--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...In books there's always somebody…" description: "\"“...In books there's always somebody standing by ready to say hey, the world's in danger, evil's on the rise, but if you're really quick and take this ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/lev-grossman-747_advice_in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standin_2424752.png" --- # ...In books there's always somebody standing by ready to… ![“...In books there's always somebody standing by ready to say hey, the world's in danger, evil's on the rise, but if you're really quick and take this ring and put it in that volcano over there everything will be fine. "But in real life that guy never turns up. He's never there. He's busy handing…” quote by Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/lev-grossman-747_advice_in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standin_2424752.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/lev-grossman-747_advice_in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standin_2424752.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/lev-grossman-747_advice_in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standin_2424752.png) > ““...In books there's always somebody standing by ready to say hey, the world's in danger, evil's on the rise, but if you're really quick and take this ring and put it in that volcano over there everything will be fine. "But in real life that guy never turns up. He's never there. He's busy handing out advice in the next universe over. In our world no one ever knows what to do, and everyone's just as clueless and full of crap as everyone else, and you have to figure it all out by yourself. And even after you've figured it out and done it, you'll never know whether you were right or wrong. You'll never know if you put the ring in the right volcano, or if things might have gone better if you hadn't. There's no answers in the back of the book.”” [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life offers no clear instructions; we must navigate uncertainty and accept ambiguous outcomes. **In simple terms:** No guidebook for life; you must figure it out. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and trust your judgment. Themes uncertainty self‑reliance decision‑making existential growth Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career choices - personal projects - relationships - creative endeavors Key Concepts existentialism agency self‑determination Questions to Reflect On - What decisions feel most ambiguous now? - How do you cope with not knowing the right answer? A Different Perspective Some may seek external validation rather than internal confidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Clarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarity/) [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Right or wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-or-wrong/) [Ring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ring/) ## Related quotes > [In our world no one ever knows what to do, and everyone's just as clueless and full of crap as everyone else, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/in-our-world-no-one-ever-knows-what-to-do-and-everyone-s-just-as/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [No matter what you do, any country in the world is going to have the ability to set its own rules internally. Any country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/no-matter-what-you-do-any-country-in-the-world-is-going-to-have-the/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [“Today, the entire nation has been indoctrinated to go along with whatever the Supreme Court says, regardless of whether it is right or wrong;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/today-the-entire-nation-has-been-indoctrinated-to-go-along-with/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [Reputation is what others perceive you as being, and their opinion may be right or wrong. Character, however, is what you really are, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/reputation-is-what-others-perceive-you-as-being-and-their-opinion-may/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [“This life is a path more than just going to heaven or hell, it’s a way of testing ourselves everyday. I feel that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-v-songer/this-life-is-a-path-more-than-just-going-to-heaven-or-hell-it-s-a-way/) [Austin V. Songer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-v-songer/) > [When it comes to being happy, there's no right or wrong. It's just a battle between your happiness and their judgement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-it-comes-to-being-happy-there-s-no-right-or-wrong-it-s-just-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes couple have to argue not to prove what is right or wrong but to be reminded that there love is worth fighting for](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-nwakama/sometimes-couple-have-to-argue-not-to-prove-what-is-right-or-wrong/) [Anne Nwakama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-nwakama/) > [The Christian must recognize that there are no degrees in right or wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barnhouse/the-christian-must-recognize-that-there-are-no-degrees-in-right-or/) [Donald Barnhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barnhouse/) > [“We are built to desire free will and to choose our own destiny. It's not about being right or wrong; it's about the celebration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deiamor-verus/we-are-built-to-desire-free-will-and-to-choose-our-own-destiny-it-s/) DeiAmor Verus > [“No wonder the left seeks to avoid political debate at all costs. Why bother? Members of the left are not interested in having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/no-wonder-the-left-seeks-to-avoid-political-debate-at-all-costs-why/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [“And what does God ask of you?” “To fly without wings. To do what seems impossible. To cling to our loves through the rapids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-storace/and-what-does-god-ask-of-you-to-fly-without-wings-to-do-what-seems/) [Patricia Storace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-storace/) > [“surround yourself with people who allow you to be yourself, it does not mean be around others who do not have a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasha-hoggatt/surround-yourself-with-people-who-allow-you-to-be-yourself-it-does/) [Tasha Hoggatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasha-hoggatt/) > [“Life doesn't always give us a choice between right and wrong. Occasionally, we are forced to choose between two rights or two wrongs...