--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Mouser sighed. The moment had come…" description: "\"“The Mouser sighed. The moment had come, he knew, as it always did, when outward circumstances and inner urges commanded an act, when curiosity and fas..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/fritz-leiber-11218_adventure_the-mouser-sighed-the-moment-had-come-he_2573851.jpg" --- # The Mouser sighed. The moment had come, he knew, as it… ![“The Mouser sighed. The moment had come, he knew, as it always did, when outward circumstances and inner urges commanded an act, when curiosity and fascination tipped the scale of caution, when the lure of a vision and an adventure became so great and deep-hooking that he must respond to it or have…” quote by Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/fritz-leiber-11218_adventure_the-mouser-sighed-the-moment-had-come-he_2573851.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/fritz-leiber-11218_adventure_the-mouser-sighed-the-moment-had-come-he_2573851.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a02/fritz-leiber-11218_adventure_the-mouser-sighed-the-moment-had-come-he_2573851.jpg) > ““The Mouser sighed. The moment had come, he knew, as it always did, when outward circumstances and inner urges commanded an act, when curiosity and fascination tipped the scale of caution, when the lure of a vision and an adventure became so great and deep-hooking that he must respond to it or have his inmost self-respect eaten away.”” [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character feels compelled by curiosity and inner drive to act, fearing loss of self‑respect if ignored. **In simple terms:** Inner urges push us toward adventure despite caution. Key Takeaway Listen to inner curiosity, but balance with wisdom. Themes curiosity adventure self‑respect Mood introspective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - creative projects - personal decisions - exploration - career changes Key Concepts psychology motivation risk Questions to Reflect On - What inner urges are you ignoring? - When should caution outweigh curiosity? A Different Perspective Overindulgence can lead to reckless choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I'm just not prepared to be treated like this anymore.' 'Treated like what?' She sighed, and it was a moment before she spoke. 'Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-m-just-not-prepared-to-be-treated-like-this-anymore-treated-like/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“And sometimes I get carried away, that's all. If you weren't so...judgemental all the time-" "Am I? 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Just another central park crazy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-livingston/then-she-began-to-mutter-to-herself-and-gesture-to-the-empty-air-oh/) [Lesley Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-livingston/) > [“I do like Jorgen.” She sighed. A tingle went down her arms as she imagined his face, his smile, his eyes, the way he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-dickerson/i-do-like-jorgen-she-sighed-a-tingle-went-down-her-arms-as-she/) [Melanie Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-dickerson/) > [“So you aren’t going to tell me what just happened?” I deduced. The fact was clearly readable across his face. He looked me over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markelle-grabo/so-you-aren-t-going-to-tell-me-what-just-happened-i-deduced-the-fact/) [Markelle Grabo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markelle-grabo/) > [“Are you going to spend what might be your last your last few days together in Franklen Grove sulking and sighing? Or are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sienna-mercer/are-you-going-to-spend-what-might-be-your-last-your-last-few-days/) Sienna Mercer > [“He sighed. "Look, love, I know I seem like a tactical genius, but really, I'm just a magician who occasionally kills a bunny or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delilah-s-dawson/he-sighed-look-love-i-know-i-seem-like-a-tactical-genius-but-really-i/) [Delilah S. Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delilah-s-dawson/) > [“I sighed, he sighed, the wind and flowers sighed too. I think those marble statues sighed along as well, in their lack of understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-c-andrews/i-sighed-he-sighed-the-wind-and-flowers-sighed-too-i-think-those/) [V.C. Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-c-andrews/) ## More by Fritz Leiber > [“The “Howard” in the entry had to be Howard Phillips Lovecraft , that twentieth-century puritanic Poe from Providence, with his regrettable but undeniable loathing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/the-howard-in-the-entry-had-to-be-howard-phillips-lovecraft-that/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [A scientist ought to have a healthy disregard for coincidences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/a-scientist-ought-to-have-a-healthy-disregard-for-coincidences/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [What do you care? You always liked loneliness better than you liked people. No offence liking yourself's the beginning of all love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/what-do-you-care-you-always-liked-loneliness-better-than-you-liked/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [Traffic growled and snarled, rising at times to a machine-gun rata-tat-tat, while pedestrians were scuttling about with that desperate ratlike urgency characteristic of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/traffic-growled-and-snarled-rising-at-times-to-a-machine-gun-rata-tat/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [“Certainly we’ve made important innovations, chief among them the systematic use of the scientific method,” he said at one point, “but the primitive groundwork…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/certainly-we-ve-made-important-innovations-chief-among-them-the/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [“Miss Millick wondered just what had happened to Mr. Wran. 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There was a particular little sea of roots he had grown into the habit of glancing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/it-had-all-begun-on-the-elevated-there-was-a-particular-little-sea-of/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [Better freedom and a chilly road than a warm hearth and servitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/better-freedom-and-a-chilly-road-than-a-warm-hearth-and-servitude/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [“Thoughts are dangerous, he told himself, and thoughts against all science, all sanity, all civilized intelligence, are the most dangerous of all. He felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/thoughts-are-dangerous-he-told-himself-and-thoughts-against-all/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [The dark dangerous forest is still there, my friends. Beyond the space of the astronauts and the astronomers, beyond the dark, tangled regions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/the-dark-dangerous-forest-is-still-there-my-friends-beyond-the-space/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [Not for the first time Richard reflected that this age's vaunted 'communications industry' had chiefly provided people and nations with the means of frightening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/not-for-the-first-time-richard-reflected-that-this-age-s-vaunted/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) > [Of course, if you assume a big enough conspiracy, you can explain anything, including the cosmos itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-leiber/of-course-if-you-assume-a-big-enough-conspiracy-you-can-explain/) [Fritz Leiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) [Explore all 58 Fritz Leiber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-leiber/) ## More Adventure quotes > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. 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