--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We take our bearings from the wrong…" description: "\"“We take our bearings from the wrong landmark, wish that when young we had studied the stars - name the flowers for ourselves and the deserts after oth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cc/shirley-hazzard-9123_astronomy_we-take-our-bearings-from-the-wrong-land_1141198.jpg" --- # We take our bearings from the wrong landmark, wish that… ![“We take our bearings from the wrong landmark, wish that when young we had studied the stars - name the flowers for ourselves and the deserts after others. When the territory is charted, its eventual aspect may be quite other than what was hoped for. One can only say, it will be a whole - a region…” quote by Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cc/shirley-hazzard-9123_astronomy_we-take-our-bearings-from-the-wrong-land_1141198.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cc/shirley-hazzard-9123_astronomy_we-take-our-bearings-from-the-wrong-land_1141198.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1cc/shirley-hazzard-9123_astronomy_we-take-our-bearings-from-the-wrong-land_1141198.jpg) > ““We take our bearings from the wrong landmark, wish that when young we had studied the stars - name the flowers for ourselves and the deserts after others. When the territory is charted, its eventual aspect may be quite other than what was hoped for. One can only say, it will be a whole - a region from which a few features, not necessarily those that seemed prominent at the start, will stand out in clear colours. Not to direct, but to solace us; not to fix our positions, but to show us how we came.”” [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often base decisions on misguided references, later realizing reality differs from expectations; true understanding comes from reflecting on our journey, not just fixing positions. **In simple terms:** We misjudge guides, later see reality, and learn from our path. Key Takeaway Accept imperfect maps and focus on what truly matters. Themes reflection perception growth Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - personal development - creative projects - travel - relationship building Key Concepts Existentialism subjectivity narrative Questions to Reflect On - How do you choose your reference points? - What if your expectations shift? A Different Perspective Our initial assumptions may mislead, requiring flexibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Charted Eventual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charted-eventual-3181422/) [Flowers Deserts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flowers-deserts-3181423/) [Landmark Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landmark-wish-3181424/) [Studied Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studied-stars-2019010/) [Territory Charted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/territory-charted-3181421/) ## Related quotes > [“If only we studied the stars as much as we study our own reflections.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/if-only-we-studied-the-stars-as-much-as-we-study-our-own-reflections/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. 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Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) [Nicole Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-gentile/) > [“If there are no stars on the sky, you must try to be happy with the shining streetlights!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-there-are-no-stars-on-the-sky-you-must-try-to-be-happy-with-the/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Sentinels of trees breathe life into bodies of earthly flesh As their mighty arms reach to the stars we join in their quest for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-ravenswood/sentinels-of-trees-breathe-life-into-bodies-of-earthly-flesh-as-their/) [Ramon Ravenswood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-ravenswood/) > [From the grasses in the field to the stars in the sky, each one is doing just that; and there is such profound peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/from-the-grasses-in-the-field-to-the-stars-in-the-sky-each-one-is/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Shirley Hazzard > [It's nervous work. The state you need to write in is the state that others are paying large sums of money to get rid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/it-s-nervous-work-the-state-you-need-to-write-in-is-the-state-that/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [I wasn't convinced a shop girl would know the word 'Oedipal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/i-wasn-t-convinced-a-shop-girl-would-know-the-word-oedipal/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [Great literature is like moral leadership; everyone deplores the lack of it, but there is a tendency to prefer it from the safely dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/great-literature-is-like-moral-leadership-everyone-deplores-the-lack/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [When people say of their tragedies, 'I don't often think of it now,' what they mean is it has entered permanently into their thoughts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/when-people-say-of-their-tragedies-i-don-t-often-think-of-it-now-what/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“But that's a way to go on loving--a place, or a person. 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That contributes to the impression that someone, somewhere,knows the whole thing." \[p. 38\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/i-said-some-people-do-know-more-than-others-that-contributes-to-the/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“Dark had meant Dora, had meant words and events sordid with self. Struggling to the light from Dora's darkness, Caro had acquired conscience and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/dark-had-meant-dora-had-meant-words-and-events-sordid-with-self/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [Marriage is like democracy - it doesn't really work, but it's all we've been able to come up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/marriage-is-like-democracy-it-doesn-t-really-work-but-it-s-all-we-ve/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“Sometimes, as now, her heart twisted and broke under his determination to wound her. At others, she was almost convinced that she felt nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/sometimes-as-now-her-heart-twisted-and-broke-under-his-determination/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“Chief Coordinator of DALTO – the Department of Aid to the Less technically Oriented, working to induce backwards nations to come forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/chief-coordinator-of-dalto-the-department-of-aid-to-the-less/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [“Occasion revived an illusion of discovery, as if one woke in a strange room to wonder afresh not only where but who one was;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/occasion-revived-an-illusion-of-discovery-as-if-one-woke-in-a-strange/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [When you realize someone is trying to hurt you, it hurts less." "Unless you love them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/when-you-realize-someone-is-trying-to-hurt-you-it-hurts-less-unless/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [Since the moment of the United Nations' inception, untold energies have been expended by governments not only toward the exclusion of persons of principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/since-the-moment-of-the-united-nations-inception-untold-energies-have/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) [Explore all 75 Shirley Hazzard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) ## More Astronomy quotes > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Wen daylight turns to a darkened hue, D lovely stars hinting at u, ur heart beat tells u something true, That some 1 badly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-kisses/wen-daylight-turns-to-a-darkened-hue-d-lovely-stars-hinting-at-u-ur/) [Butterfly\_Kisses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butterfly-kisses/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. 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Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." ... quote has been credited to Les Brown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylviek/shoot-for-the-moon-even-if-you-miss-it-you-will-land-among-the-stars/) [Sylviek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylviek/) > [When certain stars take you under their wing, it does help as they gauge your potential and are willing to work with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/when-certain-stars-take-you-under-their-wing-it-does-help-as-they/) [Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/) > [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) [Browse all 6,190 Astronomy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We take our bearings from the wrong landmark, wish that when young we had studied the stars - name the flowers for ourselves and the deserts after others. When the territory is charted, its eventual aspect may be quite other than what was hoped for. One can only say, it will be a whole - a region from which a few features, not necessarily those that seemed prominent at the start, will stand out in clear colours. 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