--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is it in man that for a long while…" description: "\"What is it in man that for a long while lies unknown and unseen only one day to emerge and push him into a new land of the eye, a new region of the min..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/william-least-heat-moon-11769_asphalt_what-is-it-in-man-that-for-a-long-while_1599072.jpg" --- # What is it in man that for a long while lies unknown and… ![“What is it in man that for a long while lies unknown and unseen only one day to emerge and push him into a new land of the eye, a new region of the mind, a place he has never dreamed of? Maybe it's like the force in spores lying quietly under asphalt until the day they push a soft, bulbous…” quote by William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/william-least-heat-moon-11769_asphalt_what-is-it-in-man-that-for-a-long-while_1599072.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/william-least-heat-moon-11769_asphalt_what-is-it-in-man-that-for-a-long-while_1599072.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/william-least-heat-moon-11769_asphalt_what-is-it-in-man-that-for-a-long-while_1599072.jpg) > “What is it in man that for a long while lies unknown and unseen only one day to emerge and push him into a new land of the eye, a new region of the mind, a place he has never dreamed of? Maybe it's like the force in spores lying quietly under asphalt until the day they push a soft, bulbous mushroom head right through the pavement. There's nothing you can do to stop it.” [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human curiosity drives unseen forces to surface, reshaping perception and understanding. **In simple terms:** Hidden drives emerge unexpectedly. Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected insights. Themes curiosity growth transformation Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - creative work - personal discovery - learning new skills Key Concepts psychology emergent phenomena Questions to Reflect On - What hidden drives shape your life? - How can you channel them positively? A Different Perspective Unseen forces can be disruptive or harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [Why did the mushroom go to the party? Because he's a fungi!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-did-the-mushroom-go-to-the-party-because-he-s-a-fungi/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Through trial-and-error and observable outcomes, our ancestors narrowed the field of edible mushroom candidates to just a few with remarkable, health-supporting properties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/through-trial-and-error-and-observable-outcomes-our-ancestors/) [Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/) > [You're not a man, you're a mushroom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/you-re-not-a-man-you-re-a-mushroom/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“Devic Magic Woodland sprites, elves and nymphs Waltz in time take a glimpse Fairies hide the forest wit Mushrooms fly, agarics hit”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-brien/devic-magic-woodland-sprites-elves-and-nymphs-waltz-in-time-take-a/) [William O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-brien/) > [“My sister has mistaken me for a mushroom. She keeps me in the dark and feeds me shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/my-sister-has-mistaken-me-for-a-mushroom-she-keeps-me-in-the-dark-and/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“It had a sort of a head on it, like a mushroom, and its color was reddish purple. It looked blunt and stupid, compared,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/it-had-a-sort-of-a-head-on-it-like-a-mushroom-and-its-color-was/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [“The only good mushroom is a cooked mushroom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-kendall/the-only-good-mushroom-is-a-cooked-mushroom/) [Carol Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-kendall/) > [Don't eat a mushroom stem and see colors, eat the whole bag and see GOD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/don-t-eat-a-mushroom-stem-and-see-colors-eat-the-whole-bag-and-see-god/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [“At age forty, he had more employee name tags than girlfriends, and he just started liking mushrooms and zucchini. If they’re fried, and covered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-nesbitt/at-age-forty-he-had-more-employee-name-tags-than-girlfriends-and-he/) GLEN NESBITT > [I'm just some lunatic macaroni mushroom, is that it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pesci/i-m-just-some-lunatic-macaroni-mushroom-is-that-it/) [Joe Pesci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pesci/) > [Life is too short to stuff a mushroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-conran/life-is-too-short-to-stuff-a-mushroom/) [Shirley Conran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-conran/) > [“Special Today: Mushroom Surprise He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-sachar/special-today-mushroom-surprise-he/) [Louis Sachar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-sachar/) > [My team and I have discovered, over decades of study, that mushroom mycelium is a rich resource of new antimicrobial compounds, which work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-stamets/my-team-and-i-have-discovered-over-decades-of-study-that-mushroom/) [Paul Stamets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-stamets/) > [As many of you know, I came from San Francisco. We don't have a lot of farms there. Well, we do have one -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/as-many-of-you-know-i-came-from-san-francisco-we-don-t-have-a-lot-of/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [Barley and mushroom is a soothing combination. It's mainly a textural thing, with the barley both gently breaking and enhancing the mushroomy gloopiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yotam-ottolenghi/barley-and-mushroom-is-a-soothing-combination-it-s-mainly-a-textural/) [Yotam Ottolenghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yotam-ottolenghi/) ## More by William Least Heat-Moon > [I like the digressive kind of traveling, where there's not a particular, set, goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/i-like-the-digressive-kind-of-traveling-where-there-s-not-a/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [Memory is each man's own last measure, and for some, the only achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/memory-is-each-man-s-own-last-measure-and-for-some-the-only/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [I have not been on any river that has more of a distinctive personality than does the Missouri River. It's a river that immediately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/i-have-not-been-on-any-river-that-has-more-of-a-distinctive/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [At the beginning we learn to travel, then we travel to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/at-the-beginning-we-learn-to-travel-then-we-travel-to-learn/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [Beware thoughts that come in