---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How will you go about finding that thing…"
description: "\"How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?\" — Rebecca Solnit"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/rebecca-solnit-569_finding_how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing_1815366.png"
---

#  How will you go about finding that thing the nature of…

![“How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?” quote by Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/rebecca-solnit-569_finding_how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing_1815366.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/rebecca-solnit-569_finding_how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing_1815366.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/rebecca-solnit-569_finding_how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing_1815366.png)

> “How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?”

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

## About This Quote

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

Finding the unknown requires curiosity and willingness to explore without prior knowledge.

**In simple terms:** Explore the unknown with curiosity.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uncertainty as a path to discovery.

Themes

exploration curiosity unknown

Mood

inspirational encouraging

Type

philosophical practical

When to use this quote

- research
- travel
- creative projects
- personal growth

Key Concepts

epistemology risk‑taking learning

Questions to Reflect On

- What unknowns intrigue you?
- How can you prepare for uncertain journeys?

A Different Perspective

Fear of the unknown can paralyze action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Finding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding/) [Finding Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-thing-1062214/) [Findings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/findings/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Totally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-totally-2149395/) [Thing Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-nature-1192409/) [Totally Unknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totally-unknown-2149394/)

## Related quotes

> [“How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?" (Plato)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing-the-nature-of-which-is-3/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/creativity-is-not-the-finding-of-a-thing-but-the-making-something-out/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?" (Plato) The things we want are transformative,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing-the-nature-of-which-is-2/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [Early in my career I discovered that there was something really special about photographing at night that places your mind on the surface of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-balog/early-in-my-career-i-discovered-that-there-was-something-really/)

[James Balog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-balog/)

> [You can't divorce civilization from nature - we totally depend on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-balog/you-can-t-divorce-civilization-from-nature-we-totally-depend-on-it/)

[James Balog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-balog/)

> [It's great if you can find what you love to do. Finding it is one thing, but then to be able to practise that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ive/it-s-great-if-you-can-find-what-you-love-to-do-finding-it-is-one/)

[Jonathan Ive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ive/)

> [Most of the time I'm by myself finding the next thing. Being an A&amp;R guy, basically. I don't know how long I can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/most-of-the-time-i-m-by-myself-finding-the-next-thing-being-an-a-r/)

[Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/)

> [I was totally unknown in the television and film industry in Canada.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-bee/i-was-totally-unknown-in-the-television-and-film-industry-in-canada/)

[Samantha Bee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-bee/)

> [“This is the beginning of a road whose end is totally unknown and totally known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-woodman/this-is-the-beginning-of-a-road-whose-end-is-totally-unknown-and/)

[Marion Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-woodman/)

> [In the late 30s the name Pollock was totally unknown and unheard of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-krasner/in-the-late-30s-the-name-pollock-was-totally-unknown-and-unheard-of/)

[Lee Krasner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-krasner/)

> [“For even if we know very little that is certain about spirit or soul, the true nature of the body, of materiality, is totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/for-even-if-we-know-very-little-that-is-certain-about-spirit-or-soul/)

[Wilhelm Von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/)

> [Dating or finding someone is the last thing on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/dating-or-finding-someone-is-the-last-thing-on-my-mind/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

> [A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-single-event-can-awaken-within-us-a-stranger-totally-unknown-to-us/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/when-one-tugs-at-a-single-thing-in-nature-he-finds-it-attached-to-the/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [My favourite thing about being in nature is that I feel so small and kind of insignificant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid/my-favourite-thing-about-being-in-nature-is-that-i-feel-so-small-and/)

[Sigrid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid/)

## More by Rebecca Solnit

> [“Georgia O’Keeffe moved to rural New Mexico, from which she would sign her letters to the people she loved, “from the faraway nearby.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/georgia-o-keeffe-moved-to-rural-new-mexico-from-which-she-would-sign/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“To love someone is to put yourself in their place, we say, which is to put ourself in their story, or figure out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/to-love-someone-is-to-put-yourself-in-their-place-we-say-which-is-to/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“People have always been good at imagining the end of the world, which is much easier to picture than the strange sidelong paths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/people-have-always-been-good-at-imagining-the-end-of-the-world-which/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“Whose maps are we trying to read? And what are we trying to draw? It's so common to live in a place without truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/whose-maps-are-we-trying-to-read-and-what-are-we-trying-to-draw-it-s/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“I was being cured of soldiering on endlessly: my job was now to be still, which had become almost easy at last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/i-was-being-cured-of-soldiering-on-endlessly-my-job-was-now-to-be/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [In the aftermath of 9/11, people had not a good time, but a deep, profound, rousing time, woke up from their ennui and isolation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/in-the-aftermath-of-9-11-people-had-not-a-good-time-but-a-deep/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“I wonder now about Demeter and Persephone. Maybe Persephone was glad to run off with the king of death to his underground realm, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/i-wonder-now-about-demeter-and-persephone-maybe-persephone-was-glad/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [ \[In mountaineering, if\] we look for private experience rather than public history, even getting to the top becomes an optional narrative rather than the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/in-mountaineering-if-we-look-for-private-experience-rather-than/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [For me, being in a car or on an airplane is like being in limbo. It's this dead zone between two places. But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/for-me-being-in-a-car-or-on-an-airplane-is-like-being-in-limbo-it-s/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“How do you calculate upon the unforeseen? It seems to be an art of recognizing the role of the unforeseen, of keeping your balance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/how-do-you-calculate-upon-the-unforeseen-it-seems-to-be-an-art-of/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [Walking shares with making and working that crucial element of engagement of the body and the mind with the world, of knowing the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/walking-shares-with-making-and-working-that-crucial-element-of/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“Marriage equality is a threat: to inequality. It’s a boon to everyone who values and benefits from equality. It’s for all of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/marriage-equality-is-a-threat-to-inequality-it-s-a-boon-to-everyone/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“Mountaineering is always spoken of as though summiting is conquest, but as you get higher, the world gets bigger, and you feel smaller in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/mountaineering-is-always-spoken-of-as-though-summiting-is-conquest/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

