--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't set out to discover a truth. I…" description: "\"I didn't set out to discover a truth. I was actually sent to the Outer Fringes to conduct a chair census and learn some humility. But the truth inevita..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/jasper-fforde-797_census_i-didn-t-set-out-to-discover-a-truth-i-w_898461.png" --- # I didn't set out to discover a truth. I was actually sent… ![“I didn't set out to discover a truth. I was actually sent to the Outer Fringes to conduct a chair census and learn some humility. But the truth inevitably found me, as important truths often do, like a lost thought in need of a mind.” quote by Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/jasper-fforde-797_census_i-didn-t-set-out-to-discover-a-truth-i-w_898461.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/jasper-fforde-797_census_i-didn-t-set-out-to-discover-a-truth-i-w_898461.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/jasper-fforde-797_census_i-didn-t-set-out-to-discover-a-truth-i-w_898461.png) > “I didn't set out to discover a truth. I was actually sent to the Outer Fringes to conduct a chair census and learn some humility. But the truth inevitably found me, as important truths often do, like a lost thought in need of a mind.” [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mundane task leads to unexpected truth, showing truth seeks us as we seek it. **In simple terms:** Truth finds you while you search. Key Takeaway Stay open to unexpected insights. Themes truth humility serendipity Mood thoughtful curious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - research - self‑reflection - creative projects Key Concepts philosophy narrative theory Questions to Reflect On - What truths have you missed while focused elsewhere? - How does humility shape your discoveries? A Different Perspective Truth can be elusive despite openness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Census](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/census/) [Chairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chairs/) [Discover Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discover-truth/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Fringe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fringe/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Humility Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility-truth-1217301/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Lost Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-thought/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truths/) ## Related quotes > [“But the truth inevitably found me, as important truths often do, like a lost thought in need of a mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/but-the-truth-inevitably-found-me-as-important-truths-often-do-like-a/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“This is why humility, spiritual poverty, is so precious: it locates our identity securely in the one place where it will be safe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-philippe/this-is-why-humility-spiritual-poverty-is-so-precious-it-locates-our/) [Jacques Philippe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-philippe/) > [Humility is truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/humility-is-truth/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [The foundation of humility is truth. The humble man sees himself as he is. If his depreciation of himself were untrue,... it wouldnot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fairlie/the-foundation-of-humility-is-truth-the-humble-man-sees-himself-as-he/) [Henry Fairlie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fairlie/) > [The life of Christ was a life charged with a divine message of the love of God, and He longed intensely to impart this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/the-life-of-christ-was-a-life-charged-with-a-divine-message-of-the/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) > [Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/humility-is-nothing-but-truth-and-pride-is-nothing-but-lying/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Since you may never discover the truth, invent it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lore/since-you-may-never-discover-the-truth-invent-it/) [Nicholas Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lore/) > [“...the best way to know the Truth or Beauty is to try to express it. And what is the purpose of existence Here or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-ueland/the-best-way-to-know-the-truth-or-beauty-is-to-try-to-express-it-and/) [Brenda Ueland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-ueland/) > [You have to dig deep down in your soul to discover the truth that dispels the lies you were told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akil-johnson/you-have-to-dig-deep-down-in-your-soul-to-discover-the-truth-that/) [Akil Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akil-johnson/) > [“Better not to discover your truth, either to be amazed or shocked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamile/better-not-to-discover-your-truth-either-to-be-amazed-or-shocked/) [Jamile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamile/) > [One must become as humble as the dust before he can discover truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/one-must-become-as-humble-as-the-dust-before-he-can-discover-truth/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The great quest of life has always been to discover truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/the-great-quest-of-life-has-always-been-to-discover-truth/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Latter-day Saints are not asked to blindly accept everything they hear. We are encouraged to think and discover truth for ourselves. We are expected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/latter-day-saints-are-not-asked-to-blindly-accept-everything-they/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [In order to discover truth, we must be truthful ourselves, and must welcome those who point out our errors as heartily as those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-muller/in-order-to-discover-truth-we-must-be-truthful-ourselves-and-must/) [Max Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-muller/) > [Why waste time trying to discover the truth, when you can so easily create it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/why-waste-time-trying-to-discover-the-truth-when-you-can-so-easily/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) ## More by Jasper Fforde > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Ill-fitting grammar are like ill-fitting shoes. You can get used to it for a bit, but then one day your toes fall off and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/ill-fitting-grammar-are-like-ill-fitting-shoes-you-can-get-used-to-it/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Agents and publishers only want one thing - good writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/agents-and-publishers-only-want-one-thing-good-writing/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Take no heed of her… She reads a lot of books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/take-no-heed-of-her-she-reads-a-lot-of-books/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“Our own dimension was coded ID-11 and was the only League member with diphtheria, David Hasselhoff and the French, which amused the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/our-own-dimension-was-coded-id-11-and-was-the-only-league-member-with/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Don't ever call me mad, Mycroft. I'm not mad. I'm just ... well, differently moraled, that's all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/don-t-ever-call-me-mad-mycroft-i-m-not-mad-i-m-just-well-differently/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“They had just digested a recent meal of prepositions and were happily farting out apostrophes and ampersands; the air was heav'y with th'em&.