--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It baffled her, the world. She did not…" description: "\"“It baffled her, the world. She did not want to leave it yet.”\" — Elizabeth Strout" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/elizabeth-strout-1799_baffled_it-baffled-her-the-world-she-did-not-wan_1275729.png" --- # It baffled her, the world. She did not want to leave it yet. ![“It baffled her, the world. She did not want to leave it yet.” quote by Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/elizabeth-strout-1799_baffled_it-baffled-her-the-world-she-did-not-wan_1275729.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/elizabeth-strout-1799_baffled_it-baffled-her-the-world-she-did-not-wan_1275729.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/elizabeth-strout-1799_baffled_it-baffled-her-the-world-she-did-not-wan_1275729.png) > ““It baffled her, the world. She did not want to leave it yet.”” [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She feels conflicted, torn between curiosity about the world and a desire to stay in familiar comfort. **In simple terms:** She is curious but not ready to leave. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity while honoring comfort zones. Themes conflict curiosity comfort growth Mood reflective hopeful Type literary personal When to use this quote - travel decisions - career changes - relationship milestones - self‑exploration Key Concepts existential tension personal choice Questions to Reflect On - What holds you back from exploring? - How can you balance safety and adventure? A Different Perspective She may miss opportunities by staying too long. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“They seemed, like himself, to be living in a world which did not want them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/they-seemed-like-himself-to-be-living-in-a-world-which-did-not-want/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [We dream of the world we could have made, and wake up in the world that we did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-stone/we-dream-of-the-world-we-could-have-made-and-wake-up-in-the-world/) [Craig Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-stone/) > [What a fine comedy this world would be if one did not play a part in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/what-a-fine-comedy-this-world-would-be-if-one-did-not-play-a-part-in/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“a world fair celebrated the progress of the nations of the world. It did not investigate its underpinnings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-emmerson/a-world-fair-celebrated-the-progress-of-the-nations-of-the-world-it/) [Charles Emmerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-emmerson/) > [The creation of the world did not occur at the beginning of time, it occurs every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/the-creation-of-the-world-did-not-occur-at-the-beginning-of-time-it/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [The world did not make any promises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/african-proverb/the-world-did-not-make-any-promises/) African Proverb > [“If there was a family in the world to which I did not belong, it was my own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-chance/if-there-was-a-family-in-the-world-to-which-i-did-not-belong-it-was/) [Megan Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-chance/) > [Remember that the biggest gap in the world is between 'I should' and 'I did.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/remember-that-the-biggest-gap-in-the-world-is-between-i-should-and-i/) [H. 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Yet now he was going to discover just that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-k-p-o-neill/he-had-not-known-a-world-that-did-not-have-her-in-it-yet-now-he-was/) [Shane K.P. O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-k-p-o-neill/) > [I lost my power in the world because I did not use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/i-lost-my-power-in-the-world-because-i-did-not-use-it/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [“When in the world did anyone die from a dream?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/when-in-the-world-did-anyone-die-from-a-dream/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“Terrible as was what the world did to me, what I did to myself was far more terrible still.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/terrible-as-was-what-the-world-did-to-me-what-i-did-to-myself-was-far/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More by Elizabeth Strout > [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [“what young people did not know. They did not know that lumpy, aged, and wrinkled bodies were as needy as their own young, firm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/what-young-people-did-not-know-they-did-not-know-that-lumpy-aged-and/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [“I said on the phone to my mother, “I think I’m going to write the story of the Burgess kids.” “It’s a good one,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/i-said-on-the-phone-to-my-mother-i-think-i-m-going-to-write-the-story/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [“And she learned - freshly, scorchingly - of the privacy of sorrow. 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You didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/abdikarim-shook-his-head-in-his-darkened-room-sweat-coming-from-his/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [“she’d have been throwing out clamshells, most likely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/she-d-have-been-throwing-out-clamshells-most-likely/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [I like people a lot, but I am not comfortable in literary New York situations. 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"Why can't you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/why-do-you-need-everyone-married-christopher-has-said-to-him-angrily/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [“one of those things about getting older was knowing that so many moments weren’t just moments, they were gifts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/one-of-those-things-about-getting-older-was-knowing-that-so-many/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [I don't think of myself as a fast reader. I just read a lot. When someone else might think, 'I might do the dishes,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-fast-reader-i-just-read-a-lot-when/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) [Explore all 205 Elizabeth Strout quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) ## More Baffled quotes > [If you're texting Magnus to say 'I think u r kewl,' I'm going to kill you." "Who's Magnus?" Max inquired. "He's a warlock," said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/if-you-re-texting-magnus-to-say-i-think-u-r-kewl-i-m-going-to-kill/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Identity confusion... is as if somebody lost their mental road map and has no appreciation of who they are or what is going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-chefetz/identity-confusion-is-as-if-somebody-lost-their-mental-road-map-and/) Richard A. Chefetz > [Books are in no hurry. 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If it doesn’t make sense; it is not God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-only-side-god-chooses-is-one-of-commonsense-if-it-doesn-t-make/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Unbelievable," I heard Christian mutter behind me. "She toops them both?" I head Drustan ask. "And they permit it?" Dageus sounded baffled. I looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/unbelievable-i-heard-christian-mutter-behind-me-she-toops-them-both-i/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Gail had a baby named Ned who was four months old, and a new look of baffled hurt, a left-behind sadness, like she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-woodrell/gail-had-a-baby-named-ned-who-was-four-months-old-and-a-new-look-of/) [Daniel Woodrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-woodrell/) > [The fanatical Communist refuses to believe any unfavorable report or evidence about Russia, nor will he be disillusioned by seeing with his own eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-fanatical-communist-refuses-to-believe-any-unfavorable-report-or/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Books are in no hurry. An act of creation is in no hurry; it reads us, it privileges us infinitely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/books-are-in-no-hurry-an-act-of-creation-is-in-no-hurry-it-reads-us-2/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [Talk not of genius baffled. Genius is master of man. Genius does what it must, and Talent does what it can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/talk-not-of-genius-baffled-genius-is-master-of-man-genius-does-what/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [“I know well enough what it is, provided that nobody asks me; but if I am asked what it is and try to explain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-augustine-of-hippo/i-know-well-enough-what-it-is-provided-that-nobody-asks-me-but-if-i/) [St. Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-augustine-of-hippo/) > [Nothing baffles the schemes of evil people so much as the calm composure of great souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honore-gabriel-riqueti-comte-de-mirabeau/nothing-baffles-the-schemes-of-evil-people-so-much-as-the-calm/) [Honore Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honore-gabriel-riqueti-comte-de-mirabeau/) > [God has sovereignly pulled back the curtain on His glory. 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