--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever we think of the border, it’s…" description: "\"“Whatever we think of the border, it’s important to recognise it as a limitation of Area X.”\" — Jeff VanderMeer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/jeff-vandermeer-1366_border_whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-imp_2256267.png" --- # Whatever we think of the border, it’s important to… ![“Whatever we think of the border, it’s important to recognise it as a limitation of Area X.” quote by Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/jeff-vandermeer-1366_border_whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-imp_2256267.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/jeff-vandermeer-1366_border_whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-imp_2256267.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/jeff-vandermeer-1366_border_whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-imp_2256267.png) > ““Whatever we think of the border, it’s important to recognise it as a limitation of Area X.”” [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing borders as limits of a mysterious region, urging awareness of constraints. **In simple terms:** Borders define limits of Area X. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and work within known limits. Themes exploration limitations unknown science Mood curious analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research planning - environmental policy - expedition logistics Key Concepts boundary theory ecology unknown phenomena Questions to Reflect On - What are the hidden limits in your field? - How can we expand beyond perceived boundaries? A Different Perspective Borders may be arbitrary and restrict discovery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Border](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/border/) ## Related quotes > [People think of border security in very different ways, but to me, it's very simple: border security is national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirstjen-nielsen/people-think-of-border-security-in-very-different-ways-but-to-me-it-s/) [Kirstjen Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirstjen-nielsen/) > [“All I could think was that the border was a clever idea. It might as well have been Hadrian's Wall, but they had taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-pulley/all-i-could-think-was-that-the-border-was-a-clever-idea-it-might-as/) [Natasha Pulley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-pulley/) > [The troops were occasionally occupied in pursuing scattered bands going north or south, and on three occasions the large camp of Sitting Bull ventured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-a-miles/the-troops-were-occasionally-occupied-in-pursuing-scattered-bands/) [Nelson A. Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-a-miles/) > [We can prove to the American people that fixing the crisis at our border is more important than scoring political points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-crenshaw/we-can-prove-to-the-american-people-that-fixing-the-crisis-at-our/) [Dan Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-crenshaw/) > [I think in the U.S., the border fence is no longer an immigration issue primarily; it's a security issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-hunter/i-think-in-the-u-s-the-border-fence-is-no-longer-an-immigration-issue/) [Duncan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-hunter/) > [There's a crazy energy in Toronto. I think some of that may be from being a border from where I'm from and being so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/there-s-a-crazy-energy-in-toronto-i-think-some-of-that-may-be-from/) [G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/) > [“What’s outside the border when you’re inside it?” “What’s the border when you’re inside it?” “What’s the border when someone is outside it?” “Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/what-s-outside-the-border-when-you-re-inside-it-what-s-the-border/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“What does the border look like?” A child’s question. A question whose answer means nothing. There is nothing but border. There is no border.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/what-does-the-border-look-like-a-child-s-question-a-question-whose/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“All of the things that wore you down, even as that was balanced by the electric feeling of being on the side of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/all-of-the-things-that-wore-you-down-even-as-that-was-balanced-by-the/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [Border security is not only related to resources competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hailemariam-desalegn/border-security-is-not-only-related-to-resources-competition/) [Hailemariam Desalegn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hailemariam-desalegn/) > [I think there are definitely a lot of subjects I don't share with people, but I'm not sure where that border is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-lekman/i-think-there-are-definitely-a-lot-of-subjects-i-don-t-share-with/) [Jens Lekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-lekman/) > [My message to everyone: the next time you hear about migrant children near the border, just picture them as your own. Then think what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/my-message-to-everyone-the-next-time-you-hear-about-migrant-children/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [We believe that there are aspects of border security that Democrats and Republicans can agree on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-durbin/we-believe-that-there-are-aspects-of-border-security-that-democrats/) [Dick Durbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-durbin/) > [“Tear down your border of thicket and vine creating a free world, yours and mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-cosgrove/tear-down-your-border-of-thicket-and-vine-creating-a-free-world-yours/) [Stephen Cosgrove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-cosgrove/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) ## More by Jeff VanderMeer > [“Perhaps only I could truly make Wick a person, by forgiving him, and if I forgave him, if I showed I forgave him, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/perhaps-only-i-could-truly-make-wick-a-person-by-forgiving-him-and-if/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“I knew these elements were intended for me and me alone. There were no endearments, but I understood in part because of this restraint.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/i-knew-these-elements-were-intended-for-me-and-me-alone-there-were-no/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“What if an infection was a message, a brightness a kind of symphony? As a defense? An odd form of communication? If so, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/what-if-an-infection-was-a-message-a-brightness-a-kind-of-symphony-as/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [That's how the madness of the world tries to colonize you: from the outside in, forcing you to live in its reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/that-s-how-the-madness-of-the-world-tries-to-colonize-you-from-the/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [What I envy about musicians is, they have this more direct relationship with the audience. They don't have to go through words. Sure, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/what-i-envy-about-musicians-is-they-have-this-more-direct/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“In college, what had always stuck with him in Astronomy 101 was that the first astronomers to think of points of light not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/in-college-what-had-always-stuck-with-him-in-astronomy-101-was-that/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“But I was not a domesticated animals...The dirt and grit of a city, the unending wakefulness of it, the