--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But if I were asked to pick one constant…" description: "\"But if I were asked to pick one constant, one quality that seems dependable, immutable, endlessly available, I'd say that it was intensity. For nothing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d10/francine-prose-9354_available_but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant_1809900.jpg" --- # But if I were asked to pick one constant, one quality that… ![“But if I were asked to pick one constant, one quality that seems dependable, immutable, endlessly available, I'd say that it was intensity. For nothing in Sicily seems withheld, done half way, restrained or suppressed. There's nothing to correspond to say, the ironic, the cerebral remove at which…” quote by Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d10/francine-prose-9354_available_but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant_1809900.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d10/francine-prose-9354_available_but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant_1809900.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d10/francine-prose-9354_available_but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant_1809900.jpg) > “But if I were asked to pick one constant, one quality that seems dependable, immutable, endlessly available, I'd say that it was intensity. For nothing in Sicily seems withheld, done half way, restrained or suppressed. There's nothing to correspond to say, the ironic, the cerebral remove at which a Frenchman might consider an idea or a question, or the Scandinavian distrust of the sloppy, emotive response.” [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intensity is presented as the reliable, ever‑present force behind Sicilian expression, contrasting with restrained or half‑hearted approaches. **In simple terms:** Intensity drives Sicilian expression. Key Takeaway Embrace intensity as a guiding principle. Themes culture expression intensity regional identity creativity Mood passionate reflective Type observational analytical When to use this quote - writing workshops - culinary arts - performing arts - team leadership - personal projects Key Concepts philosophy of art human motivation cultural contrast Questions to Reflect On - How does intensity shape your creative process? - When might restraint be more effective? A Different Perspective Intensity may overlook nuance or lead to burnout if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Available](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/available/) [Cerebral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cerebral/) [Constant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constant/) [Dependable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dependable/) [Distrust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distrust/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Frenchman Consider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frenchman-consider-2105694/) [Frenchmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frenchmen/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Half way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-way/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Intensity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intensity/) [Intensity Sicily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intensity-sicily-2105692/) [Ironic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ironic/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Picks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picks/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Remove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remove/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Say Intensity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-intensity-2105693/) [Scandinavians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandinavians/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Sloppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sloppy/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Scandinavian crime fiction has become a great success all across the world and rightfully so. Sjowall and Wahloo ushered in a whole generation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-l-ckberg/scandinavian-crime-fiction-has-become-a-great-success-all-across-the/) [Camilla Lackberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-l-ckberg/) > [My husband is from Finland, so every so often I'll throw a Scandinavian-themed party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rafferty/my-husband-is-from-finland-so-every-so-often-i-ll-throw-a/) [Sarah Rafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rafferty/) > [All Scandinavians feel a tiny bit self conscious, of which I'm one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leach/all-scandinavians-feel-a-tiny-bit-self-conscious-of-which-i-m-one/) [Mike Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leach/) > [Your mind is your spirit; do not seek any other hidden soul inside you! All is in the brain! The depiction of a spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/your-mind-is-your-spirit-do-not-seek-any-other-hidden-soul-inside-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Nature confounds her summer distinctions at this season. The heavens seem to be nearer the earth. The elements are less reserved and distinct. Water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/nature-confounds-her-summer-distinctions-at-this-season-the-heavens/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Even at their height, the Scandinavian welfare states left the economy to the private sector—which was then taxed at very high rates to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/even-at-their-height-the-scandinavian-welfare-states-left-the-economy/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [Many Scandinavian writers who had made their name in literary fiction felt they wanted to have a go at the crime novel to show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesbo/many-scandinavian-writers-who-had-made-their-name-in-literary-fiction/) [Jo Nesbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesbo/) > [There were tons of bronzed Scandinavian types at the Sorbonne. Marvellously blond and healthy and shining white teeth. Funny thing though, because someone told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bingham/there-were-tons-of-bronzed-scandinavian-types-at-the-sorbonne/) [Charlotte Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bingham/) > [“It makes sense that the everyday experience and practice of something like hygge would not be reserved only for Scandinavians, but shared with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/it-makes-sense-that-the-everyday-experience-and-practice-of-something/) [Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/) > [The nature of Scandinavians is that they don't talk so much, there will be these dark secrets, and most things are under-communicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesbo/the-nature-of-scandinavians-is-that-they-don-t-talk-so-much-there/) [Jo Nesbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesbo/) > [More humane societies are usually smaller, like the Scandinavian countries and Holland, where it is much easier to reach consensus and cooperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-korten/more-humane-societies-are-usually-smaller-like-the-scandinavian/) [David Korten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-korten/) > [Naturally I never had the intention to offend or alienate Slavs. … What makes me different from the ‘nazis’ are basically three things; unlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varg-vikernes/naturally-i-never-had-the-intention-to-offend-or-alienate-slavs-what/) [Varg Vikernes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varg-vikernes/) > [There are some long silences in Scandinavian and some Japanese films, when the audience knows action is taking place, but the audience hears no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/there-are-some-long-silences-in-scandinavian-and-some-japanese-films/) [John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/) > [You forget, when you're in the Scandinavian countries, you forget they don't speak English first and they speak better than I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/you-forget-when-you-re-in-the-scandinavian-countries-you-forget-they/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [Tiny as a sparrow, fierce as an eagle, Lisbeth Salander is one of the great Scandinavian avengers of our time, an angry bird catapulting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-o-scott/tiny-as-a-sparrow-fierce-as-an-eagle-lisbeth-salander-is-one-of-the/) [A. O. