--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But all these were things he could not…" description: "\"“But all these were things he could not want, because they were things he could not have, and wanting what you could not have led to misery and madness..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/cassandra-clare-9_madness_but-all-these-were-things-he-could-not-w_220642.jpg" --- # But all these were things he could not want, because they… ![“But all these were things he could not want, because they were things he could not have, and wanting what you could not have led to misery and madness.” quote by Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/cassandra-clare-9_madness_but-all-these-were-things-he-could-not-w_220642.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/cassandra-clare-9_madness_but-all-these-were-things-he-could-not-w_220642.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/cassandra-clare-9_madness_but-all-these-were-things-he-could-not-w_220642.jpg) > ““But all these were things he could not want, because they were things he could not have, and wanting what you could not have led to misery and madness.”” [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desire for unattainable things breeds suffering and irrationality. **In simple terms:** Wanting what you can't have causes misery. Key Takeaway Accept limits, seek realistic goals. Themes desire misery unattainable madness Mood melancholic reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - career aspirations - material pursuits Key Concepts psychology philosophy human nature Questions to Reflect On - What does this quote you about your own unfulfilled wishes? - How can you transform longing into constructive action? A Different Perspective Unattainable desires may motivate growth if reframed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Misery Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery-madness-1268095/) [Things Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-want-244595/) [Things Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-wanting-1268096/) [Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanting/) ## Related quotes > [“All these were things he could not want, because they were the things he could not have, and wanting you could not have led…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/all-these-were-things-he-could-not-want-because-they-were-the-things/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [He wanted to make her laugh. He wanted to sit and listen to her talk about books until his ears fell off. But all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-wanted-to-make-her-laugh-he-wanted-to-sit-and-listen-to-her-talk/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“When he saw her, he wanted to be with her; when he was with her, he ached to touch her; when he touched even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/when-he-saw-her-he-wanted-to-be-with-her-when-he-was-with-her-he-2/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [wanting what you could not have led to misery and madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/wanting-what-you-could-not-have-led-to-misery-and-madness/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [All I know about getting something that you want is that there are three essential things: wanting, trying and getting the opportunity, the breaks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greer-garson/all-i-know-about-getting-something-that-you-want-is-that-there-are/) [Greer Garson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greer-garson/) > [The more we desire for that which is superfluous, the more we meet with difficulties; our strength and possessions are spent in unnecessary things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/the-more-we-desire-for-that-which-is-superfluous-the-more-we-meet/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [With the introduction of agriculture mankind entered upon a long period of meanness, misery, and madness, from which they are only now being freed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/with-the-introduction-of-agriculture-mankind-entered-upon-a-long/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I will fight for you, yes, and you will fight for me. 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And this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-ego-has-all-the-desires-ambitions-wants-to-be-always-on-the-top/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most people seek after what they do not possess and are enslaved by the very things they want to acquire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-sadat/most-people-seek-after-what-they-do-not-possess-and-are-enslaved-by/) [Anwar Sadat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-sadat/) ## More by Cassandra Clare > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [If you're texting Magnus to say 'I think u r kewl,' I'm going to kill you." "Who's Magnus?" Max inquired. 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It was the Blackthorn family motto: A bad law is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/lex-malla-lex-nulla-said-julian-with-a-regretful-wave-of-his-hand-it/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Maybe that was why she couldn't cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/maybe-that-was-why-she-couldn-t-cry-she-realized-staring-dry-eyed-at/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm memorable, its true." -Magnus, pg.229-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-m-memorable-its-true-magnus-pg-229/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“There is more to living than not dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/there-is-more-to-living-than-not-dying/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Unless there was a reason for me to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/unless-there-was-a-reason-for-me-to-stay/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Love didn't make you weak, it made you stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/love-didn-t-make-you-weak-it-made-you-stronger/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I wasn’t just worried about him; I was worried about you, too. There’s something so . . . reassuring about you. And Jace is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-wasn-t-just-worried-about-him-i-was-worried-about-you-too-there-s/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I firmly believe that you can't get a good movie without risking a bad movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-firmly-believe-that-you-can-t-get-a-good-movie-without-risking-a/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) [Explore all 4,049 Cassandra Clare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## More Madness quotes > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? 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Madness in a person is a sign of intelligence, whoever they are. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fahad-basheer/no-man-is-normal-without-a-tinge-of-madness-in-him-madness-in-a/) [Fahad Basheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fahad-basheer/) > [“I swam across the torrent of my madness, and pulled myself upon the shore of a new and better sanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/i-swam-across-the-torrent-of-my-madness-and-pulled-myself-upon-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“One person's strange is another person's normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-harper/one-person-s-strange-is-another-person-s-normal/) [Dani Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-harper/) > [Why is it, my shadow-striding friend, that we don't fear dreams? 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