--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems likely to me now that the very…" description: "\"“It seems likely to me now that the very element in my character that took possession of me there on top of that mountain, the fierce independence that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/eudora-welty-1564_bond_it-seems-likely-to-me-now-that-the-very_2686268.png" --- # It seems likely to me now that the very element in my… ![“It seems likely to me now that the very element in my character that took possession of me there on top of that mountain, the fierce independence that was suddenly mine, to remain inside me no matter how it scared me when I tumbled, was an inheritance. Indeed it was my chief inheritance from my…” quote by Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/eudora-welty-1564_bond_it-seems-likely-to-me-now-that-the-very_2686268.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/eudora-welty-1564_bond_it-seems-likely-to-me-now-that-the-very_2686268.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/74a/eudora-welty-1564_bond_it-seems-likely-to-me-now-that-the-very_2686268.png) > ““It seems likely to me now that the very element in my character that took possession of me there on top of that mountain, the fierce independence that was suddenly mine, to remain inside me no matter how it scared me when I tumbled, was an inheritance. Indeed it was my chief inheritance from my mother, who was braver. Yet, while she knew that independent spirit so well, it was what she agonizingly tried to protect me from, in effort to warn me against. It was what she shared, it made the strongest bond between us and the strongest tension. To grow up is to fight for it, to grow old is to lose it after having possessed it.”” [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) ## 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 reflects that a fierce, independent spirit is both a gift from her mother and a source of tension, shaping her growth and later loss. **In simple terms:** Independence is inherited, creates conflict, and fades with age. Key Takeaway Recognize and balance inherited traits. Themes identity family growth independence conflict Mood reflective nostalgic thoughtful Type literary philosophical personal When to use this quote - parent‑child relationships - personal development - career choices - aging - self‑reflection Key Concepts inheritance psychology generational dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does inherited independence affect your relationships? - Can you honor it without losing connection? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize independence, overlooking the value of interdependence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bond/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Fierce Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fierce-independence-605285/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Grow Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grow-old/) [Grow up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grow-up/) [Grow-old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grow-old-77022/) [Having Possessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-possessed-1051597/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Inheritance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inheritance/) [Inheritance Chief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inheritance-chief-2621247/) [Inheritance Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inheritance-mother-2621245/) [Mother Braver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-braver-2621246/) [Mountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mountain/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Shared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shared/) [Tension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tension/) [Warn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warn/) ## Related quotes > [“She (my mother) could still recite them (the poems) in full when she was lying helpless and nearly blind, in her bed, an old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/she-my-mother-could-still-recite-them-the-poems-in-full-when-she-was/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [“The desire to possess is marked by an unceasingly growing, voracious element that manifests itself in the simple desire to have more, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-soelle/the-desire-to-possess-is-marked-by-an-unceasingly-growing-voracious/) [Dorothee Soelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothee-soelle/) > [Every new mother wonders, 'what will I pass on to my child'? 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