--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I lie awake for a long time, wondering…" description: "\"“I lie awake for a long time, wondering which would be more foolish, to prepare for something that may never happen, or not to prepare for something th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/rae-carson-2613_long-time_i-lie-awake-for-a-long-time-wondering-wh_1140381.jpg" --- # I lie awake for a long time, wondering which would be more… ![“I lie awake for a long time, wondering which would be more foolish, to prepare for something that may never happen, or not to prepare for something that might.” quote by Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/rae-carson-2613_long-time_i-lie-awake-for-a-long-time-wondering-wh_1140381.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/rae-carson-2613_long-time_i-lie-awake-for-a-long-time-wondering-wh_1140381.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f4/rae-carson-2613_long-time_i-lie-awake-for-a-long-time-wondering-wh_1140381.jpg) > ““I lie awake for a long time, wondering which would be more foolish, to prepare for something that may never happen, or not to prepare for something that might.”” [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contemplating whether to prepare for unlikely events or ignore possible risks, highlighting indecision and fear of wasted effort. **In simple terms:** Weighing preparation versus neglect for uncertain outcomes. Key Takeaway Balance preparation with realistic expectations. Themes decision-making risk preparation indecision Mood anxious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - financial investing - health emergencies - personal goals Key Concepts probability opportunity cost future planning Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you ignoring? - How much effort is reasonable for unlikely events? A Different Perspective Over‑preparing can waste resources; under‑preparing can cause harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awake Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awake-long-1492277/) [Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) [Foolish Prepare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish-prepare-3175625/) [Lie Awake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie-awake/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wondering Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wondering-foolish-3175626/) ## Related quotes > [I've been awake for a long time. 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Then a voice comes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/sometimes-i-lie-awake-ay-night-and-i-wonder-is-life-like-golf-or-is/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [“It is 2:06 am, one of 1488 nights that I lie awake trying to make sense of it all, trying to find an ounce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/it-is-2-06-am-one-of-1488-nights-that-i-lie-awake-trying-to-make/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [I sometimes lie awake at night and wonder why I am still so popular and, to be honest, I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/i-sometimes-lie-awake-at-night-and-wonder-why-i-am-still-so-popular/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [“I sometimes lie awake at night wishing I had all the answers. But I guess only God has all of them, while I only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-sometimes-lie-awake-at-night-wishing-i-had-all-the-answers-but-i/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“When I was a child, I often used to lie awake at night, in fearful anticipation of some unpleasant event the following day, such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/when-i-was-a-child-i-often-used-to-lie-awake-at-night-in-fearful/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) ## More by Rae Carson > [“Like all good teachers, he loves the moment of revelation, when the light of knowledge passes to his pupil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/like-all-good-teachers-he-loves-the-moment-of-revelation-when-the/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“That man’s so low he has to reach up to rub the belly of a snake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/that-man-s-so-low-he-has-to-reach-up-to-rub-the-belly-of-a-snake/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“Becky will be so disappointed in us.” “Becky lives to be disappointed in people. If we get out of her way, she’ll expand her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/becky-will-be-so-disappointed-in-us-becky-lives-to-be-disappointed-in/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“Cosmé is in constant attendance. Though no one will take Aneaxi’s place, Cosmé is the most efficient maid I’ve ever had. I tell her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/cosm-is-in-constant-attendance-though-no-one-will-take-aneaxi-s-place/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“It’s the highest art form, deceiving without lying. A word is the only thing in the world made more powerful by absence than existence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/it-s-the-highest-art-form-deceiving-without-lying-a-word-is-the-only/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“You look beautiful," Alodia says. I startle at the compliment. Then I smile. "I’m beautiful to the one person who matters." She nods. "Hector’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/you-look-beautiful-alodia-says-i-startle-at-the-compliment-then-i/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“Hope. Such a dangerous thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/hope-such-a-dangerous-thing/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“I could heal you-" "No," he says, sharply enough that it startles me. "Everyone is dead. Gavin, Jedro, Melita... All gone. My life, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/i-could-heal-you-no-he-says-sharply-enough-that-it-startles-me/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“What can you tell me about this ship?” “She’s one hundred fifteen feet in length, with a beam of twenty-eight, and a depth of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/what-can-you-tell-me-about-this-ship-she-s-one-hundred-fifteen-feet/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“. . . it's probably been a year or more since I've had beef." - Jacián”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/it-s-probably-been-a-year-or-more-since-i-ve-had-beef-jaci-n/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“I cover his hand with my own: "The Champion must not waver," he says in my ear. "Yea, though SHE pass through the shadow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/i-cover-his-hand-with-my-own-the-champion-must-not-waver-he-says-in/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“It's nice to consider that God may not count imperfection as an obstacle to working out his will in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/it-s-nice-to-consider-that-god-may-not-count-imperfection-as-an/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“The less you say, the more your words will matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/the-less-you-say-the-more-your-words-will-matter/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“From the mouths of the innocents flows truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/from-the-mouths-of-the-innocents-flows-truth/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) > [“Murder is no less a crime when the victim is common born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-carson/murder-is-no-less-a-crime-when-the-victim-is-common-born/) [Rae Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) [Explore all 157 Rae Carson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-carson/) ## More Foolish quotes > [...it isn't foolish or wicked to enjoy. Wickedness is hurting people on purpose. I love what you are and who you are and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-isn-t-foolish-or-wicked-to-enjoy-wickedness-is-hurting-people-on/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [I was so foolish to ever leave your side, Searching for what was right before my eyes. 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