--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While I was still a boy, I came to the…" description: "\"While I was still a boy, I came to the conclusion that there were three grades of thinking; and since I was later to claim thinking as my hobby, I came..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/william-golding-1233_grades_while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-co_650242.png" --- # While I was still a boy, I came to the conclusion that… ![“While I was still a boy, I came to the conclusion that there were three grades of thinking; and since I was later to claim thinking as my hobby, I came to an even stranger conclusion - namely, that I myself could not think at all.” quote by William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/william-golding-1233_grades_while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-co_650242.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/william-golding-1233_grades_while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-co_650242.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/william-golding-1233_grades_while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-co_650242.png) > “While I was still a boy, I came to the conclusion that there were three grades of thinking; and since I was later to claim thinking as my hobby, I came to an even stranger conclusion - namely, that I myself could not think at all.” [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator doubts his own thinking ability despite being a lifelong thinker. **In simple terms:** He questions his own capacity to think. Key Takeaway Accept limits and seek growth. Themes self‑doubt introspection learning humility Mood introspective critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - academic study - creative writing - self‑reflection Key Concepts cognitive bias metacognition personal development Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports your self‑assessment? - How can you improve thinking skills? A Different Perspective May undervalue actual abilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hobby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hobby/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [We have names for everything. What if we forgot about those names? And we stopped seeing things as something? What if we just observed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-adams/we-have-names-for-everything-what-if-we-forgot-about-those-names-and/) [Robert Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-adams/) > [“If you believe in the eighteenth century view of the mind, you will look and act wimpy. You will think that all you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/if-you-believe-in-the-eighteenth-century-view-of-the-mind-you-will/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [I have a few different managers, and one of them hit me up today and was like 'I'm going to set you up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-bunting/i-have-a-few-different-managers-and-one-of-them-hit-me-up-today-and/) [Shane Bunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-bunting/) > [I am essentially a hack, a commercial person. If I had a hobby, I would immediately make money on it or abandon it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/i-am-essentially-a-hack-a-commercial-person-if-i-had-a-hobby-i-would/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [I would never want to model as my career, but fashion is my hobby. When you love what you're wearing, you feel good. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-valverde/i-would-never-want-to-model-as-my-career-but-fashion-is-my-hobby-when/) [Maria Valverde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-valverde/) > [Music was always encouraged as a passion and a hobby, but I was never told, 'This should be your job. You write music and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-dacus/music-was-always-encouraged-as-a-passion-and-a-hobby-but-i-was-never/) [Lucy Dacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-dacus/) > [When I started in 2007, YouTube was just a fun hobby for others and myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franchesca-ramsey/when-i-started-in-2007-youtube-was-just-a-fun-hobby-for-others-and/) [Franchesca Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franchesca-ramsey/) > [Standup comedy was my weird hobby. I would drag my poor parents out to the only open mics that were in coffee shops instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/standup-comedy-was-my-weird-hobby-i-would-drag-my-poor-parents-out-to/) [Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/) > [Movies are a hobby for me. I think storytelling has reached a new level where younger audiences are looking at something more real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-screwvala/movies-are-a-hobby-for-me-i-think-storytelling-has-reached-a-new/) [Ronnie Screwvala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-screwvala/) > [I think that when I was child, acting was mostly just a hobby for me. It was something that my parents encouraged me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-think-that-when-i-was-child-acting-was-mostly-just-a-hobby-for-me/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [“You know, people start things for different reasons. But ultimately it turns into pure passion and one becomes insatiate. There is no end once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhaidev/you-know-people-start-things-for-different-reasons-but-ultimately-it/) [Abhaidev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhaidev/) > [I wouldn't call girls a hobby. It's a pastime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/i-wouldn-t-call-girls-a-hobby-it-s-a-pastime/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) > [After so many years of rejection, I felt acting would have to become a hobby rather than a full-time profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatima-sana-shaikh/after-so-many-years-of-rejection-i-felt-acting-would-have-to-become-a/) [Fatima Sana Shaikh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatima-sana-shaikh/) > [Without a customer, you don't have a business - all you have is a hobby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-peppers/without-a-customer-you-don-t-have-a-business-all-you-have-is-a-hobby/) [Don Peppers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-peppers/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) ## More by William Golding > [Heaven lies around us in our infancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/heaven-lies-around-us-in-our-infancy/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“Sucks to your ass-mar!