--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: His outflung hands traced over the…" description: "\"His outflung hands traced over the threads of his rug, passed loop by loop through some patient woman's hands. Or maybe she hadn't been patient. Maybe ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_angry_his-outflung-hands-traced-over-the-threa_1472543.jpg" --- # His outflung hands traced over the threads of his rug… ![“His outflung hands traced over the threads of his rug, passed loop by loop through some patient woman's hands. Or maybe she hadn't been patient. Maybe she'd been tired, or irritated, or distracted, or hungry, or angry. Maybe she had been dying. But her hands had kept moving, all the same.” quote by Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_angry_his-outflung-hands-traced-over-the-threa_1472543.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_angry_his-outflung-hands-traced-over-the-threa_1472543.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_angry_his-outflung-hands-traced-over-the-threa_1472543.jpg) > “His outflung hands traced over the threads of his rug, passed loop by loop through some patient woman's hands. Or maybe she hadn't been patient. Maybe she'd been tired, or irritated, or distracted, or hungry, or angry. Maybe she had been dying. But her hands had kept moving, all the same.” [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman's hands continue working despite fatigue, irritation, and even death, showing perseverance in the face of hardship. **In simple terms:** She keeps working despite exhaustion and hardship. Key Takeaway Persist despite obstacles. Themes perseverance work humanity resilience Mood reflective somber Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - caregiving - craftsmanship - personal hardship - creative process Key Concepts endurance daily struggle human dignity Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to keep going in dire circumstances? - When is perseverance harmful? A Different Perspective The narrative may romanticize suffering; not all hardships are noble. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) [Distracted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distracted/) [Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying/) [Hadn Patient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hadn-patient-5347367/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Hands Kept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-kept-5347368/) [Hands Traced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-traced-5347366/) [Hungry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hungry/) [Irritated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irritated/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Patient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patient/) [Patient Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patient-maybe-2314883/) [Patient Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patient-woman-5184526/) [Thread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thread/) [Tired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tired/) ## Related quotes > [“kicked out of nursery school that day. If my mother hadn’t been the most patient person in the world, I might never have gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/kicked-out-of-nursery-school-that-day-if-my-mother-hadn-t-been-the/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [If you really love that person, be patient maybe you are not meant to be together but meant to be in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katlyn/if-you-really-love-that-person-be-patient-maybe-you-are-not-meant-to/) [Katlyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katlyn/) > [Psychiatrist to patient: Maybe you don't have a complex. Maybe you are inferior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-stein/psychiatrist-to-patient-maybe-you-don-t-have-a-complex-maybe-you-are/) [Herbert Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-stein/) > [I think in business, you have to learn to be patient. Maybe I'm not very patient myself. But I think that I've learned the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-arnault/i-think-in-business-you-have-to-learn-to-be-patient-maybe-i-m-not/) [Bernard Arnault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-arnault/) > [“I’m quiet for a long moment, and Velva just sits with me, waiting. She’s good at that. Just being a companion, not pushing or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-pattillo/i-m-quiet-for-a-long-moment-and-velva-just-sits-with-me-waiting-she-s/) [Beth Pattillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-pattillo/) > [I may not be the most patient woman in the world, or the most glamorous, or the most athletic, but I'm right up there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/i-may-not-be-the-most-patient-woman-in-the-world-or-the-most/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A friend, who's a psychologist, told me about a patient once: a woman who was well educated, had a good job, a house and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-salecl/a-friend-who-s-a-psychologist-told-me-about-a-patient-once-a-woman/) [Renata Salecl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-salecl/) > [It's a good thing I'm a reasonably patient woman. Otherwise, I might have to kill you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lora-leigh/it-s-a-good-thing-i-m-a-reasonably-patient-woman-otherwise-i-might/) [Lora Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lora-leigh/) > [And the little prince broke into a lovely peal of laughter, which irritated me very much. I like my misfortunes to be taken seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/and-the-little-prince-broke-into-a-lovely-peal-of-laughter-which/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Lacking many of the essential implements, it irritated me to be reduced to impotence in the face of artistic projects to which I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gauguin/lacking-many-of-the-essential-implements-it-irritated-me-to-be/) [Paul Gauguin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gauguin/) > [When my skin is irritated, I'll use an aloe mask pack for its soothing effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoyeon-jung/when-my-skin-is-irritated-i-ll-use-an-aloe-mask-pack-for-its-soothing/) [HoYeon Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoyeon-jung/) > [I am a little discouraged and irritated at the welfare recipient families growing in size all the time. Those of us who work and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilmar-moore/i-am-a-little-discouraged-and-irritated-at-the-welfare-recipient/) [Hilmar Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilmar-moore/) > [Yes?' Joe Solomon sounded like someone with far better things to do. 