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Point Quote by Renata Adler

“What is the point. That is what must be borne in mind. Sometimes the point is really who wants what. Sometimes the point is what is right or kind. Sometimes the point is a momentum, a fact, a quality, a voice, an imitation, a thing that is said or unsaid. Sometimes it's who's at fault, or what…” quote by Renata Adler
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““What is the point. That is what must be borne in mind. Sometimes the point is really who wants what. Sometimes the point is what is right or kind. Sometimes the point is a momentum, a fact, a quality, a voice, an imitation, a thing that is said or unsaid. Sometimes it's who's at fault, or what will happen if you do not move at once. The point changes and goes out. You cannot be forever watching for the point, or you lose the simplest thing: being a major character in your own life. But if you are, for any length of time, custodian of the point-- in art, in court, in politics, in lives, in rooms-- it turns out there are rear-guard actions everywhere. To see a thing clearly, and when your vision of it dims, or when it goes to someone else, if you have a gentle nature, keep your silence, that is lovely. Otherwise, now and then, a small foray is worthwhile. Just so that being always, complacently, thoroughly wrong does not become the safest position of them all. The point has never quite been entrusted to me.””

Renata Adler

About This Quote

Source Book: The Writer's Life, Renata Adler, 1995

The focus of attention shifts constantly; obsessing over a single point blinds you to living fully and acting wisely.

In simple terms: Fixating on one idea limits life; stay flexible and act when needed.

Key Takeaway

Balance focus with openness to act.

Themes

focus flexibility agency communication ethics

Mood

introspective thoughtful analytical

Type

advice philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

  • courtroom
  • political debate
  • artistic creation
  • personal decision making
  • leadership

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology political science

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you know when to stay silent or intervene?
  • When does a small action outweigh in?
A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on a single point can cause paralysis or missed opportunities.

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