---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...but I could not sleep without proper…"
description: "\"...but I could not sleep without proper covering and spent the rest of the night rewriting lost arguments from my past, altering history so that I emer..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/patrick-dewitt-3545_argument_but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-cov_3018553.png"
---

#  ...but I could not sleep without proper covering and spent…

![“...but I could not sleep without proper covering and spent the rest of the night rewriting lost arguments from my past, altering history so that I emerged victorious.” quote by Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/patrick-dewitt-3545_argument_but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-cov_3018553.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/patrick-dewitt-3545_argument_but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-cov_3018553.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/patrick-dewitt-3545_argument_but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-cov_3018553.png)

> “...but I could not sleep without proper covering and spent the rest of the night rewriting lost arguments from my past, altering history so that I emerged victorious.”

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He describes a sleepless night spent rewriting past arguments to imagine a victorious outcome, highlighting escapist imagination.

**In simple terms:** He rewrote his past to feel victorious.

Key Takeaway

Use imagination to reframe setbacks.

Themes

imagination victory nighttime self‑reflection

Mood

introspective melancholic

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

- writing therapy
- late‑night rumination
- personal storytelling

Key Concepts

psychological coping narrative control

Questions to Reflect On

- How does rewriting history affect your present?
- When is it healthy to imagine alternate outcomes?

A Different Perspective

Escapism can prevent confronting real issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“This was what was wonderful, standing alone in the big, soft night rewriting the past to make myself miss what had never been. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/this-was-what-was-wonderful-standing-alone-in-the-big-soft-night/)

[Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/)

> [“They were altering history, redefining the boundaries of global health and children's advocacy. Many would later realize that working for someone like Grant, someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-fifield/they-were-altering-history-redefining-the-boundaries-of-global-health/)

Adam Fifield

> [I have emerged victorious from my thirty years of struggle. I have freed mankind from superfluous ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/i-have-emerged-victorious-from-my-thirty-years-of-struggle-i-have/)

[Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/)

> [The uniqueness of the United States in human history is the United States is the first global power in human history which emerged far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmet-davutoglu/the-uniqueness-of-the-united-states-in-human-history-is-the-united/)

[Ahmet Davutoglu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmet-davutoglu/)

> [I spent the rest of the day doing little more than that. I skipped dinner. I shed a few tears. But mostly, I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-spent-the-rest-of-the-day-doing-little-more-than-that-i-skipped/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Sometimes Moments lived with someone is enough to spent rest of live without them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/insane-insomniac-sushan/sometimes-moments-lived-with-someone-is-enough-to-spent-rest-of-live/)

Insane &amp; Insomniac\_Sushan

> ['A Fair Maiden' existed in notes and sketches for perhaps a year. When I traveled, I would take along with me my folder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-fair-maiden-existed-in-notes-and-sketches-for-perhaps-a-year-when-i/)

[Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/)

> [Tim Conway was a little different from the rest. He was always in the back of the studio building something with the prop man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-lawrence/tim-conway-was-a-little-different-from-the-rest-he-was-always-in-the/)

[Vicki Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-lawrence/)

> [Reread, rewrite, reread, rewrite. If it still doesn't work, throw it away. It's a nice feeling, and you don't want to be cluttered with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/reread-rewrite-reread-rewrite-if-it-still-doesn-t-work-throw-it-away/)

[Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/)

> [“Growing up like rewriting is simply admitting how clueless you were not so long ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/growing-up-like-rewriting-is-simply-admitting-how-clueless-you-were/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“Writing is rewriting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-winter/writing-is-rewriting/)

Alan Winter

> [Rewriting is a large part of the whole job. And get rid of stuff that's not working. Just pare it down until it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-loder/rewriting-is-a-large-part-of-the-whole-job-and-get-rid-of-stuff-that/)

[Kurt Loder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-loder/)

> [The elevator shaft was a kind of heat sink. Hot food was cold by the time it arrived. Cold food got colder. No one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-elevator-shaft-was-a-kind-of-heat-sink-hot-food-was-cold-by-the/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [The book really comes to life in the rewriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-book-really-comes-to-life-in-the-rewriting/)

[Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/)

> [Donald Trump has been rewriting the rules since he got into politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-michael-cillizza/donald-trump-has-been-rewriting-the-rules-since-he-got-into-politics/)

[Christopher Michael Cillizza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-michael-cillizza/)

