--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He felt useless and degraded, as if he no…" description: "\"“He felt useless and degraded, as if he no longer lived for others but for himself alone.”\" — Bernard Werber" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/bernard-werber-15515_collectivism_he-felt-useless-and-degraded-as-if-he-no_3036882.jpg" --- # He felt useless and degraded, as if he no longer lived for… ![“He felt useless and degraded, as if he no longer lived for others but for himself alone.” quote by Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/bernard-werber-15515_collectivism_he-felt-useless-and-degraded-as-if-he-no_3036882.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/bernard-werber-15515_collectivism_he-felt-useless-and-degraded-as-if-he-no_3036882.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4c/bernard-werber-15515_collectivism_he-felt-useless-and-degraded-as-if-he-no_3036882.jpg) > ““He felt useless and degraded, as if he no longer lived for others but for himself alone.”” [Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) ## 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 feels isolated, living solely for himself after losing purpose in serving others. **In simple terms:** Feeling useless and alone. Key Takeaway Seek purpose beyond self‑interest. Themes existential isolation identity Mood melancholic introspective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - therapy sessions - career transitions - volunteer work - creative projects - spiritual retreats Key Concepts psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How does purpose affect self‑worth? - What restores connection to others? A Different Perspective Self‑focus can lead to alienation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Collectivism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collectivism/) [Degraded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degraded/) [Degraded Longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degraded-longer-4986689/) [Felt Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-useless-2793136/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless/) [Useless Degraded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless-degraded-4986688/) ## Related quotes > [One thing I do understand - after getting in my accident and being paralyzed and having to learn to walk again... the depression that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wahl/one-thing-i-do-understand-after-getting-in-my-accident-and-being/) [Ken Wahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wahl/) > [“Piper had a new entry in her top-ten list of Times Piper Felt Useless . 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You shut our mouths and ask why we don't speak. You close your colleges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/you-degrade-us-and-then-ask-why-we-are-degraded-you-shut-our-mouths/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Art degraded, Imagination denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/art-degraded-imagination-denied/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [When art becomes merely shock value, our sense of humanity is slowly degraded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/when-art-becomes-merely-shock-value-our-sense-of-humanity-is-slowly/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [No government can be strong and flourishing while the national character is weak and degraded. A government must flourish and decay with its subjects;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-robbins-curtis/no-government-can-be-strong-and-flourishing-while-the-national/) [Benjamin Robbins Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-robbins-curtis/) > [Much of the same sort of degraded and filthy talk can still be heard among the orc-minded; dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/much-of-the-same-sort-of-degraded-and-filthy-talk-can-still-be-heard/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) ## More by Bernard Werber > [Judaism is in all my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-werber/judaism-is-in-all-my-books/) [Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) > [Ants can live together in solidarity and forget themselves in the community. In a normative capitalist society, everyone is an egoist. In the ants'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-werber/ants-can-live-together-in-solidarity-and-forget-themselves-in-the/) [Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) > [“Between two brains, there will always be misunderstandings and lies caused by parasitic smells, drafts and poor-quality reception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-werber/between-two-brains-there-will-always-be-misunderstandings-and-lies/) [Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) > [“Parim viis hirmu peletamiseks on hirmu tekitamine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-werber/parim-viis-hirmu-peletamiseks-on-hirmu-tekitamine/) [Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) > [We of the modern age are a bridge between the old human and the new one. 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Lets just say we often found ourselves in each others company and neither of us minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-werber/can-we-ever-really-know-anyone-well-lets-just-say-we-often-found/) [Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) > [Can we ever really know anyone well? Let's just say we often found ourselves in each other's company and neither of us minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-werber/can-we-ever-really-know-anyone-well-let-s-just-say-we-often-found/) [Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) > [“I have seen human beings who have forged "intellectual" armor to shield themselves from adversity. They seemed stronger than most. They said, "I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-werber/i-have-seen-human-beings-who-have-forged-intellectual-armor-to-shield/) [Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) > [“Viimaste ellujääjate agoonia on ilmselt kõige hullem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-werber/viimaste-elluj-jate-agoonia-on-ilmselt-k-ige-hullem/) [Bernard Werber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) [Explore all 18 Bernard Werber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-werber/) ## More Collectivism quotes > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. The jokes about death for the sake of the motherland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/motherland-is-our-property-and-we-have-right-to-handle-our-properties/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“Socialists and Progressives confuse compassion and compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-samaan/socialists-and-progressives-confuse-compassion-and-compulsion/) [A.E. Samaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-samaan/) > [Your best friends are your principles, if you havent them, dont look for another friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/your-best-friends-are-your-principles-if-you-havent-them-dont-look/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [A strong saying is not afraid of criticism, because it includes all the answers to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-strong-saying-is-not-afraid-of-criticism-because-it-includes-all/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [ \[American\] conformism might approximate collectivism, not so much in economic respects, and not too much in political respects, but very much in the pattern… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tillich/american-conformism-might-approximate-collectivism-not-so-much-in/) [Paul Tillich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tillich/) > [“He needed the people and the clamour around him. 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There is no such animal, it is always individualism, sometimes the rest vote and sometimes they do not, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-don-t-envisage-collectivism-there-is-no-such-animal-it-is-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“They say, 'No private property', and immediately after strive to maintain private property in its daily manifestations. 'You shall be a commune as far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pyotr-kropotkin/they-say-no-private-property-and-immediately-after-strive-to-maintain/) [Pyotr Kropotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pyotr-kropotkin/) > [“the only secure basis for oligarchy is collectivism. Wealth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-only-secure-basis-for-oligarchy-is-collectivism-wealth/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Subconsciously it is possible to act, consciously it is possible to decide and overconsciously to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/subconsciously-it-is-possible-to-act-consciously-it-is-possible-to/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Unfortunately, our leadership decided to abandon the model that had made us rich and embrace the impoverishing ideas of collectivism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/unfortunately-our-leadership-decided-to-abandon-the-model-that-had/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [By consequence I hold that no one ever did, or can do, anything for "society."... 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