--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I been thinkin',\" he said. \"I been in the…" description: "\"“I been thinkin',\" he said. \"I been in the hills, thinkin', almost you might say like Jesus went into the wilderness to think His way out of a mess of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/john-steinbeck-71_nature_i-been-thinkin-he-said-i-been-in-the-hil_462201.jpg" --- # I been thinkin'," he said. "I been in the hills, thinkin'… ![“I been thinkin'," he said. "I been in the hills, thinkin', almost you might say like Jesus went into the wilderness to think His way out of a mess of troubles. Seems like Jesus got all messed up with troubles, and He couldn't figure nothin' out, an' He got to feelin' what the hell good is it all…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/john-steinbeck-71_nature_i-been-thinkin-he-said-i-been-in-the-hil_462201.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/john-steinbeck-71_nature_i-been-thinkin-he-said-i-been-in-the-hil_462201.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/john-steinbeck-71_nature_i-been-thinkin-he-said-i-been-in-the-hil_462201.jpg) > ““I been thinkin'," he said. "I been in the hills, thinkin', almost you might say like Jesus went into the wilderness to think His way out of a mess of troubles. Seems like Jesus got all messed up with troubles, and He couldn't figure nothin' out, an' He got to feelin' what the hell good is it all, an' what's the use fightin' an' figurin'. Got tired, got good an' tired, an' His sperit all wore out. Jus' about come to the conclusion, the hell with it. An' so He went off into the wilderness." "I ain't sayin' I'm like Jesus," the preacher went on. "But I got tired like Him, an' I got mixed up like Him, an' I went into the wilderness like Him, without no campin' stuff. Nighttime I'd lay on my back an' look up at the stars; morning I'd set an' watch the sun come up; midday I'd look out from a hill at the rollin' dry country; evenin' I'd foller the sun down. Sometimes I'd pray like I always done. On'y I couldn' figure what I was prayin' to or for. There was the hills, an' there was me, an' we wasn't separate no more. We was one thing. An' that one thing was holy." "An' I got thinkin', on'y it wasn't thinkin, it was deeper down than thinkin'. I got thinkin' how we was holy when we was one thing, an' mankin' was holy when it was one thing. An' it on'y got unholy when one mis'able little fella got the bit in his teeth an' run off his own way, kickin' an' draggin' an' fightin'. Fella like that bust the holiness. But when they're all workin' together, not one fella for another fella, but one fella kind of harnessed to the whole shebang—that's right, that's holy. An' then I got thinkin' I don't even know what I mean by holy." He paused, but the bowed heads stayed down, for they had been trained like dogs to rise at the "amen" signal. "I can't say no grace like I use' ta say. I'm glad of the holiness of breakfast. I'm glad there's love here. That's all." The heads stayed down. The preacher looked around. "I've got your breakfast cold," he said; and then he remembered. "Amen," he said, and all the heads rose up.”” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## 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 reflects on personal exhaustion and seeks solace in nature, comparing his struggle to Jesus' wilderness experience, ultimately finding a sense of unity and holiness in shared effort. **In simple terms:** Finding peace through solitude and shared purpose. Key Takeaway Embrace solitude, seek unity. Themes spirituality exhaustion reflection Mood contemplative hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - meditative walks - spiritual searching - community building Key Concepts holiness unity human condition Questions to Reflect On - How does solitude change your perception of self? - Can shared purpose transform personal suffering? A Different Perspective Holiness may be elusive when individual ego dominates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [“I ain't sayin' I'm like Jesus," the preacher went on. 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Seems like Jesus got all messed up with troubles, and He couldn't figure nothin' out, an' He got to feelin' what the hell good is it all, an' what's the use fightin' an' figurin'. Got tired, got good an' tired, an' His sperit all wore out. Jus' about come to the conclusion, the hell with it. An' so He went off into the wilderness.\" \"I ain't sayin' I'm like Jesus,\" the preacher went on. \"But I got tired like Him, an' I got mixed up like Him, an' I went into the wilderness like Him, without no campin' stuff. Nighttime I'd lay on my back an' look up at the stars; morning I'd set an' watch the sun come up; midday I'd look out from a hill at the rollin' dry country; evenin' I'd foller the sun down. Sometimes I'd pray like I always done. On'y I couldn' figure what I was prayin' to or for. There was the hills, an' there was me, an' we wasn't separate no more. We was one thing. An' that one thing was holy.\" \"An' I got thinkin', on'y it wasn't thinkin, it was deeper down than thinkin'. I got thinkin' how we was holy when we was one thing, an' mankin' was holy when it was one thing. An' it on'y got unholy when one mis'able little fella got the bit in his teeth an' run off his own way, kickin' an' draggin' an' fightin'. Fella like that bust the holiness. But when they're all workin' together, not one fella for another fella, but one fella kind of harnessed to the whole shebang—that's right, that's holy. An' then I got thinkin' I don't even know what I mean by holy.\" He paused, but the bowed heads stayed down, for they had been trained like dogs to rise at the \"amen\" signal. \"I can't say no grace like I use' ta say. I'm glad of the holiness of breakfast. I'm glad there's love here. That's all.\" The heads stayed down. 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