--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In fact, the only things in the flat…" description: "\"“In fact, the only things in the flat Crowley devoted any personal attention to were the houseplants. They were huge, and green, and glorious, with shi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/neil-gaiman-29_fear-of-god_in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crow_140636.jpg" --- # In fact, the only things in the flat Crowley devoted any… ![“In fact, the only things in the flat Crowley devoted any personal attention to were the houseplants. They were huge, and green, and glorious, with shiny, healthy, lustrous leaves. This was because, once a week, Crowley went around the flat with a green plastic plant mister spraying the leaves, and…” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/neil-gaiman-29_fear-of-god_in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crow_140636.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/neil-gaiman-29_fear-of-god_in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crow_140636.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/neil-gaiman-29_fear-of-god_in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crow_140636.jpg) > ““In fact, the only things in the flat Crowley devoted any personal attention to were the houseplants. They were huge, and green, and glorious, with shiny, healthy, lustrous leaves. This was because, once a week, Crowley went around the flat with a green plastic plant mister spraying the leaves, and talking to the plants… Although talking is perhaps the wrong word for what Crowley did. What he did was put the fear of God into them. More precisely, the fear of Crowley. In addition to which, every couple of months Crowley would pick out a plant that was growing too slowly, or succumbing to leaf-wilt, or browning, or just didn't look quite as good as the others, and he would carry it around to all the plants. "Say goodbye to your friend," he'd say to them. "He just couldn't cut it..." Then he would leave the flat with the offending plant, and return an hour or so later with a large empty flower pot, which he would leave somewhere conspicuously around the flat. The plants were the most luxurious, verdant, and beautiful in London. Also the most terrified.”” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Crowley obsessively cares for his plants, imposing fear and control, reflecting his own tyrannical nature. **In simple terms:** Crowley’s plant care shows his need for power. Key Takeaway Recognize how control can mask insecurity. Themes control fear obsession power dynamics Mood cautionary analytical Type psychological thought‑provoking When to use this quote - office management - parenting - team leadership - gardening hobbies Key Concepts authoritarianism psychology symbolism Questions to Reflect On - How does fear motivate control? - When does care become domination? A Different Perspective May oversimplify character motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crowley Devoted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crowley-devoted-1590428/) [Crowley Went](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crowley-went-1590426/) [Fear Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-crowley-1590429/) [Fear of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-god/) [Flat Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flat-crowley-1590425/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Word Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-crowley-1590427/) ## Related quotes > [“He had heard about talking to plants in the early seventies, on Radio Four, and thought it was an excellent idea. Although talking is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/he-had-heard-about-talking-to-plants-in-the-early-seventies-on-radio/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [We are a culture that relies on technology over community, a society in which spoken and written words are cheap, easy to come by,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/we-are-a-culture-that-relies-on-technology-over-community-a-society/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [There is the fear that we shan't prove worthy in the eyes of someone who knows us at least as well as we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/there-is-the-fear-that-we-shan-t-prove-worthy-in-the-eyes-of-someone/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [“What the apostle Paul is saying here is that the evidence the Holy Spirit dwelling in a person is the fact that he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-mendez-ferrell/what-the-apostle-paul-is-saying-here-is-that-the-evidence-the-holy/) [Ana Mendez Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-mendez-ferrell/) > [Those poor farmers who came up, that day, to defend their native soil, acted from the simplest of instincts. Theydid not know it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/those-poor-farmers-who-came-up-that-day-to-defend-their-native-soil/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Kipimo cha hofu ya Mungu ni kumjua!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/kipimo-cha-hofu-ya-mungu-ni-kumjua/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [Religion is the fear of God, and its demonstration good works; and faith is the root of both: For without faith we cannot please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/religion-is-the-fear-of-god-and-its-demonstration-good-works-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [“There is a passion and drive for cruel deeds which only the awe and fear of God can soothe; there is a suffocating selfishness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/there-is-a-passion-and-drive-for-cruel-deeds-which-only-the-awe-and/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [If we work on marble it will perish. If we work on brass, time will efface it. If we raise temples, they will crumble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/if-we-work-on-marble-it-will-perish-if-we-work-on-brass-time-will/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [“Once you let them establish their ideology in you, they will drive you crazy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/once-you-let-them-establish-their-ideology-in-you-they-will-drive-you/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [In order to the attaining of all useful knowledge this is most necessary, that we fear God; we are not qualified to profit by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/in-order-to-the-attaining-of-all-useful-knowledge-this-is-most/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [The works of the righteous would be mortal sins if they would not be feared as mortal sins by the righteous themselves out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-works-of-the-righteous-would-be-mortal-sins-if-they-would-not-be/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [People don't do right because of the fear of God or love of him. You do right because the world doesn't make sense if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/people-don-t-do-right-because-of-the-fear-of-god-or-love-of-him-you/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) ## More by Neil Gaiman > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Like all sentient beings, Fat Charlie had a weirdness quotient. For some days the needle had been over in the red, occasionally banging jerkily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/like-all-sentient-beings-fat-charlie-had-a-weirdness-quotient-for/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Shadow crawled across the floor to the yellow foam-rubber pad and climbed onto it, pulling the thin blanket over himself, and closed his eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/shadow-crawled-across-the-floor-to-the-yellow-foam-rubber-pad-and/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [ “\[T\]hey could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/t-hey-could-not-help-being-amused-every-time-another-little-human/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [So many things to see, people to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/so-many-things-to-see-people-to-do/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You