--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now pull back briefly from the dripping…" description: "\"“Now pull back briefly from the dripping streets of Ankh-Morpork, pan across the morning mists of the Disc, and focus in again on a young man heading f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/terry-pratchett-19_morning-mist_now-pull-back-briefly-from-the-dripping_1586699.jpg" --- # Now pull back briefly from the dripping streets of… ![“Now pull back briefly from the dripping streets of Ankh-Morpork, pan across the morning mists of the Disc, and focus in again on a young man heading for the city with all the openness, sincerity, and innocence of purpose of an iceberg drifting into a major shipping lane.” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/terry-pratchett-19_morning-mist_now-pull-back-briefly-from-the-dripping_1586699.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/terry-pratchett-19_morning-mist_now-pull-back-briefly-from-the-dripping_1586699.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e6/terry-pratchett-19_morning-mist_now-pull-back-briefly-from-the-dripping_1586699.jpg) > ““Now pull back briefly from the dripping streets of Ankh-Morpork, pan across the morning mists of the Disc, and focus in again on a young man heading for the city with all the openness, sincerity, and innocence of purpose of an iceberg drifting into a major shipping lane.”” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A young man approaches the city with naive optimism, unaware of the dangers ahead, like an iceberg entering a busy sea lane. **In simple terms:** Naïve optimism meets hidden danger. Key Takeaway Beware blind optimism in complex worlds. Themes optimism naïveté danger journey growth Mood cautious reflective hopeful Type literary philosophical warning When to use this quote - starting a new job - moving to a new city - entering a competitive field - first day of school Key Concepts human nature risk perception innocence Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance openness with caution? - What signs indicate hidden risks in new environments? A Different Perspective Optimism can blind one to real threats and lead to costly mistakes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Iceberg Drifting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iceberg-drifting-5907849/) [Man Heading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-heading-6005257/) [Morning mist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning-mist/) [Openness Sincerity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/openness-sincerity-6005258/) [Sincerity Innocence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincerity-innocence-5247017/) [Streets Ankh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets-ankh-2314518/) [Young man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-man/) ## Related quotes > [He found that he had this sudden desperate longing for the fuming, smoky streets of Ankh-Morpork, which was always at its best in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-found-that-he-had-this-sudden-desperate-longing-for-the-fuming/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“I am an iceberg drifting toward the edge of the map.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-am-an-iceberg-drifting-toward-the-edge-of-the-map/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [at the press conference for the film he impressed everyone with his complete sincerity and innocence. he said he had come to see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/at-the-press-conference-for-the-film-he-impressed-everyone-with-his/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [Sincerity with innocence, though cute, though it makes good movies, makes for very bad government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-capuano/sincerity-with-innocence-though-cute-though-it-makes-good-movies/) [Michael Capuano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-capuano/) > [I wish someone else would write a book that clearly and persuasively articulated why women's reproductive rights are so important to this country, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-wish-someone-else-would-write-a-book-that-clearly-and-persuasively/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [The most wonderful thing in life is to be delirious and the most wonderful kind of delirium is being in love. 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And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 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To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/say-i-am-you-i-am-dust-particles-in-sunlight-i-am-the-round-sun-to/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“He couldn't wait to get home from school, to play with Jenny 'till bedtime, when she went to sleep on his bed and both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/livi-michael/he-couldn-t-wait-to-get-home-from-school-to-play-with-jenny-till/) [Livi Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/livi-michael/) > [“Elspeth reached up a tentative hand to comfort him, palming the cheek that wasn’t covered with woad. He wrapped an arm around her waist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-mason/elspeth-reached-up-a-tentative-hand-to-comfort-him-palming-the-cheek/) [Connie Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-mason/) > [“GRATITUDE Opening the back door to make my way towards the swinging bench I walk on the stone path beneath the dripping forest behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luccini-shurod/gratitude-opening-the-back-door-to-make-my-way-towards-the-swinging/) [Luccini Shurod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luccini-shurod/) > [The most wonderful thing in life is to be delirious and the most wonderful kind of delirium is being in love. 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