--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If emotion and fatigue lowered the…" description: "\"“If emotion and fatigue lowered the potency of thought, what raised it? I began to reconsider my moments of delight in terms of this statement of the p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/marion-milner-18189_philosophy-of-mind_if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-poten_608333.jpg" --- # If emotion and fatigue lowered the potency of thought… ![“If emotion and fatigue lowered the potency of thought, what raised it? I began to reconsider my moments of delight in terms of this statement of the problem, moments whose essential quality had been a fusing of experience, a flash of significance uniting the meaningless and separate. If one…” quote by Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/marion-milner-18189_philosophy-of-mind_if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-poten_608333.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/marion-milner-18189_philosophy-of-mind_if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-poten_608333.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/marion-milner-18189_philosophy-of-mind_if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-poten_608333.jpg) > ““If emotion and fatigue lowered the potency of thought, what raised it? I began to reconsider my moments of delight in terms of this statement of the problem, moments whose essential quality had been a fusing of experience, a flash of significance uniting the meaningless and separate. If one assumed that thinking was a process involving some form of energy, it seemed quite appropriate to imagine my gesture of holding back from mental action as causing an accumulation of energy which automatically raised the potency. By preventing energy from continually flowing away in a noisy stream of efforts and purposes I could make it fill up into a silent pool of clearness.”” [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Holding back mental effort builds a quiet, concentrated energy that sharpens insight, turning scattered thoughts into clear significance. **In simple terms:** Restraint creates mental clarity and power. Key Takeaway Practice focused pauses to boost thinking. Themes mindfulness creativity focus Mood contemplative analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - meditation - writing retreats - problem‑solving sessions - creative brainstorming Key Concepts cognitive energy mental accumulation Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance mental flow and stillness? - When does restraint hinder progress? A Different Perspective Too much restraint may lead to mental stagnation or missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [“(Think of rising higher. Let it be your only thought. Even if your object be not attained, the thought itself will have raised you.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-j-abdul-kalam-2/think-of-rising-higher-let-it-be-your-only-thought-even-if-your/) [A.P.J. Abdul Kalam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-j-abdul-kalam-2/) > [“By continual watching and expression I must learn to observe my thought and maintain a vigilance, not against “wrong” thoughts, but against refusal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/by-continual-watching-and-expression-i-must-learn-to-observe-my/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [The thought processes that go through my head when I'm playing a game compared to the thought processes in real life are very, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-romero/the-thought-processes-that-go-through-my-head-when-i-m-playing-a-game/) [John Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-romero/) > [Love is a feeling, not a thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-williams/love-is-a-feeling-not-a-thought/) [Christopher Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-williams/) > [Words are the small change of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/words-are-the-small-change-of-thought/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [“Perhaps, he thought, if I only think of this second, this moment, the train won't come at all. Think of the water, think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-styron/perhaps-he-thought-if-i-only-think-of-this-second-this-moment-the/) [William Styron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-styron/) > [Time and space are only forms of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-nesbit/time-and-space-are-only-forms-of-thought/) [E. Nesbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-nesbit/) > [To one who is accustomed to thinking a lot, every new thought that he hears or reads about immediately appears as a link in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/to-one-who-is-accustomed-to-thinking-a-lot-every-new-thought-that-he/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [A word is a thought, of course. But any image, including a photograph, may become an instrument of sufficiently lucid cogitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schjeldahl/a-word-is-a-thought-of-course-but-any-image-including-a-photograph/) [Peter Schjeldahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schjeldahl/) > [Shut your eyes and you will know what I mean by thought entombed in darkness. Light comes through the senses, and not only through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/shut-your-eyes-and-you-will-know-what-i-mean-by-thought-entombed-in/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [ The system \[of thought\] doesn't stay with the difficult problem that produces unpleasant feelings. It's conditioned somehow to move as fast as it can… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/the-system-of-thought-doesn-t-stay-with-the-difficult-problem-that/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Thought determines action. Do not let your whole life be a reaction to the things that happen around you each day. Let your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/thought-determines-action-do-not-let-your-whole-life-be-a-reaction-to/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [All that we are is the result of what we have thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-that-we-are-is-the-result-of-what-we-have-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgotten thought is the ultimate entropy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-lintern/forgotten-thought-is-the-ultimate-entropy/) Neil Lintern ## More by Marion Milner > [Sometimes I find that in my happy moments I could not believe that I had ever been miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/sometimes-i-find-that-in-my-happy-moments-i-could-not-believe-that-i/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“By continual watching and expression I must learn to observe my thought and maintain a vigilance, not against “wrong” thoughts, but against refusal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/by-continual-watching-and-expression-i-must-learn-to-observe-my/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [Happiness not only needs no justification, but it is also the only final test of whether what I am doing is right for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/happiness-not-only-needs-no-justification-but-it-is-also-the-only/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [Love is not getting, but giving. It is sacrifice. And sacrifice is glorious!