--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was relieved not to find yet another…" description: "\"“I was relieved not to find yet another crabby and wounded ex-environmentalist, and I asked her how she was managing to live in a world that she found ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da5/jon-mooallem-42343_falling-apart_i-was-relieved-not-to-find-yet-another-c_1507057.jpg" --- # I was relieved not to find yet another crabby and wounded… ![“I was relieved not to find yet another crabby and wounded ex-environmentalist, and I asked her how she was managing to live in a world that she found so discouraging. The answer wasn't reassuring. She told me about the Taoists in ancient China. "They looked around and saw they were facing the same…” quote by Jon Mooallem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da5/jon-mooallem-42343_falling-apart_i-was-relieved-not-to-find-yet-another-c_1507057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da5/jon-mooallem-42343_falling-apart_i-was-relieved-not-to-find-yet-another-c_1507057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da5/jon-mooallem-42343_falling-apart_i-was-relieved-not-to-find-yet-another-c_1507057.jpg) > ““I was relieved not to find yet another crabby and wounded ex-environmentalist, and I asked her how she was managing to live in a world that she found so discouraging. The answer wasn't reassuring. She told me about the Taoists in ancient China. "They looked around and saw they were facing the same situation, a world that was disintegrating around them. And they realized the best thing to do is do as little as possible. Don't feed any new energy into a system that's falling apart, because you don't know what that energy will wind up being spit back as." Rather than try to change society, it's better to retreat.”” [Jon Mooallem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mooallem/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When systems collapse, minimal intervention can prevent unintended consequences; sometimes retreat is wiser than forcing change. **In simple terms:** Do less when a system is breaking down. Key Takeaway Consider stepping back instead of forcing change. Themes systems intervention retreat consequences Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - environmental activism - organizational change - personal coping - policy reform Key Concepts complex systems energy flow feedback loops Questions to Reflect On - What risks arise from doing nothing? - When is retreat more ethical than intervention? A Different Perspective Minimal action may still have hidden impacts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“The Taoists realized that no single concept or value could be considered absolute or superior. If being useful is beneficial, the being useless is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-zweig/the-taoists-realized-that-no-single-concept-or-value-could-be/) [Connie Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-zweig/) > [I remember once visiting an outdoor exhibition of sculpture in Arnhem, the Netherlands. 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There are some sorts of Taoists that are family men; but who ever heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheng-en-wu/wife-indeed-laughed-monkey-you-haven-t-got-a-wife-now-there-are-some/) Cheng-en Wu > [“Taoists do not look upon meditation as 'practice,' except in the sense that a doctor 'practices' medicine. They have no design to subjugate or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/taoists-do-not-look-upon-meditation-as-practice-except-in-the-sense/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [It is what the Taoists say: The way to do is to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drunvalo-melchizedek/it-is-what-the-taoists-say-the-way-to-do-is-to-be/) [Drunvalo Melchizedek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drunvalo-melchizedek/) > [Buddhists and Taoists of the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan share the same roots and instructions and have always maintained sound exchanges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jia-qinglin/buddhists-and-taoists-of-the-mainland-hong-kong-macao-and-taiwan/) Jia Qinglin > [I just wanna build momentum again. Keeping yourself in work is one thing, keeping yourself in good work's another. But if it doesn't work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hart/i-just-wanna-build-momentum-again-keeping-yourself-in-work-is-one/) [Ian Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-hart/) > [Or maybe a person is just made up of a lot of peopleMaybe we’re accumulating these new selves all the time. Hauling them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/or-maybe-a-person-is-just-made-up-of-a-lot-of-peoplemaybe-we-re/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [If you're feeling pain, express that to the Lord. If you're feeling worried, express those worries. One passage that gives me comfort is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/if-you-re-feeling-pain-express-that-to-the-lord-if-you-re-feeling/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [The truth will form and fall apart again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-slean/the-truth-will-form-and-fall-apart-again/) [Sarah Slean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-slean/) > [There's always a race against time. I don't think for one moment that life gets better. How can it? One's body starts to fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-grahame/there-s-always-a-race-against-time-i-don-t-think-for-one-moment-that/) [Gloria Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-grahame/) > [Sometimes when things seem to be falling apart, they are actually falling into place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-when-things-seem-to-be-falling-apart-they-are-actually/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Shes talking to angels counting the stars, making a wish on a passing car dancing with strangers falling apart waiting for superman to pick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/shes-talking-to-angels-counting-the-stars-making-a-wish-on-a-passing/) Patience ## More by Jon Mooallem > [“The kids ignored the cranes, and the cranes ignored the kids, George remembered, and that struck him as the best humanity