the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/beware-thoughts-that-come-in-the-night/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [The four horsemen of the prairie are tornado, locust, drought, and fire, and the greatest of these is fire, a rider with two faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/the-four-horsemen-of-the-prairie-are-tornado-locust-drought-and-fire/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [For me, writing is not a search for explanations but a ramble in quest of what informs a place, a hunt for equivalents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/for-me-writing-is-not-a-search-for-explanations-but-a-ramble-in-quest/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [New ways of seeing can disclose new things: the radio telescope revealed quasars and pulsars, and the scanning electron microscope showed the whiskers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/new-ways-of-seeing-can-disclose-new-things-the-radio-telescope/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [When you're travelling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/when-you-re-travelling-you-are-what-you-are-right-there-and-then/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [“road so crooked it could run for the legislature,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/road-so-crooked-it-could-run-for-the-legislature/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [The biggest hindrance to learning is fear of showing one's self a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/the-biggest-hindrance-to-learning-is-fear-of-showing-one-s-self-a-fool/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [Be careful going in search of adventure - it's ridiculously easy to find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/be-careful-going-in-search-of-adventure-it-s-ridiculously-easy-to-find/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [The thing that overwhelms me when I go out now is the sprawlation of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/the-thing-that-overwhelms-me-when-i-go-out-now-is-the-sprawlation-of/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do - especially in other people's minds. When you're traveling, you are what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/what-you-ve-done-becomes-the-judge-of-what-you-re-going-to-do/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [The hotel was once where things coalesced, where you could meet both townspeople and travelers. Not so in a motel. No matter how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/the-hotel-was-once-where-things-coalesced-where-you-could-meet-both/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) [Explore all 57 William Least Heat-Moon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) ## More Asphalt quotes > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The dog writhing in the gutter, its back broken by a passing car, knows what it is to be alive. So too with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-greenstein/the-dog-writhing-in-the-gutter-its-back-broken-by-a-passing-car-knows/) George Greenstein > [“gravity chains us to the asphalt with such grace, we think it is kind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maura-o-connor/gravity-chains-us-to-the-asphalt-with-such-grace-we-think-it-is-kind/) Maura O'Connor > [And I saw it didn't matter who had loved me or who I loved. I was alone. The black oily asphalt, the slick beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/and-i-saw-it-didn-t-matter-who-had-loved-me-or-who-i-loved-i-was/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [Probably no single event highlights the strength of Campbell's argument (on peak oil) better than the rapid development of the Alberta tar sands. Bitumen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/probably-no-single-event-highlights-the-strength-of-campbell-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticide grain, For strip-mined mountain's majesty above the asphalt plain. America, America, man sheds his waste on thee, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/oh-beautiful-for-smoggy-skies-insecticide-grain-for-strip-mined/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [In my old age, I have come to believe that love is not a noun but a verb. An action. Like water, it flows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/in-my-old-age-i-have-come-to-believe-that-love-is-not-a-noun-but-a/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [I learned to swing on monkey bars over asphalt. I learned that if you fall, it hurts, so you try not to fall. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cordes/i-learned-to-swing-on-monkey-bars-over-asphalt-i-learned-that-if-you/) Tim Cordes > [One way or another we all work for our vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-maddow/one-way-or-another-we-all-work-for-our-vice/) [Ben Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-maddow/) > [I was the first home-grown sex symbol, rather like Britain's naughty seaside postcards. When Marilyn Monroe's first film was shown here \[The Asphalt Jungle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-dors/i-was-the-first-home-grown-sex-symbol-rather-like-britain-s-naughty/) Diana Dors > [Marilyn was one step from oblivion when I directed her in The Asphalt Jungle. I remember she impressed me more off the screen than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-huston/marilyn-was-one-step-from-oblivion-when-i-directed-her-in-the-asphalt/) [John Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-huston/) > [At the Tour, you always have some fantastic days and some days where you hit the asphalt. Today was an asphalt day for me,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-voigt/at-the-tour-you-always-have-some-fantastic-days-and-some-days-where/) [Jens Voigt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-voigt/) > [Big 35's whinin' on the asphalt. Grabbin' mud, and slingin' up some red dirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-jackson/big-35-s-whinin-on-the-asphalt-grabbin-mud-and-slingin-up-some-red/) [Alan Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-jackson/) > [The street curves in and out, up and down in great waves of asphalt; at night the granite tomb is noisy with starlings like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-reznikoff/the-street-curves-in-and-out-up-and-down-in-great-waves-of-asphalt-at/) [Charles Reznikoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-reznikoff/) > [In a future that portends stronger and more-frequent hurricanes striking North America's Atlantic coast, ferocious winds will pummel tall, unsteady structures. Some will topple,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-weisman/in-a-future-that-portends-stronger-and-more-frequent-hurricanes/) [Alan Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-weisman/) Browse all 47 Asphalt quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What is it in man that for a long while lies unknown and unseen only one day to emerge and push him into a new land of the eye, a new region of the mind, a place he has never dreamed of? Maybe it's like the force in spores lying quietly under asphalt until the day they push a soft, bulbous mushroom head right through the pavement. 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