--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am interested only in the unknown and I…" description: "\"I am interested only in the unknown and I work for my own astonishment.\" — Roberto Matta" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/roberto-matta-273810_astonishment_i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and_2309196.jpg" --- # I am interested only in the unknown and I work for my own… ![“I am interested only in the unknown and I work for my own astonishment.” quote by Roberto Matta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/roberto-matta-273810_astonishment_i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and_2309196.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/roberto-matta-273810_astonishment_i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and_2309196.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/roberto-matta-273810_astonishment_i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and_2309196.jpg) > “I am interested only in the unknown and I work for my own astonishment.” [Roberto Matta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-matta/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The unknown fuels curiosity; working on personal astonishment drives creative discovery. **In simple terms:** Curiosity about the unknown inspires personal wonder. Key Takeaway Pursue the unknown to spark imagination. Themes curiosity astonishment creativity exploration self‑motivation Mood inquisitive enthusiastic Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - research - artistic practice - personal projects Key Concepts philosophy art psychology Questions to Reflect On - What unknown excites you? - How does astonishment shape your work? A Different Perspective Fear of the unknown can inhibit action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astonishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonishment/) [Curious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curious/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested/) [Interested Unknown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested-unknown-5478659/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Unknown Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unknown-work-4116598/) [Work Astonishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-astonishment-5478658/) ## Related quotes > [There's nothing like the discovery of an unknown work by a great thinker to set the intellectual community atwitter and cause academics to dart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/there-s-nothing-like-the-discovery-of-an-unknown-work-by-a-great/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [It used to be that you could do these nuggets of a movie and it would attach itself in terms of credibility to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-harris/it-used-to-be-that-you-could-do-these-nuggets-of-a-movie-and-it-would/) [Jared Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-harris/) > [I'm interested in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-norris/i-m-interested-in-everything/) [Woody Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-norris/) > [I'm very interested in the way people interact emotionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-king/i-m-very-interested-in-the-way-people-interact-emotionally/) [Lily King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-king/) > [“For the analyst it is a source of never-ending astonishment how comparatively well a person can function with the core of himself not participating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/for-the-analyst-it-is-a-source-of-never-ending-astonishment-how/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [Both of you’ll just have to believe me. Emma’s one of those women who was born with… The thing is, the minute a heterosexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/both-of-you-ll-just-have-to-believe-me-emma-s-one-of-those-women-who/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [For a moment Clary thought she might fall; she felt as if something essential had been torn away from her, an arm or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/for-a-moment-clary-thought-she-might-fall-she-felt-as-if-something/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“See? Nothing to it." "I see all right," Carly said, her tone full of awe. She gaped at him. "What?" "Um..." "Jesus, Carly, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lissa-bryan/see-nothing-to-it-i-see-all-right-carly-said-her-tone-full-of-awe-she/) [Lissa Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lissa-bryan/) > [Those who have past much of their lives in this great city, look upon its opulence and its multitudes, its extent and variety, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/those-who-have-past-much-of-their-lives-in-this-great-city-look-upon/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Witness each moment in astounded jubilation. Take every holy breath in gratitude. Rejoice in life!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/witness-each-moment-in-astounded-jubilation-take-every-holy-breath-in/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [If you aren't constantly astonished at God's grace in your solitude, there's no way it can happen in public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-aren-t-constantly-astonished-at-god-s-grace-in-your-solitude/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If there be a skeptical star I was born under it. Yet I have lived all my days in complete astonishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-macneile-dixon/if-there-be-a-skeptical-star-i-was-born-under-it-yet-i-have-lived-all/) [William Macneile Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-macneile-dixon/) > [A lot of what I am looking for is a moment of astonishment, he says. Those moments of pure consciousness when you involuntarily inhale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-meyerowitz/a-lot-of-what-i-am-looking-for-is-a-moment-of-astonishment-he-says/) [Joel Meyerowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-meyerowitz/) > [Rich men are resolved to be astonished at nothing. When they see a masterpiece, they must needs at one glance recognize some flaw to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/rich-men-are-resolved-to-be-astonished-at-nothing-when-they-see-a/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“A