---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth is I don't really know where my…"
description: "\"The truth is I don't really know where my own interest in tall buildings really comes from. It cannot come from my hometown because there were no tall ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/cesar-pelli-22141_buildings_the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-m_1740818.jpg"
---

#  The truth is I don't really know where my own interest in…

![“The truth is I don't really know where my own interest in tall buildings really comes from. It cannot come from my hometown because there were no tall buildings there!” quote by Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/cesar-pelli-22141_buildings_the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-m_1740818.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/cesar-pelli-22141_buildings_the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-m_1740818.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/cesar-pelli-22141_buildings_the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-m_1740818.jpg)

> “The truth is I don't really know where my own interest in tall buildings really comes from. It cannot come from my hometown because there were no tall buildings there!”

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker is uncertain about the source of his fascination with skyscrapers, noting a paradox between origin and interest.

**In simple terms:** He wonders why he loves tall buildings despite no local examples.

Key Takeaway

Explore personal motivations behind passions.

Themes

architecture self‑reflection identity paradox

Mood

curious introspective

Type

reflective philosophical

When to use this quote

- career choices
- design education
- personal essays

Key Concepts

psychology inspiration

Questions to Reflect On

- What hidden experiences shape your passions?
- How do you reconcile contradictions in your interests?

A Different Perspective

Interest may be influenced by indirect exposure.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Buildings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buildings/) [Buildings Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buildings-really-1518742/) [Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come/) [Hometown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hometown/) [Hometown Tall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hometown-tall-1518741/) [Know Tall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-tall-285092/) [Tall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tall/) [Tall buildings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tall-buildings/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

## Related quotes

> [Chicago's such a great city because it's got so many different brilliantly architecturally looking buildings, and you can really modify that city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-roven/chicago-s-such-a-great-city-because-it-s-got-so-many-different/)

[Charles Roven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-roven/)

> [In Manchester, you don't have proper tall buildings. Or in Munich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bastian-schweinsteiger/in-manchester-you-don-t-have-proper-tall-buildings-or-in-munich/)

[Bastian Schweinsteiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bastian-schweinsteiger/)

> [I am all for greening tall buildings, but I'm also very keen to note that greening a building doesn't cope with the problem of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-rykwert/i-am-all-for-greening-tall-buildings-but-i-m-also-very-keen-to-note/)

[Joseph Rykwert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-rykwert/)

> [It's not like I am a junkie that wants to throw himself from very tall buildings, but some people are, and I love them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-statham/it-s-not-like-i-am-a-junkie-that-wants-to-throw-himself-from-very/)

[Jason Statham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-statham/)

> [“Tall buildings have always intimidated me, but I somehow feel comforted, by an even taller tree.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akash-mandal/tall-buildings-have-always-intimidated-me-but-i-somehow-feel/)

[Akash Mandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akash-mandal/)

> [Societies raise their grandest monuments to what their cultures value most highly. As the tallest buildings in a city noted for tall buildings, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/societies-raise-their-grandest-monuments-to-what-their-cultures-value/)

[Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/)

> [I kind of expect that the people wouldn't know me. I know I'm tall and I cannot escape that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-kukoc/i-kind-of-expect-that-the-people-wouldn-t-know-me-i-know-i-m-tall-and/)

[Toni Kukoc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-kukoc/)

> [If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/if-you-aren-t-in-over-your-head-how-do-you-know-how-tall-you-are/)

[T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/)

> [I don't even know how tall I am. I'm hoping 6-4. I'm 6-4, 6-5 on a good day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-beal/i-don-t-even-know-how-tall-i-am-i-m-hoping-6-4-i-m-6-4-6-5-on-a-good/)

[Bradley Beal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-beal/)

> [I don't know how tall I am or how much I weigh. Because I don't want anybody to know my identity. I'm like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebron-james/i-don-t-know-how-tall-i-am-or-how-much-i-weigh-because-i-don-t-want/)

[LeBron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebron-james/)

> [If you talk about an issue, what comes back is a description of what you're wearing. Reporters only want to know how tall you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/if-you-talk-about-an-issue-what-comes-back-is-a-description-of-what/)

[Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/)

> [“to know how tall a tree is I must fall from the top; that is, desire burns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-blaser/to-know-how-tall-a-tree-is-i-must-fall-from-the-top-that-is-desire/)

[Robin Blaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-blaser/)

> [I'm particularly interested in the public role that all buildings play. I believe that we architects should try to go beyond our basic obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/i-m-particularly-interested-in-the-public-role-that-all-buildings/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [My buildings are like my children, so I cannot have favorites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/my-buildings-are-like-my-children-so-i-cannot-have-favorites/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [Moms are, in my opinion, the wonders of the universe. They can leap tall buildings in a single bound, they can go where no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-leman/moms-are-in-my-opinion-the-wonders-of-the-universe-they-can-leap-tall/)

