---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be a sparrow, I told myself. Be silent…"
description: "\"“Be a sparrow, I told myself. Be silent and fly away. No one will bother you if you disappear.”\" — Laura Whitcomb"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/laura-whitcomb-15649_disappear_be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and_121420.png"
---

#  Be a sparrow, I told myself. Be silent and fly away. No…

![“Be a sparrow, I told myself. Be silent and fly away. No one will bother you if you disappear.” quote by Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/laura-whitcomb-15649_disappear_be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and_121420.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/laura-whitcomb-15649_disappear_be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and_121420.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/laura-whitcomb-15649_disappear_be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and_121420.png)

> ““Be a sparrow, I told myself. Be silent and fly away. No one will bother you if you disappear.””

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Adopting a sparrow’s quiet, unobtrusive presence can protect one from unwanted attention, suggesting that invisibility offers safety.

**In simple terms:** Silence can shield you.

Key Takeaway

Being unseen avoids conflict.

Themes

self‑preservation solitude strategy

Mood

calm protective

Type

advice metaphorical quote

When to use this quote

- online privacy settings to avoid harassment
- choosing a low‑profile role in a contentious workplace

Key Concepts

psychology of avoidance

Practical Applications

- practice mindful silence in volatile situations
- use low‑visibility tactics when safety is a priority

Questions to Reflect On

- When is it wiser to be seen rather than hidden?
- How does silence affect personal growth?

A Different Perspective

Complete withdrawal may lead to isolation and missed opportunities for positive influence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fly away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fly-away/)

## Related quotes

> [“Sometimes when we say "God is silent," what's really going on is that he hasn't told the story the way we wanted it told.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-e-miller/sometimes-when-we-say-god-is-silent-what-s-really-going-on-is-that-he/)

[Paul E. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-e-miller/)

> [Everything is funnier when you're told to be silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-grabil/everything-is-funnier-when-you-re-told-to-be-silent/)

[Katie Grabil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-grabil/)

> [What?" Jace was still staring at her as if she'd told him she'd found one of the Silent Brothers doing nude cartwheels in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/what-jace-was-still-staring-at-her-as-if-she-d-told-him-she-d-found/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [The sparrow flies south for the winter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/the-sparrow-flies-south-for-the-winter/)

[Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/)

> [I get a lot of mail from men who really identify with Stuart, you know, Sparrow's boyfriend. I love that. Even though I used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/i-get-a-lot-of-mail-from-men-who-really-identify-with-stuart-you-know/)

[Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/)

> [“She laughed. She thought it was a joke. It wasn’t. This is what should have happened. We shouldn’t have spent a minute away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/she-laughed-she-thought-it-was-a-joke-it-wasn-t-this-is-what-should/)

[L.J. Shen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-shen/)

> [Nature herself has not provided the most graceful end for her creatures. What becomes of all these birds that people the air and forest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/nature-herself-has-not-provided-the-most-graceful-end-for-her/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [A sparrow lay dead on the backseat. She had found her way through a hole in the windscreen, tempted by some seat-sponge for her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/a-sparrow-lay-dead-on-the-backseat-she-had-found-her-way-through-a/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“Sparrow was my lovebird, and I couldn’t clip her wings anymore. I have bent her with the weight of my actions and lies for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/sparrow-was-my-lovebird-and-i-couldn-t-clip-her-wings-anymore-i-have/)

[L.J. Shen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-shen/)

> [“The average sparrow is something of a bore and the trouble is that all sparrows are average.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cuppy/the-average-sparrow-is-something-of-a-bore-and-the-trouble-is-that/)

[Will Cuppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cuppy/)

> [Captain Jack Sparrow is like a cross between Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/captain-jack-sparrow-is-like-a-cross-between-keith-richards-and-pepe/)

[Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/)

> [There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/there-is-special-providence-in-the-fall-of-a-sparrow/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Pastor Veronica told the story of a sparrow lying in the street with its legs straight up in the air, straining. a warhorse walks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/pastor-veronica-told-the-story-of-a-sparrow-lying-in-the-street-with/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [I am only a sparrow amongst a great flock of sparrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evita-peron/i-am-only-a-sparrow-amongst-a-great-flock-of-sparrows/)

[Evita Peron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evita-peron/)

> [My sparrow, she flickers and wakes and sings and sings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ann-sandell/my-sparrow-she-flickers-and-wakes-and-sings-and-sings/)

[Lisa Ann Sandell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ann-sandell/)