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/they-had-just-digested-a-recent-meal-of-prepositions-and-were-happily/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [After all, reading is arguably a far more creative and imaginative process than writing; when the reader creates emotion in their head, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/after-all-reading-is-arguably-a-far-more-creative-and-imaginative/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“Sometimes your destiny takes you to dark places where you'd rather not be, but destiny, as they say, is destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/sometimes-your-destiny-takes-you-to-dark-places-where-you-d-rather/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“Whoever controls the supply of metaphor controls fiction! . . . Metaphor should be controlled. A glut on the market would make fiction overtly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/whoever-controls-the-supply-of-metaphor-controls-fiction-metaphor/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“A sloppy half-Windsor is the first symptom of serial indolence' she replied in the patronizing voice that Yellows reserved for Rule-breakers, 'and ignoring the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/a-sloppy-half-windsor-is-the-first-symptom-of-serial-indolence-she/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [The universe always moves from an ordered state to a disordered one; that a glass may fall to the ground and shatter yet you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/the-universe-always-moves-from-an-ordered-state-to-a-disordered-one/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [To espresso or to latte, that is the question...whether 'tis tastier on the palate to choose white mocha over plain...or to take a cup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/to-espresso-or-to-latte-that-is-the-question-whether-tis-tastier-on/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [I've got six months to sort out the hackers, get the Japanese knotweed under control and find an acceptable form of narcissus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/i-ve-got-six-months-to-sort-out-the-hackers-get-the-japanese-knotweed/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“They keep an eye on forgery, illegal dealing and overtly free thespian interpretations. The actor in with them was Graham Huxtable. He was putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/they-keep-an-eye-on-forgery-illegal-dealing-and-overtly-free-thespian/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) [Explore all 356 Jasper Fforde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) ## More Census quotes > [...the number of saintly men has not yet risen to the level where the census makes them a separate statistical category.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stigler/the-number-of-saintly-men-has-not-yet-risen-to-the-level-where-the/) [George Stigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stigler/) > [There are two economic realities in America in 2016. There's been a record six straight years of job growth, and new census numbers show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-holt/there-are-two-economic-realities-in-america-in-2016-there-s-been-a/) [Lester Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-holt/) > [One thing that's really interesting is not only the magnitude of the recent immigration into this country, but also its distribution and its investment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-prewitt/one-thing-that-s-really-interesting-is-not-only-the-magnitude-of-the/) [Kenneth Prewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-prewitt/) > [If Congress sees fit to impose a capitation, or other direct tax, it must be laid in proportion to the census; if Congress determines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salmon-p-chase/if-congress-sees-fit-to-impose-a-capitation-or-other-direct-tax-it/) [Salmon P. Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salmon-p-chase/) > [As we search for change and seek for our voices to be heard, completing the census will help get us the resources we need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mccourty/as-we-search-for-change-and-seek-for-our-voices-to-be-heard/) [Jason McCourty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mccourty/) > [I don't think the government is out to get me or help someone else get me but it wouldn't surprise me if they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-don-t-think-the-government-is-out-to-get-me-or-help-someone-else/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [“According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is defined as two or more people living together who are related by birth, marriage or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/according-to-the-u-s-census-bureau-a-family-is-defined-as-two-or-more/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [The Census Bureau is thinking of creating a new category because so many kids don't know how to describe themselves using the existing categories.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/the-census-bureau-is-thinking-of-creating-a-new-category-because-so/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [People resist a census, but give them a profile page and they'll spend all day telling you who they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/people-resist-a-census-but-give-them-a-profile-page-and-they-ll-spend/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [Money nowadays is money; money brings office; money gains friends; everywhere the poor man is down. \[Lat., In pretio pretium nunc est; dat census…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/money-nowadays-is-money-money-brings-office-money-gains-friends/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [According to the National Crime Survey administered by the Bureau of the Census and the National Institute of Justice, it was found that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kleck/according-to-the-national-crime-survey-administered-by-the-bureau-of/) [Gary Kleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kleck/) > [“Are you going to count me on the census form?” “Sure. Ghost squatter, quantity of one. Sex male, race Caucasian, age dead. That’ll really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chessela-helm/are-you-going-to-count-me-on-the-census-form-sure-ghost-squatter/) [Chessela Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chessela-helm/) > [According to the U.S. Census, the most common reason people give for not voting is that they were too busy or had conflicting work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-miller/according-to-the-u-s-census-the-most-common-reason-people-give-for/) [Jeff Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-miller/) > [There are some who complain that there is not enough food grain. But I put the argument that at the moment we use 2000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-v-thomas/there-are-some-who-complain-that-there-is-not-enough-food-grain-but-i/) [K. V. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-v-thomas/) > [Conservatives need to know how important it is to fill out the census. It is one of the only things our Constitution specifically asks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-mchenry/conservatives-need-to-know-how-important-it-is-to-fill-out-the-census/) [Patrick McHenry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-mchenry/) [Browse all 82 Census quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/census/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I didn't set out to discover a truth. I was actually sent to the Outer Fringes to conduct a chair census and learn some humility. 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