--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a thing such as wax, or gold, or…" description: "\"“When a thing such as wax, or gold, or silver, turns liquid from heat, we say that it has fused,” Eliza said to her son, “and when such liquids run tog..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/174/neal-stephenson-362_confusion_when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silv_2067256.jpg" --- # When a thing such as wax, or gold, or silver, turns liquid… ![“When a thing such as wax, or gold, or silver, turns liquid from heat, we say that it has fused,” Eliza said to her son, “and when such liquids run together and mix, we say they are con-fused.” “Papa says I am confused sometimes.” “As are we all,” said Eliza. “For confusion is a kind of bewitchment—” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/174/neal-stephenson-362_confusion_when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silv_2067256.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/174/neal-stephenson-362_confusion_when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silv_2067256.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/174/neal-stephenson-362_confusion_when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silv_2067256.jpg) > ““When a thing such as wax, or gold, or silver, turns liquid from heat, we say that it has fused,” Eliza said to her son, “and when such liquids run together and mix, we say they are con-fused.” “Papa says I am confused sometimes.” “As are we all,” said Eliza. “For confusion is a kind of bewitchment—”” [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. Wordplay shows how confusion can be both literal and metaphorical, linking chemistry and emotions. **In simple terms:** Confusion mixes like melted metals. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty as a learning chance. Themes language confusion family humor Mood playful thoughtful Type literary humorous When to use this quote - teaching - parenting - creative writing - problem solving Key Concepts literature semantics Questions to Reflect On - When does confusion become insight? - How can humor ease misunderstanding? A Different Perspective Humor may mask deeper anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion/) ## Related quotes > [She says.. I don't love you... Her eyes.. say I'm crazy about you.. .. She says.. I'm happy without you.. Her eyes say.. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bishalgadal89/she-says-i-don-t-love-you-her-eyes-say-i-m-crazy-about-you-she-says-i/) Bishalgadal89 > [I don't want to get things confused She said she'd never settle for some boy she couldn't use So now I gotta call the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-want-to-get-things-confused-she-said-she-d-never-settle-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He loves me or not? I am confused, he said he love sme allot but also said he can't marry with me? is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shireen-sukhan/he-loves-me-or-not-i-am-confused-he-said-he-love-sme-allot-but-also/) [Shireen Sukhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shireen-sukhan/) > [I'm lost I'm confused you said you'll never leave me but why did you leave me behind if you really love me you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa/i-m-lost-i-m-confused-you-said-you-ll-never-leave-me-but-why-did-you/) [Lisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa/) > [It finally happened. I got the GPS lady so confused, she said, "In one-quarter mile, make a legal stop and ask directions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/it-finally-happened-i-got-the-gps-lady-so-confused-she-said-in-one/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Everyone has a story, and the story changes, and the more I can root into the truth of things - it's so hard -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-downey-jr/everyone-has-a-story-and-the-story-changes-and-the-more-i-can-root/) [Robert Downey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-downey-jr/) > [“Fused relationships are extremely difficult to transform until (at least) one member is willing to differentiate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-leron-shults/fused-relationships-are-extremely-difficult-to-transform-until-at/) F. LeRon Shults > [I hate that expression, 'fusion.' What it means to me is this movement where nothing ever really fused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-kramer/i-hate-that-expression-fusion-what-it-means-to-me-is-this-movement/) [Wayne Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-kramer/) > [I have a plate on my neck. I had my neck fused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-grey/i-have-a-plate-on-my-neck-i-had-my-neck-fused/) [Jennifer Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-grey/) > [“People won't admit it, they're too busy grabbing to see that the lights have fused. They can't see the darkness and the spider-face beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/people-won-t-admit-it-they-re-too-busy-grabbing-to-see-that-the/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [The forge looked like a steam-powered locomotive had smashed into the Greek Parthenon and they had fused together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-forge-looked-like-a-steam-powered-locomotive-had-smashed-into-the/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I got a lot of stuff fused. Running is no longer in my repertoire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-pastrana/i-got-a-lot-of-stuff-fused-running-is-no-longer-in-my-repertoire/) [Travis Pastrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-pastrana/) > [I won't hesitate to detonate, I'm short fused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-won-t-hesitate-to-detonate-i-m-short-fused/) GZA > [“Something potent, something that fused them together, that made her beginning entwine with his end, passed between them. He'd marked her his. And she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-bielman/something-potent-something-that-fused-them-together-that-made-her/) [Robin