writer lives, at least, in a state of astonishment. Beneath any feeling he has of the good or evil of the world lies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sansom/a-writer-lives-at-least-in-a-state-of-astonishment-beneath-any/) [William Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sansom/) ## More Astonishment quotes > [“A writer lives, at least, in a state of astonishment. Beneath any feeling he has of the good or evil of the world lies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sansom/a-writer-lives-at-least-in-a-state-of-astonishment-beneath-any/) [William Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sansom/) > [Rich men are resolved to be astonished at nothing. When they see a masterpiece, they must needs at one glance recognize some flaw to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/rich-men-are-resolved-to-be-astonished-at-nothing-when-they-see-a/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [A lot of what I am looking for is a moment of astonishment, he says. Those moments of pure consciousness when you involuntarily inhale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-meyerowitz/a-lot-of-what-i-am-looking-for-is-a-moment-of-astonishment-he-says/) [Joel Meyerowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-meyerowitz/) > [If there be a skeptical star I was born under it. Yet I have lived all my days in complete astonishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-macneile-dixon/if-there-be-a-skeptical-star-i-was-born-under-it-yet-i-have-lived-all/) [William Macneile Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-macneile-dixon/) > [If you aren't constantly astonished at God's grace in your solitude, there's no way it can happen in public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-aren-t-constantly-astonished-at-god-s-grace-in-your-solitude/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Witness each moment in astounded jubilation. Take every holy breath in gratitude. Rejoice in life!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/witness-each-moment-in-astounded-jubilation-take-every-holy-breath-in/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Those who have past much of their lives in this great city, look upon its opulence and its multitudes, its extent and variety, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/those-who-have-past-much-of-their-lives-in-this-great-city-look-upon/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“See? Nothing to it." "I see all right," Carly said, her tone full of awe. She gaped at him. "What?" "Um..." "Jesus, Carly, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lissa-bryan/see-nothing-to-it-i-see-all-right-carly-said-her-tone-full-of-awe-she/) [Lissa Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lissa-bryan/) > [For a moment Clary thought she might fall; she felt as if something essential had been torn away from her, an arm or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/for-a-moment-clary-thought-she-might-fall-she-felt-as-if-something/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Both of you’ll just have to believe me. Emma’s one of those women who was born with… The thing is, the minute a heterosexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/both-of-you-ll-just-have-to-believe-me-emma-s-one-of-those-women-who/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [“For the analyst it is a source of never-ending astonishment how comparatively well a person can function with the core of himself not participating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/for-the-analyst-it-is-a-source-of-never-ending-astonishment-how/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [It was only when I lay there on the rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/it-was-only-when-i-lay-there-on-the-rotting-prison-straw-that-i/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [Sometimes, people trying to commit suicide manage it in a manner that leaves them breathless with astonishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-people-trying-to-commit-suicide-manage-it-in-a-manner-that/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [When I wake up, I wake to something worse. It’s the astonishment of being myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/when-i-wake-up-i-wake-to-something-worse-it-s-the-astonishment-of/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of Days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/what-shall-i-say-and-how-shall-i-describe-this-birth-to-you-for-this/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) [Browse all 227 Astonishment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonishment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am interested only in the unknown and I work for my own astonishment.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roberto Matta" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-matta/i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and-i-work-for-my-own-astonishment/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Astonishment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-matta/i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and-i-work-for-my-own-astonishment/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/roberto-matta-273810_astonishment_i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and_2309196.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/roberto-matta-273810_astonishment_i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and_2309196.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/roberto-matta-273810_astonishment_i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and_2309196.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I am interested only in the unknown and I work for my own astonishment.” — Roberto Matta", "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": "Roberto Matta", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-matta/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I am interested only in the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-matta/i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and-i-work-for-my-own-astonishment/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-matta/i-am-interested-only-in-the-unknown-and-i-work-for-my-own-astonishment/#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 } } ] } ```