---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Took me a while to get to the point…"
description: "\"Took me a while to get to the point today, but that is because I did not know what the point was when I started.\" — William Safire"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-safire-5116_funny_took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-toda_1267852.png"
---

#  Took me a while to get to the point today, but that is…

![“Took me a while to get to the point today, but that is because I did not know what the point was when I started.” quote by William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-safire-5116_funny_took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-toda_1267852.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-safire-5116_funny_took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-toda_1267852.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-safire-5116_funny_took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-toda_1267852.png)

> “Took me a while to get to the point today, but that is because I did not know what the point was when I started.”

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Clarity emerges after time; initial confusion hides the true point.

**In simple terms:** Understanding comes after searching.

Key Takeaway

Be patient to discover purpose.

Themes

learning clarity patience self‑discovery

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- research projects
- personal growth
- creative writing
- problem solving

Key Concepts

Epistemology cognitive development

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps can you take to clarify your goal now?
- How does uncertainty shape your process?

A Different Perspective

Patience may delay needed action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/)

## Related quotes

> [I actually am a Kardashian fan. But I found myself at a point where I started to become sick of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/i-actually-am-a-kardashian-fan-but-i-found-myself-at-a-point-where-i/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [Where I am today is my starting point. Who I am today is my starting point. My failures and successes of the past, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-stevens/where-i-am-today-is-my-starting-point-who-i-am-today-is-my-starting/)

[Taylor Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-stevens/)

> [The highest point of yesterday should be the lowest point of today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-k-s-iyengar/the-highest-point-of-yesterday-should-be-the-lowest-point-of-today/)

[B.K.S. Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-k-s-iyengar/)

> [If we were to put into practice what we know ... but that is the point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/if-we-were-to-put-into-practice-what-we-know-but-that-is-the-point/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [We know that a point is always a point, and it's not the worst scenario. Sometimes it happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-dias/we-know-that-a-point-is-always-a-point-and-it-s-not-the-worst/)

[Ruben Dias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-dias/)

> [If we know that we are now at the point where we have always wanted to be, we will be there. . . because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-twitchell/if-we-know-that-we-are-now-at-the-point-where-we-have-always-wanted/)

[Paul Twitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-twitchell/)

> [“I don't know what the point of mirrors is. They tell you what you already know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-bingham/i-don-t-know-what-the-point-of-mirrors-is-they-tell-you-what-you/)

[Harry Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-bingham/)

> [Sometimes you usually know the point where to keep your mouth shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-johnson/sometimes-you-usually-know-the-point-where-to-keep-your-mouth-shut/)

[Calvin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-johnson/)

> [Any fool can know. The point is to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/any-fool-can-know-the-point-is-to-understand/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [I know that. What's your point?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tite-kubo/i-know-that-what-s-your-point/)

[Tite Kubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tite-kubo/)

> [You’ll find your one-in-a-million. But you’re sharp enough to know there’s no point in sludging through the first nine hundred, ninety-nine thousand, and ninety-nine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaye-gibbons/you-ll-find-your-one-in-a-million-but-you-re-sharp-enough-to-know/)

[Kaye Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaye-gibbons/)

> [You never know. One point can make a difference in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valtteri-bottas/you-never-know-one-point-can-make-a-difference-in-the-end/)

[Valtteri Bottas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valtteri-bottas/)

> [You know, my point in being an actor is to get people to believe that this is not about me, but something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-caviezel/you-know-my-point-in-being-an-actor-is-to-get-people-to-believe-that/)

[Jim Caviezel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-caviezel/)

> [Reviews are great. I can read negative reviews and say, 'You know that point they made... they were dead on.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/reviews-are-great-i-can-read-negative-reviews-and-say-you-know-that/)

[Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/)

> [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/)

## More by William Safire

> [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/last-but-not-least-avoid-cliches-like-the-plague/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [Decide on some imperfect Somebody and you will win, because the truest truism in politics is: You can't beat Somebody with Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/decide-on-some-imperfect-somebody-and-you-will-win-because-the-truest/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation, and is thus a source of civilized delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/knowing-how-things-work-is-the-basis-for-appreciation-and-is-thus-a/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [What a joy it is to see really professional media manipulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/what-a-joy-it-is-to-see-really-professional-media-manipulation/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [What do you call a co-worker these days? Neither teammate nor confederate will do, and partner is too legalistic. The answer brought from academia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/what-do-you-call-a-co-worker-these-days-neither-teammate-nor/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [This is what it's all about. From what I could see, you could get a bunch of people together, whip up the press and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/this-is-what-it-s-all-about-from-what-i-could-see-you-could-get-a/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [When I need to know the meaning of a word, I look it up in a dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/when-i-need-to-know-the-meaning-of-a-word-i-look-it-up-in-a-dictionary/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [A man who lies, thinking it is the truth, is an honest man, and a man who tells the truth, believing it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/a-man-who-lies-thinking-it-is-the-truth-is-an-honest-man-and-a-man/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [The Latin motto over Poindexter's new Pentagon office reads Scientia Est Potentia - "knowledge is power." Exactly: the government's infinite knowledge about you is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-latin-motto-over-poindexter-s-new-pentagon-office-reads-scientia/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [English is a stretch language; one size fits all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/english-is-a-stretch-language-one-size-fits-all/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [Today, war of necessity is used by critics of military action to describe unavoidable response to an attack like that on Pearl Harbor that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/today-war-of-necessity-is-used-by-critics-of-military-action-to/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [To communicate, put your words in order; give them a purpose; use them to persuade, to instruct, to discover, to seduce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/to-communicate-put-your-words-in-order-give-them-a-purpose-use-them/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [“Chandler’s “She was blonde enough to make a bishop kick a hole through a stained-glass window”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/chandler-s-she-was-blonde-enough-to-make-a-bishop-kick-a-hole-through/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

> [You don't overturn a previous court's decisions lightly and I think most Americans are somewhere in the middle on abortion and there's not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/you-don-t-overturn-a-previous-court-s-decisions-lightly-and-i-think/)

[William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

[Explore all 103 William Safire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/)

## More Funny quotes

> [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/)

[Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/)

[Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/)

> [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers &amp; think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/)

[Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/)

> [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/)

[Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/)

> [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/)

[Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/)

> [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/)

[Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/)

> [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/)

Pancho Barnes

> [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/)

[Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/)

> [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/)

Michael Fishman

[Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Took me a while to get to the point today, but that is because I did not know what the point was when I started.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Safire"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-today-but-that-is-because-i-did/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Funny"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-today-but-that-is-because-i-did/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-safire-5116_funny_took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-toda_1267852.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-safire-5116_funny_took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-toda_1267852.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6d/william-safire-5116_funny_took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-toda_1267852.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Took me a while to get to the point today, but that is because I did not know what the point was when I…” — William Safire",
                "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 Safire",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Took me a while to get...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-today-but-that-is-because-i-did/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/took-me-a-while-to-get-to-the-point-today-but-that-is-because-i-did/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
