afsin-ilgar/) > [Disco music has had its opportunity earlier and now the young people have taken it to another level. DJs are using our music and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-mitchell/disco-music-has-had-its-opportunity-earlier-and-now-the-young-people/) [Liz Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-mitchell/) > [There was a movement called 'disco sucks', it was a shame to like disco, but then there was no music to dance to, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guetta/there-was-a-movement-called-disco-sucks-it-was-a-shame-to-like-disco/) [David Guetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guetta/) > [“There is nothing. Only warm, primordial blackness. Your conscience ferments in it — no larger than a single grain of malt. You don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kurvitz/there-is-nothing-only-warm-primordial-blackness-your-conscience/) [Robert Kurvitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kurvitz/) > [God had to create disco music so I could be born and be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-summer/god-had-to-create-disco-music-so-i-could-be-born-and-be-successful/) [Donna Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-summer/) > [I became obsessed with Simian Mobile Disco's music and poorly attempted to make my own techno music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-marshall/i-became-obsessed-with-simian-mobile-disco-s-music-and-poorly/) [Winston Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-marshall/) > [I really wanted to be a blues/jazz/gospel singer, but times had changed and disco was now the music - the new sound. I embraced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-mitchell/i-really-wanted-to-be-a-blues-jazz-gospel-singer-but-times-had/) [Liz Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-mitchell/) [Browse all 24 Disco music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disco-music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have pointed rhythmically at the ceiling to the two-four beat of the same disco music I hated pointing at the ceiling to in 1977.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Foster Wallace" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceiling-to-the-two-four-beat-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Disco music" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceiling-to-the-two-four-beat-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/david-foster-wallace-161_disco-music_i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceili_791384.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/david-foster-wallace-161_disco-music_i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceili_791384.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/david-foster-wallace-161_disco-music_i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceili_791384.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have pointed rhythmically at the ceiling to the two-four beat of the same disco music I hated pointing at…” — David Foster Wallace", "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": "David Foster Wallace", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I have pointed rhythmically at the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceiling-to-the-two-four-beat-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-have-pointed-rhythmically-at-the-ceiling-to-the-two-four-beat-of/#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 } } ] } ```