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/sucks-to-your-ass-mar/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/ralph-wept-for-the-end-of-innocence-the-darkness-of-man-s-heart-and/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“Once more, amid the breeze, the shouting, the slanting sunlight on the high mountain, was shed that glamour, that strange invisible light of friendship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/once-more-amid-the-breeze-the-shouting-the-slanting-sunlight-on-the/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“There ought to be some mode of life where all love is good, where one love can't compete with another but adds to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/there-ought-to-be-some-mode-of-life-where-all-love-is-good-where-one/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/his-mind-was-crowded-with-memories-memories-of-the-knowledge-that-had/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“I stood, in shame and confusion, seeing for the first time despite my anger a different picture of Evie in her life-long struggle to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-stood-in-shame-and-confusion-seeing-for-the-first-time-despite-my/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [When you take a child who's hollering like hell, sit him on your knee, and say "once upon a time", you stop him hollering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/when-you-take-a-child-who-s-hollering-like-hell-sit-him-on-your-knee/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [I am here; and here is nowhere in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-am-here-and-here-is-nowhere-in-particular/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [The beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-beast-was-harmless-and-horrible-and-the-news-must-reach-the/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/he-tried-to-convey-the-compulsion-to-track-down-and-kill-that-was/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [I'm scared of him," said Piggy, "and that's why I know him. If you're scared of someone you hate him but you can't stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-m-scared-of-him-said-piggy-and-that-s-why-i-know-him-if-you-re/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-trouble-was-if-you-were-a-chief-you-had-to-think-you-had-to-be/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“But nobody else understands about the fire. If someone threw you a rope when you were drowning. If a doctor said take this because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/but-nobody-else-understands-about-the-fire-if-someone-threw-you-a/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“I think women are foolish to pretend that they are equal to men, they are far superior and always have been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-think-women-are-foolish-to-pretend-that-they-are-equal-to-men-they/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) [Explore all 263 William Golding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) ## More Grades quotes > [I studied all kinds of dance, all types of music. I got good grades. I started hitting the recording studio around 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-derulo/i-studied-all-kinds-of-dance-all-types-of-music-i-got-good-grades-i/) [Jason Derulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-derulo/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/) [Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/) > [“At least when he was at Aglionby he could turn over his papers to see the grades, concrete proof of his success at something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/at-least-when-he-was-at-aglionby-he-could-turn-over-his-papers-to-see/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [At the risk of some oversimplification, if the skill composition of our work force meshed fully with the needs of our increasingly complex capital-stock,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/at-the-risk-of-some-oversimplification-if-the-skill-composition-of/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Everybody either wanted to take care of me or push me around, you know? I was teased a lot, sure I was, of course.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hunt/everybody-either-wanted-to-take-care-of-me-or-push-me-around-you-know/) [Linda Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hunt/) > [I just always loved mythology, ever since I was a kid. Greek mythology was something I remember learning about in fourth grade, and Egypt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-larson/i-just-always-loved-mythology-ever-since-i-was-a-kid-greek-mythology/) [Brie Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-larson/) > [Many jobs at Google require math, computing, and coding skills, so if your good grades truly reflect skills in those areas that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/many-jobs-at-google-require-math-computing-and-coding-skills-so-if/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [Worry is different from fear. If fear is like a raging fever, worry is a low-grade temperature. It nags at us, simmers in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-lawson-sittser/worry-is-different-from-fear-if-fear-is-like-a-raging-fever-worry-is/) [Gerald Lawson Sittser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-lawson-sittser/) > [My first dunk was actually in sixth grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-carter/my-first-dunk-was-actually-in-sixth-grade/) [Vince Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-carter/) > [I was a 36C or D, and at 5' 1'', I knew that being a small person with big boobs standing in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/i-was-a-36c-or-d-and-at-5-1-i-knew-that-being-a-small-person-with-big/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [EXams are there, at the paper u stare; the answer is nowhere, which makes u pull ur hair. The teachers make u glare, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azgraybebly-joslan/exams-are-there-at-the-paper-u-stare-the-answer-is-nowhere-which/) Azgraybebly Joslan > [I've done eight grades of piano training from Trinity College and also done my sound engineering course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anirudh-ravichander/i-ve-done-eight-grades-of-piano-training-from-trinity-college-and/) [Anirudh Ravichander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anirudh-ravichander/) > [To change the media, you're gonna have to totally throw out every journalism school and get rid of everybody in every newsroom, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/to-change-the-media-you-re-gonna-have-to-totally-throw-out-every/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [If hot food is they key to maintaining an expedition's stamina, then low grade gut-rot alcohol is the key to sustaining its sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/if-hot-food-is-they-key-to-maintaining-an-expedition-s-stamina-then/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) Browse all 1,227 Grades quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "While I was still a boy, I came to the conclusion that there were three grades of thinking; and since I was later to claim thinking as my hobby, I came to an even stranger conclusion - namely, that I myself could not think at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Golding" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-conclusion-that-there-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grades" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-conclusion-that-there-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/william-golding-1233_grades_while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-co_650242.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/william-golding-1233_grades_while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-co_650242.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/william-golding-1233_grades_while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-co_650242.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“While I was still a boy, I came to the conclusion that there were three grades of thinking; and since I was…” — William Golding", "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": "William Golding", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "While I was still a boy,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-conclusion-that-there-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/while-i-was-still-a-boy-i-came-to-the-conclusion-that-there-were/#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 } } ] } ```