J.R.R. Tolkien, writer, “Not all those who wander are lost”

There are people who, from an observer’s point of view, may seem to be lost, wandering through life without any direction. However, upon closer inspection it turns out that not all is what it appears. In reality, they have their course in life clear in their mind.

J.R.R. Tolkien captured this idea in his book The Fellowship of the Ring with a line from The Riddle of Strider: “Not all those who wander are lost.” The poem begins with a reworking of an often quoted saying from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, “all that glitters is not gold.” The father of modern fantasy literature changed it to “all that is gold does not glitter.”

The poem is given to Frodo by Gandalf in a letter so that he can know if the Strider he is supposed to meet is the real deal. That person is in fact Aragorn, the king in waiting of Gondor, who appears as if he is just wandering ranger without any splendor or vestiges of royalty.

Wander with an aim

Tolkien presents several messages across his epic Middle-earth mythology, like the struggle between good and evil, that even the humblest among us can overcome the most insurmountable challenges, and you need friends and to work together. But also when one ventures out into the world, they must go with a clear destiny.

Additionally, when one ventures out into the world, one must remember their roots and be resilient in the face of challenges and setbacks. “The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost,” continues The Riddle of Strider.

If one just focuses on the short-term and near-sighted goals that will only benefit themselves, it will lead to their destruction as happened with dwarves, elves, men and Saruman. Wander without an aim and a just purpose and you will be lost.

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