--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People like Eunice just never had quite…" description: "\"“People like Eunice just never had quite figured out how to get along in the world. They might be perfectly intelligent, but they were subject to speck..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a69/anne-tyler-1837_wastepaper-baskets_people-like-eunice-just-never-had-quite_3123850.png" --- # People like Eunice just never had quite figured out how to… ![“People like Eunice just never had quite figured out how to get along in the world. They might be perfectly intelligent, but they were subject to speckles and flushes; their purses resembled wastepaper baskets; they stepped on their own skirts.” quote by Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a69/anne-tyler-1837_wastepaper-baskets_people-like-eunice-just-never-had-quite_3123850.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a69/anne-tyler-1837_wastepaper-baskets_people-like-eunice-just-never-had-quite_3123850.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a69/anne-tyler-1837_wastepaper-baskets_people-like-eunice-just-never-had-quite_3123850.png) > ““People like Eunice just never had quite figured out how to get along in the world. They might be perfectly intelligent, but they were subject to speckles and flushes; their purses resembled wastepaper baskets; they stepped on their own skirts. ”” [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The character struggles with social awkwardness despite intelligence, highlighting how personal quirks can hinder everyday functioning. **In simple terms:** Intelligent but socially clumsy. Key Takeaway Accept imperfections and seek supportive environments. Themes social awkwardness intelligence self‑esteem Mood empathetic reflective thoughtful Type character narrative When to use this quote - workplace - family gatherings - friendship circles Key Concepts character study human behavior Questions to Reflect On - How do personal quirks affect success? - What strategies help navigate social discomfort? A Different Perspective Intelligence alone does not guarantee smooth social interactions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baskets Stepped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baskets-stepped-5496656/) [Eunice Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eunice-just-5496655/) [Like Eunice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-eunice-5496653/) [Purses Resembled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purses-resembled-5496654/) [Wastepaper Baskets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wastepaper-baskets-652735/) ## Related quotes > [All that we know is nothing, we are merely crammed wastepaper baskets, unless we are in touch with that which laughs at all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-that-we-know-is-nothing-we-are-merely-crammed-wastepaper-baskets/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anne Tyler > [Try Jesus, you won't regret it, a billboard read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/try-jesus-you-won-t-regret-it-a-billboard-read/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [“Every place I go I miss another place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/every-place-i-go-i-miss-another-place/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [I'm falling into disrepair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/i-m-falling-into-disrepair/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [None of my own experiences ever finds its way into my work. However, the stages of my life - motherhood, middle age, etc. -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/none-of-my-own-experiences-ever-finds-its-way-into-my-work-however/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [For my own family, I would always choose the makeshift, surrogate family formed by various characters unrelated by blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/for-my-own-family-i-would-always-choose-the-makeshift-surrogate/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [Mostly it's lies, writing novels. You set out to tell an untrue story and you try to make it believable, even to yourself. Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/mostly-it-s-lies-writing-novels-you-set-out-to-tell-an-untrue-story/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [When I read, I'm purely a reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/when-i-read-i-m-purely-a-reader/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [“You wake in the morning, you’re feeling fine, but all at once you think, “Something’s not right. Something’s off somewhere; what is it?” And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/you-wake-in-the-morning-you-re-feeling-fine-but-all-at-once-you-think/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [“...that was Julian for you: reckless. A dashing sailor, a speedy driver, a frequenter of single bars, he was the kind of man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/that-was-julian-for-you-reckless-a-dashing-sailor-a-speedy-driver-a/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [“Disaster followed disaster... the hero stuck in there, though. Macon had long ago noticed that all adventure movies had the same moral: Perseverance pays.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/disaster-followed-disaster-the-hero-stuck-in-there-though-macon-had/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [It struck her all at once that dealing with other human beings was an awful lot of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/it-struck-her-all-at-once-that-dealing-with-other-human-beings-was-an/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [“Justine hated pantsuits. Whenever she saw one, she had an urge to tell the owner some scandalous fortune, loudly enough to be heard everywhere:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/justine-hated-pantsuits-whenever-she-saw-one-she-had-an-urge-to-tell/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [My family can always tell when I'm well into a novel because the meals get very crummy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/my-family-can-always-tell-when-i-m-well-into-a-novel-because-the/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [“She liked to think that she was wearing her beauty out—using it up, she liked to think. She took some satisfaction in it, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/she-liked-to-think-that-she-was-wearing-her-beauty-out-using-it-up/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [It is not how much you love someone, but who you are when you are with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/it-is-not-how-much-you-love-someone-but-who-you-are-when-you-are-with/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) [Explore all 202 Anne Tyler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) ## More Wastepaper Baskets quotes > [All that we know is nothing, we are merely crammed wastepaper baskets, unless we are in touch with that which laughs at all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-that-we-know-is-nothing-we-are-merely-crammed-wastepaper-baskets/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2 Wastepaper Baskets quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wastepaper-baskets-652735/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“People like Eunice just never had quite figured out how to get along in the world. 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