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-o-scott/) ## More by Francine Prose > [“I'm out of the equation, an innocent bystander at the major love affair Joan is having with Joan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-m-out-of-the-equation-an-innocent-bystander-at-the-major-love/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [I went through college in the 1960s without having any idea that I was going to have to make a living. When I graduated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-went-through-college-in-the-1960s-without-having-any-idea-that-i/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [All the elements of good writing depend on the writer's skill in choosing one word instead of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/all-the-elements-of-good-writing-depend-on-the-writer-s-skill-in/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“She emerges from the station directly across from the restaurant. And she's right on time. Like magic, Sonya thinks, briefly saddened to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/she-emerges-from-the-station-directly-across-from-the-restaurant-and/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Like, for example, sleeve length. Should he hide the tattoos? Or just wear a T-shirt and let "them" do the talking? If one picture's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/like-for-example-sleeve-length-should-he-hide-the-tattoos-or-just/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Consequently, we sympathize. We identify. We care. In fact, most writers would like you to identify”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/consequently-we-sympathize-we-identify-we-care-in-fact-most-writers/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“A woman would have to be crazy to marry, or even have sex with, a man who would prosecute every lover’s quarrel like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/a-woman-would-have-to-be-crazy-to-marry-or-even-have-sex-with-a-man/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [I know a lot of Eastern Europeans, and because of what they have been through and what they have seen, they have an attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-know-a-lot-of-eastern-europeans-and-because-of-what-they-have-been/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“I’ve always thought that a close-reading course should at least be a companion, if not an alternative, to the writing workshop. Though it also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-ve-always-thought-that-a-close-reading-course-should-at-least-be-a/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Not all great writers may seem great to us, regardless of how often and how hard we try to see their virtues. I know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/not-all-great-writers-may-seem-great-to-us-regardless-of-how-often/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [Like seeing a photograph of yourself as a child, encountering handwriting that you know was once yours but that now seems only dimly familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/like-seeing-a-photograph-of-yourself-as-a-child-encountering/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > ['One Hundred Years of Solitude' convinced me to drop out of Harvard graduate school. The novel reminded me of everything my Ph.D. program was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/one-hundred-years-of-solitude-convinced-me-to-drop-out-of-harvard/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Maybe real love is being able to ask, Do I have greens in my teeth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/maybe-real-love-is-being-able-to-ask-do-i-have-greens-in-my-teeth/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [With this recitation of paraphernalia and detritus, O'Brien manages to encapsulate the experience of an army and of a particular war, of a mined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/with-this-recitation-of-paraphernalia-and-detritus-o-brien-manages-to/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“The repetitions, meaningless expressions, stammers, and nonsensical monosyllables with which we express hesitation, along with the clichés and banalities that constitute so much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/the-repetitions-meaningless-expressions-stammers-and-nonsensical/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) [Explore all 73 Francine Prose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) ## More Available quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [Tell the truth about your wound, and then you will get a truthful picture of the remedy to apply to it. Don't pack whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/tell-the-truth-about-your-wound-and-then-you-will-get-a-truthful/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I used practically all the money I had available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-ebbers/i-used-practically-all-the-money-i-had-available/) [Bernard Ebbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-ebbers/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [I m Single , Eligible But Not Available .. Limited Edition :D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faisal-khan-neal/i-m-single-eligible-but-not-available-limited-edition-d/) [Faisal Khan Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faisal-khan-neal/) > [I do worry because it takes all types to make our culture, to make our art. We need it to be available to all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-mcintosh/i-do-worry-because-it-takes-all-types-to-make-our-culture-to-make-our/) [Neve McIntosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-mcintosh/) > [So-called Western Civilization, as practised in half of Europe, some of Asia and a few parts of North America, is better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/so-called-western-civilization-as-practised-in-half-of-europe-some-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The internal peace of every country depends upon the knowledge that force is available to uphold law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/the-internal-peace-of-every-country-depends-upon-the-knowledge-that/) [Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/) > [It is truly amazing that, with much less neuroscientific knowledge available, Hayek's model comes closer, in some respects, to being neurophysiologically verifiable than those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-fuster/it-is-truly-amazing-that-with-much-less-neuroscientific-knowledge/) [Joaquin Fuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-fuster/) > [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [I'm in production year round. I work long hours. I have a dog and a wife. There's not a lot of available time for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-glass/i-m-in-production-year-round-i-work-long-hours-i-have-a-dog-and-a/) [Ira Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-glass/) [Browse all 2,134 Available quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/available/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But if I were asked to pick one constant, one quality that seems dependable, immutable, endlessly available, I'd say that it was intensity. For nothing in Sicily seems withheld, done half way, restrained or suppressed. There's nothing to correspond to say, the ironic, the cerebral remove at which a Frenchman might consider an idea or a question, or the Scandinavian distrust of the sloppy, emotive response.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francine Prose" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant-one-quality-that-seems/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Available" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant-one-quality-that-seems/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d10/francine-prose-9354_available_but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant_1809900.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d10/francine-prose-9354_available_but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant_1809900.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d10/francine-prose-9354_available_but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant_1809900.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But if I were asked to pick one constant, one quality that seems dependable, immutable, endlessly available…” — Francine Prose", "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": "Francine Prose", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But if I were asked to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant-one-quality-that-seems/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/but-if-i-were-asked-to-pick-one-constant-one-quality-that-seems/#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 } } ] } ```