---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it is possible to be homesick for the…"
description: "\"“If it is possible to be homesick for the world, even places one has never been and knows one will never see, this book is the child of such homesickne..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/huston-smith-2415_book_if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the_2013988.png"
---

#  If it is possible to be homesick for the world, even…

![“If it is possible to be homesick for the world, even places one has never been and knows one will never see, this book is the child of such homesickness.” quote by Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/huston-smith-2415_book_if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the_2013988.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/huston-smith-2415_book_if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the_2013988.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/huston-smith-2415_book_if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the_2013988.png)

> ““If it is possible to be homesick for the world, even places one has never been and knows one will never see, this book is the child of such homesickness.””

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

## About This Quote

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

The book reflects a longing for places never visited, a homesickness for the world itself.

**In simple terms:** Longing for unseen places.

Key Takeaway

Embrace imagined connections.

Themes

longing imagination global perspective

Mood

nostalgic curious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- travel planning
- cultural studies
- creative writing
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

travel literature philosophy spirituality

Questions to Reflect On

- What does 'homesickness for the world' mean to you?
- How can you channel this yearning into action?

A Different Perspective

Idealizing unknown places can cause dissatisfaction with reality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Child Homesickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-homesickness-3612165/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Homesick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homesick/) [Homesick World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homesick-world-879509/) [Homesickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homesickness/) [Possible Homesick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-homesick-2773726/)

## Related quotes

> [“I recently enjoyed Always Happy Hour by Mary Miller and Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh—both dark, strange, a bit uncomfortable, sexy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/i-recently-enjoyed-always-happy-hour-by-mary-miller-and-homesick-for/)

[Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/)

> [It is possible to be homesick for a place even when you are there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-a-place-even-when-you-are-there/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/every-dreamer-knows-that-it-is-entirely-possible-to-be-homesick-for-a-2/)

[Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/)

> [Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-thurman/every-dreamer-knows-that-it-is-entirely-possible-to-be-homesick-for-a/)

[Judith Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-thurman/)

> [“When you get homesick, it's not something missing, it's something present, a visit. People and places from far away arrive and keep you company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erri-de-luca/when-you-get-homesick-it-s-not-something-missing-it-s-something/)

[Erri De Luca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erri-de-luca/)

> [“Our windows were open, and the radio had been playing continuously--not one but two Billy Joel songs had come on during our drive--and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/our-windows-were-open-and-the-radio-had-been-playing-continuously-not/)

[Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/)

> [“I am homesick for the forest—not for the birds and the trees alone, but for the way I could dissolve into their lights and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/i-am-homesick-for-the-forest-not-for-the-birds-and-the-trees-alone/)

[Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/)

> [“It is necessary to find one's own way in New York. New York City is not hospitable. She is very big and she has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-brennan/it-is-necessary-to-find-one-s-own-way-in-new-york-new-york-city-is/)

[Maeve Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-brennan/)

> [“Heart thoughts are profound, hindsight aches and hope is obscure. I'm craving a great adventure -- one that leads me back home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/heart-thoughts-are-profound-hindsight-aches-and-hope-is-obscure-i-m/)

[Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/)

> [We need to be homesick for heaven. Though we have never been there, we still have something God has built within us that gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-laurie/we-need-to-be-homesick-for-heaven-though-we-have-never-been-there-we/)

[Greg Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-laurie/)

> [New York does nothing for those of us who are inclined to love her except implant in our hearts a homesickness that baffles us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-brennan/new-york-does-nothing-for-those-of-us-who-are-inclined-to-love-her/)

[Maeve Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-brennan/)

> [Homesickness is . . . absolutely nothing. Fifty percent of the people in the world are homesick all the time. . . . You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/homesickness-is-absolutely-nothing-fifty-percent-of-the-people-in-the/)

[John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/)

> [“Lying half-asleep in his embrace, I looked up and saw on his face the same expression I saw on countless lonely faces every day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kien-nguyen/lying-half-asleep-in-his-embrace-i-looked-up-and-saw-on-his-face-the/)

[Kien Nguyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kien-nguyen/)

> [You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it's all right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-can-never-go-home-again-but-the-truth-is-you-can-never-leave-home/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [It is a curious emotion, this certain homesickness I have in mind. With Americans, it is a national trait, as native to us as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/it-is-a-curious-emotion-this-certain-homesickness-i-have-in-mind-with/)

[Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/)

## More by Huston Smith

> [“The Transcendent was my morning meal, we had the Eternal at lunch, and I ate a slice of the Infinite at dinner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/the-transcendent-was-my-morning-meal-we-had-the-eternal-at-lunch-and/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [The first koan do not have rational answers. They are techniques devised over the millennia for triggering an actual experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/the-first-koan-do-not-have-rational-answers-they-are-techniques/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [We all carry it within us: supreme strength, the fullness of wisdom, unquenchable joy. It is never thwarted, and cannot be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/we-all-carry-it-within-us-supreme-strength-the-fullness-of-wisdom/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [A nation can assume that the addition of the words "under God" to its pledge of allegiance gives evidence that its citizens actually believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/a-nation-can-assume-that-the-addition-of-the-words-under-god-to-its/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [“Some friends accused me of whoring after the Infinite. Well, what better whoredom is there?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/some-friends-accused-me-of-whoring-after-the-infinite-well-what/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [Imagine a man besottedly in love: he won't waste time speculating whether other women equally merit his affection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/imagine-a-man-besottedly-in-love-he-won-t-waste-time-speculating/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [“If my opinion that substance requires a true unity were founded only on a definition I had formulated in opposition to common usage, \*then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/if-my-opinion-that-substance-requires-a-true-unity-were-founded-only/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [The New Age movement looks like a mixed bag. I see much in it that seems good: It's optimistic; it's enthusiastic; it has the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/the-new-age-movement-looks-like-a-mixed-bag-i-see-much-in-it-that/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [Science can prove nothing about God, because God lies outside its province.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/science-can-prove-nothing-about-god-because-god-lies-outside-its/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [I had assumed that Bush's seemingly inflexible policy to support Sharon was for political reasons of his getting elected. But as to whether he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/i-had-assumed-that-bush-s-seemingly-inflexible-policy-to-support/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [The Buddha is in me, the Buddha is in you. Live up to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/the-buddha-is-in-me-the-buddha-is-in-you-live-up-to-it/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [“How many planes there are, we do not know. The levels of nature that science discriminates give us no clue, for these all pertain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/how-many-planes-there-are-we-do-not-know-the-levels-of-nature-that/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [So always, if we look back, concern for face-to-face morality, and its modern emphasis on justice as well, have historically evolved as religious issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/so-always-if-we-look-back-concern-for-face-to-face-morality-and-its/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [All -isms end up in schisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/all-isms-end-up-in-schisms/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

> [Most of the book deals with things we already know yet never learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/most-of-the-book-deals-with-things-we-already-know-yet-never-learn/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

[Explore all 167 Huston Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“If it is possible to be homesick for the world, even places one has never been and knows one will never see, this book is the child of such homesickness.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Huston Smith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the-world-even-places-one-has/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the-world-even-places-one-has/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/huston-smith-2415_book_if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the_2013988.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/huston-smith-2415_book_if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the_2013988.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/73c/huston-smith-2415_book_if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the_2013988.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If it is possible to be homesick for the world, even places one has never been and knows one will never see…” — Huston Smith",
                "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": "Huston Smith",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“If it is possible to be...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the-world-even-places-one-has/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/if-it-is-possible-to-be-homesick-for-the-world-even-places-one-has/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
