---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We think about sex obsessively except…"
description: "\"We think about sex obsessively except during the act, when our minds tend to wander.\" — Howard Nemerov"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/howard-nemerov-12728_mind_we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-du_2729588.jpg"
---

#  We think about sex obsessively except during the act, when…

![“We think about sex obsessively except during the act, when our minds tend to wander.” quote by Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/howard-nemerov-12728_mind_we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-du_2729588.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/howard-nemerov-12728_mind_we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-du_2729588.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/howard-nemerov-12728_mind_we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-du_2729588.jpg)

> “We think about sex obsessively except during the act, when our minds tend to wander.”

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People obsess over sex intellectually but their minds drift during the act, highlighting a disconnect between desire and presence.

**In simple terms:** Thoughts wander during sex.

Key Takeaway

Stay present in intimate moments.

Themes

intimacy mindfulness psychology

Mood

contemplative introspective

Type

philosophical advice

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- relationship counseling
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

cognitive distraction sexual health

Questions to Reflect On

- Why does the mind drift during intimacy?
- How can mindfulness improve sexual experience?

A Different Perspective

Cultural taboos may limit open discussion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Minds Tend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minds-tend-2623143/) [Obsessively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessively/) [Obsessively Act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessively-act-2943852/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [Sex Obsessively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex-obsessively-2943851/) [Think Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-sex/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wander/)

## Related quotes

> [“Our minds tend to race ahead into the future or replay the past, but our bodies are always in the present moment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/our-minds-tend-to-race-ahead-into-the-future-or-replay-the-past-but/)

[Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/)

> [Men's minds tend to fear more keenly those things that are absent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-caesar/men-s-minds-tend-to-fear-more-keenly-those-things-that-are-absent/)

[Julius Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-caesar/)

> [Great minds always tend to see virtue in misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/great-minds-always-tend-to-see-virtue-in-misfortune/)

[Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [The Darkest Minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/the-darkest-minds-tend-to-hide-behind-the-most-unlikely-faces/)

[Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/)

> [I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/i-like-friends-who-have-independent-minds-because-they-tend-to-make/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [“There are some people like that, you know? The darkest minds tend to hide behind the most unlikely faces.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/there-are-some-people-like-that-you-know-the-darkest-minds-tend-to/)

[Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/)

> [If India hadn't become a troubled space for me, somehow I wouldn't have any reason to write about it. So the fact that it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/if-india-hadn-t-become-a-troubled-space-for-me-somehow-i-wouldn-t/)

[Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/)

> [“People, at least a few like me, have this weird tendency of running away from things when they are their own, and racing after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mita-jain/people-at-least-a-few-like-me-have-this-weird-tendency-of-running/)

[Mita Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mita-jain/)

> [“Hell, I’d keep her in Bubble Wrap if it weren’t so damn creepy and also inconvenient, considering I had a terrible habit of obsessively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/hell-i-d-keep-her-in-bubble-wrap-if-it-weren-t-so-damn-creepy-and/)

[Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/)

> [“...even though he's supposed to be obsessively in love with me. Not that I want him to be in love with me, obviously. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/even-though-he-s-supposed-to-be-obsessively-in-love-with-me-not-that/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

> [I travel light obsessively. I take hardly any clothes or shoes because I think that all I need is a couple of work outfits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlene-phillips/i-travel-light-obsessively-i-take-hardly-any-clothes-or-shoes-because/)

[Arlene Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlene-phillips/)

> [“I loved them in the way one loves at any age — if it’s real at all — obsessively, painfully, with wild exaltation, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/i-loved-them-in-the-way-one-loves-at-any-age-if-it-s-real-at-all/)

[May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/)

> [I treat myself as one of the sources. And, again, I think that’s accurate. One of the poets I read most frequently is myself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chiasson/i-treat-myself-as-one-of-the-sources-and-again-i-think-that-s/)

[Dan Chiasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chiasson/)

> [I think that obsessively documenting everything sometimes gives me a reason to go out and experience things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wilson/i-think-that-obsessively-documenting-everything-sometimes-gives-me-a/)

