--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't know with certainty what to say…" description: "\"“I didn't know with certainty what to say about the large world, and didn't care to risk speculating. And I still don't. That we all look at it from so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/richard-ford-2097_life_i-didn-t-know-with-certainty-what-to-say_1712924.png" --- # I didn't know with certainty what to say about the large… ![“I didn't know with certainty what to say about the large world, and didn't care to risk speculating. And I still don't. That we all look at it from someplace, and in some hopeful-useful way, is about all I found I could say--my best, most honest effort. And that isn't enough for literature, though…” quote by Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/richard-ford-2097_life_i-didn-t-know-with-certainty-what-to-say_1712924.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/richard-ford-2097_life_i-didn-t-know-with-certainty-what-to-say_1712924.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/664/richard-ford-2097_life_i-didn-t-know-with-certainty-what-to-say_1712924.png) > ““I didn't know with certainty what to say about the large world, and didn't care to risk speculating. And I still don't. That we all look at it from someplace, and in some hopeful-useful way, is about all I found I could say--my best, most honest effort. And that isn't enough for literature, though it didn't bother me much. Nowadays, I'm willing to say yes to as much as I can: yes to my town, my neighborhood, my neighbor, yes to his car, her lawn and hedge and rain gutters. Let things be the best they can be. Give us all a good night's sleep until it's over.”” [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He admits uncertainty about grand statements, instead focusing on honest, modest actions in everyday life, believing small kindnesses matter more than lofty literature **In simple terms:** He chooses simple, honest actions over grand speculation Key Takeaway Embrace modest, honest contributions to community Themes humility community literature everyday life Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - neighborhood involvement - daily chores - personal honesty - literary criticism Key Concepts Existentialism pragmatism ethical living Questions to Reflect On - How can small honest acts influence larger society? - What limits do we face when aiming for literary greatness? A Different Perspective Literature may demand more than modest honesty can provide ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-honest-718454/) [Certainty Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty-say-664556/) [Good Night's Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-nights-sleep/) [Honest Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-effort-1264629/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Someplace Hopeful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someplace-hopeful-1264630/) [Willing Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing-say-393506/) ## Related quotes > [“The South African artist William Kentridge speaks to this type of certainty: 'To say that one needs art, or politics, that incorporate ambiguity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-flynn/the-south-african-artist-william-kentridge-speaks-to-this-type-of/) [Nick Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-flynn/) > [“After all, our main business in art, as in life, is to strive. 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Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [“Your sincere and honest effort only,shall lead you to the path of SUCCESS!!! - Adbhut”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-adbhut-kumar/your-sincere-and-honest-effort-only-shall-lead-you-to-the-path-of/) [Santosh Adbhut Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-adbhut-kumar/) > [“All honest effort produces lessons. We must embrace every type of learning, even failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-honest-effort-produces-lessons-we-must-embrace-every-type-of/) [Kilroy J. 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It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingalls-wilder/the-real-things-haven-t-changed-it-is-still-best-to-be-honest-and/) [Laura Ingalls Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingalls-wilder/) > [We try to do our best to give honest answers and sometimes those aren't always the best thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denny-hamlin/we-try-to-do-our-best-to-give-honest-answers-and-sometimes-those-aren/) [Denny Hamlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denny-hamlin/) > [Every role I take on, I try and bring my best and to be as honest as possible. I try not to repeat things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-plemons/every-role-i-take-on-i-try-and-bring-my-best-and-to-be-as-honest-as/) [Jesse Plemons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-plemons/) > [PATIENCESS!!!! She's the freaking best and she's always honest, she knows exactly what to say to make you feel better, She's just amazing person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/patiencess-she-s-the-freaking-best-and-she-s-always-honest-she-knows/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) ## More by Richard Ford > [Something will be there when the flood recedes. We know that. It will be those people now standing in the water, and on those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/something-will-be-there-when-the-flood-recedes-we-know-that-it-will/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [If you lose all hope, you can always find it again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/if-you-lose-all-hope-you-can-always-find-it-again/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I started reading literature at 17 or 18, and I felt this extra beat to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-started-reading-literature-at-17-or-18-and-i-felt-this-extra-beat/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I don't hate children. 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It is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/there-are-more-people-in-america-that-love-guns-and-want-guns-for/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [That said, being dyslexic, I wasn't a great reader when I was kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/that-said-being-dyslexic-i-wasn-t-a-great-reader-when-i-was-kid/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [I'm an equal opportunity reader - although I don't much read plays. And since I was raised a Presbyterian, pretty much all pleasures are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-m-an-equal-opportunity-reader-although-i-don-t-much-read-plays-and/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [The pace of life feels morally dangerous to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/the-pace-of-life-feels-morally-dangerous-to-me/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“to sit in the empty stands of a Florida ball park and hear the sounds of glove leather and chatter;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/to-sit-in-the-empty-stands-of-a-florida-ball-park-and-hear-the-sounds/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“And what there is to learn from almost any human experience is that your own interests usually do not come first where other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/and-what-there-is-to-learn-from-almost-any-human-experience-is-that/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“It was on such a night as this that the unhappy things came about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/it-was-on-such-a-night-as-this-that-the-unhappy-things-came-about/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) [Explore all 184 Richard Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. 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That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) [Deanna L. Lawlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-l-lawlis/) > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I didn't know with certainty what to say about the large world, and didn't care to risk speculating. 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