Thinking with me is like looking for a person whose address I don't know. I stand on a street corner all day long waiting for him to pass by. Certainly there are more efficient ways of locating a person whose address you don't know. But if you have a whole lifetime to wait and enjoy watching things go by, then waiting on street corners is as good a method as any. If you don't find the person you are looking for, you might meet someone else.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Hoffer compares thinking to waiting for an unknown person on a street corner, accepting inefficiency as part of enjoying life.
- In plain terms
- Finding good ideas takes patience, like waiting for a stranger.
- What can you take from it?
- Patience and openness lead to unexpected insights.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you approach uncertainty?
- What do you learn while waiting?
Another view
Pure waiting may delay necessary action in urgent contexts.
More from Eric Hoffer
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Permalink to quote #130 The chief difference between me and others is that I have plenty of time - not only because I am without a multitude of responsibilities and without daily task…
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