--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: everything is ambiguous. It's exciting…" description: "\"everything is ambiguous. It's exciting, in a way, if you can tolerate ambiguity. I can't, but I'm taking a course where it's taught, in the hope of acq..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/sheila-ballantyne-28630_ambiguity_everything-is-ambiguous-it-s-exciting-in_1690274.jpg" --- # everything is ambiguous. It's exciting, in a way, if you… ![“everything is ambiguous. It's exciting, in a way, if you can tolerate ambiguity. I can't, but I'm taking a course where it's taught, in the hope of acquiring the skill. It's called Modern Living, and you get no credit.” quote by Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/sheila-ballantyne-28630_ambiguity_everything-is-ambiguous-it-s-exciting-in_1690274.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/sheila-ballantyne-28630_ambiguity_everything-is-ambiguous-it-s-exciting-in_1690274.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a75/sheila-ballantyne-28630_ambiguity_everything-is-ambiguous-it-s-exciting-in_1690274.jpg) > “everything is ambiguous. It's exciting, in a way, if you can tolerate ambiguity. I can't, but I'm taking a course where it's taught, in the hope of acquiring the skill. It's called Modern Living, and you get no credit.” [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Embraces ambiguity as a source of excitement, urging tolerance and skill development. **In simple terms:** Ambiguity can be exciting if you learn to handle it. Key Takeaway Cultivate comfort with uncertainty. Themes learning growth ambiguity Mood curious optimistic Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - education - creative work - decision making - personal development Key Concepts psychology cognitive flexibility Questions to Reflect On - Can you identify situations where ambiguity hinders you? - How might you practice tolerance for uncertainty? A Different Perspective Not everyone thrives in ambiguous environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambiguity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) [Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [Uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty/) ## Related quotes > [What is important is to keep learning, to enjoy challenge, and to tolerate ambiguity. In the end there are no certain answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-important-is-to-keep-learning-to-enjoy-challenge-and-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Neurosis is the inability to tolerate ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/neurosis-is-the-inability-to-tolerate-ambiguity/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [I think, as we all learn as a child, you have to learn to tolerate ambiguity better and I'm still terrible at it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-think-as-we-all-learn-as-a-child-you-have-to-learn-to-tolerate/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [What is important is to keep learning, to enjoy challenge, and to tolerate ambiguity. In the end there are no certain answers. (President, Radcliffe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-horner/what-is-important-is-to-keep-learning-to-enjoy-challenge-and-to-2/) Martin Horner > [Part of teaching is helping students learn how to tolerate ambiguity, consider possibilities, and ask questions that are unanswerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-lawrence-lightfoot/part-of-teaching-is-helping-students-learn-how-to-tolerate-ambiguity/) [Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-lawrence-lightfoot/) > [Ambiguity can't be ambiguous. It is often very vivid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-mustafa/ambiguity-can-t-be-ambiguous-it-is-often-very-vivid/) [Mohammad MUSTAFA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-mustafa/) > [There's the ambiguity of human relationships, for instance. A relationship between two people, just like a sequence of words, is ambiguous if it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/there-s-the-ambiguity-of-human-relationships-for-instance-a/) [Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/) > [Life is also a mixture of unsolved problems, ambiguous victories and vague defeats-with very few moments of clear peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/life-is-also-a-mixture-of-unsolved-problems-ambiguous-victories-and/) [Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/) > [“I look for ambiguity because life is ambiguous!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marko-stout/i-look-for-ambiguity-because-life-is-ambiguous/) Marko Stout > [“The more I protested about this ambiguity, the more Joanna pointed out to me that it was both a terrible and wonderful part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/the-more-i-protested-about-this-ambiguity-the-more-joanna-pointed-out/) [Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/) > [The United States has been ambiguous on the current situation in Nepal. They have not actually come out very strongly in terms of pushing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irene-khan/the-united-states-has-been-ambiguous-on-the-current-situation-in/) [Irene Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irene-khan/) > [This is the power of images, the ambiguity. You are never completely sure of anything. With written language, it's more concrete. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-serra/this-is-the-power-of-images-the-ambiguity-you-are-never-completely/) [Albert Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-serra/) > [We will discuss the issue and the rumors surrounding it with the agency. It is not very sensitive or ambiguous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-reza-assefi/we-will-discuss-the-issue-and-the-rumors-surrounding-it-with-the/) [Hamid-Reza Assefi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-reza-assefi/) > [The Democratic leadership has expressed great concern for the incarceration rate in the commonwealth in the last few years. Now they want to fill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/the-democratic-leadership-has-expressed-great-concern-for-the/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [“It is still cheating, even if nobody comes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/it-is-still-cheating-even-if-nobody-comes/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) ## More by Sheila Ballantyne > [Illusions are crucial to the maintenance of life functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/illusions-are-crucial-to-the-maintenance-of-life-functions/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [It's unbelievable the primitive feelings that are aroused by rapid change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/it-s-unbelievable-the-primitive-feelings-that-are-aroused-by-rapid/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [There is no irritant as painful as an ace up your sleeve that you can never use; it's the kind of thing that causes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/there-is-no-irritant-as-painful-as-an-ace-up-your-sleeve-that-you-can/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [Californians are good at planning for the earthquake, while simultaneously denying it will happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/californians-are-good-at-planning-for-the-earthquake-while/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [The moon develops the imagination, as chemicals develop photographic images.