--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were many hours when I never quite…" description: "\"There were many hours when I never quite know how I'd gotten there or why I stayed.\" — Philip Roth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/philip-roth-681_gotten_there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite_392422.jpg" --- # There were many hours when I never quite know how I'd… ![“There were many hours when I never quite know how I'd gotten there or why I stayed.” quote by Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/philip-roth-681_gotten_there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite_392422.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/philip-roth-681_gotten_there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite_392422.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/philip-roth-681_gotten_there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite_392422.jpg) > “There were many hours when I never quite know how I'd gotten there or why I stayed.” [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Moments of confusion and aimlessness can arise when we lose sense of direction or purpose. **In simple terms:** Uncertainty about how we arrived and why we stay. Key Takeaway Seek clarity and purpose in life. Themes confusion identity purpose Mood introspective thoughtful Type literary psychological When to use this quote - career transitions - personal crises - therapy sessions Key Concepts existential reflection self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - What patterns keep you stuck in uncertainty? - How can you rediscover your direction? A Different Perspective Self‑analysis may reveal uncomfortable truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gotten/) [Gotten Stayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gotten-stayed-3537885/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Hours Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours-quite-3537886/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Never quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-quit/) [Stayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stayed/) ## Related quotes > [I stayed in L.A. long enough to get on my feet, and then I moved back to New York. The reason I moved here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/i-stayed-in-l-a-long-enough-to-get-on-my-feet-and-then-i-moved-back/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [The things that stayed were things that didn't matter except they stayed, night and day, all seasons the same, and were peaceful to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/the-things-that-stayed-were-things-that-didn-t-matter-except-they/) [William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/) > [You walked away, and I walked away, and we should of stayed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciara/you-walked-away-and-i-walked-away-and-we-should-of-stayed/) [Ciara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciara/) > [Brian came back in on the road and Al stayed, but Al's the original member of the group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-johnston/brian-came-back-in-on-the-road-and-al-stayed-but-al-s-the-original/) [Bruce Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-johnston/) > [I only stayed because you turned the lights out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-bennington/i-only-stayed-because-you-turned-the-lights-out/) [Elisabeth Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-bennington/) > [I didn't go to school, because I never stayed anywhere long enough, so I was completely closed off from the outside world. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neon-hitch/i-didn-t-go-to-school-because-i-never-stayed-anywhere-long-enough-so/) [Neon Hitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neon-hitch/) > [My first job was in a nursing home - a terrible place in retrospect. It was in an old house, and the residents were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-edwards/my-first-job-was-in-a-nursing-home-a-terrible-place-in-retrospect-it/) [Kim Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-edwards/) > [“Why did you stay?" He stilled; again, Patience felt the net draw tight, felt paralysis set in as his predator's senses focused on her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-laurens/why-did-you-stay-he-stilled-again-patience-felt-the-net-draw-tight/) [Stephanie Laurens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-laurens/) > [When you go somewhere like Kenya and you see how the children don't have pencils and pens, and all of these things are considered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomie-harris/when-you-go-somewhere-like-kenya-and-you-see-how-the-children-don-t/) [Naomie Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomie-harris/) > [I stayed in the astronaut program until 1993. People ask me why I left. I thought I had a lot of things to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-stayed-in-the-astronaut-program-until-1993-people-ask-me-why-i-left/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [I stayed true to what I thought was good design no matter who it was for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/i-stayed-true-to-what-i-thought-was-good-design-no-matter-who-it-was/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [If I stayed in this game for individual achievements, I don't think I'd still be playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chili-davis/if-i-stayed-in-this-game-for-individual-achievements-i-don-t-think-i/) [Chili Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chili-davis/) > [Its not a suprise I wont be here tommorrow, I cant believe that I stayed till today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/its-not-a-suprise-i-wont-be-here-tommorrow-i-cant-believe-that-i/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patience/) > [“The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was… The only thing that would be different would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/the-best-thing-though-in-that-museum-was-that-everything-always/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [I stayed sober for this?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-stayed-sober-for-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Philip Roth > [“The old intergenerational give-and-take of the country-that-used-to-be, when everyone knew his role and took the rules dead seriously, the acculturating back-and-forth that all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-old-intergenerational-give-and-take-of-the-country-that-used-to/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You be greater than your feelings. I don't demand this of you - life does. Otherwise you'll be washed away by feelings. You'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/you-be-greater-than-your-feelings-i-don-t-demand-this-of-you-life/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Nothing bad can happen to a writer. Everything is material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/nothing-bad-can-happen-to-a-writer-everything-is-material/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“There are no reasons. She is obliged to be as she is. We all are. Reasons are in books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/there-are-no-reasons-she-is-obliged-to-be-as-she-is-we-all-are/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“As far as I can see there is no conquering or exorcising the past with words - words born either of imagination or forthrightness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/as-far-as-i-can-see-there-is-no-conquering-or-exorcising-the-past/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [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/) > [“What is astonishing is that we, who had no idea how anything was going to turn out, now know exactly what happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/what-is-astonishing-is-that-we-who-had-no-idea-how-anything-was-going/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“Good Christ, a Jewish man with parents alive is a fifteen-year-old boy, and will remain a fifteen-year-old boy till they die!