---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was simply restless, quite likely…"
description: "\"I was simply restless, quite likely because of a dissatisfaction with the recent trajectory of my life, and if there is a better, more compelling reaso..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/j-maarten-troost-23088_compelling_i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-becau_390458.png"
---

#  I was simply restless, quite likely because of a…

![“I was simply restless, quite likely because of a dissatisfaction with the recent trajectory of my life, and if there is a better, more compelling reason for dropping everything and moving to the end of the world, I know not what it is.” quote by J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/j-maarten-troost-23088_compelling_i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-becau_390458.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/j-maarten-troost-23088_compelling_i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-becau_390458.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/j-maarten-troost-23088_compelling_i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-becau_390458.png)

> “I was simply restless, quite likely because of a dissatisfaction with the recent trajectory of my life, and if there is a better, more compelling reason for dropping everything and moving to the end of the world, I know not what it is.”

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

## About This Quote

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

Restlessness signals dissatisfaction; a radical change may be needed, though the exact purpose may be unclear.

**In simple terms:** Restlessness hints at needed change.

Key Takeaway

Explore new directions, trust intuition.

Themes

travel self-discovery change

Mood

reflective adventurous

Type

personal motivational

When to use this quote

- career shift
- relocation
- creative projects
- personal crisis

Key Concepts

existential angst purpose seeking adventure

Questions to Reflect On

- What underlying need drives your restlessness?
- What small step could clarify your purpose?

A Different Perspective

Sudden moves can cause instability without clear goals.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Compelling reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelling-reason/) [End of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-world/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Restless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restless/) [Trajectory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trajectory/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [In my view, what really counts here, as our political system falls apart before our very eyes, where voters really feel like they've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/in-my-view-what-really-counts-here-as-our-political-system-falls/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [There's a compelling reason why I belong in the Hall of Fame, but I understand the argument against me. My career didn't go like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-warner/there-s-a-compelling-reason-why-i-belong-in-the-hall-of-fame-but-i/)

[Kurt Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-warner/)

> [“Whenever you commend, add a compelling reason for doing so; it is this which distinguishes the approbation of a man of sense from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-steele/whenever-you-commend-add-a-compelling-reason-for-doing-so-it-is-this/)

[Richard Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-steele/)

> [You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-will-never-find-anybody-who-can-give-you-a-clear-and-compelling/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Given my experience, I believe there are three compelling reasons why the death penalty should be replaced. (1) The criminal justice system makes mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gascon/given-my-experience-i-believe-there-are-three-compelling-reasons-why/)

George Gascon

> [The question to ask is whether the risk of traveling to space is worth the benefit. The answer is an unequivocal yes, but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-burrows/the-question-to-ask-is-whether-the-risk-of-traveling-to-space-is/)

William E. Burrows

> [Most scientists who are religious look for God in what science does understand and has explained. So the way in which my view is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/most-scientists-who-are-religious-look-for-god-in-what-science-does/)

[Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/)

> [But there is a compelling reason to develop a personal strategy for living. Rejecting issues, which often feels liberating, is actually enslavement. Those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-foley/but-there-is-a-compelling-reason-to-develop-a-personal-strategy-for/)

[Michael Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-foley/)

> [“Does religious conviction provide a powerful reason for killing? Undeniably it often does. It also often provides the sole compelling reason for refusing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/does-religious-conviction-provide-a-powerful-reason-for-killing/)

[David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/)

> [Innovation must lead infrastructure for a simple but compelling reason: Innovation produces new types of products and markets, and it is virtually impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myron-scholes/innovation-must-lead-infrastructure-for-a-simple-but-compelling/)

[Myron Scholes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myron-scholes/)

> [Compelling reason will never convince blinding emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/compelling-reason-will-never-convince-blinding-emotion/)

[Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/)

> [It's easy to get rid of things when there is an obvious reason for doing so. It's much more difficult when there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kondo/it-s-easy-to-get-rid-of-things-when-there-is-an-obvious-reason-for/)

