--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He was careful to avoid meeting anyone…" description: "\"“He was careful to avoid meeting anyone. There was Stubbs, the gardener, coming along the path. He hid behind a tree till he had passed. He let himself..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/virginia-woolf-49_quote_he-was-careful-to-avoid-meeting-anyone-t_1901597.jpg" --- # He was careful to avoid meeting anyone. There was Stubbs… ![“He was careful to avoid meeting anyone. There was Stubbs, the gardener, coming along the path. He hid behind a tree till he had passed. He let himself out at a little gate in the garden wall. he skirted all stables, kennels, breweries, carpenters’ shops, wash-houses, places where they make tallow…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/virginia-woolf-49_quote_he-was-careful-to-avoid-meeting-anyone-t_1901597.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/virginia-woolf-49_quote_he-was-careful-to-avoid-meeting-anyone-t_1901597.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bf/virginia-woolf-49_quote_he-was-careful-to-avoid-meeting-anyone-t_1901597.jpg) > ““He was careful to avoid meeting anyone. There was Stubbs, the gardener, coming along the path. He hid behind a tree till he had passed. He let himself out at a little gate in the garden wall. he skirted all stables, kennels, breweries, carpenters’ shops, wash-houses, places where they make tallow candles, kill oxen, forge horse-shoes, stitch jerkins – for the house was a town ringing with men at work at their various crafts – and gained the ferny path leading uphill through the park unseen. There is perhaps a kinship among qualities; one draws another along with it; and the biographer should here call attention to the fact that this clumsiness is often mated with a love of solitude. Having stumbled over a chest, Orlando naturally loved solitary places, vast views, and to feel himself for ever and ever and ever alone.”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A solitary wanderer avoids society, finding solace in nature and introspection, reflecting a kinship of clumsiness and solitude. **In simple terms:** Solitude nurtures inner depth. Key Takeaway Embrace solitude for self‑discovery. Themes solitude identity clumsiness self‑reflection Mood contemplative introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - walking alone - creative writing - mindful retreats - self‑analysis Key Concepts existentialism psychology personal identity Questions to Reflect On - What does solitude reveal about you? - How can you balance connection and alone time? A Different Perspective Isolation can lead to alienation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) ## Related quotes > [“There is perhaps a kinship among qualities; one draws another along with it; and the biographer should here call attention to the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-perhaps-a-kinship-among-qualities-one-draws-another-along/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Orlando naturally loved solitary places, vast views, and to feel himself for ever and ever and ever alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/orlando-naturally-loved-solitary-places-vast-views-and-to-feel/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [I love all waste and solitary places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/i-love-all-waste-and-solitary-places/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [. . . clumsiness is often mated with a love of solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/clumsiness-is-often-mated-with-a-love-of-solitude/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“ There are in this world human beings in solitary places who have answered the Lord's call to make of their lives a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-de-meester/there-are-in-this-world-human-beings-in-solitary-places-who-have/) Conrad De Meester > [She frowned at him. 'You are in love with solitude.' 'Is there a better cure for the world than solitude?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-rosoff/she-frowned-at-him-you-are-in-love-with-solitude-is-there-a-better/) [Meg Rosoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-rosoff/) > [I love solitude, but I prize it most when plenty of company is available.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-love-solitude-but-i-prize-it-most-when-plenty-of-company-is/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [I love my solitude, and I would love it still more if I had more of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-philippine-duchesne/i-love-my-solitude-and-i-would-love-it-still-more-if-i-had-more-of-it/) [Rose Philippine Duchesne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-philippine-duchesne/) > [Although I am a gregarious person, I love solitude even more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/although-i-am-a-gregarious-person-i-love-solitude-even-more/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“Therefore, dear Sir, love your solitude and try to sing out with the pain it causes you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/therefore-dear-sir-love-your-solitude-and-try-to-sing-out-with-the/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [I guess it all depends on your nature. Some people can't stand being alone. I love solitude and silence. But when I come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/i-guess-it-all-depends-on-your-nature-some-people-can-t-stand-being/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [It is advisable to over react whenever your partner is in trouble. It is an opportunity to express your love and solitude to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldyna-threesya/it-is-advisable-to-over-react-whenever-your-partner-is-in-trouble-it/) [Aldyna Threesya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldyna-threesya/) > [“Therefore, dear Sir, love your solitude and try to sing out with the pain it causes you. For those who are near you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/therefore-dear-sir-love-your-solitude-and-try-to-sing-out-with-the-2/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [The love of solitude, when cultivated in the morn of life, elevates the mind to a noble independence, but to acquire the advantages which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-georg-ritter-von-zimmermann/the-love-of-solitude-when-cultivated-in-the-morn-of-life-elevates-the/) [Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-georg-ritter-von-zimmermann/) > [I love the solitude of being in a tree with a bow and arrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chipper-jones/i-love-the-solitude-of-being-in-a-tree-with-a-bow-and-arrow/) [Chipper Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chipper-jones/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Solitude quotes > [“Truth is, I’m generally happiest when it’s just me. It’s okay to be madly in love with yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/truth-is-i-m-generally-happiest-when-it-s-just-me-it-s-okay-to-be/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“How can you make an informed decision about whether to save the world if you never leave your tiny part of it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-david-hutchinson/how-can-you-make-an-informed-decision-about-whether-to-save-the-world/) [Shaun David Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-david-hutchinson/) > [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“I still love to love my friends, but I punctuate those moments with solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-klein/i-still-love-to-love-my-friends-but-i-punctuate-those-moments-with/) [Stephanie Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-klein/) > [You will not find a soulmate in the quiet of your room. You must go to a noisy place and look in the quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/you-will-not-find-a-soulmate-in-the-quiet-of-your-room-you-must-go-to/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [“Point is, that’s when I really realized that I don’t think like most people. I’m fine with solitude. In fact, I get antsy when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-e-taylor/point-is-that-s-when-i-really-realized-that-i-don-t-think-like-most/) [Dennis E. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-e-taylor/) > [By all means use some time to be alone, salute thyself, see what thy soul doth wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/by-all-means-use-some-time-to-be-alone-salute-thyself-see-what-thy/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [“...the solitude was intoxicating. On my first night there I lay on my back on the sticky carpet for hours, in the murky orange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/the-solitude-was-intoxicating-on-my-first-night-there-i-lay-on-my/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“The journey towards your inner self is Solitude!!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farheen-viquas/the-journey-towards-your-inner-self-is-solitude/) Farheen Viquas > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Cease speaking of enemies when an achievement can kindle a great light. Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/) Nicholas Roerich > [“Well…there’s only one glove. Right away, I wonder, where’s the other glove? How did it become separated from its mate? Does it feel lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-kage/well-there-s-only-one-glove-right-away-i-wonder-where-s-the-other/) [Linda Kage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-kage/) > [“Seclusion wasn't good for anyone; it made you forget how to protect yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-james/seclusion-wasn-t-good-for-anyone-it-made-you-forget-how-to-protect/) [Heather James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-james/) > [I cannot keep quiet even when I am a lone voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-cannot-keep-quiet-even-when-i-am-a-lone-voice/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) [Browse all 4,219 Solitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He was careful to avoid meeting anyone. There was Stubbs, the gardener, coming along the path. He hid behind a tree till he had passed. 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