--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, I can sort of control it now,\"…" description: "\"“You know, I can sort of control it now,\" I tell him, beaming. \"I can moderate my strength levels.\" \"Good for you. I'll buy you a balloon the minute th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b90/tahereh-mafi-229_balloon_you-know-i-can-sort-of-control-it-now-i_935086.png" --- # You know, I can sort of control it now," I tell him… ![“You know, I can sort of control it now," I tell him, beaming. "I can moderate my strength levels." "Good for you. I'll buy you a balloon the minute the world stops shitting on itself.” quote by Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b90/tahereh-mafi-229_balloon_you-know-i-can-sort-of-control-it-now-i_935086.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b90/tahereh-mafi-229_balloon_you-know-i-can-sort-of-control-it-now-i_935086.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b90/tahereh-mafi-229_balloon_you-know-i-can-sort-of-control-it-now-i_935086.png) > ““You know, I can sort of control it now," I tell him, beaming. "I can moderate my strength levels." "Good for you. I'll buy you a balloon the minute the world stops shitting on itself.”” [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker gains self‑control over strength, and offers a reward when the world stops harming itself. **In simple terms:** He learns to moderate power and promises a gift if chaos ends. Key Takeaway Practice self‑control and reward progress. Themes self‑control growth reward hope Mood hopeful lighthearted Type inspirational humorous When to use this quote - daily self‑regulation - goal setting - celebrating milestones Key Concepts personal development fictional dialogue motivational speaking Questions to Reflect On - What internal motivations sustain change without external rewards? - How does humor affect seriousness of the message? A Different Perspective Reward may feel conditional, reducing intrinsic motivation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balloon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balloon/) [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Juliette-ferrars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/juliette-ferrars/) [Kenji-kishimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kenji-kishimoto/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) ## Related quotes > [“So that's it?" Kenji says. "You just like him for his personality, huh?" "What?" "All of this," Kenji says, waving a hand in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/so-that-s-it-kenji-says-you-just-like-him-for-his-personality-huh/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I'm here for you kid. That's what friends are for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-m-here-for-you-kid-that-s-what-friends-are-for/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“When are you putting me down?" he counters, no longer amused. "I mean, I've got an excellent view of your ass from here, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/when-are-you-putting-me-down-he-counters-no-longer-amused-i-mean-i-ve/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I do want you," I say to him, my voice shaking. "I want you so much it scares me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-do-want-you-i-say-to-him-my-voice-shaking-i-want-you-so-much-it/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“One day," I say to him, "you'll realize that Warner is not as crazy as you think he is." "Yeah." Kenji says. 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You don’t like to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-am-going-to-murder-you-no-he-says-pointing-at-me-as-he-shifts/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I'm not falling for Warner," I say quietly. "Sure you aren't." "I'm not," I insist. "I'm just-- I don't know." I sigh. "I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-m-not-falling-for-warner-i-say-quietly-sure-you-aren-t-i-m-not-i/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Can you, like, see invisible people, too?" "No," Warner says to him, eyes focused in front of him. "I can feel your presence. Hers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/can-you-like-see-invisible-people-too-no-warner-says-to-him-eyes/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“It's incredible how someone can look so right and feel so wrong. Kent is a lucky bastard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/it-s-incredible-how-someone-can-look-so-right-and-feel-so-wrong-kent/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Are you out of your goddamn mind? You think we can take on two hundred soldiers? I know I am an extremely attractive man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/are-you-out-of-your-goddamn-mind-you-think-we-can-take-on-two-hundred/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [Moderate strength is shown in violence, supreme strength is shown in levity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/moderate-strength-is-shown-in-violence-supreme-strength-is-shown-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Remember that which is written: "Moderate strength rings the bell: great strength returns the penny." It is always the little bit extra that brings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/remember-that-which-is-written-moderate-strength-rings-the-bell-great/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [“Hey, um, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for a friend of mine," he says. "Have you seen her? She's a tiny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/hey-um-i-m-sorry-to-bother-you-but-i-m-looking-for-a-friend-of-mine/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) ## More by Tahereh Mafi > [His hands are holding my cheeks, and he pulls back just to look me in the eye and his chest is heaving and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/his-hands-are-holding-my-cheeks-and-he-pulls-back-just-to-look-me-in/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“think Adam is looking to break Kenji’s neck at this point.