--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A moment of something between acceptance…" description: "\"A moment of something between acceptance and resignation of one's smallness in the world.\" — Stephen Dunn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephen-dunn-15620_acceptance_a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance_391352.png" --- # A moment of something between acceptance and resignation… ![“A moment of something between acceptance and resignation of one's smallness in the world.” quote by Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephen-dunn-15620_acceptance_a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance_391352.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephen-dunn-15620_acceptance_a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance_391352.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephen-dunn-15620_acceptance_a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance_391352.png) > “A moment of something between acceptance and resignation of one's smallness in the world.” [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A fleeting feeling sits between accepting one’s limits and resigning to them, reflecting humility before the vast world. **In simple terms:** Acceptance meets resignation in humility. Key Takeaway Embrace humility in life’s scale. Themes humility acceptance existence scale Mood contemplative quiet Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - career setbacks - personal loss - creative blocks - spiritual contemplation Key Concepts existential reflection self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - What smallness do you feel? - How can acceptance empower you? A Different Perspective Resignation can become passive defeat. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Resignation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resignation/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I will practice acceptance. Today I will accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur. I will know that this moment is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/i-will-practice-acceptance-today-i-will-accept-people-situations/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“Why it didn't occur to any of us that a well­-known suicide spot would be like Piccadilly Circus on New Year's Eve. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/why-it-didn-t-occur-to-any-of-us-that-a-well-known-suicide-spot-would/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [We all have to lead our own life, and we only have the one life, and the only people who can live life not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-mar-as/we-all-have-to-lead-our-own-life-and-we-only-have-the-one-life-and/) [Javier Marías](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mar-as/) > [So many things in the world have happened before. But it's like they never did. Every new thing that happens to a person, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/so-many-things-in-the-world-have-happened-before-but-it-s-like-they/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [No matter what people are struggling with, or based on whatever. Sexuality, ethnicity, economic status, size. I don't wish smallness for anyone. It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/no-matter-what-people-are-struggling-with-or-based-on-whatever/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) > [I have often thought how strange it is that men can at once and the same moment cheerfully consign our sex to lives either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-power-cobbe/i-have-often-thought-how-strange-it-is-that-men-can-at-once-and-the/) [Frances Power Cobbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-power-cobbe/) > [Infinities and indivisibles transcend our finite understanding, the former on account of their magnitude, the latter because of their smallness; Imagine what they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/infinities-and-indivisibles-transcend-our-finite-understanding-the/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [“Being here, living now, recognizing our smallness, is a spiritual practice. It allows us to be at peace with our humanity. It humbles us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/being-here-living-now-recognizing-our-smallness-is-a-spiritual/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [To grow is sometimes to hurt, but who would return to smallness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-patton-boyle/to-grow-is-sometimes-to-hurt-but-who-would-return-to-smallness/) [Sarah-Patton Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-patton-boyle/) > [It's the abject smallness of the earth that gets you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-roosa/it-s-the-abject-smallness-of-the-earth-that-gets-you/) Stuart Roosa > [Smallness in a great man seems smaller by its disproportion with all the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/smallness-in-a-great-man-seems-smaller-by-its-disproportion-with-all/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“There’s strength in observing one’s miniaturization. That you are insignificant and prone to, and God knows, dumb about a lot. Because doesn’t smallness prime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/durga-chew-bose/there-s-strength-in-observing-one-s-miniaturization-that-you-are/) [Durga Chew-Bose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/durga-chew-bose/) > [The reason "other churches" don't grow: "Jim, the truth is, I couldn't have a real prayer meeting in my church. I'd be embarrassed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-reason-other-churches-don-t-grow-jim-the-truth-is-i-couldn-t-have/) [Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/) > [“Who you are is limited only by who you think you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/normandi-ellis/who-you-are-is-limited-only-by-who-you-think-you-are/) [Normandi Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/normandi-ellis/) > [I've not conducted my life in the service of smallness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-diller/i-ve-not-conducted-my-life-in-the-service-of-smallness/) [Barry Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-diller/) ## More by Stephen Dunn > [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [I will try to disappoint you better than anyone ever has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/i-will-try-to-disappoint-you-better-than-anyone-ever-has/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [If the motive of writing is for some people a kind of exercise in dirty laundry, that's one thing. I've always thought of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/if-the-motive-of-writing-is-for-some-people-a-kind-of-exercise-in/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [The world is always somewhat vicious. I take that as a given, but at various times in various circumstances that fact will be no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/the-world-is-always-somewhat-vicious-i-take-that-as-a-given-but-at/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [A good many of my poems over the years have alluded to or taken on the political. Stevens has a line in one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/a-good-many-of-my-poems-over-the-years-have-alluded-to-or-taken-on/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [What feeling feels like over time. An attempt to screw up what feeling feels like over time. Heartbreak and a high C… The often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/what-feeling-feels-like-over-time-an-attempt-to-screw-up-what-feeling/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [“God knows nothing we don't know. We gave him every word he ever said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/god-knows-nothing-we-don-t-know-we-gave-him-every-word-he-ever-said/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [“That time I thought I was in love and calmly said so was not much different from the time I was truly in love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/that-time-i-thought-i-was-in-love-and-calmly-said-so-was-not-much/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [“I'll say I love you, Which will lead, of course, to disappointment, but those words unsaid poison every next moment. I will try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/i-ll-say-i-love-you-which-will-lead-of-course-to-disappointment-but/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [Perhaps basketball and poetry have just a few things in common, but the most important is the possibility of transcendence. The opposite is labor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/perhaps-basketball-and-poetry-have-just-a-few-things-in-common-but/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [There's a certain pleasure in violating the strictures of your education. The trick is, if you're going to explore ideas in a poem, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/there-s-a-certain-pleasure-in-violating-the-strictures-of-your/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [“He didn’t want to be this thin man whose desires were barely covered by skin, standing absolutely still. But everytime he moved there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-didn-t-want-to-be-this-thin-man-whose-desires-were-barely-covered/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [Bring to me, it said, continual proof / you've been alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/bring-to-me-it-said-continual-proof-you-ve-been-alive/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [Connubial Because with alarming accuracy she’d been identifying patterns I was unaware of—this tic, that tendency, like the way I've mastered the language of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/connubial-because-with-alarming-accuracy-she-d-been-identifying/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [I love what's left after love has been tested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/i-love-what-s-left-after-love-has-been-tested/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) [Explore all 42 Stephen Dunn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A moment of something between acceptance and resignation of one's smallness in the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Dunn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance-and-resignation-of-one-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance-and-resignation-of-one-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephen-dunn-15620_acceptance_a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance_391352.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephen-dunn-15620_acceptance_a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance_391352.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/stephen-dunn-15620_acceptance_a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance_391352.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A moment of something between acceptance and resignation of one's smallness in the world.” — Stephen Dunn", "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": "Stephen Dunn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A moment of something between acceptance...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance-and-resignation-of-one-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/a-moment-of-something-between-acceptance-and-resignation-of-one-s/#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 } } ] } ```