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/love-is-not-getting-but-giving-it-is-sacrifice-and-sacrifice-is/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“Blind thinking… could make me pretend I was being true to myself when really I was only being true to an infantile fear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/blind-thinking-could-make-me-pretend-i-was-being-true-to-myself-when/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [until you have, once at least, faced everything you know - the whole universe - with utter giving in, and let all that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/until-you-have-once-at-least-faced-everything-you-know-the-whole/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [Perhaps if one really knew when one was happy one would know the things that were necessary in one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/perhaps-if-one-really-knew-when-one-was-happy-one-would-know-the/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“Let no one think it is an easy way because it is concerned with moments of happiness rather than with stern duty or high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/let-no-one-think-it-is-an-easy-way-because-it-is-concerned-with/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [It's weak and despicable to go on wanting things and not trying to get them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/it-s-weak-and-despicable-to-go-on-wanting-things-and-not-trying-to/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“I had just begun to ponder over the fact that all the things which I had found to be sources of happiness seemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/i-had-just-begun-to-ponder-over-the-fact-that-all-the-things-which-i/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“It struck me as odd that it had taken me so long to reach a feeling of sureness that there was something in me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/it-struck-me-as-odd-that-it-had-taken-me-so-long-to-reach-a-feeling/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“Here then was a deadlock. I wanted to get the most out of life, but the more I tried to grasp, the more I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/here-then-was-a-deadlock-i-wanted-to-get-the-most-out-of-life-but-the/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“I had been continually exhorted to define my purpose in life, but I was now beginning to doubt whether life might not be too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/i-had-been-continually-exhorted-to-define-my-purpose-in-life-but-i/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [I want to feel myself part of things, of the great drift and swirl: not cut off, missing things, like being sent to bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/i-want-to-feel-myself-part-of-things-of-the-great-drift-and-swirl-not/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“I did not know that I could only get the most out of life by giving myself up to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/i-did-not-know-that-i-could-only-get-the-most-out-of-life-by-giving/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) [Explore all 35 Marion Milner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) ## More Thought quotes > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [Life thought me how to laugh, how to cry, how to stick around, how to let go. I've seen things I wish to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usman-ismaheel/life-thought-me-how-to-laugh-how-to-cry-how-to-stick-around-how-to/) [Usman Ismaheel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usman-ismaheel/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [“Money is not every thing" but if u are saying this thought u should have enough money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajay-jaiswal/money-is-not-every-thing-but-if-u-are-saying-this-thought-u-should/) Ajay Jaiswal > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“Always wash you feet last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-wash-you-feet-last/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [Forgotten thought is the ultimate entropy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-lintern/forgotten-thought-is-the-ultimate-entropy/) Neil Lintern > [“What is all that men have done and thought over thousands of years, compared with one moment of love. But in all Nature, too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-h-lderlin/what-is-all-that-men-have-done-and-thought-over-thousands-of-years/) [Friedrich Hölderlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-h-lderlin/) > [It doesn't matter what your circumstances are at the present moment. Think positively, expect only favorable results and situations, and circumstances will change accordingly.Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/it-doesn-t-matter-what-your-circumstances-are-at-the-present-moment/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [I thought I had rheumatoid arthritis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-thought-i-had-rheumatoid-arthritis/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Imagine what you'd do if it absolutely didn't matter what people thought of you. Got it? Good. Never go back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/imagine-what-you-d-do-if-it-absolutely-didn-t-matter-what-people/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [No matter how serious life gets, You still gotta have that one person you can be completely stupid with..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/no-matter-how-serious-life-gets-you-still-gotta-have-that-one-person/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) [Browse all 11,729 Thought quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If emotion and fatigue lowered the potency of thought, what raised it? I began to reconsider my moments of delight in terms of this statement of the problem, moments whose essential quality had been a fusing of experience, a flash of significance uniting the meaningless and separate. If one assumed that thinking was a process involving some form of energy, it seemed quite appropriate to imagine my gesture of holding back from mental action as causing an accumulation of energy which automatically raised the potency. By preventing energy from continually flowing away in a noisy stream of efforts and purposes I could make it fill up into a silent pool of clearness.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marion Milner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-potency-of-thought-what-raised-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Thought" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-potency-of-thought-what-raised-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/marion-milner-18189_philosophy-of-mind_if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-poten_608333.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/marion-milner-18189_philosophy-of-mind_if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-poten_608333.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1dd/marion-milner-18189_philosophy-of-mind_if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-poten_608333.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If emotion and fatigue lowered the potency of thought, what raised it? I began to reconsider my moments of…” — Marion Milner", "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": "Marion Milner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If emotion and fatigue lowered the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-potency-of-thought-what-raised-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/if-emotion-and-fatigue-lowered-the-potency-of-thought-what-raised-it/#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 } } ] } ```