--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once well underground, you know exactly…" description: "\"“Once well underground, you know exactly where you are. Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. You're entirely your own master and you ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/kenneth-grahame-3489_avoidance_once-well-underground-you-know-exactly-w_1211217.jpg" --- # Once well underground, you know exactly where you are… ![“Once well underground, you know exactly where you are. Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. You're entirely your own master and you don't have to consult anybody or mind what they say. Things go on all the same overhead, and you let 'em, and don't bother about 'em. When you want…” quote by Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/kenneth-grahame-3489_avoidance_once-well-underground-you-know-exactly-w_1211217.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/kenneth-grahame-3489_avoidance_once-well-underground-you-know-exactly-w_1211217.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef6/kenneth-grahame-3489_avoidance_once-well-underground-you-know-exactly-w_1211217.jpg) > ““Once well underground, you know exactly where you are. Nothing can happen to you, and nothing can get at you. You're entirely your own master and you don't have to consult anybody or mind what they say. Things go on all the same overhead, and you let 'em, and don't bother about 'em. When you want to, up you go, and there the things are, waiting for you.”” [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being alone can bring total control over one’s thoughts and actions, shielding from external influence. **In simple terms:** Solitude gives personal mastery. Key Takeaway Embrace solitude to gain self‑control. Themes autonomy solitude self‑mastery Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - meditation - creative work - decision making - stress relief Key Concepts existentialism personal freedom Questions to Reflect On - How does solitude affect your growth? - When is it better to seek counsel? A Different Perspective Isolation can lead to disconnection from reality and missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Introvert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/introvert/) [Underground](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underground/) ## Related quotes > [“I could be buried a hundred miles underground and I would know where you are.” He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-could-be-buried-a-hundred-miles-underground-and-i-would-know-where/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Thank God! I’m getting tired of working underground. I feel like damn mole.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-medina/thank-god-i-m-getting-tired-of-working-underground-i-feel-like-damn/) [Jason Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-medina/) > [The naked mole is, like, the ugliest freakin' creature in the world. It is so radically, unbelievably disgusting. And the star-nosed mole is also.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ze-frank/the-naked-mole-is-like-the-ugliest-freakin-creature-in-the-world-it/) [Ze Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ze-frank/) > [Imagine it. Use all your strength and imagine it exactly. And it will happen that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-fletcher/imagine-it-use-all-your-strength-and-imagine-it-exactly-and-it-will/) [Susan Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-fletcher/) > [“I knew exactly what was about to happen. It was part of this pathetic cycle my dad was caught in. He'd get really passionate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-knew-exactly-what-was-about-to-happen-it-was-part-of-this-pathetic/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [Someday you will look back and know exactly why it had to happen. keep calm and stop bullying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someday-you-will-look-back-and-know-exactly-why-it-had-to-happen-keep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you believe that that the one opportunity you missed is the last one you’ll ever get, then that is exactly what will happen:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/if-you-believe-that-that-the-one-opportunity-you-missed-is-the-last/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [“This day was only the first of man similar ones for the emancipated Mole, each of them longer and fuller of interest as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/this-day-was-only-the-first-of-man-similar-ones-for-the-emancipated/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [The Mole had long wanted to make the I acquaintance of the Badger. He seemed, by all accounts, to be such an important personage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/the-mole-had-long-wanted-to-make-the-i-acquaintance-of-the-badger-he/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [A person may be totally unimaginative and have the social vision of a mole, and we still call him a decent man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-halsey/a-person-may-be-totally-unimaginative-and-have-the-social-vision-of-a/) [Margaret Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-halsey/) > [“He told himself, too, that it was good to sleep in a bed you know well after a long day rife with emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-plessix/he-told-himself-too-that-it-was-good-to-sleep-in-a-bed-you-know-well/) Michel Plessix > [“O teu tecido mole me ruboriza e a estrutura óssea subjacente? Excita.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-russo/o-teu-tecido-mole-me-ruboriza-e-a-estrutura-ssea-subjacente-excita/) [Filipe Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-russo/) > [“Her eyes are very bright. She loves senses, loves the world. He finds that…admirable, and a bit daunting. I am a mole. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-harkaway/her-eyes-are-very-bright-she-loves-senses-loves-the-world-he-finds/) [Nick Harkaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-harkaway/) > [I have a mole in my eye, which is a very specific thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-kelechi-watson/i-have-a-mole-in-my-eye-which-is-a-very-specific-thing/) [Susan Kelechi Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-kelechi-watson/) > [The creation of George Smiley, the retired spy recalled to hunt for just such a high-ranking mole in 'Tinker, Tailor,' was extremely personal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-creation-of-george-smiley-the-retired-spy-recalled-to-hunt-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) ## More by Kenneth Grahame > [Monkeys who very sensibly refrain from speech, lest they should be set to earn their livings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/monkeys-who-very-sensibly-refrain-from-speech-lest-they-should-be-set/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“What the Boy chiefly dabbled in was natural history and fairy tales, and he just took them as they came, in a sandwichy sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/what-the-boy-chiefly-dabbled-in-was-natural-history-and-fairy-tales/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“The dragon is a more enduring animal than the pterodactyl. I have never yet met anyone who really believed in a pterodactyl; but every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/the-dragon-is-a-more-enduring-animal-than-the-pterodactyl-i-have/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [The past was like a bad dream; the future was all happy holiday as I moved Southwards week by week, easily, lazily, lingering as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/the-past-was-like-a-bad-dream-the-future-was-all-happy-holiday-as-i/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“Independence is all very well, but we animals never allow our friends to make fools of themselves beyond a certain limit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/independence-is-all-very-well-but-we-animals-never-allow-our-friends/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“Supper was finished at last, and each animal felt that his skin was now as tight as was decently safe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/supper-was-finished-at-last-and-each-animal-felt-that-his-skin-was/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [The river , corrected the Rat, It's my world...What it hasn't got is not worth having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/the-river-corrected-the-rat-it-s-my-world-what-it-hasn-t-got-is-not/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“What is the meaning of this gross outrage?