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/good-christ-a-jewish-man-with-parents-alive-is-a-fifteen-year-old-boy/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [I am the Raskolnikov of jerking off – the sticky evidence is everywhere!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/i-am-the-raskolnikov-of-jerking-off-the-sticky-evidence-is-everywhere/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“Better for real things to be uncontrollable, better for one's life to be undecipherable and intellectually impenetrable than to attempt to make casual sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/better-for-real-things-to-be-uncontrollable-better-for-one-s-life-to/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“Doctor Spielvogel, it alleviates nothing fixing the blame - blaming is still ailing, of course, of course - but nonetheless, what was it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/doctor-spielvogel-it-alleviates-nothing-fixing-the-blame-blaming-is/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [My God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/my-god-the-english-language-is-a-form-of-communication-conversation/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You asked if I thought my fiction had changed anything in the culture and the answer is no. Sure, there's been some scandal, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/you-asked-if-i-thought-my-fiction-had-changed-anything-in-the-culture/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) [Explore all 388 Philip Roth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) ## More Gotten quotes > [That pesky acting career has always gotten in the way of me doing something with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chiklis/that-pesky-acting-career-has-always-gotten-in-the-way-of-me-doing/) [Michael Chiklis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chiklis/) > [I'm talking to anyone who has been dumped - have not gotten the job you really wanted or have received those horrible rejection letters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-m-talking-to-anyone-who-has-been-dumped-have-not-gotten-the-job-you/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [Being a villain is great, even though I've only gotten to do it a few times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ashmore/being-a-villain-is-great-even-though-i-ve-only-gotten-to-do-it-a-few/) [Shawn Ashmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ashmore/) > [“If you’ve been there, done that, gotten the t-shirt, isn’t it time to move on to a new destination? Don’t waste a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/if-you-ve-been-there-done-that-gotten-the-t-shirt-isn-t-it-time-to/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [It would have been an interesting run if we hadn't gotten along! It was good casting, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-west/it-would-have-been-an-interesting-run-if-we-hadn-t-gotten-along-it/) [Dominic West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-west/) > [Barry is an incredible singer. He's even gotten better through the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-weil/barry-is-an-incredible-singer-he-s-even-gotten-better-through-the/) [Cynthia Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-weil/) > [I was so lucky and blessed to have gotten 'White Chicks' so early into my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rochelle-aytes/i-was-so-lucky-and-blessed-to-have-gotten-white-chicks-so-early-into/) [Rochelle Aytes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rochelle-aytes/) > [If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/if-you-do-what-you-ve-always-done-you-ll-get-what-you-ve-always-gotten/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Income inequality has gotten worse under President Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/income-inequality-has-gotten-worse-under-president-barack-obama/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [I don't want to be in somebody else's movie, and then they make all the money. I've gotten offers to do the movies, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eazy-e/i-don-t-want-to-be-in-somebody-else-s-movie-and-then-they-make-all/) [Eazy-E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eazy-e/) > [Whenever I get on stage, I feel safe and in control. Life can be so uncertain, but on stage, I always know how a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-o-mara/whenever-i-get-on-stage-i-feel-safe-and-in-control-life-can-be-so/) [Kate O'Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-o-mara/) > [After twelve years of living in Hawaii, I'd gotten a serious case of 'rock fever.' I just couldn't live on an island any longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/after-twelve-years-of-living-in-hawaii-i-d-gotten-a-serious-case-of/) [Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/) > [I'm happy whenever I'm in a rehearsal room. I've always gotten all my energy and creativity in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-m-happy-whenever-i-m-in-a-rehearsal-room-i-ve-always-gotten-all-my/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I've gotten e-mails asking, 'Are you taking students?' Well, come visit and I'll be happy to talk to you. But I'm not a degree-granting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-garrett-lisi/i-ve-gotten-e-mails-asking-are-you-taking-students-well-come-visit/) [Antony Garrett Lisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-garrett-lisi/) > [I was trained to serve the writer and director as an actor before I serve myself. Not to say that's gotten in my way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/i-was-trained-to-serve-the-writer-and-director-as-an-actor-before-i/) [Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/) [Browse all 519 Gotten quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gotten/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There were many hours when I never quite know how I'd gotten there or why I stayed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Roth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite-know-how-i-d-gotten-there-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gotten" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite-know-how-i-d-gotten-there-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/philip-roth-681_gotten_there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite_392422.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/philip-roth-681_gotten_there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite_392422.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/philip-roth-681_gotten_there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite_392422.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There were many hours when I never quite know how I'd gotten there or why I stayed.” — Philip Roth", "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": "Philip Roth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There were many hours when I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite-know-how-i-d-gotten-there-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/there-were-many-hours-when-i-never-quite-know-how-i-d-gotten-there-or/#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 } } ] } ```