[Marie Kondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-kondo/)

> [I am willing to spend whatever it takes … My moral standard compels me to speak out on this issue because I am the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-adelson/i-am-willing-to-spend-whatever-it-takes-my-moral-standard-compels-me/)

[Sheldon Adelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-adelson/)

> [I think that today, more so than ever, corporate responsibility is the best strategic as well as financial path that most businesses can follow.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-hollender/i-think-that-today-more-so-than-ever-corporate-responsibility-is-the/)

[Jeffrey Hollender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-hollender/)

> ["You only live once" is also an equally compelling reason not to do something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-karo/you-only-live-once-is-also-an-equally-compelling-reason-not-to-do/)

[Aaron Karo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-karo/)

## More by J. Maarten Troost

> [“The longer we spent on Tarawa the more Sylvia and I came to realize that to live on Tarawa is to experience a visceral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/the-longer-we-spent-on-tarawa-the-more-sylvia-and-i-came-to-realize/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [“When it comes to naming things, vanity and flattery are dull motivations best suited for deciding on a child’s middle name. Much more interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/when-it-comes-to-naming-things-vanity-and-flattery-are-dull/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [Like many air travelers, I am aware that airplanes fly aided by capricious fairies and invisible strings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/like-many-air-travelers-i-am-aware-that-airplanes-fly-aided-by/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [“Christopher Hitchens once said that he drinks “because it makes other people less boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/christopher-hitchens-once-said-that-he-drinks-because-it-makes-other/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [“for what is life, a good life, but the accumulation of small pleasures?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/for-what-is-life-a-good-life-but-the-accumulation-of-small-pleasures/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [“It was, to reiterate, to stress, to accentuate the point, to leave no doubt, hot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/it-was-to-reiterate-to-stress-to-accentuate-the-point-to-leave-no/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [“Look for a wave shaped like an A. An A . Hmm. I saw Zs and H's and Vs . I saw the Hindi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/look-for-a-wave-shaped-like-an-a-an-a-hmm-i-saw-zs-and-h-s-and-vs-i/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [Personally I regard idling as a virtue, but civilized society holds otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/personally-i-regard-idling-as-a-virtue-but-civilized-society-holds/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [Like many highly educated people, I didn't have much in the way of actual skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/like-many-highly-educated-people-i-didn-t-have-much-in-the-way-of/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [“It is an unfortunate reality for innate idlers that our modern world requires one to hold a job to maintain a sustainable existence. Idling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/it-is-an-unfortunate-reality-for-innate-idlers-that-our-modern-world/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [“Seriously. There were three of them, all roughly in their thirties, and they spent their time traveling the world, putting together documentaries about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/seriously-there-were-three-of-them-all-roughly-in-their-thirties-and/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [“I made arrangements with Bitaki, a teammate on the soccer team I played with, to go fishing with his brothers, who typically worked the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-made-arrangements-with-bitaki-a-teammate-on-the-soccer-team-i/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [“i'm off to an island nation where formal wear consists of a leaf tired around a penis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-m-off-to-an-island-nation-where-formal-wear-consists-of-a-leaf/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [It is often said that Americans have no sense of history. Ask a college student who Jimmy Carter was and they will likely reply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/it-is-often-said-that-americans-have-no-sense-of-history-ask-a/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

> [I had grown accustomed to life being interesting and adventure ridden and, rather childishly, I refused to believe that this must necessarily come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-had-grown-accustomed-to-life-being-interesting-and-adventure-ridden/)

[J. Maarten Troost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

[Explore all 26 J. Maarten Troost quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/)

## More Compelling quotes

> [In early drafts, one of the trickiest things for me to do was to realize that the techniques and devices that make readable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rooney/in-early-drafts-one-of-the-trickiest-things-for-me-to-do-was-to/)

