--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Yeats said the center cannot hold…" description: "\"When Yeats said the center cannot hold, he was talking for himself, but it was true for the rest of us as well.\" — Jean-Luc Godard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jean-luc-godard-2128_said_when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-h_2085879.jpg" --- # When Yeats said the center cannot hold, he was talking for… ![“When Yeats said the center cannot hold, he was talking for himself, but it was true for the rest of us as well.” quote by Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jean-luc-godard-2128_said_when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-h_2085879.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jean-luc-godard-2128_said_when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-h_2085879.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jean-luc-godard-2128_said_when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-h_2085879.jpg) > “When Yeats said the center cannot hold, he was talking for himself, but it was true for the rest of us as well.” [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects personal turmoil mirroring societal instability, suggesting shared vulnerability. **In simple terms:** Personal chaos mirrors societal chaos. Key Takeaway Recognize shared fragility. Themes identity instability connection Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal crisis - social upheaval - mental health - relationships - community Key Concepts existentialism social commentary Questions to Reflect On - How does personal turmoil affect societal perception? - Can shared vulnerability foster solidarity? A Different Perspective It may overlook individual agency in change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Things fall apart; the center cannot hold...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/things-fall-apart-the-center-cannot-hold/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity,’” Alonzo said wistfully. “Now college students won’t know Yeats said that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/the-best-lack-all-conviction-while-the-worst-are-full-of-passionate-2/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“Our national poet WB Yeats said that every Irish writer had a decision to take: whether to express Ireland or exploit it. In his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-kiberd/our-national-poet-wb-yeats-said-that-every-irish-writer-had-a/) Declan Kiberd > [It's just like Yeats said. In dreams begin responsibilities. 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And then forget that you are there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/just-remain-in-the-center-watching-and-then-forget-that-you-are-there/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [“if I wanted to be the center of the universe I’d have a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/if-i-wanted-to-be-the-center-of-the-universe-i-d-have-a-dog/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Lou Tyrrell has created a theatre that is a safe haven for playwrights, a birthing center for new American writing. Arts Garage has created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-horovitz/lou-tyrrell-has-created-a-theatre-that-is-a-safe-haven-for/) [Israel Horovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-horovitz/) Browse all 631 Center quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When Yeats said the center cannot hold, he was talking for himself, but it was true for the rest of us as well.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean-Luc Godard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-he-was-talking-for-himself-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Center" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-he-was-talking-for-himself-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jean-luc-godard-2128_said_when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-h_2085879.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jean-luc-godard-2128_said_when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-h_2085879.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/jean-luc-godard-2128_said_when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-h_2085879.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When Yeats said the center cannot hold, he was talking for himself, but it was true for the rest of us as…” — Jean-Luc Godard", "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": "Jean-Luc Godard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When Yeats said the center cannot...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-he-was-talking-for-himself-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/when-yeats-said-the-center-cannot-hold-he-was-talking-for-himself-but/#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 } } ] } ```