> [“A procession is a participants' journey, while a parade is a performance with an audience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/a-procession-is-a-participants-journey-while-a-parade-is-a/)

[Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

[Explore all 469 Rebecca Solnit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/)

## More Finding quotes

> [Most people do surprisingly poorly when dealing with a relative who is hurting, depressed, or anxious - we get defensive and try to solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/most-people-do-surprisingly-poorly-when-dealing-with-a-relative-who/)

[David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/)

> [I'm finding out that I'm not squeamish whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-gehlfuss/i-m-finding-out-that-i-m-not-squeamish-whatsoever/)

[Nick Gehlfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-gehlfuss/)

> [Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeking-means-to-have-a-goal-but-finding-means-to-be-free-to-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometimes the challenge of beating the jet lag and getting a decent sleep can be as hard to solve as finding the right setup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-grosjean/sometimes-the-challenge-of-beating-the-jet-lag-and-getting-a-decent/)

[Romain Grosjean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-grosjean/)

> [The key to finding protein for your snacks when you're on the go is making sure said snacks don't need to be refrigerated, don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harley-pasternak/the-key-to-finding-protein-for-your-snacks-when-you-re-on-the-go-is/)

[Harley Pasternak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harley-pasternak/)

> [Just a decade after 'Living in Bondage,' Nollywood films, made in some 300 languages, were being watched in both urban and rural areas, distributed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-flock/just-a-decade-after-living-in-bondage-nollywood-films-made-in-some/)

[Elizabeth Flock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-flock/)

> [I have always been interested in finding new ways to play and have looked at handball keepers and ice hockey goal-minders. It helps me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-neuer/i-have-always-been-interested-in-finding-new-ways-to-play-and-have/)

[Manuel Neuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-neuer/)

> [Since FDR's New Deal, corporations and wealthy families have been non-stop finding new ways to get tax breaks, deregulation and entitlements from the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/since-fdr-s-new-deal-corporations-and-wealthy-families-have-been-non/)

[Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/)

> [When scientists are asked what they are working on, their response is seldom 'Finding the origin of the universe' or 'Seeking to cure cancer.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/when-scientists-are-asked-what-they-are-working-on-their-response-is/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/)

[Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/)

> [I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henny-youngman/i-take-my-wife-everywhere-but-she-keeps-finding-her-way-back/)

[Henny Youngman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henny-youngman/)

> [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/)

[Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/)

> [I've never had trouble finding inspiration for new songs, no matter what I'm doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-kowalczyk/i-ve-never-had-trouble-finding-inspiration-for-new-songs-no-matter/)

[Ed Kowalczyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-kowalczyk/)

> [It's true, I'm the youngest, highest-grossing French director. I have a few records, but no one knows or simply doesn't care. That's good, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-leterrier/it-s-true-i-m-the-youngest-highest-grossing-french-director-i-have-a/)

[Louis Leterrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-leterrier/)

> [There is a promise land. Just don't give up finding it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emel-oner/there-is-a-promise-land-just-don-t-give-up-finding-it/)

[Emel oner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emel-oner/)

[Browse all 1,256 Finding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rebecca Solnit"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing-the-nature-of-which-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Finding"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing-the-nature-of-which-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/rebecca-solnit-569_finding_how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing_1815366.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/rebecca-solnit-569_finding_how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing_1815366.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/rebecca-solnit-569_finding_how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing_1815366.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“How will you go about finding that thing the nature of which is totally unknown to you?” — Rebecca Solnit",
                "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": "Rebecca Solnit",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "How will you go about finding...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing-the-nature-of-which-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/how-will-you-go-about-finding-that-thing-the-nature-of-which-is/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
