--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can go for days without thinking about…" description: "\"“I can go for days without thinking about it; at other times it feels like a defining moment. It means nothing. It means everything.”\" — Maggie O'Farrell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/maggie-o-farrell-9276_defining-moment_i-can-go-for-days-without-thinking-about_1196560.jpg" --- # I can go for days without thinking about it; at other… ![“I can go for days without thinking about it; at other times it feels like a defining moment. It means nothing. It means everything.” quote by Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/maggie-o-farrell-9276_defining-moment_i-can-go-for-days-without-thinking-about_1196560.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/maggie-o-farrell-9276_defining-moment_i-can-go-for-days-without-thinking-about_1196560.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/maggie-o-farrell-9276_defining-moment_i-can-go-for-days-without-thinking-about_1196560.jpg) > ““I can go for days without thinking about it; at other times it feels like a defining moment. It means nothing. It means everything.”” [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moments can feel both insignificant and monumental, showing that meaning is fluid and context‑dependent. **In simple terms:** Moments shift between nothing and everything. Key Takeaway Embrace the fluidity of meaning. Themes meaning subjectivity time Mood contemplative hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily decisions - life milestones - creative work Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you assign importance to events? - When does a small act become pivotal? A Different Perspective Not all moments carry equal weight; perception varies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defining moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining-moment/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“There are times when it feels real, when I fool myself into believe you are feeling what i am. 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Present-moment awareness allows solutions to emerge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/being-in-the-moment-means-not-being-distracted-by-the-melodrama-and/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/living-in-the-moment-means-letting-go-of-the-past-and-not-waiting-for/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Your entire life only happens in this moment. The present moment is life itself. 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Because you know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/she-wanted-to-say-no-she-wanted-to-say-i-have-a-son-there-is-a-child/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [Two and a half thousand left-handed people are killed every year using things made for right-handed people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/two-and-a-half-thousand-left-handed-people-are-killed-every-year/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [I don't believe in fate. I don't believe in cushioning your insecurities with a system of belief that tells you 'Don't worry. This may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/i-don-t-believe-in-fate-i-don-t-believe-in-cushioning-your/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [I met a retired police detective. And he said to me that the interesting thing about heatwaves, from a police perspective, is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/i-met-a-retired-police-detective-and-he-said-to-me-that-the/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [While I was writing the book, one of my children was diagnosed with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a very tiny word for a wide-ranging neurological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/while-i-was-writing-the-book-one-of-my-children-was-diagnosed-with/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [“Why is it that twenty-four hours in the company of your family is capable of reducing you to a teenager?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/why-is-it-that-twenty-four-hours-in-the-company-of-your-family-is/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [I think it's dangerous to have lots of time on your hands as a writer. 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That initial reading of the manuscript is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/my-husband-william-sutcliffe-the-writer-is-my-first-reader-and-in/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [She liked the way his smile took a long time to arrive and just as long to leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/she-liked-the-way-his-smile-took-a-long-time-to-arrive-and-just-as/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [“That's because they're of the past. All photos of the past look melancholy and wistful precisely because they capture something that's gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/that-s-because-they-re-of-the-past-all-photos-of-the-past-look/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [We always planned to move back to the Republic but it never happened, I'm not sure why. My dad is one of those immigrants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/we-always-planned-to-move-back-to-the-republic-but-it-never-happened/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [I was interested in the ripples of feminism passing through Britain and Ireland in the mid-Seventies - how the reverberations of the feminist political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/i-was-interested-in-the-ripples-of-feminism-passing-through-britain/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [Listen. The trees in this story are stirring, trembling, readjusting themselves. A breeze is coming in gusts off the sea, and it is almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/listen-the-trees-in-this-story-are-stirring-trembling-readjusting/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) > [In the first night of the Arvon Foundation course, Elspeth Barker said something about the newspaper along the lines of - and I'm paraphrasing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-o-farrell/in-the-first-night-of-the-arvon-foundation-course-elspeth-barker-said/) [Maggie O'Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) [Explore all 74 Maggie O'Farrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-o-farrell/) ## More Defining moment quotes > [“There are no defining moments. There are only your moments to define.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-dowd/there-are-no-defining-moments-there-are-only-your-moments-to-define/) Thomas B Dowd > [For me, that was a defining moment in my career, being at Chelsea, going through what has made me become a man in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-sturridge/for-me-that-was-a-defining-moment-in-my-career-being-at-chelsea-going/) [Daniel Sturridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-sturridge/) > [I think this is really a defining moment for the Arab world. The problem is, it is all going to be about blood, sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-this-is-really-a-defining-moment-for-the-arab-world-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My defining moment was when I finally went to Cannes and saw my name along with international filmmakers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikramaditya-motwane/my-defining-moment-was-when-i-finally-went-to-cannes-and-saw-my-name/) [Vikramaditya Motwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikramaditya-motwane/) > [Watching boxer Dingko Singh's performance at the Asian Games, Bangkok, where he won gold, was the defining moment. I was 15 and enjoyed sports…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kom/watching-boxer-dingko-singh-s-performance-at-the-asian-games-bangkok/) [Mary Kom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kom/) > [“And then, as slowly as the light fades on a calm winter evening, something went out of our relationship. I say that selfishly. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-torday/and-then-as-slowly-as-the-light-fades-on-a-calm-winter-evening/) [Paul Torday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-torday/) > [Hold'em - like life itself - has its defining moment. It's the flop. When you see the flop, you're looking at 71 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-krieger/hold-em-like-life-itself-has-its-defining-moment-it-s-the-flop-when/) Lou Krieger > [ Grads need to remember that it's \[showcases\] just a jumping off point for their career, not the defining moment. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hoffman/grads-need-to-remember-that-it-s-showcases-just-a-jumping-off-point/) [Rachel Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hoffman/) > [“These are defining moments, while the pain maybe great, the joy maybe greater.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/these-are-defining-moments-while-the-pain-maybe-great-the-joy-maybe/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our lives a series of defining moments, strung together by passing time. Surrender fully to this moment, because it is not the moment...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-lives-a-series-of-defining-moments-strung-together-by-passing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There must've been some part of me that wanted to make my mark. But there was never a defining moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-day-lewis/there-must-ve-been-some-part-of-me-that-wanted-to-make-my-mark-but/) [Daniel Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-day-lewis/) > [Failure should only serve as a learning point, not as a defining moment. If you are defined by your failures, than shame on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/failure-should-only-serve-as-a-learning-point-not-as-a-defining/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our lives will be full of defining moments, but those moments don't have to define us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-lives-will-be-full-of-defining-moments-but-those-moments-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Abraham is trying to obey God, but not to kill. I feel that moment is one of the defining moments of Jewish faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/abraham-is-trying-to-obey-god-but-not-to-kill-i-feel-that-moment-is/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Ultimately, I didn't look at 'The Biggest Loser' as being my defining moment. I wasn't there to compete and win the money. I wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rulon-gardner/ultimately-i-didn-t-look-at-the-biggest-loser-as-being-my-defining/) [Rulon Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rulon-gardner/) [Browse all 146 Defining moment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining-moment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I can go for days without thinking about it; at other times it feels like a defining moment. It means nothing. 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