---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's perfectly simple,\" said Wednesday…"
description: "\"“It's perfectly simple,\" said Wednesday. \"In other countries, over the years, people recognized the places of power. Sometimes it would be a natural fo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/neil-gaiman-29_quote_it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in_1296067.jpg"
---

#  It's perfectly simple," said Wednesday. "In other…

![“It's perfectly simple,&quot; said Wednesday. &quot;In other countries, over the years, people recognized the places of power. Sometimes it would be a natural formation, sometimes it would just be a place that was, somehow, special. They knew that something important was happening there, that there was some…” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/neil-gaiman-29_quote_it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in_1296067.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/neil-gaiman-29_quote_it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in_1296067.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/neil-gaiman-29_quote_it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in_1296067.jpg)

> ““It's perfectly simple," said Wednesday. "In other countries, over the years, people recognized the places of power. Sometimes it would be a natural formation, sometimes it would just be a place that was, somehow, special. They knew that something important was happening there, that there was some focusing point, some channel, some window to the Immanent. And so they would build temples or cathedrals, or erect stone circles, or...well, you get the idea." "There are churches all across the States, though," said Shadow. "In every town. Sometimes on every block. And about as significant, in this context, as dentists' offices. No, in the USA, people still get the call, or some of them, and they feel themselves being called to from the transcendent void, and they respond to it by building a model out of beer bottles of somewhere they've never visited, or by erecting a gigantic bat house in some part of the country that bats have traditionally declined to visit. Roadside attractions: people feel themselves pulled to places where, in other parts of the world, they would recognize that part of themselves that is truly transcendent, and buy a hot dog, and walk around, feeling satisfied on a level they cannot truly describe, and profoundly dissatisfied on a level beneath that.””

[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.

The passage compares sacred sites worldwide to mundane modern places, suggesting people seek transcendent experiences even in trivial settings.

**In simple terms:** People look for meaning in both holy and everyday places.

Key Takeaway

Seek depth beyond surface appearances.

Themes

spirituality meaning place culture

Mood

curious thoughtful

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

- traveling to historic sites
- visiting quirky roadside attractions
- reflecting on personal meaning
- exploring cultural rituals

Key Concepts

transcendence symbolism modernity

Questions to Reflect On

- What draws us to certain locations?
- Can ordinary places become sacred?

A Different Perspective

Not all places hold genuine spiritual significance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“There are churches all across the States, though," said Shadow. "In every town. Sometimes on every block. And about as significant, in this context,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/there-are-churches-all-across-the-states-though-said-shadow-in-every/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“So what is this place?” asked Shadow, as they walked through the parking lot toward a low, unimpressive wooden building. “This is a roadside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/so-what-is-this-place-asked-shadow-as-they-walked-through-the-parking/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [We used to build temples, and museums are about as close as secular society dares to go in facing up to the idea that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-used-to-build-temples-and-museums-are-about-as-close-as-secular/)

[Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/)

> [If the world would only build temples to Machinery in the abstract then everything would be perfect. The painter and sculptor would have plenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyndham-lewis/if-the-world-would-only-build-temples-to-machinery-in-the-abstract/)

[Wyndham Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyndham-lewis/)

> [We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/we-build-our-temples-for-tomorrow-strong-as-we-know-how-and-we-stand/)

[Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/)

> [For we must not build temples according to the same rules to all gods alike, since the performance of the sacred rites varies with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/for-we-must-not-build-temples-according-to-the-same-rules-to-all-gods/)

[Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/)

> [We continue to build temples. We desire that as many members as possible have an opportunity to attend the temple without having to travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/we-continue-to-build-temples-we-desire-that-as-many-members-as/)

[Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/)

> [Religion is the frozen thought of man out of which they build temples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/religion-is-the-frozen-thought-of-man-out-of-which-they-build-temples/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [We must build more temples, and we must build them more quickly. This is the season to build temples. They are needed, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/we-must-build-more-temples-and-we-must-build-them-more-quickly-this/)

[Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/)

> [I should not like to contemplate an existence, especially one that is going to continue forever, if I could not enjoy that existence with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-b-brown/i-should-not-like-to-contemplate-an-existence-especially-one-that-is/)

[Hugh B. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-b-brown/)

> [“there would always be incompetent assholes in the world ... and many of them would be in places of power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-nuttall/there-would-always-be-incompetent-assholes-in-the-world-and-many-of/)

[Christopher Nuttall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-nuttall/)

