---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a coherence in things, a…"
description: "\"There is a coherence in things, a stability; something... is immune from change and shines out... in the face of the flowing, the fleeting, the spectra..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/virginia-woolf-49_change_there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stabili_3112062.jpg"
---

#  There is a coherence in things, a stability; something…

![“There is a coherence in things, a stability; something... is immune from change and shines out... in the face of the flowing, the fleeting, the spectral, like a ruby.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/virginia-woolf-49_change_there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stabili_3112062.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/virginia-woolf-49_change_there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stabili_3112062.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/virginia-woolf-49_change_there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stabili_3112062.jpg)

> “There is a coherence in things, a stability; something... is immune from change and shines out... in the face of the flowing, the fleeting, the spectral, like a ruby.”

[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.

Enduring qualities persist unchanged amid constant flux, offering a steady beacon.

**In simple terms:** Some things stay constant despite change.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and hold onto lasting values.

Themes

stability impermanence beauty

Mood

reflective calm

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- creative work
- relationships
- stressful environments

Key Concepts

philosophy existentialism aesthetics

Questions to Reflect On

- What constants anchor you?
- How do you maintain clarity when everything feels fleeting?

A Different Perspective

Even stable elements can be perceived differently over time.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Coherence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coherence/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Rubies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rubies/) [Shining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shining/) [Stability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stability/)

## Related quotes

> [“It partook ... of eternity ... there is a coherence in things, a stability; something, she meant, is immune from change, and shines out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-partook-of-eternity-there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stability/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [The important things for me are stability, consistency and love, and I have that through my family, so that's a great place to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-piper/the-important-things-for-me-are-stability-consistency-and-love-and-i/)

[Katie Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-piper/)

> [It's very hard for me to get a new car. It's really hard for me to get a new house. It's really hard for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/it-s-very-hard-for-me-to-get-a-new-car-it-s-really-hard-for-me-to-get/)

[Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/)

> [The harsh truth is, most red-haired men look like blondes who've spoiled from lack of refrigeration. They look like brown-haired men who've been composted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-harsh-truth-is-most-red-haired-men-look-like-blondes-who-ve/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [One night I dreamed I was locked in my Father's watch With Ptolemy and twenty-one ruby stars Mounted on spheres and the Primum Mobile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/one-night-i-dreamed-i-was-locked-in-my-father-s-watch-with-ptolemy/)

[John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/)

> [And the joys I've felt have not always been joyous. I could have lived differently. When I was your age, my grandfather bought me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/and-the-joys-i-ve-felt-have-not-always-been-joyous-i-could-have-lived/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I remember being in the same position as Ruby, when I no longer believed in God as I was raised to believe. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-m-soehnlein/i-remember-being-in-the-same-position-as-ruby-when-i-no-longer/)

[K. M. Soehnlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-m-soehnlein/)

> [Time wastes too fast : every letter I trace tells me with what rapidity Life follows my pen ; the days and hours of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-wastes-too-fast-every-letter-i-trace-tells-me-with-what-rapidity/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I dived for it, caught it three inches above the cement, and found myself face-to-face with the salamander. Ruby-red eyes regarded me with mild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/i-dived-for-it-caught-it-three-inches-above-the-cement-and-found/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [Ruby Stevens was determined, ambitious and tough. She had to fend for herself in so many ways as a child and always felt apart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-wilson/ruby-stevens-was-determined-ambitious-and-tough-she-had-to-fend-for/)

[Victoria Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-wilson/)

> [Bathe in the splendor of your own Light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/bathe-in-the-splendor-of-your-own-light/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [Like other beautiful things in this world, its end (that of a shaft) is to be beautiful; and, in proportion to its beauty, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/like-other-beautiful-things-in-this-world-its-end-that-of-a-shaft-is/)

[John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/)

> [Let the splendor of diamond, pearl and ruby vanish? Only let this one teardrop, this Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/let-the-splendor-of-diamond-pearl-and-ruby-vanish-only-let-this-one/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [Mourning Ruby is not a flat landscape: it is more like a box with pictures painted on every face. And each face is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/mourning-ruby-is-not-a-flat-landscape-it-is-more-like-a-box-with/)

[Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/)

> [What do you think it is to be normal?' Why in the world would you want to be?' she says. I don't know. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-jones/what-do-you-think-it-is-to-be-normal-why-in-the-world-would-you-want/)

[Patrick Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-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 &amp; 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 Change quotes

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/)

Phil Hogan

> [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/)

[William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/)

[Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

[Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There is a coherence in things, a stability; something... is immune from change and shines out... in the face of the flowing, the fleeting, the spectral, like a ruby.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Virginia Woolf"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stability-something-is-immune-from/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stability-something-is-immune-from/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/virginia-woolf-49_change_there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stabili_3112062.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/virginia-woolf-49_change_there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stabili_3112062.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/virginia-woolf-49_change_there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stabili_3112062.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There is a coherence in things, a stability; something... is immune from change and shines out... in the…” — 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": "There is a coherence in things,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stability-something-is-immune-from/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-a-coherence-in-things-a-stability-something-is-immune-from/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
