--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life's a freaking mess. In fact, I'm…" description: "\"Life's a freaking mess. In fact, I'm going to tell Sarah we need to start a new philosophical movement: messessentialism instead of existentialism: For..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/jandy-nelson-1913_beautiful_life-s-a-freaking-mess-in-fact-i-m-going_3066681.png" --- # Life's a freaking mess. In fact, I'm going to tell Sarah… ![“Life's a freaking mess. In fact, I'm going to tell Sarah we need to start a new philosophical movement: messessentialism instead of existentialism: For those who revel in the essential mess that is life. Because Gram's right, there's not one truth ever, just a bunch of stories, all going on at…” quote by Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/jandy-nelson-1913_beautiful_life-s-a-freaking-mess-in-fact-i-m-going_3066681.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/jandy-nelson-1913_beautiful_life-s-a-freaking-mess-in-fact-i-m-going_3066681.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5dd/jandy-nelson-1913_beautiful_life-s-a-freaking-mess-in-fact-i-m-going_3066681.png) > “Life's a freaking mess. In fact, I'm going to tell Sarah we need to start a new philosophical movement: messessentialism instead of existentialism: For those who revel in the essential mess that is life. Because Gram's right, there's not one truth ever, just a bunch of stories, all going on at once, in our heads, in our hearts, all getting in the way of each other. It's all a beautiful calamitous mess. It's like the day Mr. James took us into the woods and cried triumphantly, "That's it! That's it!" to the dizzying cacophony of soloing instruments trying to make music together. That is it.” [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is inherently chaotic; embracing its messiness can be a philosophical stance, celebrating multiple overlapping narratives. **In simple terms:** Life is messy; accept it and find meaning in the chaos. Key Takeaway Embrace life's chaos as a source of meaning. Themes mess existentialism storytelling acceptance creativity Mood hopeful creative energetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - creative projects - group brainstorming - conflict resolution - artistic expression Key Concepts messessentialism pluralism subjective truth Questions to Reflect On - What does "messessentialism" mean to you? - How can you find purpose amid life's chaos? 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How did I ever get into this wonderful mess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-derek/life-has-played-some-funny-tricks-on-me-and-taken-me-on-a-wild-ride/) [Bo Derek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-derek/) > [“She cried over the messed up messy mess of her life, over her parents' failures and her own shortcomings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-bond/she-cried-over-the-messed-up-messy-mess-of-her-life-over-her-parents/) [Stephanie Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-bond/) > [“Look into the confusing mess of life and see things for what they really are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/look-into-the-confusing-mess-of-life-and-see-things-for-what-they/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I created a lot of drama and mess in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-bloom/i-created-a-lot-of-drama-and-mess-in-my-life/) [Molly Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-bloom/) > [Ariel, listen to me: the human world is a mess. Life under the sea is better than anything they've got up there! -Sebastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-little-mermaid/ariel-listen-to-me-the-human-world-is-a-mess-life-under-the-sea-is/) [The Little Mermaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-little-mermaid/) > [Clutter and mess show us that life is being lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/clutter-and-mess-show-us-that-life-is-being-lived/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [The world is a mess. It seems that life gets harder on a personal level each and every day. Hug and kiss those you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-nash/the-world-is-a-mess-it-seems-that-life-gets-harder-on-a-personal/) [Kevin Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-nash/) > [I never knew that we can step into someone life, mess up their life and slip away just like a hurricane passed by to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/i-never-knew-that-we-can-step-into-someone-life-mess-up-their-life/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [An ability to look into the confusing mess of life and see things for what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/an-ability-to-look-into-the-confusing-mess-of-life-and-see-things-for/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [I see how mess my life now, I see how people think so bad about me and I know what I have done, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-voice/i-see-how-mess-my-life-now-i-see-how-people-think-so-bad-about-me-and/) [NO VOICE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/no-voice/) ## More by Jandy Nelson > [And then he smiles, and in all the places around the globe where it's night, day breaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/and-then-he-smiles-and-in-all-the-places-around-the-globe-where-it-s/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [Or maybe a person is just made up of a lot of peopleMaybe we’re accumulating these new selves all the time. 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I take a breath and exhale with enough force to blow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/i-want-my-sister-i-want-to-hurl-a-building-at-god-i-take-a-breath-and/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [Grief is forever. It doesn't go away; it becomes part of you, step for step, breath for breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/grief-is-forever-it-doesn-t-go-away-it-becomes-part-of-you-step-for/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [“Una y otra vez, día tras día, me esforcé por ser vista. Solo quería que me prestara atención, no que me dejara tirada en…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/una-y-otra-vez-d-a-tras-d-a-me-esforc-por-ser-vista-solo-quer-a-que/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [grief is a house where the chairs have forgotten how to hold us the mirrors how to reflect us the walls how to contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/grief-is-a-house-where-the-chairs-have-forgotten-how-to-hold-us-the/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [“I think if we don't stop kissing, the world is going to explode.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/i-think-if-we-don-t-stop-kissing-the-world-is-going-to-explode/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [He murmers into my hair, "Forget what I said earlier, let's stick with this, I might not survive anything more." I laugh. Then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/he-murmers-into-my-hair-forget-what-i-said-earlier-let-s-stick-with/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [“Listen to me. It takes a lot of courage to be true to yourself, true to your heart. You always have been very brave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/listen-to-me-it-takes-a-lot-of-courage-to-be-true-to-yourself-true-to/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [Sometimes you think you know things, know things very deeply, only to realize you don't know a damn thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/sometimes-you-think-you-know-things-know-things-very-deeply-only-to/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [I have an impulse to write all over the orange walls- I need an alphabet of endings ripped out of books, of hands pulled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/i-have-an-impulse-to-write-all-over-the-orange-walls-i-need-an/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [“I'd been making desicions for days. I picked out the dress Bailey would wear forever- a black slinky one- innapropriate- that she loved. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/i-d-been-making-desicions-for-days-i-picked-out-the-dress-bailey/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) [Explore all 183 Jandy Nelson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) [Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) [Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life's a freaking mess. In fact, I'm going to tell Sarah we need to start a new philosophical movement: messessentialism instead of existentialism: For those who revel in the essential mess that is life. Because Gram's right, there's not one truth ever, just a bunch of stories, all going on at once, in our heads, in our hearts, all getting in the way of each other. It's all a beautiful calamitous mess. It's like the day Mr. James took us into the woods and cried triumphantly, \"That's it! 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