---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea is to remain in a state of…"
description: "\"The idea is to remain in a state of constant departure, while always arriving.\" — Richard Linklater"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/richard-linklater-2192_arriving_the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-cons_2983184.jpg"
---

#  The idea is to remain in a state of constant departure…

![“The idea is to remain in a state of constant departure, while always arriving.” quote by Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/richard-linklater-2192_arriving_the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-cons_2983184.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/richard-linklater-2192_arriving_the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-cons_2983184.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/richard-linklater-2192_arriving_the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-cons_2983184.jpg)

> “The idea is to remain in a state of constant departure, while always arriving.”

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

## About This Quote

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

Life is a series of departures and arrivals, each moment a transition.

**In simple terms:** Life is constant change.

Key Takeaway

Embrace each transition.

Themes

change journey arrival departure

Mood

thoughtful hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- career moves
- relationships
- travel experiences

Key Concepts

existentialism temporal flow

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you navigate personal transitions?
- What arrivals do you anticipate?

A Different Perspective

Change can be unsettling; not all departures are voluntary.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Departure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/departure/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/)

## Related quotes

> [“A great idea will remain only that, just a great idea, unless you put action behind it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-gareis/a-great-idea-will-remain-only-that-just-a-great-idea-unless-you-put/)

Sherry Gareis

> [I find it perfectly consistent for libertarians to operate on the municipal or county level, where they are close to the people and where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-find-it-perfectly-consistent-for-libertarians-to-operate-on-the/)

[Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/)

> [“To achieve greatness and success and become the person you are called to be, you have to remain in a state of learning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-green/to-achieve-greatness-and-success-and-become-the-person-you-are-called/)

[Nate Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-green/)

> [All men have a right to remain in a state of nature as long as they please; and in case of intolerable oppression, civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/all-men-have-a-right-to-remain-in-a-state-of-nature-as-long-as-they/)

[Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/)

> [ “If you remain in the state of ‘I am Pure Soul’, then despite activities, you are inactive (non-doer) and if \[your belief is\] ‘I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/if-you-remain-in-the-state-of-i-am-pure-soul-then-despite-activities/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [I will never master arriving at the airport at an appropriate time for departure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-hilton/i-will-never-master-arriving-at-the-airport-at-an-appropriate-time/)

[Nicky Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-hilton/)

> [Upon arriving, meeting their teachers and signing up for classes, these students began to realize that their attendance at Delaware State University was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-n-castle/upon-arriving-meeting-their-teachers-and-signing-up-for-classes-these/)

[Michael N. Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-n-castle/)

> [It's not a question of arriving and putting in a whole new administration, but instead, arriving and "compacting" things as much as possible, reducing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-slim/it-s-not-a-question-of-arriving-and-putting-in-a-whole-new/)

[Carlos Slim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-slim/)

> [When people know the desired destination, they’re free to improvise, as needed, in arriving there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/when-people-know-the-desired-destination-they-re-free-to-improvise-as/)

[Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/)

> [He must have driven this way countless times, and yet he had no memory of the scenery. He must have been so caught up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/he-must-have-driven-this-way-countless-times-and-yet-he-had-no-memory/)

[Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/)

> [The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-walcott/the-time-will-come-when-with-elation-you-will-greet-yourself-arriving/)

[Derek Walcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-walcott/)

> [We see men who have accumulated great fortunes, but we often recognize only their triumph, overlooking the temporary defeats which they had to surmount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/we-see-men-who-have-accumulated-great-fortunes-but-we-often-recognize/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [Please... tell me who you are and what you want. And if you think those are simple questions, keep in mind that most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/please-tell-me-who-you-are-and-what-you-want-and-if-you-think-those/)

[Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/)

> [With all due respect to UPS - it's a fine company - nobody cares about logistics. They care about that package arriving at their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/with-all-due-respect-to-ups-it-s-a-fine-company-nobody-cares-about/)

[Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/)

> [Don´t be unnecessarily burdened by the past. Go on closing the chapters that you have read; there is no need to go back again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/don-t-be-unnecessarily-burdened-by-the-past-go-on-closing-the/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