could realistically hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mooallem/the-kids-ignored-the-cranes-and-the-cranes-ignored-the-kids-george/) [Jon Mooallem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mooallem/) > [“I'm not arguing that America would be a better or more beautiful place if it had imported hippopotamuses in 1910. But there is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mooallem/i-m-not-arguing-that-america-would-be-a-better-or-more-beautiful/) [Jon Mooallem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mooallem/) > [“You're not what you were before," Jana told me, "but neither are you what you're going to be. The soup stage really sucks, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mooallem/you-re-not-what-you-were-before-jana-told-me-but-neither-are-you-what/) [Jon Mooallem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mooallem/) > [“In other words, in the encroaching malaise of 1910, it was easy to be gripped by the brilliance of the hippopotamus scheme, to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mooallem/in-other-words-in-the-encroaching-malaise-of-1910-it-was-easy-to-be/) [Jon Mooallem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mooallem/) > [“Zoom out and what you see is one species--us--struggling to keep all others in their appropriate places, or at least in the places we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mooallem/zoom-out-and-what-you-see-is-one-species-us-struggling-to-keep-all/) [Jon Mooallem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mooallem/) > [“Representative Broussard had dispatched a field agent on a fact-finding mission. The man, a native of southern Africa, found the Louisiana swamps “wildly dismal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mooallem/representative-broussard-had-dispatched-a-field-agent-on-a-fact/) [Jon Mooallem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mooallem/) > [ “This animal, homely as a steam-roller, \[is\] the embodiment of salvation,” it wrote. “Peace, plenty, and contentment lie before us; and a new life,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-mooallem/this-animal-homely-as-a-steam-roller-is-the-embodiment-of-salvation/) [Jon Mooallem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-mooallem/) > [“Importing antelopes and giraffes suddenly became politically impossible. The experience had left Burnham angry—mostly at himself. 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One's body starts to fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-grahame/there-s-always-a-race-against-time-i-don-t-think-for-one-moment-that/) [Gloria Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-grahame/) > [The truth will form and fall apart again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-slean/the-truth-will-form-and-fall-apart-again/) [Sarah Slean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-slean/) > [If you're feeling pain, express that to the Lord. If you're feeling worried, express those worries. One passage that gives me comfort is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/if-you-re-feeling-pain-express-that-to-the-lord-if-you-re-feeling/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Or maybe a person is just made up of a lot of peopleMaybe we’re accumulating these new selves all the time. Hauling them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/or-maybe-a-person-is-just-made-up-of-a-lot-of-peoplemaybe-we-re/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [We're not falling in love. We're just falling apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-not-falling-in-love-we-re-just-falling-apart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Where were you When everything was falling apart? All my days Were spent by the telephone That never rang And all I needed was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-fray/where-were-you-when-everything-was-falling-apart-all-my-days-were/) [The Fray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-fray/) > [Prayer keeps us together in a Nation that's falling apart... NIGERIA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/efiosiugbore/prayer-keeps-us-together-in-a-nation-that-s-falling-apart-nigeria/) @efiosiugbore > [Russia can fall apart. It's not because of the oil prices ... It's because what sticks a country together is a common interest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-ponomarev/russia-can-fall-apart-it-s-not-because-of-the-oil-prices-it-s-because/) [Ilya Ponomarev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-ponomarev/) > [It's a transformative experience to simply pause instead of immediately fill up the space. By waiting, we begin to connect with fundamental restlessness as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/it-s-a-transformative-experience-to-simply-pause-instead-of/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [You don't see heroism, humanity and hope like you do in a horror story. Horror celebrates the kind of friendship that keeps you standing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/you-don-t-see-heroism-humanity-and-hope-like-you-do-in-a-horror-story/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-was-full-of-a-hot-powerful-sadness-and-would-have-loved-to-burst/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [There’s one thing that’s been 'learned' maybe from Tunisia and Egypt that I think is a mistake. And that is that the existing ruler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sharp/there-s-one-thing-that-s-been-learned-maybe-from-tunisia-and-egypt/) [Gene Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sharp/) > [Once upon a time I was falling in love, but now I'm only falling apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-upon-a-time-i-was-falling-in-love-but-now-i-m-only-falling-apart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 918 Falling apart quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I was relieved not to find yet another crabby and wounded ex-environmentalist, and I asked her how she was managing to live in a world that she found so discouraging. The answer wasn't reassuring. She told me about the Taoists in ancient China. \"They looked around and saw they were facing the same situation, a world that was disintegrating around them. 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