## More by Patrick deWitt

> [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [I come by writing dialogue fairly naturally, I've got a chatty family; I'm a bit of a voyeur, and if I'm ever in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-come-by-writing-dialogue-fairly-naturally-i-ve-got-a-chatty-family/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [“Beware of the plygs of Colorado City, Arizona. They have no cups of coffee for the likes of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/beware-of-the-plygs-of-colorado-city-arizona-they-have-no-cups-of/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [“When you sleep, your dreams are those of a dullard”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/when-you-sleep-your-dreams-are-those-of-a-dullard/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [The nice thing about writing at home is that it's almost as though I'm doing it already. I get out of bed thinking of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/the-nice-thing-about-writing-at-home-is-that-it-s-almost-as-though-i/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [I am increasingly unimpressed by works of art that require a college degree to understand. I think that art should be for everyone. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-am-increasingly-unimpressed-by-works-of-art-that-require-a-college/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [I carry a small spiral notebook with me at all times and have been doing this for many years. There's a shoe box in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-carry-a-small-spiral-notebook-with-me-at-all-times-and-have-been/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> ['The Sisters Brothers' started out as a little bit of dialogue between these two men who became Eli and Charlie Sisters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/the-sisters-brothers-started-out-as-a-little-bit-of-dialogue-between/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [I was halfway through a rough draft of 'The Sisters Brothers' when it came time to start the 'Terri' adaptation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-was-halfway-through-a-rough-draft-of-the-sisters-brothers-when-it/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [The impetus for 'The Sisters Brothers' was it occurred to me that there was no neurosis in westerns, or there's a minimal amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/the-impetus-for-the-sisters-brothers-was-it-occurred-to-me-that-there/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [I haven't read hardly any Westerns, to tell you the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-haven-t-read-hardly-any-westerns-to-tell-you-the-truth/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [Lies can be wonderful things, and when a lie is told artfully, if it's done with a degree of craftsmanship, I can't help but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/lies-can-be-wonderful-things-and-when-a-lie-is-told-artfully-if-it-s/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [I'm not an enormous proponent of plot as a reader. It's about other things; my reading has become specialized over the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-m-not-an-enormous-proponent-of-plot-as-a-reader-it-s-about-other/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [“You are afraid of hell. But that’s all religion is, really. Fear of a place we’d rather not be, and where there’s no such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/you-are-afraid-of-hell-but-that-s-all-religion-is-really-fear-of-a/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [I've been surprised at how much an unknown like myself can accomplish just by reaching out to people and pleading my case. Quotes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-ve-been-surprised-at-how-much-an-unknown-like-myself-can-accomplish/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

[Explore all 128 Patrick deWitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

## More Argument quotes

> [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/)

[Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/)

[John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/)

> [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/)

[Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/)

> [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/)

[Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/)

> [One argument goes that recessions are good for female artists because when money flies out the window, women are allowed in the house. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/one-argument-goes-that-recessions-are-good-for-female-artists-because/)

[Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/)

> [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/)

[Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/)

> [“Arguments led by subjectivity are a waste of time. And, if they take place online, add to that, a waste of one’s keyboard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/arguments-led-by-subjectivity-are-a-waste-of-time-and-if-they-take/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [If in the middle of an argument I suddenly fall silent it does not mean you have won... No it means you should probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/if-in-the-middle-of-an-argument-i-suddenly-fall-silent-it-does-not/)

[Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/)

> [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/)

[Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/)

> [“The motive behind my arguments have always been to come at truth. I am not interested in conquering anyone with my ideologies or seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-evans/the-motive-behind-my-arguments-have-always-been-to-come-at-truth-i-am/)

[Crystal Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-evans/)

> [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/)

[John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/)

[Browse all 3,479 Argument quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "...but I could not sleep without proper covering and spent the rest of the night rewriting lost arguments from my past, altering history so that I emerged victorious.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Patrick deWitt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-covering-and-spent-the-rest-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Argument"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-covering-and-spent-the-rest-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/patrick-dewitt-3545_argument_but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-cov_3018553.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/patrick-dewitt-3545_argument_but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-cov_3018553.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03a/patrick-dewitt-3545_argument_but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-cov_3018553.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“...but I could not sleep without proper covering and spent the rest of the night rewriting lost arguments…” — Patrick deWitt",
                "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": "Patrick deWitt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "...but I could not sleep without...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-covering-and-spent-the-rest-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/but-i-could-not-sleep-without-proper-covering-and-spent-the-rest-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
