--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from…" description: "\"“Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from God to a guilder.”\" — Jessie Burton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/jessie-burton-12889_amsterdam_amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from_294791.jpg" --- # Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from God to a guilder. ![“Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from God to a guilder.” quote by Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/jessie-burton-12889_amsterdam_amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from_294791.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/jessie-burton-12889_amsterdam_amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from_294791.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/jessie-burton-12889_amsterdam_amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from_294791.jpg) > ““Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from God to a guilder.”” [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal values swing between divine ideals and material wealth, reflecting shifting priorities. **In simple terms:** Values shift from spiritual to monetary. Key Takeaway Recognize what truly guides you. Themes values society materialism Mood contemplative critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - political discourse - consumer choices - career decisions Key Concepts ethical reflection cultural critique personal finance Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance spiritual and material goals? - What influences your value system? A Different Perspective Material concerns can coexist with spiritual ones. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amsterdam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amsterdam/) ## Related quotes > [At 8:23 there seemed every chance of a lasting alliance starting between Florin and Guilder. At 8:24 the two nations were very close to war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/at-8-23-there-seemed-every-chance-of-a-lasting-alliance-starting/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [“The rules of this house are written in water. I must either sink or swim.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/the-rules-of-this-house-are-written-in-water-i-must-either-sink-or/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“The surface of Amsterdam thrives on these mutual acts of surveillance, the neighborly smothering of a person's spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/the-surface-of-amsterdam-thrives-on-these-mutual-acts-of-surveillance/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [But words are water in Amsterdam, they flood your ears and set the rot, and the church's east corner is crowded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/but-words-are-water-in-amsterdam-they-flood-your-ears-and-set-the-rot/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“The ink was secret nectar, for Marin isn't married.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/the-ink-was-secret-nectar-for-marin-isn-t-married/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“Believe it or don't believe it, Madame. 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Every point of the universe is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/wherever-you-put-it-foucault-s-pendulum-swings-from-a-motionless/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Time is a valuable thing, watch it fly by as the pendulum swings. watch it count down to the end of the day, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park-1-2-in-the-end/time-is-a-valuable-thing-watch-it-fly-by-as-the-pendulum-swings-watch/) Linkin Park ï1⁄2 In The End > [The pendulum swings between Light and Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/the-pendulum-swings-between-light-and-darkness/) [Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/) ## More by Jessie Burton > [“You really are an artist, aren’t you? You think it’s all about you, and you never stop looking for pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/you-really-are-an-artist-aren-t-you-you-think-it-s-all-about-you-and/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“pity was the path to indifference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/pity-was-the-path-to-indifference/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“My writing became the axis upon which all my identity and happiness hinged. It was now outward-looking, a self-conscious performance. I was asked to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/my-writing-became-the-axis-upon-which-all-my-identity-and-happiness/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“A piece of art only succeeds when it's creator...possesses the belief that brings it into being”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/a-piece-of-art-only-succeeds-when-it-s-creator-possesses-the-belief/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“We studied men like him at school – protected gentlemen, rich gentlemen, white gentlemen, who picked up pens and wrote the world for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/we-studied-men-like-him-at-school-protected-gentlemen-rich-gentlemen/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“I feel like time’s tricked me, as if I’ve known you from before. Like we passed each other in our prams. Like it’s been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/i-feel-like-time-s-tricked-me-as-if-i-ve-known-you-from-before-like/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“Although any collective answer to my question remains to be seen, personally I feel quite certain of it. Because if there’s one thing I’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/although-any-collective-answer-to-my-question-remains-to-be-seen/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“Things crumble. Bit by bit. They shift, you don’t notice. Then you notice. Jesus Christ, my legs are broken but I never moved my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/things-crumble-bit-by-bit-they-shift-you-don-t-notice-then-you-notice/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“You can do more with rumour than you can with fact”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/you-can-do-more-with-rumour-than-you-can-with-fact/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/there-is-nothing-hidden-that-will-not-be-revealed/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“Spain's past is a cut of meat turning green on the butcher's slab. When the war ended, people were forbidden to look back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/spain-s-past-is-a-cut-of-meat-turning-green-on-the-butcher-s-slab/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“as if her heart was slotting into place, a moment to breathe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/as-if-her-heart-was-slotting-into-place-a-moment-to-breathe/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“The ink was secret nectar, for Marin isn't married.