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/the-moon-develops-the-imagination-as-chemicals-develop-photographic/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [If you have enough fantasies, you're ready, in the event that something happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/if-you-have-enough-fantasies-you-re-ready-in-the-event-that-something/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [Life is like a great jazz riff. You sense the end the very moment you were wanting it to go on forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/life-is-like-a-great-jazz-riff-you-sense-the-end-the-very-moment-you/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [You might not have thought it possible to give birth to others before one has given birth to oneself, but I assure you it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/you-might-not-have-thought-it-possible-to-give-birth-to-others-before/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [The trouble with going crazy is that you have to go around making it up to everyone afterwards. It seems they should be making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/the-trouble-with-going-crazy-is-that-you-have-to-go-around-making-it/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [“You can always trust information given to you by people who are crazy. They have access to truth not available through regular channels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/you-can-always-trust-information-given-to-you-by-people-who-are-crazy/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [Sundays are terrible because it is clear that there is no one in charge of the world. And this knowledge leave you drifting around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/sundays-are-terrible-because-it-is-clear-that-there-is-no-one-in/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [I can’t wait fifteen years to do my work: Because my ideas are coming now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/i-can-t-wait-fifteen-years-to-do-my-work-because-my-ideas-are-coming/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [It's expectation that differentiates you from the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/it-s-expectation-that-differentiates-you-from-the-dead/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [Some of my best friends are illusions. Been sustaining me for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/some-of-my-best-friends-are-illusions-been-sustaining-me-for-years/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) > [Ghetto humor is the social twin of fantasy; together they sustain the powerless, who accomplish miracles through illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-ballantyne/ghetto-humor-is-the-social-twin-of-fantasy-together-they-sustain-the/) [Sheila Ballantyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) [Explore all 19 Sheila Ballantyne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-ballantyne/) ## More Ambiguity quotes > [The position is clear - there is no ambiguity in Sinn Fein's position. We, along with all the other parties, have signed up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/the-position-is-clear-there-is-no-ambiguity-in-sinn-fein-s-position/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [I blame my grandfather 100 percent for his oldest son's death. I don't think there's any ambiguity there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/i-blame-my-grandfather-100-percent-for-his-oldest-son-s-death-i-don-t/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-the-relationship-between-social-dominance-orientation-in/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Yet again, an ancient answer echoes across the centuries: Listen! Listen to stories! For what stories do, above all else, is hold up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-kurtz/yet-again-an-ancient-answer-echoes-across-the-centuries-listen-listen/) [Ernest Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-kurtz/) > [My path to wisdom began when I stopped pretending to know things I didn't know. When I explicitly admitted to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/my-path-to-wisdom-began-when-i-stopped-pretending-to-know-things-i/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [In order to be as free as I possibly can, in my own imagination, I can't take positions that are closed. Everything I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-order-to-be-as-free-as-i-possibly-can-in-my-own-imagination-i-can/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I've always been drawn to ambiguity in pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-ambiguity-in-pop-music/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I believe that we can still have a genre of scientific books suitable for and accessible alike to professionals and interested laypeople. The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I am in the utmost perplexity, yand have wished a hundred times, that if there is a A God, nature would manifest him without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/i-am-in-the-utmost-perplexity-yand-have-wished-a-hundred-times-that/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [There's a lot of ambiguity in life, and so often, our art is very neatly wrapped up at the end, when our lives never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/there-s-a-lot-of-ambiguity-in-life-and-so-often-our-art-is-very/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [“Man must not attempt to dispel the ambiguity of his being but, on the contrary, accept the task of realizing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/man-must-not-attempt-to-dispel-the-ambiguity-of-his-being-but-on-the/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) [Browse all 431 Ambiguity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "everything is ambiguous. 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