--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rather than be searched by hand, I chose…" description: "\"“Rather than be searched by hand, I chose to walk through the metal detector without my cart or my tank or even the plastic nubbins in my nose. Walking..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/john-green-12_computers_rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose_1088312.jpg" --- # Rather than be searched by hand, I chose to walk through… ![“Rather than be searched by hand, I chose to walk through the metal detector without my cart or my tank or even the plastic nubbins in my nose. Walking through the X-ray machine marked the first time I’d taken a step without oxygen in some months, and it felt pretty amazing to walk unencumbered…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/john-green-12_computers_rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose_1088312.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/john-green-12_computers_rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose_1088312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/john-green-12_computers_rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose_1088312.jpg) > ““Rather than be searched by hand, I chose to walk through the metal detector without my cart or my tank or even the plastic nubbins in my nose. Walking through the X-ray machine marked the first time I’d taken a step without oxygen in some months, and it felt pretty amazing to walk unencumbered like that, stepping across the Rubicon, the machine’s silence acknowledging that I was, however briefly, a nonmetallicized creature. I felt a bodily sovereignty that I can’t really describe except to say that when I was a kid I used to have a really heavy backpack that I carried everywhere with all my books in it, and if I walked around with the backpack for long enough, when I took it off I felt like I was floating.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes a liberating experience of shedding physical constraints, likening it to a rebirth of bodily freedom and self‑discovery. **In simple terms:** Shedding weight brings a sense of freedom. Key Takeaway Embrace moments that free you from burdens. Themes freedom self‑discovery transformation Mood inspirational introspective Type personal essay reflective When to use this quote - airport security lines - gym workouts - minimalist travel - meditation retreats Key Concepts embodiment personal growth sensory experience Questions to Reflect On - What burden could you let go of today? - How does physical lightness affect your mental state? A Different Perspective Freedom may be temporary and context‑dependent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) ## Related quotes > [“Walking through the X-ray machine marked the first time I’d taken a step without oxygen in some months, and it felt pretty amazing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/walking-through-the-x-ray-machine-marked-the-first-time-i-d-taken-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I have been entertaining the idea, Sky. Believe me. It’s just a huge step that can’t be undone once it’s taken.” “What if it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-have-been-entertaining-the-idea-sky-believe-me-it-s-just-a-huge/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [Many a man had taken the first step. With every additional step you enhance immensely the value of your first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/many-a-man-had-taken-the-first-step-with-every-additional-step-you/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Once you got started, all you had to do was keep placing one foot in front of the other, no matter how happy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-cook/once-you-got-started-all-you-had-to-do-was-keep-placing-one-foot-in/) [Claire Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-cook/) > [If you believe, then you have already taken the first step towards your achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickson-gracie/if-you-believe-then-you-have-already-taken-the-first-step-towards/) [Rickson Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickson-gracie/) > [I have taken this step because I want the discipline, the fire and the authority of the Church. I am hopelessly unworthy of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-sitwell/i-have-taken-this-step-because-i-want-the-discipline-the-fire-and-the/) [Edith Sitwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-sitwell/) > [“I know I haven’t ‘taken a step back or retreated from a better future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-beyer/i-know-i-haven-t-taken-a-step-back-or-retreated-from-a-better-future/) [Kirsten Beyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-beyer/) > [A leader who is self-aware enough to know that he or she is not adept at everything is one who has taken the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/a-leader-who-is-self-aware-enough-to-know-that-he-or-she-is-not-adept/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [“Be kind to yourself and you would've taken a step toward self-actualization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-incer/be-kind-to-yourself-and-you-would-ve-taken-a-step-toward-self/) J.R. Incer > [When you know what you're against you have taken the first step to discovering what you're for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/when-you-know-what-you-re-against-you-have-taken-the-first-step-to/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [If you have taken that step to move on and feel you have failed in life pause and think twice .The truth is you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ann-reyes-solorio/if-you-have-taken-that-step-to-move-on-and-feel-you-have-failed-in/) Barbara Ann Reyes Solorio > [When you believe in your self,you have taken first step towards success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/when-you-believe-in-your-self-you-have-taken-first-step-towards/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [Each step you take reveals a new horizon. You have taken the first step today. Now, I