--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were quiet for a while, and then I…" description: "\"“We were quiet for a while, and then I said, \"I think my favorite part of Antarctica is just looking out.\" You know why?\" Dad asked. \"When your eyes ar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/maria-semple-2954_antarctica_we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-sai_539486.png" --- # We were quiet for a while, and then I said, "I think my… ![“We were quiet for a while, and then I said, "I think my favorite part of Antarctica is just looking out." You know why?" Dad asked. "When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods, your brain releases endorphins. It's the same as a runner's high.” quote by Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/maria-semple-2954_antarctica_we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-sai_539486.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/maria-semple-2954_antarctica_we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-sai_539486.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/maria-semple-2954_antarctica_we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-sai_539486.png) > ““We were quiet for a while, and then I said, "I think my favorite part of Antarctica is just looking out." You know why?" Dad asked. "When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods, your brain releases endorphins. It's the same as a runner's high.”” [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focused gazing releases endorphins, similar to a runner’s high, offering calm joy. **In simple terms:** Looking far away feels good. Key Takeaway Practice mindful horizon‑gazing for calm. Themes mindfulness nature brain chemistry joy Mood calm inspired Type advisory inspirational When to use this quote - walking - meditation - outdoor breaks - stress relief Key Concepts psychology well‑being Questions to Reflect On - How often do you pause to look outward? - What other simple practices boost endorphins? A Different Perspective Not everyone experiences the same effect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antarctica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antarctica/) [Endorphins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endorphins/) [Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horizon/) ## Related quotes > [When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods, your brain releases endorphins. It's the same as a runner's high. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/when-your-eyes-are-softly-focused-on-the-horizon-for-sustained/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods, your brain releases endorphins. It’s the same as a runner’s high. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/when-your-eyes-are-softly-focused-on-the-horizon-for-sustained-2/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“Between the Miles I have always counted the miles. Sometimes they came quick, Other times slow. The distance between things, The way I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-simon-gunn/between-the-miles-i-have-always-counted-the-miles-sometimes-they-came/) [Jacqueline Simon Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-simon-gunn/) > [And you get that little endorphin buzz, it's great. Why do you think Einstein looked like that? I don't think he was going 'You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/and-you-get-that-little-endorphin-buzz-it-s-great-why-do-you-think/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [Exercise is great for endorphins, and I come from a very outdoorsy upbringing, so that means a lot to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mciver/exercise-is-great-for-endorphins-and-i-come-from-a-very-outdoorsy/) [Rose McIver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mciver/) > [You get addicted to emotions. Our endorphins kick in and it's like a high. On the low end you might love roller coasters. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/you-get-addicted-to-emotions-our-endorphins-kick-in-and-it-s-like-a/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [When I'm having a really rough day, I take it out in the gym. It releases so many endorphins in your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-raquel-robinson/when-i-m-having-a-really-rough-day-i-take-it-out-in-the-gym-it/) [Wendy Raquel Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-raquel-robinson/) > [Working out gives me endorphins and makes me happy. I need it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-cohan/working-out-gives-me-endorphins-and-makes-me-happy-i-need-it/) [Lauren Cohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-cohan/) > [There are times when I feel lazy and just want to stay in bed all day, but I know that working out is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-locklear/there-are-times-when-i-feel-lazy-and-just-want-to-stay-in-bed-all-day/) [Heather Locklear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-locklear/) > [The health benefits, both mental and physical, of humor are well documented. A good laugh can diffuse tension, relieve stress, and release endorphins into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherie-carter-scott/the-health-benefits-both-mental-and-physical-of-humor-are-well/) [Cherie Carter-Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherie-carter-scott/) > [However, when given the chance, many people choose cocaine over love. I wouldn’t say that’s a bad choice. The endorphins released during infatuation are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wentz/however-when-given-the-chance-many-people-choose-cocaine-over-love-i/) [Pete Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wentz/) > [There is physical evidence of the body's response to doing good. Endorphins are released in the brain when you do something for someone