There's nothing worth getting in this world that you can get easily...But, when you put in that much time and effort, if you do achieve that difficult thing it becomes the cream of your life.
-- Old man ("Cream" paragraph 4)

Importance: This is the old man's explanation for asking the narrator to think about the circle with many centers but no circumference. He is telling the narrator that facing difficult challenges leads to great rewards in life, and this is particularly relevant to the narrator because he has recently failed his university entrance exam. This encounter allows the narrator to put his problems in perspective and move forward with the idea that things will get better for him.

At nineteen, I knew nothing about the inner workings of my own heart, let alone the hearts of others. Still, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of how happiness and sadness worked. What I couldn't...
-- Narrator ("On a Stone Pillow" paragraph 3)