challenge you to take another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-poynter/each-step-you-take-reveals-a-new-horizon-you-have-taken-the-first/) [Dan Poynter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-poynter/) > [Its very hard to move on. But once you've taken the first step, don't look back again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/its-very-hard-to-move-on-but-once-you-ve-taken-the-first-step-don-t/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [But it was only hot outside, and generally I only walked outside between one air-conditioned place to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/but-it-was-only-hot-outside-and-generally-i-only-walked-outside/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Computers quotes > [I don't understand why we're all connected wirelessly via a little machine that goes in our pocket, to everybody in the world, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-don-t-understand-why-we-re-all-connected-wirelessly-via-a-little/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [“Probably it goes without saying, but time machine guys don't get a lot of action. Had a one night stand with something cute a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-yu/probably-it-goes-without-saying-but-time-machine-guys-don-t-get-a-lot/) [Charles Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-yu/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Note found in the patron suggestion box: "You have SIGNS up near the computers that say BE QUIET, but people don't be quiet. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-sheridan/note-found-in-the-patron-suggestion-box-you-have-signs-up-near-the/) [Gina Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-sheridan/) > [“You weren't born to be a cog in the giant industrial machine. You were trained to become a cog. There's an alternative available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-weren-t-born-to-be-a-cog-in-the-giant-industrial-machine-you-were/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [The corporate state is an immensely powerful machine, ordered, legalistic, rational, yet utterly out of human control, wholly and perfectly indifferent to any human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/the-corporate-state-is-an-immensely-powerful-machine-ordered/) [Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/) > [The display is the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-display-is-the-computer/) Jen-Hsun Huang > [The popular mind often pictures gigantic flying machines speeding across the Atlantic carrying innumerable passengers in a way analogous to our modern steam ships.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-pickering/the-popular-mind-often-pictures-gigantic-flying-machines-speeding/) William Henry Pickering > [“Alan Turing proposed the Turing Test: a computer is intelligent if you can't tell it from a human when you talk with it. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cjs-hayward/alan-turing-proposed-the-turing-test-a-computer-is-intelligent-if-you/) [CJS Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cjs-hayward/) > [Computers can be taught that certain tune or certain chords changes will sound pleasant together, but I don't think it's going to reach a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonobo/computers-can-be-taught-that-certain-tune-or-certain-chords-changes/) [Bonobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonobo/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [“According to this model, human beings are, at least in one aspect, sensation-receiving machines; and although our receptory apparatus is competent to select and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cruce-stark/according-to-this-model-human-beings-are-at-least-in-one-aspect/) Cruce Stark > [As in any machine, all the wires must be connected to the mains through one main wire. In the same way, you all must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/as-in-any-machine-all-the-wires-must-be-connected-to-the-mains/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) [Browse all 9,389 Computers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Rather than be searched by hand, I chose to walk through the metal detector without my cart or my tank or even the plastic nubbins in my nose. Walking through the X-ray machine marked the first time I’d taken a step without oxygen in some months, and it felt pretty amazing to walk unencumbered like that, stepping across the Rubicon, the machine’s silence acknowledging that I was, however briefly, a nonmetallicized creature. I felt a bodily sovereignty that I can’t really describe except to say that when I was a kid I used to have a really heavy backpack that I carried everywhere with all my books in it, and if I walked around with the backpack for long enough, when I took it off I felt like I was floating.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose-to-walk-through-the-metal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Computers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose-to-walk-through-the-metal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/john-green-12_computers_rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose_1088312.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/john-green-12_computers_rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose_1088312.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/734/john-green-12_computers_rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose_1088312.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Rather than be searched by hand, I chose to walk through the metal detector without my cart or my tank or…” — John Green", "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": "John Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Rather than be searched by hand,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose-to-walk-through-the-metal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/rather-than-be-searched-by-hand-i-chose-to-walk-through-the-metal/#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 } } ] } ```