else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-lauder/there-is-physical-evidence-of-the-body-s-response-to-doing-good/) [Evelyn Lauder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-lauder/) > [All exercise releases endorphins and makes you feel good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-statham/all-exercise-releases-endorphins-and-makes-you-feel-good/) [Jason Statham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-statham/) > [I was raised really, really healthy, pretty much vegetarian and a very clean lifestyle, I don't smoke, I don't drink. I'm more addicted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berkley/i-was-raised-really-really-healthy-pretty-much-vegetarian-and-a-very/) [Elizabeth Berkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berkley/) > [Road cycling, especially up mountains. It's the heady mixture of endorphins and aesthetics that I love. My wife does it too, and being with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kemp/road-cycling-especially-up-mountains-it-s-the-heady-mixture-of/) [Gary Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kemp/) ## More by Maria Semple > [“The drivers here are horrible. And by horrible, I mean they don't realize I have someplace to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/the-drivers-here-are-horrible-and-by-horrible-i-mean-they-don-t/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“Just because it's complicated, just because you think you can't ever know everything about another person, it doesn't mean you can't try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/just-because-it-s-complicated-just-because-you-think-you-can-t-ever/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [You come out into the world after a season of TV and you're just swearing and saying mean things to people and they're looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/you-come-out-into-the-world-after-a-season-of-tv-and-you-re-just/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“Here’s something about Mom: she’s bad with annoyances, but great in a crisis. If a waiter doesn’t refill her water after she’s asked three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/here-s-something-about-mom-she-s-bad-with-annoyances-but-great-in-a/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“Parking in Seattle is an eight-step process. Step one, find a place to park (gooood luuuuck!). Step two, back into the angled parking space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/parking-in-seattle-is-an-eight-step-process-step-one-find-a-place-to/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“Eleanor's heart giggled with mad abundance: so much to share, so much goodwill, so many notes to compare, so many ways to help and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/eleanor-s-heart-giggled-with-mad-abundance-so-much-to-share-so-much/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [After decades spent in rewrite rooms surrounded by other shouting writers, I discovered that I work best alone. I like being in charge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/after-decades-spent-in-rewrite-rooms-surrounded-by-other-shouting/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“Ten years ago I saw a documentary on the siege of that Moscow theater. After just forty-eight hours of the terrorists confining the hostages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/ten-years-ago-i-saw-a-documentary-on-the-siege-of-that-moscow-theater/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [When I'm sitting at my computer writing, I really have this fiendish smile on my face. I am not thinking about the past or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/when-i-m-sitting-at-my-computer-writing-i-really-have-this-fiendish/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“Every single iceberg filled me with feelings of sadness and wonder. Not thoughts of sadness and wonder, mind you, because thoughts require a thinker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/every-single-iceberg-filled-me-with-feelings-of-sadness-and-wonder/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“The sight of Elgie flat on the slimy dock, groaning "My wife, my wife", with a gun pointed at him, and me jumping up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/the-sight-of-elgie-flat-on-the-slimy-dock-groaning-my-wife-my-wife/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [Maggie Shipstead's prose is so graceful and muscular, so dazzling, so sure-handed and fearless, that at times I had to remind myself to breathe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/maggie-shipstead-s-prose-is-so-graceful-and-muscular-so-dazzling-so/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods, your brain releases endorphins. It's the same as a runner's high. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/when-your-eyes-are-softly-focused-on-the-horizon-for-sustained/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [My strength as a TV writer was my total lack of interest in television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/my-strength-as-a-tv-writer-was-my-total-lack-of-interest-in-television/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [Breezy, sophisticated, hilarious, rude and aching with sweetness: LOVE, NINA might be the most charming book I've ever read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/breezy-sophisticated-hilarious-rude-and-aching-with-sweetness-love/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) [Explore all 144 Maria Semple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) ## More Antarctica quotes > [If Antarctica were music it would be Mozart. Art, and it would be Michelangelo. Literature, and it would be Shakespeare. And yet it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-denton/if-antarctica-were-music-it-would-be-mozart-art-and-it-would-be/) [Andrew Denton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-denton/) > [At