--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He desired her vaguely but without…" description: "\"“He desired her vaguely but without conviction. They walked together. He suddenly realized that she had always been very decent to him. She had accepte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/albert-camus-47_faith_he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-convi_1428506.jpg" --- # He desired her vaguely but without conviction. They walked… ![“He desired her vaguely but without conviction. They walked together. He suddenly realized that she had always been very decent to him. She had accepted him as he was and had spared him a great deal of loneliness. He had been unfair: while his imagination and vanity had given her too much…” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/albert-camus-47_faith_he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-convi_1428506.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/albert-camus-47_faith_he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-convi_1428506.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/albert-camus-47_faith_he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-convi_1428506.jpg) > ““He desired her vaguely but without conviction. They walked together. He suddenly realized that she had always been very decent to him. She had accepted him as he was and had spared him a great deal of loneliness. He had been unfair: while his imagination and vanity had given her too much importance, his pride had given her too little. He discovered the cruel paradox by which we always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love -- first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage. Today he understood that she had been genuine with him -- that she had been what she was, and that he owed her a good deal.”” [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He realizes his love was genuine, yet his self‑deception and pride distorted his perception, revealing a paradox of loving and misjudging. **In simple terms:** He learns love can be true despite personal flaws. Key Takeaway Recognize and own your biases in relationships. Themes love self‑deception identity Mood thoughtful melancholic Type philosophical narrative When to use this quote - romantic relationships - self‑reflection - conflict resolution Key Concepts existentialism human psychology Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do you make about loved ones? - How can humility improve relational honesty? A Different Perspective His introspection may overlook the partner’s perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cruel Paradox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruel-paradox-1492255/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Loneliness Unfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness-unfair-5079634/) [Paradox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradox/) [Paradox Deceive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradox-deceive-5079635/) [People We Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-we-love/) [Vanity Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity-given-2851441/) ## Related quotes > [“He discovered the cruel paradox by which we always decieve ourselves twice about the people we love-first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/he-discovered-the-cruel-paradox-by-which-we-always-decieve-ourselves/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [And not a vanity is given in vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/and-not-a-vanity-is-given-in-vain/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-always-deceive-ourselves-twice-about-the-people-we-love-first-to/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“It seems to me that all these factors—from the industrialization of our food to the belief that cooking for our family is a chore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ruhlman/it-seems-to-me-that-all-these-factors-from-the-industrialization-of/) [Michael Ruhlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ruhlman/) > [Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/forgiveness-is-a-strange-thing-it-can-sometimes-be-easier-to-forgive/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [Our wedding day was special because we were lucky enough to be surrounded by the people we love. Your thoughtfulness & generosity are truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-wedding-day-was-special-because-we-were-lucky-enough-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So often the most meaningful moments in our lives are those that we share with our families. Treasured memories are created by celebrating, sharing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-magsamen/so-often-the-most-meaningful-moments-in-our-lives-are-those-that-we/) [Sandra Magsamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-magsamen/) > [I think we need to be put back in touch with our childhood...to be reminded of what's important, like memories about people we loved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-tucker-windham/i-think-we-need-to-be-put-back-in-touch-with-our-childhood-to-be/) [Kathryn Tucker Windham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-tucker-windham/) > [I think that part of being human is being alone, and being lonely. I think one of the stresses on a lot of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-that-part-of-being-human-is-being-alone-and-being-lonely-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“How Much Do We Owe People We Love?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-packer/how-much-do-we-owe-people-we-love/) [Ann Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-packer/) > [I thought of the priest who'd told me that many religions hold that it is easier to be closely connected to people we love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-thought-of-the-priest-who-d-told-me-that-many-religions-hold-that/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“People are not puppets that Hashem controls, making us do whatever He wants. Nor can He be manipulated to do whatever we ask of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-austin/people-are-not-puppets-that-hashem-controls-making-us-do-whatever-he/) [Lynn Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-austin/) > [“We forget about the people we love sometimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-l-mcfadden/we-forget-about-the-people-we-love-sometimes/) [Bernice L. McFadden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-l-mcfadden/) > [“ Many of us are slaves to our minds. Our own mind is our worst enemy. We try to focus, and our mind wanders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham-rinpoche/many-of-us-are-slaves-to-our-minds-our-own-mind-is-our-worst-enemy-we/) [Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham-rinpoche/) > [We are supposed to enjoy the good stuff now, while we can, with the people we