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/think-adam-is-looking-to-break-kenji-s-neck-at-this-point/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I didn't want the clothes or the perfect shoes or the expensive anything. I didn't want to be draped in silk. 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His love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/he-s-too-much-everything-about-him-is-too-much-his-emotions-his/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Right now I can't even control my own imagination as it grips my hair and drags me into the dark”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/right-now-i-can-t-even-control-my-own-imagination-as-it-grips-my-hair/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I want you, I want all of you. I want you inside and out and catching your breath and aching for me like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-want-you-i-want-all-of-you-i-want-you-inside-and-out-and-catching/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I will give no one the satisfaction of my death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-will-give-no-one-the-satisfaction-of-my-death/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I almost forget that she still hates me, despite how hard I’ve fallen for her. And I’ve fallen. So hard. I’ve hit the ground.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-almost-forget-that-she-still-hates-me-despite-how-hard-i-ve-fallen/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/all-i-ever-wanted-was-to-reach-out-and-touch-another-human-being-not/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“It's the kind of kiss that makes you realize oxygen is overrated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/it-s-the-kind-of-kiss-that-makes-you-realize-oxygen-is-overrated/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“That’s when I understand. Of course she’s not okay. Of course she didn’t get any sleep last night. Last night she almost killed one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/that-s-when-i-understand-of-course-she-s-not-okay-of-course-she-didn/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I used to have a family. He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-used-to-have-a-family-he/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I've never been able to follow through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-ve-never-been-able-to-follow-through/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“ground where it smells like ice and metal and dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/ground-where-it-smells-like-ice-and-metal-and-dirt/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) [Explore all 821 Tahereh Mafi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) ## More Balloon quotes > [I have my meals delivered... you know what I like? Chicken and rice... But the problem with being a defensive lineman is, if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-douglas/i-have-my-meals-delivered-you-know-what-i-like-chicken-and-rice-but/) [Hugh Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-douglas/) > [I'm a big Penn & Teller fan. But I myself was never very good; I was a teenage magician who performed at kids' parties.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-glass/i-m-a-big-penn-teller-fan-but-i-myself-was-never-very-good-i-was-a/) [Ira Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-glass/) > [I don't care how old you are when a balloon is about to hit the floor you dive for that shit!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/i-don-t-care-how-old-you-are-when-a-balloon-is-about-to-hit-the-floor/) [Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/) > [Five runs with two outs is tough to take. It sure took the air out of our balloon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hargrove/five-runs-with-two-outs-is-tough-to-take-it-sure-took-the-air-out-of/) Mike Hargrove > [Let go of it, as if it's a balloon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hope/let-go-of-it-as-if-it-s-a-balloon/) [Amber Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hope/) > [“We are not in a mincing lady's boudoir; we are, as it were, two abstract beings in a balloon, who have met in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/we-are-not-in-a-mincing-lady-s-boudoir-we-are-as-it-were-two-abstract/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [Imagination is to love what gas is to the balloon-that which raises it from earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-elizabeth-landon/imagination-is-to-love-what-gas-is-to-the-balloon-that-which-raises/) [Letitia Elizabeth Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-elizabeth-landon/) > [The balloon seems to stand still in the air while the earth flies past underneath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-santos-dumont/the-balloon-seems-to-stand-still-in-the-air-while-the-earth-flies/) [Alberto Santos-Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-santos-dumont/) > [I should call people back more readily. 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I let go of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-kravitz/me-being-in-my-grandmother-s-yard-in-brooklyn-i-must-have-been-about/) [Lenny Kravitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-kravitz/) [Browse all 105 Balloon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balloon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You know, I can sort of control it now,\" I tell him, beaming. \"I can moderate my strength levels.\" \"Good for you. 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