--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words, he decided, were inadequate at…" description: "\"Words, he decided, were inadequate at best, impossible at worst. They meant too many things. Or they meant nothing at all.\" — Patricia A. McKillip" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_impossible_words-he-decided-were-inadequate-at-best_502619.png" --- # Words, he decided, were inadequate at best, impossible at… ![“Words, he decided, were inadequate at best, impossible at worst. They meant too many things. Or they meant nothing at all.” quote by Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_impossible_words-he-decided-were-inadequate-at-best_502619.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_impossible_words-he-decided-were-inadequate-at-best_502619.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/patricia-a-mckillip-5203_impossible_words-he-decided-were-inadequate-at-best_502619.png) > “Words, he decided, were inadequate at best, impossible at worst. They meant too many things. Or they meant nothing at all.” [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language can be both insufficient and overwhelming, leaving meaning ambiguous. **In simple terms:** Words can fail or be too many. Key Takeaway Accept ambiguity, choose clarity. Themes communication language ambiguity Mood thoughtful poetic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing - teaching - conflict resolution Key Concepts philosophy literature Questions to Reflect On - When do words fail? - How to convey meaning clearly? A Different Perspective May cause misunderstandings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inadequacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inadequacy/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ## Related quotes > [Because my love for you is beyond words, I decided to shut up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nizar-qabbani/because-my-love-for-you-is-beyond-words-i-decided-to-shut-up/) [Nizar Qabbani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nizar-qabbani/) > [I know already the music I will write. But the words? I have not yet decided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyorgy-ligeti/i-know-already-the-music-i-will-write-but-the-words-i-have-not-yet/) [Gyorgy Ligeti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyorgy-ligeti/) > [Does inadequacy not characterize all that we make use of to perceive and describe the world? Are the signs of language not just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-didi-huberman/does-inadequacy-not-characterize-all-that-we-make-use-of-to-perceive/) [Georges Didi-Huberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-didi-huberman/) > [We are always inadequate. But our inadequacy is not the issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/we-are-always-inadequate-but-our-inadequacy-is-not-the-issue/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Precisely constructed models for linguistic structure can play an important role, both negative and positive, in the process of discovery itself. By pushing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/precisely-constructed-models-for-linguistic-structure-can-play-an/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/it-is-our-light-not-our-darkness-that-most-frightens-us/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/our-deepest-fear-is-that-we-are-powerful-beyond-measure/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I want to be connecting with the subconscious, if I can call it that, because there are not to many words to describe the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-want-to-be-connecting-with-the-subconscious-if-i-can-call-it-that/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Your playing small doesn't serve the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/your-playing-small-doesn-t-serve-the-world/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The myth of the self-sufficient individual and of the self-sufficient, protected, and protective familytells us that those who need help are ultimately inadequate. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-keniston/the-myth-of-the-self-sufficient-individual-and-of-the-self-sufficient/) [Kenneth Keniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-keniston/) > [“Just because something belongs to you doesn't mean you should keep it for the rest of your life. Things are meant to be transitory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-because-something-belongs-to-you-doesn-t-mean-you-should-keep-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've said things and meant them, but I'm obviously a very confused person who has no idea how they feel about things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sienna-miller/i-ve-said-things-and-meant-them-but-i-m-obviously-a-very-confused/) [Sienna Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sienna-miller/) > [I believe there are some things meant only for you and the person you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-believe-there-are-some-things-meant-only-for-you-and-the-person-you/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [I always say that things are meant to be and everything happens for a reason, so I don't have any regrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-pietersen/i-always-say-that-things-are-meant-to-be-and-everything-happens-for-a/) [Kevin Pietersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-pietersen/) > [Because some things are never meant to be anything more than a moment. And that was one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brooks/because-some-things-are-never-meant-to-be-anything-more-than-a-moment/) [Kevin Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brooks/) ## More by Patricia A. McKillip > [“Be patient, as you must always be patient with new pale seeds buried in the dark ground. When you are stronger, you can begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/be-patient-as-you-must-always-be-patient-with-new-pale-seeds-buried/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“I wish you were small again, so I could hold you in my arms and comfort you. But you are grown, and you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/i-wish-you-were-small-again-so-i-could-hold-you-in-my-arms-and/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“He exuded ambiguities she decided, that was his fascination. His mouth spoke; his eyes said something other: his smile belied everything… He played with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/he-exuded-ambiguities-she-decided-that-was-his-fascination-his-mouth/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [ \[Imagination\] must be visited constantly, or else it begins to become restless and emit strange bellows at embarrassing moments; ignoring it only makes it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/imagination-must-be-visited-constantly-or-else-it-begins-to-become/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [I thought of you with your hair silver as snow all through that cold, slow journey from Sirle. I felt you troubled deep within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/i-thought-of-you-with-your-hair-silver-as-snow-all-through-that-cold/) [Patricia A. 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McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“Morgan," he whispered, "I wish you had not been someone I loved so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/morgan-he-whispered-i-wish-you-had-not-been-someone-i-loved-so/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“Tell me the story of the locket.' 'Once upon a time, my lord, in the best and the worst of all possible words, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/tell-me-the-story-of-the-locket-once-upon-a-time-my-lord-in-the-best/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [Love and anger are like land and sea: They meet at many different places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/love-and-anger-are-like-land-and-sea-they-meet-at-many-different/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [When you put your hands and mind and heart into the knowing of a thing ... there is no room in you for fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/when-you-put-your-hands-and-mind-and-heart-into-the-knowing-of-a/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“He finally took his harp out of the cobwebs, walked out the door, and admitted who he was: the Unforgiven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/he-finally-took-his-harp-out-of-the-cobwebs-walked-out-the-door-and/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“He had no place in the world, he said once, therefore he could go everywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/he-had-no-place-in-the-world-he-said-once-therefore-he-could-go/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) > [“The tutor's eyelids drooped; his thoughts drained out of his face like water seeping into earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-mckillip/the-tutor-s-eyelids-drooped-his-thoughts-drained-out-of-his-face-like/) [Patricia A. McKillip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) [Explore all 102 Patricia A. McKillip quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-mckillip/) ## More Impossible quotes > [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [All Germany was in turmoil. Revolutionaries seized power in the cities of Munich, Hanover and Cologne. 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