> [There are places where there is more power. Just as there is more power in the chakras, there is more power in certain places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-where-there-is-more-power-just-as-there-is-more/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [There are many different places of power around the world. They're invisible openings to other worlds. We find a preponderance of these places in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-many-different-places-of-power-around-the-world-they-re/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [You get a very different type of education if you go out to the desert, to the places of power, places where it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-get-a-very-different-type-of-education-if-you-go-out-to-the/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [In my mind I needed a symbol of today's technology, and I realized that what I wanted to photograph was the Space Shuttle. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/in-my-mind-i-needed-a-symbol-of-today-s-technology-and-i-realized/)

[John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/)

## 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 People Feel quotes

> [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/)

[Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/)

> [I don't know how people feel,that's the beauty of TV, is they can see us, but we can't see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-know-how-people-feel-that-s-the-beauty-of-tv-is-they-can-see/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [“People feel sorry for your pain, and pain just is. It doesn’t only happen when you’re worthy of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-butler/people-feel-sorry-for-your-pain-and-pain-just-is-it-doesn-t-only/)

[Erin Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-butler/)

> [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/)

[Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/)

> [It's been my experience," he continued, "that when you're with the right people, you feel more like yourself than ever. There's a happiness, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-chandler/it-s-been-my-experience-he-continued-that-when-you-re-with-the-right/)

[Elizabeth Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-chandler/)

> [Well I think that what we're seeing now is that the people feel like they, the people in Congress don't have their consent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/well-i-think-that-what-we-re-seeing-now-is-that-the-people-feel-like/)

[Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/)

> [People who cannot feel punish those who do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/people-who-cannot-feel-punish-those-who-do/)

[May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/)

> [I wouldn't say it's a done deal yet, by any means. I think there are a lot of people who feel like their lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-wouldn-t-say-it-s-a-done-deal-yet-by-any-means-i-think-there-are-a/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [“Grief is lonely, no matter how many other people feel it. They are different, each one, because we’ve lost different people, different versions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-mcinerny-purmort/grief-is-lonely-no-matter-how-many-other-people-feel-it-they-are/)

[Nora McInerny Purmort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-mcinerny-purmort/)

> [When people feel like they are being spoken directly to, I do feel like... they'll do things like turn out in an off-year, mid-year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/when-people-feel-like-they-are-being-spoken-directly-to-i-do-feel/)

[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/)

> [I have an instinct to want to be part of a group of people. I feel safe there. That's why I was in school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-linney/i-have-an-instinct-to-want-to-be-part-of-a-group-of-people-i-feel/)

[Laura Linney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-linney/)

> [You're going to figure it out, as you go. I think that's how people feel about having children, as well. You're not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/you-re-going-to-figure-it-out-as-you-go-i-think-that-s-how-people/)

[Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/)

> [In my professional and personal life, when I meet people who feel broken after a divorce, they can usually be divided into two categories:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-v-gordon/in-my-professional-and-personal-life-when-i-meet-people-who-feel/)

[Emily V. Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-v-gordon/)

> [I want to express the feelings that everyone has felt at least once in music so i think people will feel/understand my song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-want-to-express-the-feelings-that-everyone-has-felt-at-least-once/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [Sometimes my faith becomes more sensitive to how people feel, as opposed to what needs to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-luke/sometimes-my-faith-becomes-more-sensitive-to-how-people-feel-as/)

[Derek Luke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-luke/)

Browse all 900 People Feel quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It's perfectly simple,\" said Wednesday. \"In other countries, over the years, people recognized the places of power. Sometimes it would be a natural formation, sometimes it would just be a place that was, somehow, special. They knew that something important was happening there, that there was some focusing point, some channel, some window to the Immanent. And so they would build temples or cathedrals, or erect stone circles, or...well, you get the idea.\" \"There are churches all across the States, though,\" said Shadow. \"In every town. Sometimes on every block. And about as significant, in this context, as dentists' offices. No, in the USA, people still get the call, or some of them, and they feel themselves being called to from the transcendent void, and they respond to it by building a model out of beer bottles of somewhere they've never visited, or by erecting a gigantic bat house in some part of the country that bats have traditionally declined to visit. Roadside attractions: people feel themselves pulled to places where, in other parts of the world, they would recognize that part of themselves that is truly transcendent, and buy a hot dog, and walk around, feeling satisfied on a level they cannot truly describe, and profoundly dissatisfied on a level beneath that.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil Gaiman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in-other-countries-over-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "People Feel"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in-other-countries-over-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/neil-gaiman-29_quote_it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in_1296067.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/neil-gaiman-29_quote_it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in_1296067.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/648/neil-gaiman-29_quote_it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in_1296067.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's perfectly simple,\" said Wednesday. \"In other countries, over the years, people recognized the places of…” — 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": "“It's perfectly simple,\" said Wednesday. \"In...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in-other-countries-over-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/it-s-perfectly-simple-said-wednesday-in-other-countries-over-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