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assegid-habtewold/life-doesn-t-always-give-us-a-choice-between-right-and-wrong/) [Assegid Habtewold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assegid-habtewold/) > [The major caveat in all of comedy is that it's all instinctive. There's no true criteria. There is no right or wrong. Ultimately, often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-charles/the-major-caveat-in-all-of-comedy-is-that-it-s-all-instinctive-there/) [Larry Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-charles/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) ## More by Lev Grossman > [“It was about damn time something happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/it-was-about-damn-time-something-happened/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/we-re-wired-to-expect-the-world-to-be-brighter-and-more-meaningful/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“He was going to sign the papers and he was going to be a motherfucking magician.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/he-was-going-to-sign-the-papers-and-he-was-going-to-be-a/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“Being brave was easy when you would rather die than give up. Fatigue meant nothing when you actually wanted to suffer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/being-brave-was-easy-when-you-would-rather-die-than-give-up-fatigue/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [As a writer I'm more drawn to villains who are just slightly mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/as-a-writer-i-m-more-drawn-to-villains-who-are-just-slightly-mad/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“He wasn't in a safe little story where wrongs were automatically righted; he was still in the real world, where bad bitter things happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/he-wasn-t-in-a-safe-little-story-where-wrongs-were-automatically/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [I love rare books. Not that I own a lot of them, mind you. You couldn't quite call me a rare-book collector. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-love-rare-books-not-that-i-own-a-lot-of-them-mind-you-you-couldn-t/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [By now he had learned enough to know that when he was getting annoyed at somebody else, it was usually because there was something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/by-now-he-had-learned-enough-to-know-that-when-he-was-getting-annoyed/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [About as close you can get to the perfect cerebral thriller: searingly smart, ridiculously funny, and fast as hell... I defy anybody to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/about-as-close-you-can-get-to-the-perfect-cerebral-thriller-searingly/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“It's true," Eliot said. "Statistically, historically, and however else you want to look at it, you are almost never right. A monkey making life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/it-s-true-eliot-said-statistically-historically-and-however-else-you/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“God, I hope we don’t have to use that,” was all he said out loud. “Oh, come on, Quentina. We’re not looking for trouble.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/god-i-hope-we-don-t-have-to-use-that-was-all-he-said-out-loud-oh-come/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [I mean, when you're tired of book reviews, you're tired of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-mean-when-you-re-tired-of-book-reviews-you-re-tired-of-life/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [My specialty as a collector is books that almost have value. When I love a book, I don't buy the first edition, because those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/my-specialty-as-a-collector-is-books-that-almost-have-value-when-i/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [I used to write in a local coffee shop, but there was another guy, another writer, who kept sitting in my favorite seat. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-used-to-write-in-a-local-coffee-shop-but-there-was-another-guy/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [I don't know if I've ever derived such an immediate sense of calm and well-being from any book as I did from 'Right Ho,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-ever-derived-such-an-immediate-sense-of-calm-and/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) [Explore all 379 Lev Grossman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) Mak\_786 > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) [Browse all 8,535 Advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...In books there's always somebody standing by ready to say hey, the world's in danger, evil's on the rise, but if you're really quick and take this ring and put it in that volcano over there everything will be fine. \"But in real life that guy never turns up. He's never there. He's busy handing out advice in the next universe over. In our world no one ever knows what to do, and everyone's just as clueless and full of crap as everyone else, and you have to figure it all out by yourself. And even after you've figured it out and done it, you'll never know whether you were right or wrong. You'll never know if you put the ring in the right volcano, or if things might have gone better if you hadn't. There's no answers in the back of the book.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lev Grossman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standing-by-ready-to-say-hey-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standing-by-ready-to-say-hey-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/lev-grossman-747_advice_in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standin_2424752.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/lev-grossman-747_advice_in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standin_2424752.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/lev-grossman-747_advice_in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standin_2424752.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...In books there's always somebody standing by ready to say hey, the world's in danger, evil's on the rise…” — Lev Grossman", "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": "Lev Grossman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...In books there's always somebody standing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standing-by-ready-to-say-hey-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/in-books-there-s-always-somebody-standing-by-ready-to-say-hey-the/#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 } } ] } ```