---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Passion can seem intimidatingly out of…"
description: "\"“Passion can seem intimidatingly out of reach at times - a distant tower of flame, accessible only to geniuses and to those who are specially touched b..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a06/elizabeth-gilbert-131_be-curious_passion-can-seem-intimidatingly-out-of-r_1980681.jpg"
---

#  Passion can seem intimidatingly out of reach at times - a…

![“Passion can seem intimidatingly out of reach at times - a distant tower of flame, accessible only to geniuses and to those who are specially touched by God. But curiosity is a milder, quieter, more welcoming, and more democratic entity. The stakes of curiosity are also far lower than the stakes of…” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a06/elizabeth-gilbert-131_be-curious_passion-can-seem-intimidatingly-out-of-r_1980681.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a06/elizabeth-gilbert-131_be-curious_passion-can-seem-intimidatingly-out-of-r_1980681.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a06/elizabeth-gilbert-131_be-curious_passion-can-seem-intimidatingly-out-of-r_1980681.jpg)

> ““Passion can seem intimidatingly out of reach at times - a distant tower of flame, accessible only to geniuses and to those who are specially touched by God. But curiosity is a milder, quieter, more welcoming, and more democratic entity. The stakes of curiosity are also far lower than the stakes of passion. \[...\] Curiosity only ever asks one simple question: "Is there anything you're interested in?" Anything? Even a tiny bit? No matter how mundane or small? The answer need not set your life on fire, or make you quit your job \[...\]; it just has to capture your attention for a moment. But in that moment, if you can pause and identify even one tiny speck of interest in something, then curiosity will ask you to turn your head a quarter of an inch and look at the thing a wee bit closer. Do it. It's a clue. It might seem like nothing, but it's a clue. Follow that clue. Trust it. See where curiosity will lead you next.””

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Curiosity is accessible to everyone and leads to small, manageable interests that can spark larger growth.

**In simple terms:** Curiosity is a gentle guide.

Key Takeaway

Follow small interests.

Themes

learning growth exploration

Mood

encouraging reflective

Type

inspirational advice

When to use this quote

- career change
- hobbies
- skill development
- creative projects

Key Concepts

curiosity vs passion incremental discovery

Questions to Reflect On

- What tiny curiosity could you pursue today?
- How does curiosity differ from ambition?

A Different Perspective

Passion may feel intimidating and exclusive.

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[Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Finding your passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-your-passion/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Getting-unstuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-unstuck/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Stuck in a rut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuck-in-a-rut/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [Avoid him who from mere curiosity asks three questions running about a thing that cannot interest Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/avoid-him-who-from-mere-curiosity-asks-three-questions-running-about/)

[Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/)

> [“I follow and cultivate my own curiosity. I think curiosity is one of the top two or three human characteristics. It's something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/i-follow-and-cultivate-my-own-curiosity-i-think-curiosity-is-one-of/)

[Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/)

> [“Stay patient and persistent. Be flexible and never forget to be curious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/stay-patient-and-persistent-be-flexible-and-never-forget-to-be-curious/)

[Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/)

## More by Elizabeth Gilbert

> [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. He's just the guy who's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/that-s-your-friend-my-husband-is-my-best-friend-he-s-not-the-mirror/)

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> [ “And while \[we\] do have possibilities that are vast and magnificent and almost infinite in scope, it's important to remember that our choice-rich lives… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/and-while-we-do-have-possibilities-that-are-vast-and-magnificent-and/)

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> [Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/learn-your-way-around-loneliness-make-a-map-of-it-sit-with-it-for/)

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> [If we never leave our house except to drive to work, do we need to be even remotely aware of this powerful, humbling, extraordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-we-never-leave-our-house-except-to-drive-to-work-do-we-need-to-be/)

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> [I will tell you why we have these extraordinary minds and souls, Miss Whittaker," he continued, as though he had not heard her. "We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-will-tell-you-why-we-have-these-extraordinary-minds-and-souls-miss/)

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> [Both the five-year-olds looked at me with bewilderment and a bit of fearful uncertainty. I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/both-the-five-year-olds-looked-at-me-with-bewilderment-and-a-bit-of/)

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> [“Clearing out all your misery gets you out of the way. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/)

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> [The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-ingredients-of-both-darkness-and-light-are-equally-present-in-all/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-was-full-of-a-hot-powerful-sadness-and-would-have-loved-to-burst/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [“I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is the planet around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-live-in-nature-where-everything-is-connected-circular-the-seasons/)

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> [“His spelling was several degrees beyond arbitrary, and his punctuation brought reason to sigh with unhappiness. But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/his-spelling-was-several-degrees-beyond-arbitrary-and-his-punctuation/)

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> [Before you realize this truth, say the Yogis, you will always be in despair, a notion nicely expressed in this exasperated line from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/before-you-realize-this-truth-say-the-yogis-you-will-always-be-in/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [I actually have a great deal of respect for antidepressants; I think they can be enormously mighty tools toward recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-actually-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-antidepressants-i-think/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

[Explore all 1,156 Elizabeth Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

## More Be-curious quotes

> [“I follow and cultivate my own curiosity. I think curiosity is one of the top two or three human characteristics. It's something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/i-follow-and-cultivate-my-own-curiosity-i-think-curiosity-is-one-of/)

[Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/)

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[Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/)

Browse all 3 Be-curious quotes

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