love. Life has a funny way of teaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-easton/we-are-supposed-to-enjoy-the-good-stuff-now-while-we-can-with-the/) [Sheena Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-easton/) ## More by Albert Camus > [“The whole town rushed outside to celebrate this crowded minute when the time of suffering had ended and the time of forgetting had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-whole-town-rushed-outside-to-celebrate-this-crowded-minute-when/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/generally-i-like-all-islands-there-it-is-easier-to-rule/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Being is good, but getting rich is better… If the gods had only the riches of men's adoration, they would be as poor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/being-is-good-but-getting-rich-is-better-if-the-gods-had-only-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Having been, not only mutilated in our country, wounded in our very flesh, but also divested of our most beautiful images, for you gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/having-been-not-only-mutilated-in-our-country-wounded-in-our-very/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-ve-seen-of-enough-of-people-who-die-for-an-idea-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The best are led to make greater demands upon themselves. As for those who succumb, they did not deserve to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-best-are-led-to-make-greater-demands-upon-themselves-as-for-those/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Then he asked me if I wasn’t interested in a change of life. I said that people never change their lives, that in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/then-he-asked-me-if-i-wasn-t-interested-in-a-change-of-life-i-said/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Life is meaningless, but worth living, provided you recognize it's meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-meaningless-but-worth-living-provided-you-recognize-it-s/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Thinking of the future, establishing aims for oneself, having preferences-all this presupposes a belief in freedom, even if one occasionally ascertains that one doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thinking-of-the-future-establishing-aims-for-oneself-having/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-explained-to-him-however-that-my-nature-was-such-that-my-physical/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-only-way-to-deal-with-an-unfree-world-is-to-become-so-absolutely/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“We love people not because for good they did for us, but for good we did for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-love-people-not-because-for-good-they-did-for-us-but-for-good-we/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [You have so much inside you, and the noblest happiness of all. Don’t just wait for a man to come along. That’s the mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/you-have-so-much-inside-you-and-the-noblest-happiness-of-all-don-t/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The desire for possession is insatiable, to such a point that it can survive even love itself. To love, therefore, is to sterilize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-desire-for-possession-is-insatiable-to-such-a-point-that-it-can/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) [Explore all 1,600 Albert Camus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## More Faith quotes > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Keep the faith, and keep going strong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/keep-the-faith-and-keep-going-strong/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Holiness sincerity, and faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/holiness-sincerity-and-faith/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“The only limitations for your life are the limiting beliefs in your mind. —Matt Morris”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-morris-1/the-only-limitations-for-your-life-are-the-limiting-beliefs-in-your/) [Matt Morris (1](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-morris-1/) > [“Just because your faith is shaken doesn’t mean the faith is shaken. The eternal truths of the Kingdom aren’t altered or affected by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-arthur/just-because-your-faith-is-shaken-doesn-t-mean-the-faith-is-shaken/) [Sarah Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-arthur/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [Once you pull the trigger, you've got to throw balls aggressively and with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-smith/once-you-pull-the-trigger-you-ve-got-to-throw-balls-aggressively-and/) [Alex Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-smith/) [Browse all 37,796 Faith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He desired her vaguely but without conviction. They walked together. He suddenly realized that she had always been very decent to him. She had accepted him as he was and had spared him a great deal of loneliness. He had been unfair: while his imagination and vanity had given her too much importance, his pride had given her too little. He discovered the cruel paradox by which we always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love -- first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage. Today he understood that she had been genuine with him -- that she had been what she was, and that he owed her a good deal.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Camus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-conviction-they-walked-together-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Faith" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-conviction-they-walked-together-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/albert-camus-47_faith_he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-convi_1428506.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/albert-camus-47_faith_he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-convi_1428506.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c75/albert-camus-47_faith_he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-convi_1428506.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He desired her vaguely but without conviction. They walked together. He suddenly realized that she had…” — Albert Camus", "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": "Albert Camus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He desired her vaguely but without...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-conviction-they-walked-together-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/he-desired-her-vaguely-but-without-conviction-they-walked-together-he/#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 } } ] } ```