a time when it's possible for thirty people to stand on the top of Everest in one day, Antarctica still remains a remote,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/at-a-time-when-it-s-possible-for-thirty-people-to-stand-on-the-top-of/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [“A forbidding-looking place, certainly, but that only made it seem the more pitiful. It was the refuge of twenty-two men who, at that very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lansing/a-forbidding-looking-place-certainly-but-that-only-made-it-seem-the/) [Alfred Lansing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lansing/) > [“Then he opened the Bible Queen Alexandra had given them and ripped out the flyleaf and the page containing the Twenty-third Psalm. He also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lansing/then-he-opened-the-bible-queen-alexandra-had-given-them-and-ripped/) [Alfred Lansing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lansing/) > [Antarctica, one of the things that was so remarkable about it was that the ice itself is a kind of pure geometry, so say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-spooky/antarctica-one-of-the-things-that-was-so-remarkable-about-it-was-that/) [DJ Spooky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-spooky/) > [...Was it because a lot of the heat went into melting Arctic sea ice or parts of Greenland and Antarctica, and other glaciers? Was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-e-trenberth/was-it-because-a-lot-of-the-heat-went-into-melting-arctic-sea-ice-or/) Kevin E. Trenberth > [The fact that the Antarctica is beginning to look more like it's part of the story, as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schneider/the-fact-that-the-antarctica-is-beginning-to-look-more-like-it-s-part/) [Stephen Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schneider/) > [The literature of the emperor penguin is as forbidding, as inaccessible, as the frozen heart of Antarctica itself. Its beauties may be unearthly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-literature-of-the-emperor-penguin-is-as-forbidding-as/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance and courage of my companions which would have stirred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-falcon-scott/had-we-lived-i-should-have-had-a-tale-to-tell-of-the-hardihood/) [Robert Falcon Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-falcon-scott/) > [How many people are moving up toward the Antarctica, or the Arctic? Most people move down to Texas and Florida, where it's a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/how-many-people-are-moving-up-toward-the-antarctica-or-the-arctic/) [Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/) > [If he’d been any other man and i'd been any other girl, I’d have called the narrowing of his heavy-lidded dark eyes lust. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/if-he-d-been-any-other-man-and-i-d-been-any-other-girl-i-d-have/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Scientists say that Texas and Antarctica were connected at one time. In fact, early Mexicans used to go through Texas to try to sneak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/scientists-say-that-texas-and-antarctica-were-connected-at-one-time/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [More people should visit Antarctica, metaphorically speaking, on their own. That is one of the conclusions I have reached, one of my recommendations: explore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-rose/more-people-should-visit-antarctica-metaphorically-speaking-on-their/) [Phyllis Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-rose/) > [I'd love to go to Easter Island, Hawaii, Iceland and Antarctica.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/i-d-love-to-go-to-easter-island-hawaii-iceland-and-antarctica/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [Sea ice conditions have remained stable in Antarctica generally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-allison/sea-ice-conditions-have-remained-stable-in-antarctica-generally/) Ian Allison [Browse all 94 Antarctica quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antarctica/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We were quiet for a while, and then I said, \"I think my favorite part of Antarctica is just looking out.\" You know why?\" Dad asked. \"When your eyes are softly focused on the horizon for sustained periods, your brain releases endorphins. It's the same as a runner's high.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maria Semple" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-said-i-think-my-favorite-part-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Antarctica" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-said-i-think-my-favorite-part-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/maria-semple-2954_antarctica_we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-sai_539486.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/maria-semple-2954_antarctica_we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-sai_539486.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/maria-semple-2954_antarctica_we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-sai_539486.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We were quiet for a while, and then I said, \"I think my favorite part of Antarctica is just looking out.\"…” — Maria Semple", "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": "Maria Semple", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We were quiet for a while,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-said-i-think-my-favorite-part-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/we-were-quiet-for-a-while-and-then-i-said-i-think-my-favorite-part-of/#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 } } ] } ```