--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So, I begin each day with a gesture of…" description: "\"“So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close it with a gesture of faith; or, if you prefer, begin it by reminding myself that, for me at..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/john-barth-5311_adult-life_so-i-begin-each-day-with-a-gesture-of-cy_42856.jpg" --- # So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close… ![“So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close it with a gesture of faith; or, if you prefer, begin it by reminding myself that, for me at least, goals and objectives are without value, and close it by demonstrating that the fact is irrelevant. A gesture of temporality, a gesture of…” quote by John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/john-barth-5311_adult-life_so-i-begin-each-day-with-a-gesture-of-cy_42856.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/john-barth-5311_adult-life_so-i-begin-each-day-with-a-gesture-of-cy_42856.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/john-barth-5311_adult-life_so-i-begin-each-day-with-a-gesture-of-cy_42856.jpg) > ““So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close it with a gesture of faith; or, if you prefer, begin it by reminding myself that, for me at least, goals and objectives are without value, and close it by demonstrating that the fact is irrelevant. A gesture of temporality, a gesture of eternity. It is in the tension between these two gestures that I have lived my adult life.”” [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker frames daily life as a balance between skeptical detachment and hopeful belief, using temporal and eternal perspectives to navigate meaning. **In simple terms:** Balancing cynicism with faith daily. Key Takeaway Tension between doubt and belief shapes existence. Themes Existentialism Temporal vs. Eternal Self-Reflection Philosophical Balance Life Purpose Mood Contemplative Introspective Hopeful Type Philosophical Reflective When to use this quote - Morning routine - Goal setting - Midday crisis - Evening contemplation - Personal growth Key Concepts Cynicism Faith Temporality Eternity Practical Applications - Journaling to track mindset shifts - Meditation to reconcile skepticism and hope Questions to Reflect On - How does embracing both doubt and belief affect decision‑making? - What rituals help you balance skepticism with optimism? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adult life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adult-life/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Pessimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pessimism/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [“Not very long ago I was driving with my husband on the back roads of Grey County, which is to the north and east…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/not-very-long-ago-i-was-driving-with-my-husband-on-the-back-roads-of/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“We are all, of course, wayfaring strangers on this earth. 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Few of the others, however, had the possibility of direct gains in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/i-have-been-in-relatively-high-risk-businesses-all-of-my-adult-life/) [Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/) > [I spent close to a decade as an undercover officer in the CIA and have spent most of my adult life collecting intelligence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/i-spent-close-to-a-decade-as-an-undercover-officer-in-the-cia-and/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [I have spent my entire adult life trying to make Liberty University the world-class Christian university that was envisioned at its founding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-falwell-jr/i-have-spent-my-entire-adult-life-trying-to-make-liberty-university/) [Jerry Falwell, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-falwell-jr/) > [“The struggle of the sexes to know each other, to see each other, and to communicate deeply - a struggle which may be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kegan/the-struggle-of-the-sexes-to-know-each-other-to-see-each-other-and-to/) [Robert Kegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kegan/) ## More by John Barth > [Tis e'er the wont of simple folk to prize the deed and o'erlook the motive, and of learned folk to discount the deed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/tis-e-er-the-wont-of-simple-folk-to-prize-the-deed-and-o-erlook-the/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [I admire writers who can make complicated things simple, but my own talent has been to make simple things complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/i-admire-writers-who-can-make-complicated-things-simple-but-my-own/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“That clever folk care less for what ye think than why ye think it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/that-clever-folk-care-less-for-what-ye-think-than-why-ye-think-it/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [Printed prose is historically a most peculiar, almost an aberrant way of telling stories, and by far the most inherently anesthetic: It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/printed-prose-is-historically-a-most-peculiar-almost-an-aberrant-way/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“There's a great difficulty in making choices if you have any imagination at all. 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