--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The important thing is not the finding…" description: "\"The important thing is not the finding, it is the seeking, it is the devotion with which one spins the wheel of prayer and scripture, discovering the t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/ursula-k-le-guin-138_bible_the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-i_1245855.jpg" --- # The important thing is not the finding, it is the seeking… ![“The important thing is not the finding, it is the seeking, it is the devotion with which one spins the wheel of prayer and scripture, discovering the truth little by little.” quote by Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/ursula-k-le-guin-138_bible_the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-i_1245855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/ursula-k-le-guin-138_bible_the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-i_1245855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/ursula-k-le-guin-138_bible_the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-i_1245855.jpg) > “The important thing is not the finding, it is the seeking, it is the devotion with which one spins the wheel of prayer and scripture, discovering the truth little by little.” [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The value lies in the ongoing search and reverence, not just the discoveries, as each step reveals deeper truth. **In simple terms:** Seeking matters more than finding. Key Takeaway Embrace continual inquiry. Themes spirituality learning humility Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal growth - academic research - meditative practice - faith exploration Key Concepts epistemology devotion process Questions to Reflect On - How does your daily practice reflect devotion? - What small truths have you uncovered recently? A Different Perspective The process can be slow and may lead to frustration without visible results. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Devotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devotion/) [Discovering the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovering-the-truth/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“The important thing is not the finding, it is the seeking, it is the devotion with which one spins the wheel of prayer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-leguin/the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-it-is-the-seeking-it-is-the-2/) Ursula K. Leguin > [You can never be sure whether you are discovering the truth or inventing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/you-can-never-be-sure-whether-you-are-discovering-the-truth-or/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime’s work, but it’s worth the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/discovering-the-truth-about-ourselves-is-a-lifetime-s-work-but-it-s/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [“Once again, it seemed, I was discovering the truth of the rule, a rule I'd never explicitly formulated to myself, but whose veracity I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-philippe-toussaint/once-again-it-seemed-i-was-discovering-the-truth-of-the-rule-a-rule-i/) [Jean-Philippe Toussaint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-philippe-toussaint/) > [“Discovering the truth of who you are is the only way to love and care for yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/discovering-the-truth-of-who-you-are-is-the-only-way-to-love-and-care/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [I believe that acting in any medium is the same thing, it's discovering the truth in where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-garber/i-believe-that-acting-in-any-medium-is-the-same-thing-it-s/) [Victor Garber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-garber/) > [The greatest obstacle to discovering the truth is being convinced that you already know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/the-greatest-obstacle-to-discovering-the-truth-is-being-convinced/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetimes work, but its worth the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/discovering-the-truth-about-ourselves-is-a-lifetimes-work-but-its/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [“According to James 1:22-25, we can experience God’s truth so powerfully that what the Lord wants us to do becomes as plain to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-s-whitney/according-to-james-1-22-25-we-can-experience-god-s-truth-so/) [Donald S. Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-s-whitney/) > [Some mathematician said that pleasure lies not in discovering the truth but in searching for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/some-mathematician-said-that-pleasure-lies-not-in-discovering-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Laboring through a world every day more stultified, which expected salvation in codes and governments, ever more willing to settle for suburban narratives and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/laboring-through-a-world-every-day-more-stultified-which-expected/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Knowing comes from learning, finding from seeking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaddey-ratner/knowing-comes-from-learning-finding-from-seeking/) [Vaddey Ratner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaddey-ratner/) > [The pleasure lies not in discovering truth, but in searching for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-pleasure-lies-not-in-discovering-truth-but-in-searching-for-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Discovering truth is a process that occurs over time, more fully with each idea or book that gets added to the equation. Sure, many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-swallow-prior/discovering-truth-is-a-process-that-occurs-over-time-more-fully-with/) [Karen Swallow Prior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-swallow-prior/) > [Science is clearly one of the most profound methods that humans have yet devised for discovering truth, while religion remains the single greatest force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/science-is-clearly-one-of-the-most-profound-methods-that-humans-have/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) ## More by Ursula K. Le Guin > [“...I wore his blood for clothing, on my legs and thighs and hands: a dry, stiff, brown garment with no warmth in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-wore-his-blood-for-clothing-on-my-legs-and-thighs-and-hands-a-dry/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Translation is entirely mysterious. Increasingly I have felt that the art of writing is itself translating, or more like translating than it is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/translation-is-entirely-mysterious-increasingly-i-have-felt-that-the/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“Aeneas' mother is a star?" "No; a goddess." I said cautiously, "Venus is the power that we invoke in spring, in the garden, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/aeneas-mother-is-a-star-no-a-goddess-i-said-cautiously-venus-is-the/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“Meaning - this is perhaps the common note, the bane I am seeking. What is the Meaning of this book, this event in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/meaning-this-is-perhaps-the-common-note-the-bane-i-am-seeking-what-is/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [For fantasy is true, of course. It isn't factual, but it is true. Children know that. Adults know it too, and that is precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/for-fantasy-is-true-of-course-it-isn-t-factual-but-it-is-true/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“. . . chronosophy does involve ethics. Because our sense of time involves our ability to separate cause and effect, means and end. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/chronosophy-does-involve-ethics-because-our-sense-of-time-involves/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“If both you and your plane are on time, the airport is merely a diffuse, short, miserable prelude to the intense, long, miserable plane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/if-both-you-and-your-plane-are-on-time-the-airport-is-merely-a/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“The author is not impartial. Dystopia is not tragedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-author-is-not-impartial-dystopia-is-not-tragedy/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Between thought and spoken word is a gap where intention can enter, the symbol be twisted aside, and the lie come to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/between-thought-and-spoken-word-is-a-gap-where-intention-can-enter/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [I have no control over my writing. I have lots of good intentions, but no control. There's a story that wants to be told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-have-no-control-over-my-writing-i-have-lots-of-good-intentions-but/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“I did a lot today. That is, I did something. The only thing I have ever done. I pressed a button. It took the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-did-a-lot-today-that-is-i-did-something-the-only-thing-i-have-ever/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [To me the female principle is, or at least historically has been, basically anarchic. It values order without constraint, rule by custom not by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/to-me-the-female-principle-is-or-at-least-historically-has-been/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“Hector had no virtue?” “Of course he did. He won all his battles, till the last one.” “We all do,” Aeneas remarked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/hector-had-no-virtue-of-course-he-did-he-won-all-his-battles-till-the/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“I was willing to believe him that most modern writing was trash, on the evidence that so much old writing was trash; but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-was-willing-to-believe-him-that-most-modern-writing-was-trash-on/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“Can women operate as women in a male institution without becoming imitation men?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/can-women-operate-as-women-in-a-male-institution-without-becoming/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) [Explore all 1,114 Ursula K. Le Guin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) Robert A. Peterson > [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/) Stephen Taylor > [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/) Walsham How > [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The important thing is not the finding, it is the seeking, it is the devotion with which one spins the wheel of prayer and scripture, discovering the truth little by little.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ursula K. Le Guin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-it-is-the-seeking-it-is-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-it-is-the-seeking-it-is-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/ursula-k-le-guin-138_bible_the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-i_1245855.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/ursula-k-le-guin-138_bible_the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-i_1245855.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc8/ursula-k-le-guin-138_bible_the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-i_1245855.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The important thing is not the finding, it is the seeking, it is the devotion with which one spins the wheel…” — Ursula K. Le Guin", "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": "Ursula K. Le Guin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The important thing is not the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-it-is-the-seeking-it-is-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-important-thing-is-not-the-finding-it-is-the-seeking-it-is-the/#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 } } ] } ```