crowdedness, the constant light obscuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/but-i-was-not-a-domesticated-animals-the-dirt-and-grit-of-a-city-the/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [Dreams, though, are just one kind of inspiration - no more or less special than something in a newspaper article or from the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/dreams-though-are-just-one-kind-of-inspiration-no-more-or-less/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“All of the things that wore you down, even as that was balanced by the electric feeling of being on the side of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/all-of-the-things-that-wore-you-down-even-as-that-was-balanced-by-the/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [There simply aren't enough constitutional safeguards in place to protect against a rogue president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/there-simply-aren-t-enough-constitutional-safeguards-in-place-to/) [Jeff Vandermeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [There are some beautiful creatures in the ocean that seem very alien at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/there-are-some-beautiful-creatures-in-the-ocean-that-seem-very-alien/) [Jeff Vandermeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [Even a dream as inspiration doesn't mean anything unless you then find that it's sparked an actual story with a plot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/even-a-dream-as-inspiration-doesn-t-mean-anything-unless-you-then/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [I had learned so much about the world that I had decided to withdraw from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/i-had-learned-so-much-about-the-world-that-i-had-decided-to-withdraw/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“Do you think Area X builds spaceships, too? Do you think Area X traverses interstellar space? Wormholes? Think of something more subtle, something peering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/do-you-think-area-x-builds-spaceships-too-do-you-think-area-x/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“A sudden flash of his partner Wyte, telling him he was compromised, him replying, "I don't have an opinion on that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/a-sudden-flash-of-his-partner-wyte-telling-him-he-was-compromised-him/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) [Explore all 247 Jeff VanderMeer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) ## More Border quotes > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [“Tear down your border of thicket and vine creating a free world, yours and mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-cosgrove/tear-down-your-border-of-thicket-and-vine-creating-a-free-world-yours/) [Stephen Cosgrove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-cosgrove/) > [We believe that there are aspects of border security that Democrats and Republicans can agree on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-durbin/we-believe-that-there-are-aspects-of-border-security-that-democrats/) [Dick Durbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-durbin/) > [My message to everyone: the next time you hear about migrant children near the border, just picture them as your own. Then think what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/my-message-to-everyone-the-next-time-you-hear-about-migrant-children/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [I think there are definitely a lot of subjects I don't share with people, but I'm not sure where that border is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-lekman/i-think-there-are-definitely-a-lot-of-subjects-i-don-t-share-with/) [Jens Lekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-lekman/) > [Border security is not only related to resources competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hailemariam-desalegn/border-security-is-not-only-related-to-resources-competition/) [Hailemariam Desalegn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hailemariam-desalegn/) > [In 2019 folks were coming across the border and were sitting down, they were sitting down waiting for Border Patrol to come up because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-wolf/in-2019-folks-were-coming-across-the-border-and-were-sitting-down/) [Chad Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-wolf/) > [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The border is varied depending on the geography, depending on the specific venue, and depending on the conduct of individuals around it. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-mayorkas/the-border-is-varied-depending-on-the-geography-depending-on-the/) [Alejandro Mayorkas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-mayorkas/) > [It's not rocket science. It's not super high technology to construct border barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kobach/it-s-not-rocket-science-it-s-not-super-high-technology-to-construct/) [Kris Kobach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kobach/) > [The president has promised greater border security. We can agree to that. A literal wall might not be the most effective means to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/the-president-has-promised-greater-border-security-we-can-agree-to/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“All of the things that wore you down, even as that was balanced by the electric feeling of being on the side of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/all-of-the-things-that-wore-you-down-even-as-that-was-balanced-by-the/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“Love for one's country is great but why should that love stop at that border?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-casals/love-for-one-s-country-is-great-but-why-should-that-love-stop-at-that/) [Pablo Casals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-casals/) > [ I'm not an expert on the ways of Washington \[but\] it makes no sense to me that we're not funding control of our border. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/i-m-not-an-expert-on-the-ways-of-washington-but-it-makes-no-sense-to/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [The Biden administration is not just letting a record number of illegal immigrants cross our border, they are bringing them here. They are prohibiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cain/the-biden-administration-is-not-just-letting-a-record-number-of/) [Will Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cain/) [Browse all 475 Border quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/border/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Whatever we think of the border, it’s important to recognise it as a limitation of Area X.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff VanderMeer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-important-to-recognise-it-as-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Border" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-important-to-recognise-it-as-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/jeff-vandermeer-1366_border_whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-imp_2256267.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/jeff-vandermeer-1366_border_whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-imp_2256267.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdb/jeff-vandermeer-1366_border_whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-imp_2256267.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whatever we think of the border, it’s important to recognise it as a limitation of Area X.” — Jeff VanderMeer", "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 VanderMeer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Whatever we think of the border,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-important-to-recognise-it-as-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/whatever-we-think-of-the-border-it-s-important-to-recognise-it-as-a/#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 } } ] } ```