--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The mind that is not baffled is not…" description: "\"“The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”\" — Wendell Berry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/wendell-berry-236_psychology_the-mind-that-is-not-baffled-is-not-empl_981045.jpg" --- # The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded… ![“The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.” quote by Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/wendell-berry-236_psychology_the-mind-that-is-not-baffled-is-not-empl_981045.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/wendell-berry-236_psychology_the-mind-that-is-not-baffled-is-not-empl_981045.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/161/wendell-berry-236_psychology_the-mind-that-is-not-baffled-is-not-empl_981045.jpg) > ““The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”” [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mind that faces challenges is active; struggle fuels creativity and insight. **In simple terms:** Struggle makes the mind work. Key Takeaway Welcome difficulty as a catalyst. Themes creativity challenge mindfulness Mood thoughtful inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - problem solving - artistic creation - learning new skills Key Concepts philosophy psychology growth Questions to Reflect On - What puzzles excite you? - How do you turn obstacles into ideas? A Different Perspective Constant confusion can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Impeded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impeded-1948261/) [Impeded Stream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impeded-stream-1948260/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Baffled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-baffled-1948262/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Stream Sings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stream-sings-1181255/) ## Related quotes > [“It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/it-may-be-that-when-we-no-longer-know-what-to-do-we-have-come-to-our-2/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [It's the impeded stream that sings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/it-s-the-impeded-stream-that-sings/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [It may be that when we no longer know... which way to go we have begun our real journey. 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It may be that when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/form-serves-us-best-when-it-works-as-an-obstruction-to-baffle-us-and/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [The mind that is not baffled, is unemployed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-mind-that-is-not-baffled-is-unemployed/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“Everything that impeded him had to be outweighed, even if only by a fraction, by all that drove him on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/everything-that-impeded-him-had-to-be-outweighed-even-if-only-by-a/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“My view was that we were all so far from achieving our goal that to hoard ideas only impeded our ability to get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/my-view-was-that-we-were-all-so-far-from-achieving-our-goal-that-to/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [The stream sings a subdued music, a scarcely audible lilt, faint and fluid syllables not quite said. It slips away into its future, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daniel/the-stream-sings-a-subdued-music-a-scarcely-audible-lilt-faint-and/) [John Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daniel/) > [“...a small stream...sings a carefree song as it runs by your house. 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I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) ## More by Wendell Berry > [During the last 17 years... I have been working at the restoration of a once exhausted hillside. Its scars are now healed over, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/during-the-last-17-years-i-have-been-working-at-the-restoration-of-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [To husband is to use with care, to keep, to save, to make last, to conserve. Old usage tells us that there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/to-husband-is-to-use-with-care-to-keep-to-save-to-make-last-to/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“The two families, sundered in the ruin of a friendship, were united again first in new friendship and then in mariage. My grandfather made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-two-families-sundered-in-the-ruin-of-a-friendship-were-united/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [The living can't quit living because the world has turned terrible and people they love and need are killed. 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Time does not stop for love, but it does not stop for death and grief, either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-mercy-of-the-world-is-time-time-does-not-stop-for-love-but-it/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [The soil is the great connector of our lives, the source and destination of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-soil-is-the-great-connector-of-our-lives-the-source-and/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I dislike the thought that some animal has been made miserable to feed me. If I am going to eat meat, I want it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/i-dislike-the-thought-that-some-animal-has-been-made-miserable-to/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/laughter-is-immeasurable-be-joyful/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [These are people who are capable of devotion, public devotion, to justice. They meant what they said and every day that passes, they mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/these-are-people-who-are-capable-of-devotion-public-devotion-to/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) [Explore all 847 Wendell Berry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) ## More Mind quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/) [Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [“He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. Then he lifted his chin and attempted a grin that was almost painfully dejected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/he-blinked-his-eyes-fell-as-he-processed-her-response-then-he-lifted/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [“Picking locks was not a skill he had ever cultivated, but he persisted day after day, turning the tip of his talon into different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/picking-locks-was-not-a-skill-he-had-ever-cultivated-but-he-persisted/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. I think every Christian needs to make up his own mind about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-m-not-here-trying-to-convince-anybody-to-vote-for-donald-trump-i/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. 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