--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Getting rid of most of my personal…" description: "\"“Getting rid of most of my personal library comported nicely with my longheld fantasy of traveling light, existing with minimal encumbrances, living si..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/joseph-epstein-10324_writer_getting-rid-of-most-of-my-personal-libra_373492.png" --- # Getting rid of most of my personal library comported… ![“Getting rid of most of my personal library comported nicely with my longheld fantasy of traveling light, existing with minimal encumbrances, living simply. A fantasy it has always been, for the longr I have lived, the heavier has my equipage grown.” quote by Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/joseph-epstein-10324_writer_getting-rid-of-most-of-my-personal-libra_373492.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/joseph-epstein-10324_writer_getting-rid-of-most-of-my-personal-libra_373492.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/joseph-epstein-10324_writer_getting-rid-of-most-of-my-personal-libra_373492.png) > ““Getting rid of most of my personal library comported nicely with my longheld fantasy of traveling light, existing with minimal encumbrances, living simply. A fantasy it has always been, for the longr I have lived, the heavier has my equipage grown.”” [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He values traveling light, shedding excess possessions to live simply, reflecting a lifelong desire for minimalism. **In simple terms:** Travel light, live simply. Key Takeaway Embrace minimalism. Themes minimalism travel simplicity consumerism freedom Mood reflective contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - moving houses - vacations - digital decluttering - downsizing Key Concepts attachment theory material culture personal identity Questions to Reflect On - What possessions truly add value to your life? - How does minimalism affect your sense of identity? A Different Perspective Minimalism may clash with societal expectations of success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“A personal library is an X-ray of the owner’s soul. 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I guess that should tell me I'm traveling toward light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-cockburn/i-wear-my-shadows-where-they-re-harder-to-see-but-they-follow-me/) [Bruce Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-cockburn/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. That's really the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/if-i-don-t-know-who-i-m-writing-for-i-make-it-up-and-pick-somebody-i/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) ## More by Joseph Epstein > [I am basically a complainer and all the grounds for complaint have been swept out from under me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/i-am-basically-a-complainer-and-all-the-grounds-for-complaint-have/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [I think the story is my form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/i-think-the-story-is-my-form/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [I was recently asked what it takes to become a writer. 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Hedonistically, gustatory possibilities are much broader than copulatory ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/food-has-it-over-sex-for-variety-hedonistically-gustatory/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [Envy is never general, but always very particular - at least envy of the kind one feels strongly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/envy-is-never-general-but-always-very-particular-at-least-envy-of-the/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [Many moons ago dictionaries of quotations may have been less needed than they are today. In those good/bad old days, people walked around with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/many-moons-ago-dictionaries-of-quotations-may-have-been-less-needed/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [Of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-only-envy-is-no-fun-at-all/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [I know how many days in which I have just answered e-mail, had three phone calls and a two hour lunch. Poof, gone. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/i-know-how-many-days-in-which-i-have-just-answered-e-mail-had-three/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [I am married to someone I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/i-am-married-to-someone-i-love/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) > [I myself think anti-Semitism is about envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/i-myself-think-anti-semitism-is-about-envy/) [Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) [Explore all 66 Joseph Epstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/) ## More Writer quotes > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. 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Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. That's really the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/if-i-don-t-know-who-i-m-writing-for-i-make-it-up-and-pick-somebody-i/) [Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [“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/) [Browse all 43,858 Writer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Getting rid of most of my personal library comported nicely with my longheld fantasy of traveling light, existing with minimal encumbrances, living simply. 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