Bielman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-bielman/) > [“Love makes us one. All of you in me, all of me in you. Everything you are is now fused with who I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-y-burgoa/love-makes-us-one-all-of-you-in-me-all-of-me-in-you-everything-you/) [Claudia Y. Burgoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-y-burgoa/) ## 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 Confusion quotes > [The fog of illusion, the fog of confusion is hanging all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/the-fog-of-illusion-the-fog-of-confusion-is-hanging-all-over-the-world/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/) [Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/) > [Being actors we are dealing with the beauty and complexity of human confusion, no? And we are always trying to get answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/being-actors-we-are-dealing-with-the-beauty-and-complexity-of-human/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [“Wait, seriously, what's a piss pot?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-shand/wait-seriously-what-s-a-piss-pot/) [Pat Shand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-shand/) > [I think there's confusion around what the point of social networks is. A lot of different companies characterized as social networks have different goals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/i-think-there-s-confusion-around-what-the-point-of-social-networks-is/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [In history as it comes to be written, there is usually some Spirit of the Age which historians can define, but the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/in-history-as-it-comes-to-be-written-there-is-usually-some-spirit-of/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [Establish an atmosphere that energizes you. Some creative people flourish in confusion; others need to be free from interruption. Many prepare themselves for work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-leland/establish-an-atmosphere-that-energizes-you-some-creative-people/) [Nita Leland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-leland/) > [Love is doing what will enthrall the beloved with the greatest and longest joy. What will enthrall the beloved this way is the glory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/love-is-doing-what-will-enthrall-the-beloved-with-the-greatest-and/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Psychedelic drugs cause paranoia, confusion, and total loss of reality in politicians that have never taken them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/psychedelic-drugs-cause-paranoia-confusion-and-total-loss-of-reality/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [That feeling you get when you know you are forgetting something, but you don't know what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-feeling-you-get-when-you-know-you-are-forgetting-something-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-are-we-doing-here-that-is-the-question-and-we-are-blessed-in/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [But, when it comes to global warming, the public- at-large really doesn't know whom to believe anymore. And NASA has contributed to that confusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cunningham/but-when-it-comes-to-global-warming-the-public-at-large-really-doesn/) [Walter Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cunningham/) > [You know your in LOVE,because,for once.. You know reality is better than your DREAMS..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-your-in-love-because-for-once-you-know-reality-is-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In these days of faith-cures, and hypnotism, and telepathy, and subliminalities – why, the simple old world grows very confusing. But rarely, very rarely novel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-de-la-mare/in-these-days-of-faith-cures-and-hypnotism-and-telepathy-and/) [Walter de la Mare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-de-la-mare/) > [“If you want nothing to do with god then why do you say his name all the time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-reimer/if-you-want-nothing-to-do-with-god-then-why-do-you-say-his-name-all/) Emily Reimer [Browse all 1,822 Confusion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When a thing such as wax, or gold, or silver, turns liquid from heat, we say that it has fused,” Eliza said to her son, “and when such liquids run together and mix, we say they are con-fused.” “Papa says I am confused sometimes.” “As are we all,” said Eliza. “For confusion is a kind of bewitchment—”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neal Stephenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silver-turns-liquid-from-heat-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confusion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silver-turns-liquid-from-heat-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/174/neal-stephenson-362_confusion_when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silv_2067256.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/174/neal-stephenson-362_confusion_when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silv_2067256.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/174/neal-stephenson-362_confusion_when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silv_2067256.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When a thing such as wax, or gold, or silver, turns liquid from heat, we say that it has fused,” Eliza said…” — Neal Stephenson", "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": "Neal Stephenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When a thing such as wax,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silver-turns-liquid-from-heat-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-a-thing-such-as-wax-or-gold-or-silver-turns-liquid-from-heat-we/#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 } } ] } ```