--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As she closed the gate behind her she…" description: "\"“As she closed the gate behind her she noticed her own name on one of the big envelopes. Turning it over, she saw written on the back: Course in Philos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/jostein-gaarder-676_handle-with-care_as-she-closed-the-gate-behind-her-she-no_1561578.png" --- # As she closed the gate behind her she noticed her own name… ![“As she closed the gate behind her she noticed her own name on one of the big envelopes. Turning it over, she saw written on the back: Course in Philosophy. Handle with care.” quote by Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/jostein-gaarder-676_handle-with-care_as-she-closed-the-gate-behind-her-she-no_1561578.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/jostein-gaarder-676_handle-with-care_as-she-closed-the-gate-behind-her-she-no_1561578.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/640/jostein-gaarder-676_handle-with-care_as-she-closed-the-gate-behind-her-she-no_1561578.png) > ““As she closed the gate behind her she noticed her own name on one of the big envelopes. Turning it over, she saw written on the back: Course in Philosophy. Handle with care.”” [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character discovers a personal connection to a mysterious course, hinting at destiny and self‑discovery. **In simple terms:** She sees her name on a philosophy course envelope, suggesting fate. Key Takeaway Notice signs that guide personal growth. Themes identity destiny self‑discovery Mood curious reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - college enrollment - career counseling - self‑reflection - finding purpose Key Concepts philosophy coincidence personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - What hidden messages might you be overlooking? - How do you interpret signs in everyday life? A Different Perspective The envelope may be a random coincidence, not a meaningful sign. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Handle with care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handle-with-care/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [“Hello again! As you see, this short course in philosophy will come in handy-sized portions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/hello-again-as-you-see-this-short-course-in-philosophy-will-come-in/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [But then of course a philosophy is not the same thing as a style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/but-then-of-course-a-philosophy-is-not-the-same-thing-as-a-style/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Love clamors far more incessantly and passionately at a closed gate than an open one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-corelli/love-clamors-far-more-incessantly-and-passionately-at-a-closed-gate/) [Marie Corelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-corelli/) > [“outside the garage, closed the gate, and was just about to enter through the side door when I was met by Amanda and Bob.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-howard/outside-the-garage-closed-the-gate-and-was-just-about-to-enter/) Blair Howard > [“We can ask and ask but we can't have again what once seemed ours for ever - the way things looked, that church alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-carr/we-can-ask-and-ask-but-we-can-t-have-again-what-once-seemed-ours-for/) [J.L. Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-carr/) > [“Sometimes, he gets on my nerves; At other times, I burn the ladder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/sometimes-he-gets-on-my-nerves-at-other-times-i-burn-the-ladder/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [A girl is whole by all means.. not a toy by any means...underneath her hair and make-up there is sign that says: handle with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-hathway/a-girl-is-whole-by-all-means-not-a-toy-by-any-means-underneath-her/) [Rose Hathway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-hathway/) > [“Handle with care. Probably has Views. Do not attempt to kiss hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/handle-with-care-probably-has-views-do-not-attempt-to-kiss-hand/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Please handle with care.its brittle and fragile...ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrthrill/please-handle-with-care-its-brittle-and-fragile-ma/) Mrthrill > [Dear Future Wife, I give you my heart, mind, body and soul. Please handle with care...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-future-wife-i-give-you-my-heart-mind-body-and-soul-please-handle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Words and heart should be handle with care,for words when spoken and hearts when broken are the hardest thing to repair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix-mae/words-and-heart-should-be-handle-with-care-for-words-when-spoken-and/) [Nix Mae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix-mae/) > [Happiness is a work of art. Handle with care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/happiness-is-a-work-of-art-handle-with-care/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [This bright, new day... Complete with 24 hours of opportunities, choices, and attitude. A perfectly matched set of 1440 minutes. This unique gift, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/this-bright-new-day-complete-with-24-hours-of-opportunities-choices/) Pacifiersucker > [Sometimes I wish I could walk around with a HANDLE WITH CARE sign stuck to my forehead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/sometimes-i-wish-i-could-walk-around-with-a-handle-with-care-sign/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [Soar with wit. Conquer with dignity. Handle with care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/soar-with-wit-conquer-with-dignity-handle-with-care/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) ## More by Jostein Gaarder > [“I no longer feel the need to see and sense more than I've already experienced. I just want so desperately to hang on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/i-no-longer-feel-the-need-to-see-and-sense-more-than-i-ve-already/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [The most subversive people are those who ask questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-most-subversive-people-are-those-who-ask-questions/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [The sophists were as a rule men who had traveled widely and seen different forms of government. Both conventions and local laws in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-sophists-were-as-a-rule-men-who-had-traveled-widely-and-seen/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [Where did the world come from? The question has an answer, even though I cannot get to it. It is a good question. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/where-did-the-world-come-from-the-question-has-an-answer-even-though/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“As soon as she concentrated on being alive now, the thought of dying also came into her mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/as-soon-as-she-concentrated-on-being-alive-now-the-thought-of-dying/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Po haljini sam mogao da vidim kako njeno telo diše, jer se haljina dizala i spuštala, dizala i spuštala, skoro kao da morski talasi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/po-haljini-sam-mogao-da-vidim-kako-njeno-telo-di-e-jer-se-haljina/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [Since the Renaissance, people have had to get used to living their life on a random planet in the vast galaxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/since-the-renaissance-people-have-had-to-get-used-to-living-their/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“without imagination, nothing really new will ever be created.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/without-imagination-nothing-really-new-will-ever-be-created/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“The German poet Goethe once said that "he who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth." I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-german-poet-goethe-once-said-that-he-who-cannot-draw-on-three/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Sophie left the den and wandered about in the large garden. She tried to forget what she had learned at school, especially in science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/sophie-left-the-den-and-wandered-about-in-the-large-garden-she-tried/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [...long before the child learns to talk properly-and long before it learns to think philosophically-the world will have become a habit. 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The question is whether we have a future together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/we-can-t-own-each-other-s-past-the-question-is-whether-we-have-a/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Uno no muere en medio del quinto acto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/uno-no-muere-en-medio-del-quinto-acto/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Wer das Schicksal durchschauen will, muss es überleben.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/wer-das-schicksal-durchschauen-will-muss-es-berleben/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) [Explore all 305 Jostein Gaarder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) ## More Handle with care quotes > [A girl is whole by all means.. not a toy by any means...underneath her hair and make-up there is sign that says: handle with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-hathway/a-girl-is-whole-by-all-means-not-a-toy-by-any-means-underneath-her/) [Rose Hathway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-hathway/) > [“Handle with care. Probably has Views. Do not attempt to kiss hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/handle-with-care-probably-has-views-do-not-attempt-to-kiss-hand/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Please handle with care.its brittle and fragile...ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrthrill/please-handle-with-care-its-brittle-and-fragile-ma/) Mrthrill > [This bright, new day... Complete with 24 hours of opportunities, choices, and attitude. A perfectly matched set of 1440 minutes. This unique gift, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/this-bright-new-day-complete-with-24-hours-of-opportunities-choices/) Pacifiersucker > [“Sometimes, he gets on my nerves; At other times, I burn the ladder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanhita-baruah/sometimes-he-gets-on-my-nerves-at-other-times-i-burn-the-ladder/) [Sanhita Baruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanhita-baruah/) > [Sometimes I wish I could walk around with a HANDLE WITH CARE sign stuck to my forehead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/sometimes-i-wish-i-could-walk-around-with-a-handle-with-care-sign/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [Soar with wit. Conquer with dignity. Handle with care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/soar-with-wit-conquer-with-dignity-handle-with-care/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Happiness is a work of art. Handle with care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/happiness-is-a-work-of-art-handle-with-care/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [Words and heart should be handle with care,for words when spoken and hearts when broken are the hardest thing to repair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix-mae/words-and-heart-should-be-handle-with-care-for-words-when-spoken-and/) [Nix Mae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix-mae/) > [Dear Future Wife, I give you my heart, mind, body and soul. Please handle with care...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-future-wife-i-give-you-my-heart-mind-body-and-soul-please-handle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My <3 belongs to you. Please handle with care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-copeland/my-3-belongs-to-you-please-handle-with-care/) [Rachel Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-copeland/) > [Teen age is the gift of God; handle with care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teen-age-is-the-gift-of-god-handle-with-care/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It was Leslie who had taken him from the cow pasture into Terabithia and turned him into a king. He had thought that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/it-was-leslie-who-had-taken-him-from-the-cow-pasture-into-terabithia/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [You don't have to say I love you to say I love you," you said with a shrug. "All you have to do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/you-don-t-have-to-say-i-love-you-to-say-i-love-you-you-said-with-a/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I think many of my books, including 'Handle with Care,' including 'My Sister's Keeper,' circle back to how far are we willing to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-think-many-of-my-books-including-handle-with-care-including-my/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) [Browse all 26 Handle with care quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handle-with-care/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As she closed the gate behind her she noticed her own name on one of the big envelopes. Turning it over, she saw written on the back: Course in Philosophy. 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