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/what-is-the-meaning-of-this-gross-outrage/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [Slowly, but with no doubt or hesitation whatever, and in something of a solemn expectancy, the two animals passed through the broken tumultuous water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/slowly-but-with-no-doubt-or-hesitation-whatever-and-in-something-of-a/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“In silence they landed, and pushed through the blossom and scented herbage and undergrowth that led up to the level ground, till they stood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/in-silence-they-landed-and-pushed-through-the-blossom-and-scented/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [It's not the sort of night for bed, anyhow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/it-s-not-the-sort-of-night-for-bed-anyhow/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [But Mole stood still a moment, held in thought. As one wakened suddenly from a beautiful dream, who struggles to recall it, but can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/but-mole-stood-still-a-moment-held-in-thought-as-one-wakened-suddenly/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“This day was only the first of man similar ones for the emancipated Mole, each of them longer and fuller of interest as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/this-day-was-only-the-first-of-man-similar-ones-for-the-emancipated/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“As he hurried along, eagerly anticipating the moment when he would be at home again among the things he knew and liked, the Mole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/as-he-hurried-along-eagerly-anticipating-the-moment-when-he-would-be/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [Animals arrived, liked the look of the place, took up their quarters, settled down, spread, and flourished. They didn't bother themselves about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/animals-arrived-liked-the-look-of-the-place-took-up-their-quarters/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) [Explore all 129 Kenneth Grahame quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) ## More Avoidance quotes > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting > [“Collect yourself: to smother what you feel, recall to order, summon in one place; making, like Orpheus, a system against loss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-padel/collect-yourself-to-smother-what-you-feel-recall-to-order-summon-in/) [Ruth Padel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-padel/) > [All work is the avoidance of harder work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-richardson/all-work-is-the-avoidance-of-harder-work/) [James Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-richardson/) > [“People spend entire lifetimes trying to avoid the things that have already happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-hartmann/people-spend-entire-lifetimes-trying-to-avoid-the-things-that-have/) [Silvia Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-hartmann/) > [America is not static. America is striving. And sometimes, America requires critique. Jingoism is an avoidance of realism. You can simultaneously love and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/america-is-not-static-america-is-striving-and-sometimes-america/) [Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/) > [I am not in favour of the takeover of excellent and strategically important British companies by struggling foreign firms whose actions are fuelled by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sainsbury-baron-sainsbury-of-turville/i-am-not-in-favour-of-the-takeover-of-excellent-and-strategically/) [David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sainsbury-baron-sainsbury-of-turville/) > [Most human behavior is nothing other than the avoidance of pain and the pursuit of pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/most-human-behavior-is-nothing-other-than-the-avoidance-of-pain-and/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [You can gain power by avoidance. You can gain power by doing certain things. You can gain much more power by meditating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-gain-power-by-avoidance-you-can-gain-power-by-doing-certain/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“If you love stress, practice avoidance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-rowe/if-you-love-stress-practice-avoidance/) Sharon Rowe > [I've been trying to avoid my problems, and I don't know what to do. I get high, but when I come down, my problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-nathaniel-butler/i-ve-been-trying-to-avoid-my-problems-and-i-don-t-know-what-to-do-i/) [Eugene Nathaniel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-nathaniel-butler/) > [All the textbooks talk about avoidance as a classic hallmark of anxiety disorder. So you need a therapist who is sympathetic and understanding but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stossel/all-the-textbooks-talk-about-avoidance-as-a-classic-hallmark-of/) [Scott Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stossel/) > [I read recently in an article by G.K. Chesterton, that sex without gestation and parturition is like blowing the trumpets and waving the flags…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dora-russell/i-read-recently-in-an-article-by-g-k-chesterton-that-sex-without/) [Dora Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dora-russell/) > [Be truthful... and pay attention. I would also recommend the avoidance of credit cards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/be-truthful-and-pay-attention-i-would-also-recommend-the-avoidance-of/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [“Most of us will do anything to avoid facing ourselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lolly-daskal/most-of-us-will-do-anything-to-avoid-facing-ourselves/) [Lolly Daskal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lolly-daskal/) > [The pleasant life is not produced by continual drinking and dancing, nor sexual intercourse, nor rare dishes of sea food and other delicacies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/the-pleasant-life-is-not-produced-by-continual-drinking-and-dancing/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) Browse all 290 Avoidance quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Once well underground, you know exactly where you are. 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