[John Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wilson/)

> [Once you start writing something obsessively, it's almost like someone has to rip it from your hands in order for you to put it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/once-you-start-writing-something-obsessively-it-s-almost-like-someone/)

[Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/)

## More by Howard Nemerov

> [A chronicle is very different from history proper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/a-chronicle-is-very-different-from-history-proper/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [When Robert Frost was alive, I was known as the other new England poet, which is to be barely known at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/when-robert-frost-was-alive-i-was-known-as-the-other-new-england-poet/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [I've never read a political poem that's accomplished anything. Poetry makes things happen, but rarely what the poet wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/i-ve-never-read-a-political-poem-that-s-accomplished-anything-poetry/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [When you write it doesn't occur to you that somebody could think different from what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/when-you-write-it-doesn-t-occur-to-you-that-somebody-could-think/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [Both poet and painter want to reach the silence behind the language, the silence within the language. Both painter and poet want their work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/both-poet-and-painter-want-to-reach-the-silence-behind-the-language/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [Occasionally a student writer comes up with something really beautiful and moving, and you won't know for years if it was an accident or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/occasionally-a-student-writer-comes-up-with-something-really/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [I like all my children, even the squat and ugly ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/i-like-all-my-children-even-the-squat-and-ugly-ones/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [It may be said that poems are in one way like icebergs: only about a third of their bulk appears above the surface of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/it-may-be-said-that-poems-are-in-one-way-like-icebergs-only-about-a/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [Obvious enough that generalities work to protect the mind from the great outdoors; is it possible that this was in fact their first purpose?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/obvious-enough-that-generalities-work-to-protect-the-mind-from-the/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [I sometimes talk about the making of a poem within the poem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/i-sometimes-talk-about-the-making-of-a-poem-within-the-poem/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [When in still air and still in summertime A leaf has had enough of this, it seems To make up its mind to go;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/when-in-still-air-and-still-in-summertime-a-leaf-has-had-enough-of/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [A lot happens by accident in poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/a-lot-happens-by-accident-in-poetry/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [I have a plot, but not much happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/i-have-a-plot-but-not-much-happens/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [Robert Frost had always said you mustn't think of the last line first, or it's only a fake poem, not a real one. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/robert-frost-had-always-said-you-mustn-t-think-of-the-last-line-first/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

> [Till I, high in the tower of my time Among familiar ruins, began to cry For accident, sickness, justice, war and crime, Because all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/till-i-high-in-the-tower-of-my-time-among-familiar-ruins-began-to-cry/)

[Howard Nemerov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

[Explore all 52 Howard Nemerov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/)

## More Mind quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/)

[Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [“MIND &amp; GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/)

[Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/)

> [“He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. Then he lifted his chin and attempted a grin that was almost painfully dejected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/he-blinked-his-eyes-fell-as-he-processed-her-response-then-he-lifted/)

[Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/)

> [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/)

[Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/)

> [“Picking locks was not a skill he had ever cultivated, but he persisted day after day, turning the tip of his talon into different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/picking-locks-was-not-a-skill-he-had-ever-cultivated-but-he-persisted/)

[Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/)

> [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. I think every Christian needs to make up his own mind about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-m-not-here-trying-to-convince-anybody-to-vote-for-donald-trump-i/)

[Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/)

[A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

[Browse all 43,542 Mind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We think about sex obsessively except during the act, when our minds tend to wander.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Howard Nemerov"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-during-the-act-when-our-minds/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Mind"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-during-the-act-when-our-minds/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/howard-nemerov-12728_mind_we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-du_2729588.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/howard-nemerov-12728_mind_we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-du_2729588.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9f/howard-nemerov-12728_mind_we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-du_2729588.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We think about sex obsessively except during the act, when our minds tend to wander.” — Howard Nemerov",
                "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": "Howard Nemerov",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-nemerov/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We think about sex obsessively except...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-during-the-act-when-our-minds/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-nemerov/we-think-about-sex-obsessively-except-during-the-act-when-our-minds/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