## More by Laura Whitcomb

> [“A Letter from a Muse to Her Poet: Dear sir, I was called away and couldn’t bring you, but now I feel haunted. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/a-letter-from-a-muse-to-her-poet-dear-sir-i-was-called-away-and/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [To desperately hope," I whispered James let out a breath. "To gratefully believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/to-desperately-hope-i-whispered-james-let-out-a-breath-to-gratefully/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [“The fear of being noticed after a hundred years disappears as I look into a pair of autumn-colored eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/the-fear-of-being-noticed-after-a-hundred-years-disappears-as-i-look/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [The library smells like old books — a thousand leather doorways into other worlds. I hear silence, like the mind of God. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/the-library-smells-like-old-books-a-thousand-leather-doorways-into/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [That I am your heart's secret fills me with song. I wish I could sing of you here in my cage. You are my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/that-i-am-your-heart-s-secret-fills-me-with-song-i-wish-i-could-sing/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [“I would court you with a passion, if things were different.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/i-would-court-you-with-a-passion-if-things-were-different/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [“I would court you with a passion, if things were different. You’d never get me off your porch swing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/i-would-court-you-with-a-passion-if-things-were-different-you-d-never/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [“in the wings, as often mothers and grandmothers are, ready to catch the children should they need saving,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/in-the-wings-as-often-mothers-and-grandmothers-are-ready-to-catch-the/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [Boys and girls hid in the library stacks or behind the gym and flew at each other with no promise of love or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/boys-and-girls-hid-in-the-library-stacks-or-behind-the-gym-and-flew/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [“Dear sir: twelve hours is as twelve years to me. I imagine you in your home, smiling, thinking of me. That I am your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/dear-sir-twelve-hours-is-as-twelve-years-to-me-i-imagine-you-in-your/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [Books are boring," James said as he wrote. "They line the walls like a thousand leather doorways to be opened into worlds unknown," I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/books-are-boring-james-said-as-he-wrote-they-line-the-walls-like-a/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [“I knew that she was trying to save her little girl, but sometimes mothers with the best intentions kill their daughters all the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/i-knew-that-she-was-trying-to-save-her-little-girl-but-sometimes/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [“The library smells like old books-a thousand leather doorways into other worlds." "Dear sir, I was called away and couldn't bring you, but now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/the-library-smells-like-old-books-a-thousand-leather-doorways-into-2/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [“Time is a ribbon, a delicate organdy, so thin that you can see through it to the layer of time below and the layer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/time-is-a-ribbon-a-delicate-organdy-so-thin-that-you-can-see-through/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

> [Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you're dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/someone-was-looking-at-me-a-disturbing-sensation-if-you-re-dead/)

[Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

[Explore all 42 Laura Whitcomb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/)

## More Disappear quotes

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/)

[Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/)

> [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/)

[Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/)

> [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/)

[Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/)

> [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [Pain results from a judgment you have made about a thing. Remove the judgment and the pain disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/pain-results-from-a-judgment-you-have-made-about-a-thing-remove-the/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [“I am disappearing, maybe I'm already gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-niven/i-am-disappearing-maybe-i-m-already-gone/)

[Jennifer Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-niven/)

> [“Must a people disappear for us to know they exist? Mano Dayak”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mano-dayak/must-a-people-disappear-for-us-to-know-they-exist-mano-dayak/)

Mano Dayak

> [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/)

[Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/)

> [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/)

[John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/)

> [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't like magic - but I have been known to make guys disappear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-t/i-don-t-like-magic-but-i-have-been-known-to-make-guys-disappear/)

[Mr. T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-t/)

> [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [The pace of global warming is accelerating and the scale of the impact is devastating. The time for action is limited - we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/the-pace-of-global-warming-is-accelerating-and-the-scale-of-the/)

[Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/)

> [I definitely have a different perspective on music in general. But once I actually have a guitar in my hands, I think I disappear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-orcutt/i-definitely-have-a-different-perspective-on-music-in-general-but/)

[Bill Orcutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-orcutt/)

Browse all 2,209 Disappear quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Be a sparrow, I told myself. Be silent and fly away. No one will bother you if you disappear.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Laura Whitcomb"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and-fly-away-no-one-will-bother/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Disappear"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and-fly-away-no-one-will-bother/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/laura-whitcomb-15649_disappear_be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and_121420.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/laura-whitcomb-15649_disappear_be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and_121420.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/311/laura-whitcomb-15649_disappear_be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and_121420.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Be a sparrow, I told myself. Be silent and fly away. No one will bother you if you disappear.” — Laura Whitcomb",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Laura Whitcomb",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Be a sparrow, I told myself....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and-fly-away-no-one-will-bother/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/be-a-sparrow-i-told-myself-be-silent-and-fly-away-no-one-will-bother/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