need more than a beginning if you're going to start a book. If all you have is a beginning, then once you've written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-need-more-than-a-beginning-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-book-if-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You can tell the date of an old science fiction novel by every word on the page. Nothing dates harder and faster and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-can-tell-the-date-of-an-old-science-fiction-novel-by-every-word/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The quickest way is sometimes the longest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-quickest-way-is-sometimes-the-longest/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“They were spells, spelled with words to make worlds, waiting for me, in the pages of books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/they-were-spells-spelled-with-words-to-make-worlds-waiting-for-me-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Finish what you're writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/finish-what-you-re-writing-whatever-you-have-to-do-to-finish-it/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [What do stars do? They shine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-do-stars-do-they-shine/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“What," asked Mr Croup, "do you want?" "What," asked the Marquis de Carabas, a little more rhetorically, "does anyone want?" "Dead things," suggested Mr…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/what-asked-mr-croup-do-you-want-what-asked-the-marquis-de-carabas-a/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You get on with your own life. Lettie gave it to you. You just have to grow up and try and be worth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-get-on-with-your-own-life-lettie-gave-it-to-you-you-just-have-to/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/) [neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) [Explore all 2,526 Neil Gaiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More Fear of god quotes > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [People don't do right because of the fear of God or love of him. You do right because the world doesn't make sense if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/people-don-t-do-right-because-of-the-fear-of-god-or-love-of-him-you/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [The works of the righteous would be mortal sins if they would not be feared as mortal sins by the righteous themselves out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-works-of-the-righteous-would-be-mortal-sins-if-they-would-not-be/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [In order to the attaining of all useful knowledge this is most necessary, that we fear God; we are not qualified to profit by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/in-order-to-the-attaining-of-all-useful-knowledge-this-is-most/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [“Once you let them establish their ideology in you, they will drive you crazy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/once-you-let-them-establish-their-ideology-in-you-they-will-drive-you/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [If we work on marble it will perish. If we work on brass, time will efface it. If we raise temples, they will crumble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/if-we-work-on-marble-it-will-perish-if-we-work-on-brass-time-will/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“There is a passion and drive for cruel deeds which only the awe and fear of God can soothe; there is a suffocating selfishness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/there-is-a-passion-and-drive-for-cruel-deeds-which-only-the-awe-and/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [Religion is the fear of God, and its demonstration good works; and faith is the root of both: For without faith we cannot please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/religion-is-the-fear-of-god-and-its-demonstration-good-works-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [“Kipimo cha hofu ya Mungu ni kumjua!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/kipimo-cha-hofu-ya-mungu-ni-kumjua/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [Those poor farmers who came up, that day, to defend their native soil, acted from the simplest of instincts. Theydid not know it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/those-poor-farmers-who-came-up-that-day-to-defend-their-native-soil/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“What the apostle Paul is saying here is that the evidence the Holy Spirit dwelling in a person is the fact that he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-mendez-ferrell/what-the-apostle-paul-is-saying-here-is-that-the-evidence-the-holy/) [Ana Mendez Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-mendez-ferrell/) > [There is the fear that we shan't prove worthy in the eyes of someone who knows us at least as well as we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/there-is-the-fear-that-we-shan-t-prove-worthy-in-the-eyes-of-someone/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [We are a culture that relies on technology over community, a society in which spoken and written words are cheap, easy to come by,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/we-are-a-culture-that-relies-on-technology-over-community-a-society/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [The fear of God makes a hero; the fear of man makes a coward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-c-york/the-fear-of-god-makes-a-hero-the-fear-of-man-makes-a-coward/) [Alvin C. York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-c-york/) [Browse all 259 Fear of god quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In fact, the only things in the flat Crowley devoted any personal attention to were the houseplants. They were huge, and green, and glorious, with shiny, healthy, lustrous leaves. This was because, once a week, Crowley went around the flat with a green plastic plant mister spraying the leaves, and talking to the plants… Although talking is perhaps the wrong word for what Crowley did. What he did was put the fear of God into them. More precisely, the fear of Crowley. In addition to which, every couple of months Crowley would pick out a plant that was growing too slowly, or succumbing to leaf-wilt, or browning, or just didn't look quite as good as the others, and he would carry it around to all the plants. \"Say goodbye to your friend,\" he'd say to them. \"He just couldn't cut it...\" Then he would leave the flat with the offending plant, and return an hour or so later with a large empty flower pot, which he would leave somewhere conspicuously around the flat. The plants were the most luxurious, verdant, and beautiful in London. Also the most terrified.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Gaiman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crowley-devoted-any-personal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fear of god" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crowley-devoted-any-personal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/neil-gaiman-29_fear-of-god_in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crow_140636.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/neil-gaiman-29_fear-of-god_in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crow_140636.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/neil-gaiman-29_fear-of-god_in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crow_140636.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In fact, the only things in the flat Crowley devoted any personal attention to were the houseplants. They…” — Neil Gaiman", "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": "Neil Gaiman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In fact, the only things in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crowley-devoted-any-personal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/in-fact-the-only-things-in-the-flat-crowley-devoted-any-personal/#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 } } ] } ```