--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is the point. That is what must be…" description: "\"“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. Som..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/renata-adler-9400_psychology_what-is-the-point-that-is-what-must-be-b_2030902.jpg" --- # What is the point. That is what must be borne in mind… ![“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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/renata-adler-9400_psychology_what-is-the-point-that-is-what-must-be-b_2030902.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/renata-adler-9400_psychology_what-is-the-point-that-is-what-must-be-b_2030902.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/468/renata-adler-9400_psychology_what-is-the-point-that-is-what-must-be-b_2030902.jpg) > ““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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [I feel like if a dude wants to get his point across and wants to protest, I feel like he has the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bam-adebayo/i-feel-like-if-a-dude-wants-to-get-his-point-across-and-wants-to/) [Bam Adebayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bam-adebayo/) > [Weight gain can happen at any point in time, and it is something that you are dealing with anyway, and it is OK. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/weight-gain-can-happen-at-any-point-in-time-and-it-is-something-that/) [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/) > [You can only conceive of what lies beyond the state of mind you are in from the point of view of the state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-only-conceive-of-what-lies-beyond-the-state-of-mind-you-are/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Beyond the ten thousand states of mind is the still point. It exists within them all, yet beyond them. It is not affected by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/beyond-the-ten-thousand-states-of-mind-is-the-still-point-it-exists/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Now is the only point that can take you beyond the limited confines of the mind. It is your only point of access into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/now-is-the-only-point-that-can-take-you-beyond-the-limited-confines/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [The turning point really is just knowing you're an imbecile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-cuccurullo/the-turning-point-really-is-just-knowing-you-re-an-imbecile/) [Warren Cuccurullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-cuccurullo/) > [If you're not really having fun then there's no point of really trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willow-smith/if-you-re-not-really-having-fun-then-there-s-no-point-of-really-trying/) [Willow Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willow-smith/) > [I used 'Saved by the Bell: The College Years' as my reference point really for my 'Fresh Meat' experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zawe-ashton/i-used-saved-by-the-bell-the-college-years-as-my-reference-point/) [Zawe Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zawe-ashton/) > [The whole point to being here, really, is to figure a way to get out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/the-whole-point-to-being-here-really-is-to-figure-a-way-to-get-out/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [I am extremely content in my life - sometimes to the point where I really should find something to moan about!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-sawalha/i-am-extremely-content-in-my-life-sometimes-to-the-point-where-i/) [Julia Sawalha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-sawalha/) > [There's no point in really making something if it doesn't appeal to a lot of people or the masses or if it's not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-turner/there-s-no-point-in-really-making-something-if-it-doesn-t-appeal-to-a/) [Aidan Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-turner/) > [Furthermore, and a point I really want to make very strongly, is that this is the first Administration since Herbert Hoover not to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sarbanes/furthermore-and-a-point-i-really-want-to-make-very-strongly-is-that/) [Paul Sarbanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sarbanes/) > [When it comes to the point, really bad men are just as rare as really good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/when-it-comes-to-the-point-really-bad-men-are-just-as-rare-as-really/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Comes a point when you really just dont give a fuck about what that person does because your already over it. Being single is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/comes-a-point-when-you-really-just-dont-give-a-fuck-about-what-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm just saying what I think about at the time. I don't make a point to do anything, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-staples/i-m-just-saying-what-i-think-about-at-the-time-i-don-t-make-a-point/) [Vince Staples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-staples/) ## More by Renata Adler > [A favorite strategy was the paragraph-terminating: Right? Followed immediately by Wrong. This linear invitation to a mugging was considered a strategy of wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/a-favorite-strategy-was-the-paragraph-terminating-right-followed/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [There are so many different types of writers. It's just sheer coincidence that they're all called writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/there-are-so-many-different-types-of-writers-it-s-just-sheer/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [“I think that when you are truly stuck, when you have stood still in the same spot for too long, you throw a grenade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/i-think-that-when-you-are-truly-stuck-when-you-have-stood-still-in/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [“The dishes that were meant to be hot were never quite as warm as those that were meant to be chilled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/the-dishes-that-were-meant-to-be-hot-were-never-quite-as-warm-as/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [There