--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps he had to be close in order to…" description: "\"Perhaps he had to be close in order to keep a reason for the things he did. To make the things he did be themselves Life. And not merely a delightful e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/robert-penn-warren-2118_able_perhaps-he-had-to-be-close-in-order-to-k_3027175.jpg" --- # Perhaps he had to be close in order to keep a reason for… ![“Perhaps he had to be close in order to keep a reason for the things he did. To make the things he did be themselves Life. And not merely a delightful excercise of technical skill which man had been able to achieve because he, of all animals, had a fine thumb. Which is nonsense, for whatever you…” quote by Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/robert-penn-warren-2118_able_perhaps-he-had-to-be-close-in-order-to-k_3027175.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/robert-penn-warren-2118_able_perhaps-he-had-to-be-close-in-order-to-k_3027175.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/411/robert-penn-warren-2118_able_perhaps-he-had-to-be-close-in-order-to-k_3027175.jpg) > “Perhaps he had to be close in order to keep a reason for the things he did. To make the things he did be themselves Life. And not merely a delightful excercise of technical skill which man had been able to achieve because he, of all animals, had a fine thumb. Which is nonsense, for whatever you live is Life.” [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He needed proximity to give purpose to his actions, turning them into genuine life rather than mere technical display. **In simple terms:** Close proximity gives meaning to actions. Key Takeaway Seek purpose, not just skill. Themes purpose meaning existence Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - creative work - career decisions Key Concepts humanism authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How does closeness shape your purpose? - Can skill become life without meaning? A Different Perspective Close proximity alone may not guarantee meaning without reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Delightful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delightful/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonsense/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [Technical skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technical-skills/) ## Related quotes > [Too much under the thumb of the Iranians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/too-much-under-the-thumb-of-the-iranians/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) > [Every honest miller has a golden thumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-chaucer/every-honest-miller-has-a-golden-thumb/) [Geoffrey Chaucer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-chaucer/) > [I have odd thumbs that are extremely flexible. I can bend them quite far down the back side of my hand, basically the opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mennell/i-have-odd-thumbs-that-are-extremely-flexible-i-can-bend-them-quite/) [Laura Mennell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mennell/) > [The Golden Thumb is not as good as the Oscar, but it is a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/the-golden-thumb-is-not-as-good-as-the-oscar-but-it-is-a-lot-of-fun/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Sucking your thumb without a blanket is like eating a cone without ice cream!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/sucking-your-thumb-without-a-blanket-is-like-eating-a-cone-without/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [I don't type fast. I type with three fingers - two on one hand, and I only get one going on the other. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-earle/i-don-t-type-fast-i-type-with-three-fingers-two-on-one-hand-and-i/) [Steve Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-earle/) > [What would surprise a lot of people about me... I'm a gardener! I have a green thumb. I really like to get into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-donovan/what-would-surprise-a-lot-of-people-about-me-i-m-a-gardener-i-have-a/) [Jeffrey Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-donovan/) > [The thumb does not have very a important role when shifting from one position to another. There is too much said, as it seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-auer/the-thumb-does-not-have-very-a-important-role-when-shifting-from-one/) [Leopold Auer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-auer/) > [I don't know why people called me Tom. 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