--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That, incidentally, gives me the greatest…" description: "\"“That, incidentally, gives me the greatest possible pleasure—the knowledge that we are all linked by our friendship with a group of fictional people. W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/alexander-mccall-smith-372_around-the-world_that-incidentally-gives-me-the-greatest_2630833.png" --- # That, incidentally, gives me the greatest possible… ![“That, incidentally, gives me the greatest possible pleasure—the knowledge that we are all linked by our friendship with a group of fictional people. What a pleasant club of which to be a member! [from the preface; on writing for people around the world]” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/alexander-mccall-smith-372_around-the-world_that-incidentally-gives-me-the-greatest_2630833.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/alexander-mccall-smith-372_around-the-world_that-incidentally-gives-me-the-greatest_2630833.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bf/alexander-mccall-smith-372_around-the-world_that-incidentally-gives-me-the-greatest_2630833.png) > ““That, incidentally, gives me the greatest possible pleasure—the knowledge that we are all linked by our friendship with a group of fictional people. What a pleasant club of which to be a member! \[from the preface; on writing for people around the world\]”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Celebrates the shared joy of readers connecting through fictional characters, forming a global community of imagination. **In simple terms:** Readers bond over stories, creating a worldwide friendship club. Key Takeaway Embrace reading to feel part of a larger, imaginative community. Themes friendship imagination community literature global connection Mood joyful reflective inclusive Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - book clubs - online forums - personal reflection - teaching literature Key Concepts shared narrative emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - How does a favorite character make you feel connected? - What does belonging to a literary community mean to you? A Different Perspective Not everyone feels linked to fiction; some may prefer non‑fiction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Men may be linked in friendship. Nations are linked only by interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-hochhuth/men-may-be-linked-in-friendship-nations-are-linked-only-by-interests/) [Rolf Hochhuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-hochhuth/) > [Tonight I had a massive think, I've realised I seriously don't fit in with my friendship group. As sad as it is, I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tonight-i-had-a-massive-think-i-ve-realised-i-seriously-don-t-fit-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most friendship groups will have someone who starts a new relationship, and you just don't see them for four months. And that's always kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/most-friendship-groups-will-have-someone-who-starts-a-new/) [Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/) > [When I was at a tough inner-city school, drama gave me a friendship group. It's been so core to who I am and given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-streeting/when-i-was-at-a-tough-inner-city-school-drama-gave-me-a-friendship/) [Wes Streeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-streeting/) > [I set out to discover the why of it, and to transform my pleasure into knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/i-set-out-to-discover-the-why-of-it-and-to-transform-my-pleasure-into/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [Eat slowly, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eat-slowly-with-other-people-whenever-possible-and-always-with/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [We have no knowledge, that is, no general principles drawn from the contemplation of particular facts, but what has been built up by pleasure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/we-have-no-knowledge-that-is-no-general-principles-drawn-from-the/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“I had the face of pleasure, and yet I had no knowledge of pleasure. There was no mistaking that face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-duras/i-had-the-face-of-pleasure-and-yet-i-had-no-knowledge-of-pleasure/) [Marguerite Duras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-duras/) > [“What does a decent chap talk about with the greatest possible pleasure? Answer: about himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/what-does-a-decent-chap-talk-about-with-the-greatest-possible/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Reading, for pleasure and knowledge, has always been, will always be one of my favorite things to do. (Larry Brown: A Writer's Life by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-brown/reading-for-pleasure-and-knowledge-has-always-been-will-always-be-one/) [Larry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-brown/) > [Expect to feel pleasure. Knowledge is sexy. Expect to feel pain. Knowledge is torture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-noon/expect-to-feel-pleasure-knowledge-is-sexy-expect-to-feel-pain/) [Jeff Noon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-noon/) > [“Would you agree," he said, "that man's sole duty is to produce as much pleasure as possible?" "Only if the pleasure produced is equivalent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-hubbard/would-you-agree-he-said-that-man-s-sole-duty-is-to-produce-as-much/) [Susan Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-hubbard/) > [If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-were-to-wish-for-anything-i-should-not-wish-for-wealth-and-power-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential -- for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/if-i-were-to-wish-for-anything-i-should-not-wish-for-wealth-and-power/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Eat deliberately, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eat-deliberately-with-other-people-whenever-possible-and-always-with/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Around the world quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It's difficult to believe in yourself because the idea of self is an artificial construction. You are, in fact, part of the glorious oneness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/it-s-difficult-to-believe-in-yourself-because-the-idea-of-self-is-an/) [Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/) > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Since 'coming out,' I've marched in gay pride parades all around the world, I've filled my home full of rainbow tat and I've become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/since-coming-out-i-ve-marched-in-gay-pride-parades-all-around-the/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) > [I look at what's happening around the world and I see Iran four years closer to a bomb. I see the Middle East with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-look-at-what-s-happening-around-the-world-and-i-see-iran-four-years/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [“The low point occurred in July, during Romney’s junior week abroad, in which the press became increasingly frustrated over Romney’s refusal to talk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/the-low-point-occurred-in-july-during-romney-s-junior-week-abroad-in/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I believe there definitely are good things about social networking. It's a way for people to connect all around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lizzie-velasquez/i-believe-there-definitely-are-good-things-about-social-networking-it/) [Lizzie Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lizzie-velasquez/) > [“Isn’t everyone on the planet or at least everyone on the planet called me stuck between the two impulses of wanting to walk away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/isn-t-everyone-on-the-planet-or-at-least-everyone-on-the-planet/) [Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/) > [You always can improve and I think that's the beauty of international cricket, particularly test cricket, is playing all around the world against different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane-williamson/you-always-can-improve-and-i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-international/) [Kane Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane-williamson/) > [Trump is reviled around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/trump-is-reviled-around-the-world/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) [Browse all 3,349 Around the world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That, incidentally, gives me the greatest possible pleasure—the knowledge that we are all linked by our friendship with a group of fictional people. 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