are times when every act, no matter how private and unconscious, becomes political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/there-are-times-when-every-act-no-matter-how-private-and-unconscious/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [My grandmother refused to concede that any member of the family died of natural causes. An uncle's cancer in middle age occurred because all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/my-grandmother-refused-to-concede-that-any-member-of-the-family-died/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [“he writer has a grudge against society, which he documents with accounts of unsatisfying sex, unrealized ambition, unmitigated lo neliness, and a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/he-writer-has-a-grudge-against-society-which-he-documents-with/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [Things have changed very much, several times, since I grew up, and, like everyone in New York except the intellectuals, I have led several…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/things-have-changed-very-much-several-times-since-i-grew-up-and-like/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [“Every love story,every commercial trade, every secret, every matter in which trust is involved, is a gentle transaction of hostages. Everything is, to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/every-love-story-every-commercial-trade-every-secret-every-matter-in/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [My capacity for having a good time exists. It surfaces, however, on odd occasions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/my-capacity-for-having-a-good-time-exists-it-surfaces-however-on-odd/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [Fear . . . is forward. No one is afraid of yesterday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/fear-is-forward-no-one-is-afraid-of-yesterday/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [“I've had our paper's gossip column since last month. It is egalitarian. I look for people who are quite obscure, and report who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/i-ve-had-our-paper-s-gossip-column-since-last-month-it-is-egalitarian/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [It is always self-defeating to pretend to a generation younger than your own; it simply erases your own experience in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/it-is-always-self-defeating-to-pretend-to-a-generation-younger-than/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [Nice criticism is good when it tells you something. A lot of negative "criticism" isn't criticism at all: it's just nasty, "writerly" cliché and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/nice-criticism-is-good-when-it-tells-you-something-a-lot-of-negative/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [I think maybe writers come from different planets. I mean, not in any sense as extravagant as Baryshnikov. But there are some writers who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/i-think-maybe-writers-come-from-different-planets-i-mean-not-in-any/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) [Explore all 73 Renata Adler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) ## More Point quotes > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [There's always a good point guard in this league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/there-s-always-a-good-point-guard-in-this-league/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) > [Hey...Hey...What's up?. Nothing much, you? Nothing. K!..What the hell was the point of this communication?...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hey-hey-what-s-up-nothing-much-you-nothing-k-what-the-hell-was-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [That is the real problem of depression - a condition which will affect an estimated one in five of the population at some point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-andreae/that-is-the-real-problem-of-depression-a-condition-which-will-affect/) [Giles Andreae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-andreae/) > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [No matter how brilliant an actor is, there's always a point where they let you down, but that's all part of their journey. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hale/no-matter-how-brilliant-an-actor-is-there-s-always-a-point-where-they/) [Amanda Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hale/) > [I realized I couldn't be a journalist because I like to take a side, to have an opinion and a point a view; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-realized-i-couldn-t-be-a-journalist-because-i-like-to-take-a-side/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [The Truth is that God is ever Good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-condron-kenites/the-truth-is-that-god-is-ever-good/) [Kevin Condron Kenites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-condron-kenites/) > [At one point when I was very young, when I was first starting out, I thought, 'Well, one day I'll be able to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/at-one-point-when-i-was-very-young-when-i-was-first-starting-out-i/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [I can tell you to go to hell.. But what is the point?? I am already there.. with you!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy/i-can-tell-you-to-go-to-hell-but-what-is-the-point-i-am-already-there/) Cathy > [My dad was a Marine. He was one of the Montford Point Marines. Those are the equivalent of the Tuskegee Airmen for Marines. He's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/my-dad-was-a-marine-he-was-one-of-the-montford-point-marines-those/) [Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/) > [I am excited to partner with Aeropostale for my very own collection. It was a great experience to be able to work with them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-mota/i-am-excited-to-partner-with-aeropostale-for-my-very-own-collection/) [Bethany Mota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-mota/) Browse all 3,100 Point quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What is the point. That is what must be borne in mind. 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