--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm interested in things when I don't…" description: "\"I'm interested in things when I don't know what they are. Like \"Hey, Ray, what the hell is this?\" Oh, that's lipstick from the 1700s, that's dog food f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/tom-waits-916_century_i-m-interested-in-things-when-i-don-t-kn_3149013.jpg" --- # I'm interested in things when I don't know what they are… ![“I'm interested in things when I don't know what they are. Like "Hey, Ray, what the hell is this?" Oh, that's lipstick from the 1700s, that's dog food from the turn of the century, that's a hat from World War II. I'm interested in the minutiae of things. Oddities.” quote by Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/tom-waits-916_century_i-m-interested-in-things-when-i-don-t-kn_3149013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/tom-waits-916_century_i-m-interested-in-things-when-i-don-t-kn_3149013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/tom-waits-916_century_i-m-interested-in-things-when-i-don-t-kn_3149013.jpg) > “I'm interested in things when I don't know what they are. Like "Hey, Ray, what the hell is this?" Oh, that's lipstick from the 1700s, that's dog food from the turn of the century, that's a hat from World War II. I'm interested in the minutiae of things. Oddities.” [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Curiosity drives us to explore obscure details, turning the unfamiliar into knowledge and wonder. **In simple terms:** Being curious about odd things expands understanding. Key Takeaway Embrace the unknown and investigate. Themes curiosity oddities learning Mood inquisitive playful Type observational storytelling When to use this quote - museum visits - historical research - collecting curiosities - educational podcasts Key Concepts historical artifacts cultural trivia personal anecdotes Questions to Reflect On - What small detail could reveal a larger story? - How does curiosity shape your worldview? A Different Perspective Obsession with minutiae can distract from broader context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Dog food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog-food/) [Hats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hats/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Hey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hey/) [Interested Minutiae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested-minutiae-5523369/) [Interested Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested-things/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Lipstick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lipstick/) [Minutiae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutiae/) [Minutiae Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutiae-things-5644949/) [Oddities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oddities/) [Rays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rays/) [Things Oddities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-oddities-5644948/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war i](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-i/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) ## Related quotes > [I'm really interested in the minutiae of different tones and what that explains - how people's backgrounds are reflected in minute details of how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-miller/i-m-really-interested-in-the-minutiae-of-different-tones-and-what/) [Rebecca Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-miller/) > [“A brick could be used to show you how to live a richer, fuller, more satisfying life. 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Looks like a dog that is still far away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billiam-coronel/chihuahua-there-s-a-waste-of-dog-food-looks-like-a-dog-that-is-still/) [Billiam Coronel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billiam-coronel/) > [“Her questions about whether Palmer would have raped her if she hadn’t been taking a forbidden bath on the job, if she’d remembered to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-neely/her-questions-about-whether-palmer-would-have-raped-her-if-she-hadn-t/) [Barbara Neely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-neely/) > ['Never do the dishes without music,' my brother Mark once advised me - the same brother who once ate a spoonful of refrigerated dog…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/never-do-the-dishes-without-music-my-brother-mark-once-advised-me-the/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [They have dog food for constipated dogs. If your dog is constipated, why screw up a good thing? Stay indoors and let 'em bloat!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/they-have-dog-food-for-constipated-dogs-if-your-dog-is-constipated/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [“About as much business as a cat owner has selling dog food. Or an Olympic swimmer has advertising for downhill ski equipment. Or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-ulen-curtis/about-as-much-business-as-a-cat-owner-has-selling-dog-food-or-an/) [Laurel Ulen Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-ulen-curtis/) > [I'm such an impulse buyer. I once went into a pet store for dog food and left with a fish tank and five fish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colton-underwood/i-m-such-an-impulse-buyer-i-once-went-into-a-pet-store-for-dog-food/) [Colton Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colton-underwood/) > [Standing in the corridor was a large plastic bin on wheels. He looked inside. Empty tins of dog food. 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And you try to understand them and take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/for-a-songwriter-you-don-t-really-go-to-songwriting-school-you-learn/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [I'm trying to learn how to write faster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-m-trying-to-learn-how-to-write-faster/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [The world is a hellish place, and bad writing is destroying the quality of our suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/the-world-is-a-hellish-place-and-bad-writing-is-destroying-the/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [I'm always looking for sounds that are pleasing at the time. 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It does have its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-bark-my-voice-out-through-a-closed-throat-pretty-much-it-s-more/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) [Explore all 328 Tom Waits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) ## More Century quotes > [I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-always-that-i-am-an-outsider-a-stranger-in-this-century-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The poetry from the eighteenth century was prose; the prose from the seventeenth century was poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/the-poetry-from-the-eighteenth-century-was-prose-the-prose-from-the/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. 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