---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I forced myself to stay put and keep…"
description: "\"“I forced myself to stay put and keep looking - impatient assholes would make a leap, letting adrenaline and desperation guide them, but I was fucking ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/jeff-somers-73500_quote_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_1402335.jpg"
---

#  I forced myself to stay put and keep looking - impatient…

![“I forced myself to stay put and keep looking - impatient assholes would make a leap, letting adrenaline and desperation guide them, but I was fucking ancient and I knew better. It was bitter, but I fucking knew better about just about everything.” quote by Jeff Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/jeff-somers-73500_quote_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_1402335.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/jeff-somers-73500_quote_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_1402335.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/262/jeff-somers-73500_quote_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_1402335.jpg)

> ““I forced myself to stay put and keep looking - impatient assholes would make a leap, letting adrenaline and desperation guide them, but I was fucking ancient and I knew better. It was bitter, but I fucking knew better about just about everything.””

[Jeff Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-somers/)

## About This Quote

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

The narrator chooses patience and experience over reckless haste, trusting wisdom despite frustration.

**In simple terms:** Patience beats impulsive actions.

Key Takeaway

Trust your experience, stay steady.

Themes

patience experience self‑control frustration

Mood

reflective determined

Type

advice personal growth

When to use this quote

- career decisions
- investment choices
- conflict resolution
- personal growth

Key Concepts

wisdom impulse control age reflection

Questions to Reflect On

- When does waiting become harmful?
- How can you balance patience with timely action?

A Different Perspective

Impulsivity can sometimes yield breakthroughs faster than cautious planning.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adrenaline Desperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adrenaline-desperation-2380850/) [Fucking Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fucking-ancient-891069/) [Impatient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatient/) [Impatient Assholes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatient-assholes-2380848/) [Knew Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-better/)

## Related quotes

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> [“He had a hot temper and would have been at home with the fighting and fucking of that ancient society, but deep down he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-a-denzil/he-had-a-hot-temper-and-would-have-been-at-home-with-the-fighting-and/)

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> [If u knew better u will do better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-stubbs/if-u-knew-better-u-will-do-better/)

[Martin Stubbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-stubbs/)

> [“I knew that it was better to live out one’s own absurdity than to die for that of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/i-knew-that-it-was-better-to-live-out-one-s-own-absurdity-than-to-die/)

[Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/)

> [“I knew better than to look at her, though. I was afraid she'd do something like run her tongue over the edge of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristina-wright/i-knew-better-than-to-look-at-her-though-i-was-afraid-she-d-do/)

[Kristina Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristina-wright/)

> [Jimmy Lee Baylis was a wise man, and knew better than to talk back to the man who signed his paycheck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/jimmy-lee-baylis-was-a-wise-man-and-knew-better-than-to-talk-back-to/)

[Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/)

> [“...it seemed a part of her life, to step from the ancient to the modern, back and forth. She felt rather sorry for those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/it-seemed-a-part-of-her-life-to-step-from-the-ancient-to-the-modern/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [I somehow instinctively knew it would be much better to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-lucci/i-somehow-instinctively-knew-it-would-be-much-better-to-win/)

[Susan Lucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-lucci/)

> [And I knew that it was better to live out one's absurdity than to die for that of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/and-i-knew-that-it-was-better-to-live-out-one-s-absurdity-than-to-die/)

[Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/)

> [“and that everything at Elsworthy Electronics would carry on as before. But James knew better. If he”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-rimmer/and-that-everything-at-elsworthy-electronics-would-carry-on-as-before/)

[Peter Rimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-rimmer/)

> [“I let her go because I knew she could do better and now she's gone I wonder if I should've just been better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atticus-poetry/i-let-her-go-because-i-knew-she-could-do-better-and-now-she-s-gone-i/)

[Atticus Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atticus-poetry/)

> [Of all the stars whom I worked with, I think Steve knew better what worked for him on the screen than any other. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wise/of-all-the-stars-whom-i-worked-with-i-think-steve-knew-better-what/)

[Robert Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wise/)

> [People would do better, if they knew better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/people-would-do-better-if-they-knew-better/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [Before this trip and all that she'd learned about the three of them, she would have gotten angry or changed the subject. Anything to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/before-this-trip-and-all-that-she-d-learned-about-the-three-of-them/)

[Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/)

> [“and I knew better than I had ever known before, knew with all the reluctant certainty of a broken heart, that the intimate affection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-w-buffa/and-i-knew-better-than-i-had-ever-known-before-knew-with-all-the/)

[D.W. Buffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-w-buffa/)

## More by Jeff Somers

> [“I decided to irritate him, on the premise that it couldn't make my situation any worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-somers/i-decided-to-irritate-him-on-the-premise-that-it-couldn-t-make-my/)

[Jeff Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-somers/)

> [“I forced myself to stay put and keep looking-impatient assholes would take the leap, letting adrenaline and desperation guide them, but I was fucking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-somers/i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-looking-impatient-assholes-would/)

[Jeff Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-somers/)

> [“I didn't want to kill her; she was just doing her job. But she was standing between me and the rest of my miserable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-somers/i-didn-t-want-to-kill-her-she-was-just-doing-her-job-but-she-was/)

[Jeff Somers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-somers/)

[Explore all 4 Jeff Somers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-somers/)

## More Impatient quotes

> [God is never late, we're just impatient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/god-is-never-late-we-re-just-impatient/)

[LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/)

> [There is no passion in nature so demoniacally impatient, as that of him who, shuddering upon the edge of a precipice, thus meditates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/there-is-no-passion-in-nature-so-demoniacally-impatient-as-that-of/)

[Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/)

> [I'm too direct and too unsparingly impatient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-m-too-direct-and-too-unsparingly-impatient/)

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> [To be honest, I don't love the getting-ready-for-red-carpet thing. I like when it's done, the final product, but the actual doing of all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-stevens/to-be-honest-i-don-t-love-the-getting-ready-for-red-carpet-thing-i/)

[Amber Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-stevens/)

> [If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-carmichael/if-a-sudden-jar-can-cause-me-to-speak-an-impatient-unloving-word-then/)

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> [I'm a very, very impatient person when it comes to breaking news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan-mitchell/i-m-a-very-very-impatient-person-when-it-comes-to-breaking-news/)

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[Rama Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rama-swami/)

> [“All this waiting. Waiting for the rain to stop. Waiting in traffic. Waiting for the bill. Waiting at the airport for an old friend.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/all-this-waiting-waiting-for-the-rain-to-stop-waiting-in-traffic/)

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> [We sat there, not talking, for a few minutes. He ate the Moon Pie; only skinny people can scarf down junk food like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/we-sat-there-not-talking-for-a-few-minutes-he-ate-the-moon-pie-only/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [Not necessarily narrow so much as impatient, intense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/not-necessarily-narrow-so-much-as-impatient-intense/)

[James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/)

> [Impatient people rush to disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/impatient-people-rush-to-disaster/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I am in no rush for success. I am patient, I know that it will come, until then I work for its arrival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/i-am-in-no-rush-for-success-i-am-patient-i-know-that-it-will-come/)

[Enhance Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enhance-dreams/)

> [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [Thought I'd give impatience a try. Got a little enveloped in time. Cuz I watch you come and watch you go and it don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-ready-set/thought-i-d-give-impatience-a-try-got-a-little-enveloped-in-time-cuz/)

[The Ready Set](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-ready-set/)

> [“When you are waiting for a train, don't keep perpetually looking to see if it is coming. The time of its arrival is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-waiting-for-a-train-don-t-keep-perpetually-looking-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 654 Impatient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatient/)

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