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/the-ink-was-secret-nectar-for-marin-isn-t-married/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“an awful combination of carelessness and determination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/an-awful-combination-of-carelessness-and-determination/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) > [“Believe it or don't believe it, Madame. But my feet are tired too. Bloody tired. Like a dead man's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/believe-it-or-don-t-believe-it-madame-but-my-feet-are-tired-too/) [Jessie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) [Explore all 51 Jessie Burton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/) ## More Amsterdam quotes > [I think that if you look at places like Amsterdam and places where pot is very legal they do well with it. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buffalo-mailer/i-think-that-if-you-look-at-places-like-amsterdam-and-places-where/) [John Buffalo Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buffalo-mailer/) > [In Europe, I always have fun bike riding in Amsterdam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-koenig/in-europe-i-always-have-fun-bike-riding-in-amsterdam/) [Ezra Koenig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-koenig/) > [“There are skeletons in this earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-duyvis/there-are-skeletons-in-this-earth/) [Corinne Duyvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-duyvis/) > [“She said I should pick the hall and the date and whatever I want, because it really doesn’t matter to her. That isn’t the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/she-said-i-should-pick-the-hall-and-the-date-and-whatever-i-want/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [I was born in Belgium and moved to Amsterdam when I was 17. I am not a Calvinist Dutchman but a Catholic Belgian. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-de-clercq/i-was-born-in-belgium-and-moved-to-amsterdam-when-i-was-17-i-am-not-a/) [Eddy de Clercq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-de-clercq/) > [Although I miss my family and friends when I'm away from Amsterdam, I've never had that feeling of missing a city like I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michiel-huisman/although-i-miss-my-family-and-friends-when-i-m-away-from-amsterdam-i/) [Michiel Huisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michiel-huisman/) > [Curator Shantrelle P. Lewis left for Amsterdam an Andy Warhol fellow, and came back with a film in her pocket. Please support this confrontation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dream-hampton/curator-shantrelle-p-lewis-left-for-amsterdam-an-andy-warhol-fellow/) [dream hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dream-hampton/) > [I am a village boy, and Amsterdam for me was always the big town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-corbijn/i-am-a-village-boy-and-amsterdam-for-me-was-always-the-big-town/) [Anton Corbijn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-corbijn/) > [Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/some-tourists-think-amsterdam-is-a-city-of-sin-but-in-truth-it-is-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I'm scared of audiences. One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous, I escaped out the fire exit. I've thrown up a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele/i-m-scared-of-audiences-one-show-in-amsterdam-i-was-so-nervous-i/) [Adele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele/) > [Ireland is also quite nice. So is Amsterdam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/ireland-is-also-quite-nice-so-is-amsterdam/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [“Between the whores' world and God's world, like a river dividing two empires, stretches an intense smell of urine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/between-the-whores-world-and-god-s-world-like-a-river-dividing-two/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“What do you say to those heading to Amsterdam? “Have a smooth ride.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/what-do-you-say-to-those-heading-to-amsterdam-have-a-smooth-ride/) [Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkwachukwu-ogbuagu/) > [I was in George Martin's studio in Amsterdam and he was telling me, 'They come in here and it takes them three days to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/i-was-in-george-martin-s-studio-in-amsterdam-and-he-was-telling-me/) [Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/) > [The Annex is an ideal place to hide in. It may be damp and lopsided, but there's probably not a more comfortable hiding place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/the-annex-is-an-ideal-place-to-hide-in-it-may-be-damp-and-lopsided/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) [Browse all 142 Amsterdam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amsterdam/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from God to a guilder.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jessie Burton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from-god-to-a-guilder/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amsterdam" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from-god-to-a-guilder/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/jessie-burton-12889_amsterdam_amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from_294791.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/jessie-burton-12889_amsterdam_amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from_294791.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/jessie-burton-12889_amsterdam_amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from_294791.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from God to a guilder.” — Jessie Burton", "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": "Jessie Burton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-burton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from-god-to-a-guilder/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-burton/amsterdam-where-the-pendulum-swings-from-god-to-a-guilder/#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 } } ] } ```