--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was a narrow world, a world that was…" description: "\"“It was a narrow world, a world that was standing still. But the narrower it became, and themore it betook of stillness, the more this world that envel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/haruki-murakami-21_stillness_it-was-a-narrow-world-a-world-that-was-s_2886835.jpg" --- # It was a narrow world, a world that was standing still… ![“It was a narrow world, a world that was standing still. But the narrower it became, and themore it betook of stillness, the more this world that enveloped me seemed to overflow with things and people that could only be called strange. They had been there all the while, it seemed, waiting in the…” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/haruki-murakami-21_stillness_it-was-a-narrow-world-a-world-that-was-s_2886835.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/haruki-murakami-21_stillness_it-was-a-narrow-world-a-world-that-was-s_2886835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/haruki-murakami-21_stillness_it-was-a-narrow-world-a-world-that-was-s_2886835.jpg) > ““It was a narrow world, a world that was standing still. But the narrower it became, and themore it betook of stillness, the more this world that enveloped me seemed to overflow with things and people that could only be called strange. They had been there all the while, it seemed, waiting in the shadows for me to stop moving. - Toru”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A narrowing world feels static, yet hidden strangeness emerges, urging movement to avoid stagnation. **In simple terms:** Stagnant world reveals oddities; keep moving. Key Takeaway Embrace change to discover hidden wonders. Themes stagnation curiosity transformation existential wonder novelty inner journey Mood thoughtful melancholic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - creative block - life transition - travel - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism psychology literary metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What “strange” have you ignored? - How does movement reveal new perspectives? A Different Perspective Focusing on strangeness may cause anxiety instead of curiosity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Stillness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stillness/) ## Related quotes > [“It was a narrow world, a world that was standing still. But the narrower it became, the more it betook of stillness, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/it-was-a-narrow-world-a-world-that-was-standing-still-but-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Maybe the world was like a revolving door, it occurred to him as his consciousness was fading away. 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But I don't have an image of the one thing I really want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-could-do-just-about-anything-if-somebody-made-me-but-i-don-t-have/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Like Naokuo, I'm not really sure what it means to love another person. Though she meant it a little differently. I do want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/like-naokuo-i-m-not-really-sure-what-it-means-to-love-another-person/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“What marks his plays is the way things get so mixed up the characters are trapped. Do you see what I mean? A bunch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/what-marks-his-plays-is-the-way-things-get-so-mixed-up-the-characters/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Our faces were no more than ten inches apart but she was lightyears away from me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/our-faces-were-no-more-than-ten-inches-apart-but-she-was-lightyears/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“...for I realized how narrow my world had been and that self-education could be and should be an exciting life-long adventure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurelia-schober-plath/for-i-realized-how-narrow-my-world-had-been-and-that-self-education/) Aurelia Schober Plath > [“In the utter peace and stillness the world seemed holding its breath, a little apprehensively, drawing near to the fire to warm itself. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/in-the-utter-peace-and-stillness-the-world-seemed-holding-its-breath/) [Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/) > [Without desire there is stillness, and the world settles by itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/without-desire-there-is-stillness-and-the-world-settles-by-itself/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“Grief is such a strange thing. 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Don't let the mind seduce you into the past or future. Stay in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/this-moment-in-which-you-experience-stillness-is-every-moment-don-t/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [The still affection of the heart Became an outward breathing type, That into stillness past again, And left a want unknown before; Although the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/the-still-affection-of-the-heart-became-an-outward-breathing-type/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [“...the haunted always take refuge in stillness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-dodd/the-haunted-always-take-refuge-in-stillness/) [Christina Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-dodd/) > [You can never cross the ocean, with the stillness of your emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishnat-grover/you-can-never-cross-the-ocean-with-the-stillness-of-your-emotion/) Nishnat Grover > [Become quiet and allow yourself to yearn for divine stillness which lies beyond this world of illusion and suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/become-quiet-and-allow-yourself-to-yearn-for-divine-stillness-which/) Senoraroy > [Watch yourself with all diligence, lest the enemy steals near and robs you, depriving you of this great treasure, which is inner peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-scupoli/watch-yourself-with-all-diligence-lest-the-enemy-steals-near-and-robs/) [Lorenzo Scupoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-scupoli/) > [In stillness the muddied water returns to clarity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/in-stillness-the-muddied-water-returns-to-clarity/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [If spacious stillness is missing, the relationship will be dominated by the mind and can easily be taken over by problems and conflict. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/if-spacious-stillness-is-missing-the-relationship-will-be-dominated/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Enter into the activities of the world, without getting overjoyed by success or totally put out by failure. Whether they love you or hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enter-into-the-activities-of-the-world-without-getting-overjoyed-by/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One's action ought to come out of an achieved stillness: not to be a mere rushing on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-s-action-ought-to-come-out-of-an-achieved-stillness-not-to-be-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When we are quiet and still we contract and settle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/when-we-are-quiet-and-still-we-contract-and-settle/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [When you meditate you feel joy, harmony, peace, stillness, ecstasy, laughter, certainty, courage, strength, awareness and immortality. 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He glances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-dubus-iii/beach-houses-along-short-sandy-streets-he-can-feel-her-bare-forarm/) [Andre Dubus III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-dubus-iii/) [Browse all 937 Stillness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stillness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was a narrow world, a world that was standing still. But the narrower it became, and themore it betook of stillness, the more this world that enveloped me seemed to overflow with things and people that could only be called strange. 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