Door Quote by Wallace Stegner
““There is nothing like a doorbell to precipitate the potential into the kinetic. When you stand outside a door and push the button, something has to happen. Someone must respond; whatever is inside must be revealed. Questions will be answered, uncertainties or mysteries dispelled. A situation will be started on its way through unknown complications to an unpredictable conclusion. The answer to your summons may be a rush of tearful welcome, a suspicious eye at the crack of the door, a shot through the hardwood, anything. Any pushing of any doorbell button is as rich in dramatic possibility as that scene in Chekhov when, just as the Zemstvo doctor's only child dies of diphtheria and the doctor's wife drops to her knees beside the bed and the doctor, smelling of carbolic, takes an uncertain step backward, the bell sounds sharply in the hall.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Spectator Bird, Wallace Stegner, 1976
Pressing a doorbell initiates action, turning potential into event, opening possibilities filled with uncertainty and varied outcomes.
In simple terms: A doorbell triggers action and unknown results.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty when you act.
Themes
action
uncertainty
possibility
Mood
anticipatory
cautious
Type
narrative
motivational
When to use this quote
- starting projects
- making decisions
- seeking help
- creative writing
Key Concepts
cause and effect
dramatic tension
human response
Questions to Reflect On
- What do you hope to reveal by acting?
- How do you prepare for unpredictable results?
A Different Perspective
Outcomes may be negative or harmful.
