--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: these are not real wants because they are…" description: "\"“these are not real wants because they are not actual things. They are the by-products, the flavors and atmospheres of real things—shadows which have n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/anonymous-1_real-things_these-are-not-real-wants-because-they-ar_2846276.jpg" --- # these are not real wants because they are not actual… ![“these are not real wants because they are not actual things. They are the by-products, the flavors and atmospheres of real things—shadows which have no existence apart from some substance.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/anonymous-1_real-things_these-are-not-real-wants-because-they-ar_2846276.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/anonymous-1_real-things_these-are-not-real-wants-because-they-ar_2846276.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a5/anonymous-1_real-things_these-are-not-real-wants-because-they-ar_2846276.jpg) > ““these are not real wants because they are not actual things. They are the by-products, the flavors and atmospheres of real things—shadows which have no existence apart from some substance.”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that desires are not independent objects but by‑products of real things, lacking existence apart from the substances that create them. **In simple terms:** Desires are secondary effects of real things. Key Takeaway Recognize that wants may be indirect reflections of deeper needs. Themes philosophy psychology materialism Mood reflective analytical Type conceptual analytical reflective When to use this quote - marketing - personal development - consumer behavior - philosophical analysis Key Concepts ontology perception desire Questions to Reflect On - What underlying need does this desire reflect? - How can you differentiate between a true need and a by‑product? A Different Perspective Desires can be tied to real needs, making them useful guides. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actual Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actual-things-3760802/) [Real things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-things/) [Real Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-wants-748804/) [Things Shadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-shadows-2520095/) [Wants Actual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wants-actual-3760801/) ## Related quotes > [“Depending on the places we passed, the night around us shaded from ink black to red to purple to a washed-out yellow that hung…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nic-pizzolatto/depending-on-the-places-we-passed-the-night-around-us-shaded-from-ink/) [Nic Pizzolatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nic-pizzolatto/) > [Sometimes, I think the things we see are shadows of the things to be; that what we plan we build](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-cary/sometimes-i-think-the-things-we-see-are-shadows-of-the-things-to-be/) [Phoebe Cary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-cary/) > [I was never going to be one to just go away quietly and get on with things in the shadows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-groves/i-was-never-going-to-be-one-to-just-go-away-quietly-and-get-on-with/) [George Groves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-groves/) > [We learn that God IS; that he is in me; and that all things are shadows of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-learn-that-god-is-that-he-is-in-me-and-that-all-things-are-shadows/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [How few our real wants, and how vast our imaginary ones!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/how-few-our-real-wants-and-how-vast-our-imaginary-ones/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [We are ruined, not by what we really want, but by what we think we do; therefore never go abroad in search of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/we-are-ruined-not-by-what-we-really-want-but-by-what-we-think-we-do/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [How few are our real wants! and how easy is it to satisfy them! Our imaginary ones are boundless and insatiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-william-hare/how-few-are-our-real-wants-and-how-easy-is-it-to-satisfy-them-our/) [Augustus William Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-william-hare/) > [The real wants of nature are the measure of enjoyments, as the foot is the measure of the shoe. We can call only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-clement-i/the-real-wants-of-nature-are-the-measure-of-enjoyments-as-the-foot-is/) [Pope Clement I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-clement-i/) > [Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion, and he whose real wants are supplied must admit those of fancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/some-desire-is-necessary-to-keep-life-in-motion-and-he-whose-real-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion, and he whose real wants are suppliedmust admit those of fancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/some-desire-is-necessary-to-keep-life-in-motion-and-he-whose-real/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/write-about-what-really-interests-you-whether-it-is-real-things-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes I wonder, is there a spell that I'm under from keeping me seeing the real things? :( its hurts everyday .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-wonder-is-there-a-spell-that-i-m-under-from-keeping-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Writing and reading allow one consciousness to find and take shelter in another. When the minds of the reader and writer perfectly and inimitably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/writing-and-reading-allow-one-consciousness-to-find-and-take-shelter/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All life is only a set of pictures in the brain, among which there is no difference betwixt those born of real things and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-life-is-only-a-set-of-pictures-in-the-brain-among-which-there-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a real nigga who does real things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-a-real-nigga-who-does-real-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Real things quotes > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [“Better for real things to be uncontrollable, better for one's life to be undecipherable and intellectually impenetrable than to attempt to make casual sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/better-for-real-things-to-be-uncontrollable-better-for-one-s-life-to/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [I would like to get married, actually. I've done everything else in my life now except that, but where do I find the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aviv-nevo/i-would-like-to-get-married-actually-i-ve-done-everything-else-in-my/) [Aviv Nevo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aviv-nevo/) > [I'm a huge Joe Nichols fan, and he put this song out an album called 'Real Things.' I was excited for Joe when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-shelton/i-m-a-huge-joe-nichols-fan-and-he-put-this-song-out-an-album-called/) [Blake Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-shelton/) > [No, I was never that kind of guy. I believed in true romance; one-night stands are always going to leave you feeling cold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-tatum/no-i-was-never-that-kind-of-guy-i-believed-in-true-romance-one-night/) [Channing Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-tatum/) > [I read the script and decide if a particular character looks fun to play. I look for complexity and a sense of humor. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-read-the-script-and-decide-if-a-particular-character-looks-fun-to/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [Real bitches do real things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-jay/real-bitches-do-real-things/) [Lady Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-jay/) > [“I wish I could remember the moment when I was a kid, and I discovered that letters linked into words, and that the words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-wish-i-could-remember-the-moment-when-i-was-a-kid-and-i-discovered/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Narrative, fiction filmmaking is the culmination of several art forms: theater, art history, architecture. Whereas doc filmmaking is more pure cinema, like cinema verité…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hickenlooper/narrative-fiction-filmmaking-is-the-culmination-of-several-art-forms/) [George Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hickenlooper/) > [Subtle, funny and touching, with a striking downbeat authenticity. Director Craig Zobel is the real thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-o-scott/subtle-funny-and-touching-with-a-striking-downbeat-authenticity/) [A. O. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-o-scott/) > [He loved telling stories. He had been everywhere in the world. The northwest frontier, the landscape of the Hindu Kush, was one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/he-loved-telling-stories-he-had-been-everywhere-in-the-world-the/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“If there can be a better way for the real world to include the one of images, it will require an ecology not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/if-there-can-be-a-better-way-for-the-real-world-to-include-the-one-of/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [I went to art school, but I didn't last because in those days you couldn't take comics as a course. 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