--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Give me an adventure. I'm not talking…" description: "\"Give me an adventure. I'm not talking about some massive adventure. Just something that would make getting fired seem small. Something that I might rem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/neal-stephenson-362_adventure_give-me-an-adventure-i-m-not-talking-abo_862908.jpg" --- # Give me an adventure. I'm not talking about some massive… ![“Give me an adventure. I'm not talking about some massive adventure. Just something that would make getting fired seem small. Something that I might remember when I'm old." "I can't predict the future," I said, "but based on what little I know so far, I'm afraid it has to be a massive adventure or…” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/neal-stephenson-362_adventure_give-me-an-adventure-i-m-not-talking-abo_862908.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/neal-stephenson-362_adventure_give-me-an-adventure-i-m-not-talking-abo_862908.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94f/neal-stephenson-362_adventure_give-me-an-adventure-i-m-not-talking-abo_862908.jpg) > “Give me an adventure. I'm not talking about some massive adventure. Just something that would make getting fired seem small. Something that I might remember when I'm old." "I can't predict the future," I said, "but based on what little I know so far, I'm afraid it has to be a massive adventure or nothing." "Great!" "Probably the kind of adventure that ends in a mass burial.” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person seeks a daring, life‑changing adventure that makes ordinary setbacks feel minor, even if it risks great danger. **In simple terms:** They desire a bold quest that overshadows everyday worries. Key Takeaway Pursue bold experiences that redefine perspective. Themes adventure risk meaning legacy Mood excited reflective cautious Type philosophical motivational dramatic When to use this quote - career change - creative projects - extreme travel - personal challenges Key Concepts existential purpose risk tolerance life narrative Questions to Reflect On - What adventure would give your life meaning? - How do you weigh risk against potential growth? A Different Perspective The pursuit of extreme risk may lead to unnecessary harm or loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) [Getting fired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-fired/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Not talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-talking/) [Remember when](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-when/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“I can’t predict the future,” I said, “but based on what little I know so far, I’m afraid it has to be a massive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-can-t-predict-the-future-i-said-but-based-on-what-little-i-know-so/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Where adventure begins, boring life ends; where adventure ends, boring life begins!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/where-adventure-begins-boring-life-ends-where-adventure-ends-boring/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I have yet to find that one perfect phrase that epitomizes all the mysteries of the universe. Luckily, I doubt to ever pen it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-botta/i-have-yet-to-find-that-one-perfect-phrase-that-epitomizes-all-the/) [D.A. Botta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-botta/) > [“Give me an adventure." In the moment that followed, Cord realized that this sounded weird, and lost her nerve. She held up her hands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/give-me-an-adventure-in-the-moment-that-followed-cord-realized-that/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Photography is an adventure just as life is an adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-callahan/photography-is-an-adventure-just-as-life-is-an-adventure/) [Harry Callahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-callahan/) > [You can always expect tragedy as well as adventure; that's just how it goes,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-gatiss/you-can-always-expect-tragedy-as-well-as-adventure-that-s-just-how-it/) [Mark Gatiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-gatiss/) > [It isn't all over; everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-roddenberry/it-isn-t-all-over-everything-has-not-been-invented-the-human/) [Gene Roddenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-roddenberry/) > [Adventure is just a romantic name for trouble. It sounds swell when you write about it, but it's hell when you meet it face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/adventure-is-just-a-romantic-name-for-trouble-it-sounds-swell-when/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [“Life could be such an adventure if you could just manage to stay optimistic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jourdan/life-could-be-such-an-adventure-if-you-could-just-manage-to-stay/) [Carolyn Jourdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jourdan/) > [Adventure is just bad planning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-amundsen/adventure-is-just-bad-planning/) [Roald Amundsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-amundsen/) > [Nobody is ever met at the airport when beginning a new adventure. It's just not done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warnock-fernea/nobody-is-ever-met-at-the-airport-when-beginning-a-new-adventure-it-s/) Elizabeth Warnock Fernea > [What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-leigh-mallory/what-we-get-from-this-adventure-is-just-sheer-joy-and-joy-is-after/) [George Leigh Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-leigh-mallory/) > [Where was the middle ground between a sense of adventure and just plain sense?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/where-was-the-middle-ground-between-a-sense-of-adventure-and-just/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Adventure is just about doing something you’ve never done— doing it with enthusiasm and curiosity: doing something difficult with passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-humphreys/adventure-is-just-about-doing-something-you-ve-never-done-doing-it/) [Alastair Humphreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-humphreys/) > [“It's no accident that in a bureaucracy getting fired is called 'termination,' as in ontological erasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-s-no-accident-that-in-a-bureaucracy-getting-fired-is-called/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Adventure quotes > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-supertramp-chris-mccandless/so-many-people-live-within-unhappy-circumstances-and-yet-will-not/) Alexander Supertramp Chris McCandless > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [As an adventurer...I try to protect against the downside. I make sure I have covered as many eventualities as I can. In the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/as-an-adventurer-i-try-to-protect-against-the-downside-i-make-sure-i/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“Love can give you such happiness, then can break the very heart it filled, leaving a hole that can never be fixed or protected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mcleod/love-can-give-you-such-happiness-then-can-break-the-very-heart-it/) Kevin McLeod > [“It always gave Wolf a peculiar thrill thus to tighten his grip upon his stick, thus to wrap himself more closely in his faded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/it-always-gave-wolf-a-peculiar-thrill-thus-to-tighten-his-grip-upon/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [“It all had to be squeezed and squeezed again, to provide a thrill, to provide enjoyment. What did people mean, with their simply determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/it-all-had-to-be-squeezed-and-squeezed-again-to-provide-a-thrill-to/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [I am not an adventurous person but I am gutsy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-vaidya/i-am-not-an-adventurous-person-but-i-am-gutsy/) [Rahul Vaidya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-vaidya/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) [Browse all 7,690 Adventure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Give me an adventure. I'm not talking about some massive adventure. 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