'Is there any homework?' she asked, and the class turned instantly from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/yes-joe-solomon-sounded-like-someone-with-far-better-things-to-do-is/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [People who keep dogs are cowards who haven't got the guts to bite people themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/people-who-keep-dogs-are-cowards-who-haven-t-got-the-guts-to-bite/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [When my name started popping up I was quite irritated and a little bit in shock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/when-my-name-started-popping-up-i-was-quite-irritated-and-a-little/) [Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/) ## More by Lois McMaster Bujold > [What you are is a question only you can answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/what-you-are-is-a-question-only-you-can-answer/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Never do yourself, what you can con professionals into doing for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/never-do-yourself-what-you-can-con-professionals-into-doing-for-you/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“It reminded him of that definition of his father's. A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind. The mind was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/it-reminded-him-of-that-definition-of-his-father-s-a-weapon-is-a/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“I was imagining the most bizarre things befalling you.” “Did they include a six-hundred-pound ice bear and a pirate poet?” “No…” “Then they weren’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/i-was-imagining-the-most-bizarre-things-befalling-you-did-they/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [There is a sad disconnectedness that overcomes a library when its owner is gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/there-is-a-sad-disconnectedness-that-overcomes-a-library-when-its/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“No, amusing me only, I wonder if they realize how they are used?" "Not a bit. They think they are the emperors of creation."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/no-amusing-me-only-i-wonder-if-they-realize-how-they-are-used-not-a/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“You bastards are on the top of Imperial Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan's very own shit list now, you bet. But under what name? Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/you-bastards-are-on-the-top-of-imperial-lord-auditor-miles-vorkosigan/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Anyway, if the Cetagandans really wanted to assassinate you, they'd hardly do it here. They'd slip something subtle under your skin that wouldn't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/anyway-if-the-cetagandans-really-wanted-to-assassinate-you-they-d/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Endure pain, find joy, and make your own meaning, because the universe certainly isn't going to supply it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/endure-pain-find-joy-and-make-your-own-meaning-because-the-universe/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Your Reverence, I do not hate any man in this world enough to inflict the results of my prayers upon him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/your-reverence-i-do-not-hate-any-man-in-this-world-enough-to-inflict/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“I always thought my parents could fix anything. Now it's my turn. Dear God, how did this happen?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/i-always-thought-my-parents-could-fix-anything-now-it-s-my-turn-dear/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“I think it is not so much the growth of virtue, as simply the replacement of prior vices with an addiction to one’s god.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/i-think-it-is-not-so-much-the-growth-of-virtue-as-simply-the/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Mark’s ideas tended to the bland, and there was no point in asking Miles, whose embittered suggestions all ran to things like Vomit Vanilla…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/mark-s-ideas-tended-to-the-bland-and-there-was-no-point-in-asking/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is a duty of the living to do so for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/the-dead-cannot-cry-out-for-justice-it-is-a-duty-of-the-living-to-do/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Gardens were meant to be seen, smelled, walked through, grubbed in. A hundred objective measurements didn't sum the worth of a garden; only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/gardens-were-meant-to-be-seen-smelled-walked-through-grubbed-in-a/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) [Explore all 392 Lois McMaster Bujold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) ## More Angry quotes > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/) [Kirsten Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gilchrist/) > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [When you're frustrated with people, when they've made you angry, it just may be because you haven't given them enough time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/when-you-re-frustrated-with-people-when-they-ve-made-you-angry-it/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [When I was writing 'Black Panther,' on one level, I was angry because DC would never let me write 'Batman,' so I was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/when-i-was-writing-black-panther-on-one-level-i-was-angry-because-dc/) [Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/) > [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. 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So I leaned over and I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/in-the-1998-oscars-i-found-myself-in-the-bathroom-in-a-stall-next-to/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [Of course I get angry, but I want to use my brain a little bit and not just smash things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/of-course-i-get-angry-but-i-want-to-use-my-brain-a-little-bit-and-not/) [Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/) > [“Rather than being incensed by the nature of the bruise, maybe we should be inspired by the possibilities in the bruise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/rather-than-being-incensed-by-the-nature-of-the-bruise-maybe-we/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) [Browse all 3,857 Angry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "His outflung hands traced over the threads of his rug, passed loop by loop through some patient woman's hands. Or maybe she hadn't been patient. Maybe she'd been tired, or irritated, or distracted, or hungry, or angry. Maybe she had been dying. 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