---
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 take the leap, letting adrenaline and desperation guide them, but I was fucking ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/jeff-somers-73500_knew-better_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_236352.jpg"
---

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

![“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 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/03c/jeff-somers-73500_knew-better_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_236352.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/jeff-somers-73500_knew-better_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_236352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/jeff-somers-73500_knew-better_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_236352.jpg)

> ““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 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 over reckless impulsiveness, trusting experience to guide decisions despite frustration.

**In simple terms:** Patience beats rashness when you have wisdom.

Key Takeaway

Trust your experience, stay calm.

Themes

patience experience self‑control

Mood

reflective determined

Type

advice personal growth

When to use this quote

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

Key Concepts

wisdom impulsivity age

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you acted too quickly?
- How can you balance patience with timely action?

A Different Perspective

Patience can lead to missed opportunities if over‑cautious.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adrenaline Desperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adrenaline-desperation-2380850/) [Assholes Leap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assholes-leap-2380849/) [Fucking Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fucking-ancient-891069/) [Impatient Assholes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatient-assholes-2380848/) [Knew Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-better/)

## Related quotes

> [“I forced myself to stay put and keep looking - impatient assholes would make a leap, letting adrenaline and desperation guide them, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-somers/i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-looking-impatient-assholes-would-2/)

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

> [“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/)

[Sarah A. Denzil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-a-denzil/)

> [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 make a leap, letting adrenaline and desperation guide them, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-somers/i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-looking-impatient-assholes-would-2/)

[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 Knew Better quotes

> [“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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [“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/)

> [“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/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [“...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/)

> [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/)

> [“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/)

> [“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/)

> [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/)

> [“She knew that it was better to have a dream and pay a price for it than to be lukewarm. - regarding St. Teresa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-salzman/she-knew-that-it-was-better-to-have-a-dream-and-pay-a-price-for-it/)

[Mark Salzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-salzman/)

> [They knew no better, but I do not propose to follow the example of a barbarian because he was honestly a barbarian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/they-knew-no-better-but-i-do-not-propose-to-follow-the-example-of-a/)

[Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/)

[Browse all 58 Knew Better quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-better/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“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 ancient and I knew better. It was bitter, but I fucking knew better about just about everything.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jeff Somers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-somers/i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-looking-impatient-assholes-would/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Knew Better"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-somers/i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-looking-impatient-assholes-would/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/jeff-somers-73500_knew-better_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_236352.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/jeff-somers-73500_knew-better_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_236352.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03c/jeff-somers-73500_knew-better_i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-loo_236352.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I forced myself to stay put and keep looking-impatient assholes would take the leap, letting adrenaline and…” — Jeff Somers",
                "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": "Jeff Somers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-somers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I forced myself to stay put...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-somers/i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-looking-impatient-assholes-would/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-somers/i-forced-myself-to-stay-put-and-keep-looking-impatient-assholes-would/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
