Art Quote by Iris Murdoch
“Then I felt too that I might take this opportunity to tie up a few loose ends, only of course loose ends can never be properly tied, one is always producing new ones. Time, like the sea, unties all knots. Judgements on people are never final, they emerge from summings up which at once suggest the need of a reconsideration. Human arrangements are nothing but loose ends and hazy reckoning, whatever art may otherwise pretend in order to console us.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch, 1978
Life’s complexities are endless; attempts to resolve them create new problems, and judgments are always provisional.
In simple terms: Problems never fully resolve; judgments change.
Key Takeaway
Accept uncertainty and keep revisiting assumptions.
Themes
uncertainty
judgment
complexity
impermanence
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
contemplative
When to use this quote
- personal relationships
- legal decisions
- creative projects
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
philosophy
human nature
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What “loose ends” do you cling to?
- How can you embrace uncertainty?
A Different Perspective
Attempts to tie up loose ends may be futile; some issues resist final closure.
![“If an important decision is to be made, they [the Persians] discuss the question when they are drunk, and the following day the master of the house where the discussion was held submits their decision for reconsideration when they are sober. If they still approve it, it is adopted; if not, it is…” quote by Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d77/herodotus-2844_abandoned_if-an-important-decision-is-to-be-made-t_2503460.jpg)