[Kathleen Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rooney/)

> [In writing, I want to be remembered for telling good stories in beautiful and powerful language, using the poetry of words to reflect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/in-writing-i-want-to-be-remembered-for-telling-good-stories-in/)

[Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/)

> [The epic poet has behind him a tradition of matter and a tradition of style; and that is what every other poet has behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lascelles-abercrombie/the-epic-poet-has-behind-him-a-tradition-of-matter-and-a-tradition-of/)

[Lascelles Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lascelles-abercrombie/)

> [Lexicon grabbed me with the opening lines, and never let go. An absolutely thrilling story, featuring an array of compelling characters in an eerily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/lexicon-grabbed-me-with-the-opening-lines-and-never-let-go-an/)

[Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/)

> [For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/for-what-higher-more-exalted-and-more-compelling-goal-can-there-be/)

[J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/)

> [I write what I like to read, and I enjoy love triangles in YA and adult fiction - not to mention in other media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/i-write-what-i-like-to-read-and-i-enjoy-love-triangles-in-ya-and/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [Among the most compelling truths in some of the early photographs is their implication of silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-adams/among-the-most-compelling-truths-in-some-of-the-early-photographs-is/)

[Robert Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-adams/)

> [Michael Jackson is an extremely productive ethnographer, a serious reader of phenomenological and existential philosophy, and a remarkable writer at a level that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-kleinman/michael-jackson-is-an-extremely-productive-ethnographer-a-serious/)

[Arthur Kleinman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-kleinman/)

> [For me, being on set is no different than being at a dinner table or riding the subway next to someone; inevitably their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-mahoney/for-me-being-on-set-is-no-different-than-being-at-a-dinner-table-or/)

[Victoria Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-mahoney/)

> [“…the excitement of doing something for the first time had passed. I laid there in the back seat looking at the moon. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hinton/the-excitement-of-doing-something-for-the-first-time-had-passed-i/)

Karen Hinton

> [My experience is that an original and compelling idea for a novel is a rare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thayer/my-experience-is-that-an-original-and-compelling-idea-for-a-novel-is/)

[James Thayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thayer/)

> [Evil is relative - and what I mean by that is that our villains are as complex, as deep and as compelling as any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/evil-is-relative-and-what-i-mean-by-that-is-that-our-villains-are-as/)

[Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/)

> [The most compelling evidence for God's existence is Christ. If God does not exist, then Christ was the biggest fool who ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-most-compelling-evidence-for-god-s-existence-is-christ-if-god/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [The poem is the device through which the ordinary world is seen in a new way - engaging, compelling, even beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/the-poem-is-the-device-through-which-the-ordinary-world-is-seen-in-a/)

[Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/)

> [The tantalizing and compelling pursuit of mathematical problems offers mental absorption, peace of mind amid endless challenges, repose in activity, battle without conflict, refuge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-kline/the-tantalizing-and-compelling-pursuit-of-mathematical-problems/)

[Morris Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-kline/)

Browse all 749 Compelling quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was simply restless, quite likely because of a dissatisfaction with the recent trajectory of my life, and if there is a better, more compelling reason for dropping everything and moving to the end of the world, I know not what it is.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "J. Maarten Troost"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-because-of-a-dissatisfaction-with/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Compelling"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-because-of-a-dissatisfaction-with/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/j-maarten-troost-23088_compelling_i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-becau_390458.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/j-maarten-troost-23088_compelling_i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-becau_390458.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db3/j-maarten-troost-23088_compelling_i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-becau_390458.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was simply restless, quite likely because of a dissatisfaction with the recent trajectory of my life, and…” — J. Maarten Troost",
                "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": "J. Maarten Troost",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-maarten-troost/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was simply restless, quite likely...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-because-of-a-dissatisfaction-with/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-maarten-troost/i-was-simply-restless-quite-likely-because-of-a-dissatisfaction-with/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