## More by Richard Linklater

> [There are so many great artists, I think, who kind of suffer from being icons, legends, acknowledged masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/there-are-so-many-great-artists-i-think-who-kind-of-suffer-from-being/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [I think people forget how radical the narrative of 'Slacker' is. There's no story, you know? We could go from one character to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-think-people-forget-how-radical-the-narrative-of-slacker-is-there-s/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [I always sensed instinctively from the earliest age that I was being lied to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-always-sensed-instinctively-from-the-earliest-age-that-i-was-being/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [It's just too late to ban all guns. There are 300 million. We should've done that after the Civil War - that's when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/it-s-just-too-late-to-ban-all-guns-there-are-300-million-we-should-ve/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [I remember when I made 'A Scanner Darkly,' going, 'I hope people see it in theater - but I think it's going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-remember-when-i-made-a-scanner-darkly-going-i-hope-people-see-it-in/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [Normally my process is to sit in a room and read a script and talk about it and ask questions and just create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/normally-my-process-is-to-sit-in-a-room-and-read-a-script-and-talk/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [No one is asking what happened to all the homeless. No one cares, because it's easier to get on the subway and not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/no-one-is-asking-what-happened-to-all-the-homeless-no-one-cares/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [If you establish rules and play by them, the audience will buy in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/if-you-establish-rules-and-play-by-them-the-audience-will-buy-in/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [I like films that just put you in someone's world. It can be very subversive. Hitchcock would put you in the mind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-like-films-that-just-put-you-in-someone-s-world-it-can-be-very/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [Being alone is better than sitting next to a lover and feeling lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/being-alone-is-better-than-sitting-next-to-a-lover-and-feeling-lonely/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [I admire people who can just brazenly go through the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-admire-people-who-can-just-brazenly-go-through-the-world/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [The '70s kind of sucked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/the-70s-kind-of-sucked/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [Memory is a wonderful thing if you don't have to deal with the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/memory-is-a-wonderful-thing-if-you-don-t-have-to-deal-with-the-past/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [I want cinema to be a part of my life. It's natural for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/i-want-cinema-to-be-a-part-of-my-life-it-s-natural-for-me/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [My dad's chill. He's the guy who, you wreck the car, he says, 'Well, nobody was hurt. It's just some metal.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/my-dad-s-chill-he-s-the-guy-who-you-wreck-the-car-he-says-well-nobody/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

[Explore all 180 Richard Linklater quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

## More Arriving quotes

> [Don´t be unnecessarily burdened by the past. Go on closing the chapters that you have read; there is no need to go back again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/don-t-be-unnecessarily-burdened-by-the-past-go-on-closing-the/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [With all due respect to UPS - it's a fine company - nobody cares about logistics. They care about that package arriving at their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/with-all-due-respect-to-ups-it-s-a-fine-company-nobody-cares-about/)

[Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/)

> [Please... tell me who you are and what you want. And if you think those are simple questions, keep in mind that most people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/please-tell-me-who-you-are-and-what-you-want-and-if-you-think-those/)

[Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/)

> [We see men who have accumulated great fortunes, but we often recognize only their triumph, overlooking the temporary defeats which they had to surmount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/we-see-men-who-have-accumulated-great-fortunes-but-we-often-recognize/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-walcott/the-time-will-come-when-with-elation-you-will-greet-yourself-arriving/)

[Derek Walcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-walcott/)

> [He must have driven this way countless times, and yet he had no memory of the scenery. He must have been so caught up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/he-must-have-driven-this-way-countless-times-and-yet-he-had-no-memory/)

[Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/)

> [When people know the desired destination, they’re free to improvise, as needed, in arriving there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/when-people-know-the-desired-destination-they-re-free-to-improvise-as/)

[Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/)

> [It's not a question of arriving and putting in a whole new administration, but instead, arriving and "compacting" things as much as possible, reducing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-slim/it-s-not-a-question-of-arriving-and-putting-in-a-whole-new/)

[Carlos Slim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-slim/)

> [Upon arriving, meeting their teachers and signing up for classes, these students began to realize that their attendance at Delaware State University was not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-n-castle/upon-arriving-meeting-their-teachers-and-signing-up-for-classes-these/)

[Michael N. Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-n-castle/)

> [If you travel as much as I do - 165,000 miles last year - you exist nowhere. You're always between heaven and earth, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-houston/if-you-travel-as-much-as-i-do-165-000-miles-last-year-you-exist/)

[Jean Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-houston/)

> [It is the immigrant hordes who keep this country alive, the waves of them arriving year after year… Who believes in America more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-doctorow/it-is-the-immigrant-hordes-who-keep-this-country-alive-the-waves-of/)

[E. L. Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-doctorow/)

> [“I was so sure that I knew what they needed and what I wanted to sell them that I never stopped long enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/i-was-so-sure-that-i-knew-what-they-needed-and-what-i-wanted-to-sell/)

[Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/)

> [You can be creative only when there is abandonment-which means, really, there is no sense of compulsion, no fear of not being, of not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/you-can-be-creative-only-when-there-is-abandonment-which-means-really/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [There are days when I don't want to go to the gym or find myself not super motivated upon arriving. I would visualize myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-smith/there-are-days-when-i-don-t-want-to-go-to-the-gym-or-find-myself-not/)

[Kim Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-smith/)

> [I left Montana in Spring of 1866, for Utah, arriving at Salt Lake city during the summer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calamity-jane/i-left-montana-in-spring-of-1866-for-utah-arriving-at-salt-lake-city/)

[Calamity Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calamity-jane/)

Browse all 262 Arriving quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The idea is to remain in a state of constant departure, while always arriving.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Linklater"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-constant-departure-while-always/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Arriving"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-constant-departure-while-always/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/richard-linklater-2192_arriving_the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-cons_2983184.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/richard-linklater-2192_arriving_the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-cons_2983184.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b2/richard-linklater-2192_arriving_the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-cons_2983184.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The idea is to remain in a state of constant departure, while always arriving.” — Richard Linklater",
                "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": "Richard Linklater",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The idea is to remain in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-constant-departure-while-always/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/the-idea-is-to-remain-in-a-state-of-constant-departure-while-always/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
