--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: standing, as now, lean as a knife" description: "\"“standing, as now, lean as a knife”\" — Virginia Woolf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/virginia-woolf-49_knife_standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife-710479_710479.jpg" --- # standing, as now, lean as a knife ![“standing, as now, lean as a knife” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/virginia-woolf-49_knife_standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife-710479_710479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/virginia-woolf-49_knife_standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife-710479_710479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/virginia-woolf-49_knife_standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife-710479_710479.jpg) > ““standing, as now, lean as a knife”” [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. Being present and sharp in the moment, like a knife. **In simple terms:** Stay alert and focused. Key Takeaway Cultivate present‑moment awareness. Themes mindfulness sharpness presence Mood contemplative inspirational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - daily work - creative writing - stressful situations Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain focus without burnout? - What practices sharpen awareness? A Different Perspective Sharp focus can be exhausting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“It would be a comfort, she felt, to lean; to sit down; yes, to lie down; never, never, never to get up again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-would-be-a-comfort-she-felt-to-lean-to-sit-down-yes-to-lie-down/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Nothing thicker than a knife's blade separates happiness from melancholy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/nothing-thicker-than-a-knife-s-blade-separates-happiness-from/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Plans have a way of coming apart when you lean om 'em”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/plans-have-a-way-of-coming-apart-when-you-lean-om-em/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [I like to be lean and flexible. I'm not interested in gaining size.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-stan/i-like-to-be-lean-and-flexible-i-m-not-interested-in-gaining-size/) [Sebastian Stan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-stan/) > [I stay away from big chunks of carbs and try to keep it lean, even when Im competing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-parkinson/i-stay-away-from-big-chunks-of-carbs-and-try-to-keep-it-lean-even/) [Joel Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-parkinson/) > [There's nothing wrong with raising venture capital. Many lean startups are ambitious and are able to deploy large amounts of capital. What differentiates them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ries/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-raising-venture-capital-many-lean-startups/) [Eric Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ries/) > [Be passionate about something and lean to that strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/be-passionate-about-something-and-lean-to-that-strength/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [Lean on principles, one day they'll end up giving way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/lean-on-principles-one-day-they-ll-end-up-giving-way/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [HubSpot has used the lean startup method to build a spectacularly successful company. What I particularly love about HubSpot is that they are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ries/hubspot-has-used-the-lean-startup-method-to-build-a-spectacularly/) [Eric Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ries/) > [Building a cast is a card house. They lean on each other, provide for each other, and take from each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-renck/building-a-cast-is-a-card-house-they-lean-on-each-other-provide-for/) [Johan Renck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-renck/) > [The best we can do is lean towards the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-best-we-can-do-is-lean-towards-the-light/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [I look at a lot of shows. I look at a really broad spectrum; I look at everything from David Lean to Lina Wertmuller.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kari-skogland/i-look-at-a-lot-of-shows-i-look-at-a-really-broad-spectrum-i-look-at/) [Kari Skogland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kari-skogland/) > [I want to make sure I have something I can lean on after football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-henry/i-want-to-make-sure-i-have-something-i-can-lean-on-after-football/) [Derrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-henry/) > [Lean too much on the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehyi-hsieh/lean-too-much-on-the-approval-of-people-and-it-becomes-a-bed-of-thorns/) [Tehyi Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehyi-hsieh/) > [“But he's got your way of making me lean into peace whenever I see red.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-griffin/but-he-s-got-your-way-of-making-me-lean-into-peace-whenever-i-see-red/) [Adele Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-griffin/) ## 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 Knife quotes > [“Next time," I said wryly, swinging open the door, "just give me a knife and ask for a vein.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-pettersson/next-time-i-said-wryly-swinging-open-the-door-just-give-me-a-knife/) [Vicki Pettersson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-pettersson/) > [“The cold cut like a many bladed knife”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-zangwill/the-cold-cut-like-a-many-bladed-knife/) [Israel Zangwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-zangwill/) > [I'm still stupid. I still do what I'm not supposed to do. Are you serious? I'm Jake 'The Snake,' man. I never claimed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-roberts/i-m-still-stupid-i-still-do-what-i-m-not-supposed-to-do-are-you/) [Jake Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-roberts/) > [“If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-fike/if-you-are-a-big-eater-put-a-knife-to-your-throat/) [Al Fike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-fike/) > [“Sharp like a spoon, that one. Anyway,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-cross/sharp-like-a-spoon-that-one-anyway/) [Ethan Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-cross/) > [“There was never a good knife made of bad steel ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-never-a-good-knife-made-of-bad-steel/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Power is like a knife. It can be used to cut bread to share with your neighbor or stab you in the back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/power-is-like-a-knife-it-can-be-used-to-cut-bread-to-share-with-your/) [Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/) > [“Tobiah was Black Knife.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-meadows/tobiah-was-black-knife/) [Jodi Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-meadows/) > [“Anger dulls the blade.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hollow/anger-dulls-the-blade/) Hollow > [What is that in his hand?" "A cleaver. As in-" "Butcher's knife." "You got it." "I hope not." "He does not look happy." "Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-pearson/what-is-that-in-his-hand-a-cleaver-as-in-butcher-s-knife-you-got-it-i/) [Ridley Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-pearson/) > [“I have a knife in my hand, slicing beef on the willowware plate, and I cut harder, faster, thinking it is your pink neck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-turner/i-have-a-knife-in-my-hand-slicing-beef-on-the-willowware-plate-and-i/) Ann Turner > [Blood fills my mouth. Fire sears my veins. I choke back a howl. The silver knife slips--the choice is mine. I am death or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bree-despain/blood-fills-my-mouth-fire-sears-my-veins-i-choke-back-a-howl-the/) [Bree Despain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bree-despain/) > [Remember, it is never the knife's fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-boulud/remember-it-is-never-the-knife-s-fault/) [Daniel Boulud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-boulud/) > [Sorry, the knife just slipped, I didn't mean to cut my wrists. I was just thinking of all the bad things that happened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-the-knife-just-slipped-i-didn-t-mean-to-cut-my-wrists-i-was/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't try to hug me with one hand when your hiding a knife in the other. If your gonna take a stab at me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brii-ann/don-t-try-to-hug-me-with-one-hand-when-your-hiding-a-knife-in-the/) [Brii Ann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brii-ann/) Browse all 577 Knife quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“standing, as now, lean as a knife”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Virginia Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Knife" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/virginia-woolf-49_knife_standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife-710479_710479.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/virginia-woolf-49_knife_standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife-710479_710479.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/virginia-woolf-49_knife_standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife-710479_710479.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“standing, as now, lean as a knife” — Virginia Woolf", "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": "Virginia Woolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“standing, as now, lean as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/standing-as-now-lean-as-a-knife/#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 } } ] } ```