--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The surface of the quieted river, as I…" description: "\"The surface of the quieted river, as I think now, is like a window looking into another world that is like this one except that it is quiet. Its quietn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/wendell-berry-236_another-world_the-surface-of-the-quieted-river-as-i-th_1146235.jpg" --- # The surface of the quieted river, as I think now, is like… ![“The surface of the quieted river, as I think now, is like a window looking into another world that is like this one except that it is quiet. Its quietness makes it seem perfect. The ripples are like the slates of a blind of a shutter through which we see imperfectly what is perfect. Though that…” quote by Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/wendell-berry-236_another-world_the-surface-of-the-quieted-river-as-i-th_1146235.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/wendell-berry-236_another-world_the-surface-of-the-quieted-river-as-i-th_1146235.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/wendell-berry-236_another-world_the-surface-of-the-quieted-river-as-i-th_1146235.jpg) > “The surface of the quieted river, as I think now, is like a window looking into another world that is like this one except that it is quiet. Its quietness makes it seem perfect. The ripples are like the slates of a blind of a shutter through which we see imperfectly what is perfect. Though that other world can be seen only momentarily, it looks everlasting. As the ripples become more agitated, the window darkens and the other world is hidden.the surface of the river is like a living soul, which is easy to disturb, is often disturbed, but, growing calm, shows what it was, is, and will be.” [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 calm river surface reflects a perfect, silent world, but disturbance clouds that vision, mirroring how inner turmoil obscures clarity. **In simple terms:** A calm mind reveals truth; disturbance hides it. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner calm to see clearly. Themes nature reflection inner peace perception impermanence Mood contemplative serene Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - meditation - creative writing - stress management - nature observation Key Concepts mindfulness philosophy metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How does inner calm affect your perception of reality? - What practices help maintain mental stillness? A Different Perspective Even calm moments can be fleeting, and external chaos may still intrude. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Another world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-world/) [Blind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind/) [Calm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calm/) [Other worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other-worlds/) [Quietness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quietness/) [Ripple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripple/) [Ripples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ripples/) [River](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Every great decision creates ripples. Like a huge boulder dropping in a lake. 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Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [“Our lives make ripples… Not even death can stop them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-garver/our-lives-make-ripples-not-even-death-can-stop-them/) [Laurel Garver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-garver/) > [Success is more dangerous than failure, the ripples break over a wider coastline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/success-is-more-dangerous-than-failure-the-ripples-break-over-a-wider/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [Certain people have said that the world is like a calm pond, and that anytime a person does even the smallest thing, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/certain-people-have-said-that-the-world-is-like-a-calm-pond-and-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sometimes... the smallest drops in the bucket make the biggest ripples.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-m-hodgson/sometimes-the-smallest-drops-in-the-bucket-make-the-biggest-ripples/) A.M. Hodgson ## 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. 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Save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-ansell/one-late-autumn-day-i-opened-the-back-door-to-fetch-some-water-and/) Neil Ansell [Browse all 707 Another world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The surface of the quieted river, as I think now, is like a window looking into another world that is like this one except that it is quiet. Its quietness makes it seem perfect. The ripples are like the slates of a blind of a shutter through which we see imperfectly what is perfect. Though that other world can be seen only momentarily, it looks everlasting. 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