[Kevin Leman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-leman/)

## More by Cesar Pelli

> [Too many architects are just trying to make all of their buildings look like a brand, and that may be good for business, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/too-many-architects-are-just-trying-to-make-all-of-their-buildings/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [When I started designing in school, I discovered that I had a knack for it. I fell completely in love with architecture, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/when-i-started-designing-in-school-i-discovered-that-i-had-a-knack/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [Construction is a matter of optimism; its a matter of facing the future with confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/construction-is-a-matter-of-optimism-its-a-matter-of-facing-the/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [My buildings are like my children, so I cannot have favorites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/my-buildings-are-like-my-children-so-i-cannot-have-favorites/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [I am a strong believer that as one moves toward the future, the strongest and clearest way to do it is if you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/i-am-a-strong-believer-that-as-one-moves-toward-the-future-the/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [Architecture adds dimensions to my life that would be impossible to acquire if I retired. The beautiful thing about architecture is that every project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/architecture-adds-dimensions-to-my-life-that-would-be-impossible-to/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [I'm particularly interested in the public role that all buildings play. I believe that we architects should try to go beyond our basic obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/i-m-particularly-interested-in-the-public-role-that-all-buildings/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [The World Trade Center was for me not only out of scale vertically, but it was also out of scale in plan. It occupied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/the-world-trade-center-was-for-me-not-only-out-of-scale-vertically/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [I see my buildings as pieces of cities, and in my designs I try to make them into responsible and contributing citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/i-see-my-buildings-as-pieces-of-cities-and-in-my-designs-i-try-to/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [I had come from Los Angeles - I had been there a partner of Gruen Associates, a large Los Angeles firm - and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/i-had-come-from-los-angeles-i-had-been-there-a-partner-of-gruen/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [I'd never known of an architect as a young man. I think there was only one architect in Tucuman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/i-d-never-known-of-an-architect-as-a-young-man-i-think-there-was-only/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [I'm a bad customer for my own buildings! If I'm choosing an apartment, I choose one about five or six stories high so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/i-m-a-bad-customer-for-my-own-buildings-if-i-m-choosing-an-apartment/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [The Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration will be a building that will connect the excitement of science to the surrounding streets, river and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/the-connecticut-center-for-science-and-exploration-will-be-a-building/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [I always look forward to the next project. That is one of the wonderful things about architecture - you always can hope for another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/i-always-look-forward-to-the-next-project-that-is-one-of-the/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

> [When I finished high school, I was 16, and in Argentina you have to choose a career right after high school. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/when-i-finished-high-school-i-was-16-and-in-argentina-you-have-to/)

[Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

[Explore all 28 Cesar Pelli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/)

## More Buildings quotes

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [Seoul will strictly limit the total greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and expand the construction of zero-energy buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-won-soon/seoul-will-strictly-limit-the-total-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from/)

[Park Won-soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-won-soon/)

> [I grew up in a big sky country. Then I lived in Manhattan, where you can only see the sky between buildings, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-grew-up-in-a-big-sky-country-then-i-lived-in-manhattan-where-you/)

[Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/)

> [The human animal originally came from out-of-doors. When spring begins to move in his bones, he just must get out again. Moreover, as civilization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/the-human-animal-originally-came-from-out-of-doors-when-spring-begins/)

[Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/)

> [“The structure of life I have described in buildings - the structure which I believe to be objective - is deeply and inextricably connected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/the-structure-of-life-i-have-described-in-buildings-the-structure/)

[Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/)

> [Extreme weather threatens our energy and electric grid, federal buildings, transportation infrastructure, access to natural resources, public health, our relationships across the globe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cartwright/extreme-weather-threatens-our-energy-and-electric-grid-federal/)

[Matt Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cartwright/)

> [In New York, we're always confined with spaces. Our restaurants are difficult to navigate as cooks and to operate. We fight against the buildings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/in-new-york-we-re-always-confined-with-spaces-our-restaurants-are/)

[David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/)

> [Most buildings, whether they're Gothic cathedrals or Romanesque ones, were high tech for their time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rogers/most-buildings-whether-they-re-gothic-cathedrals-or-romanesque-ones/)

[Richard Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rogers/)

> [I don't measure success by how many buildings have my name on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-don-t-measure-success-by-how-many-buildings-have-my-name-on-it/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [I don't like to talk about sustainability, because sometimes I see green buildings that don't appear any different from those in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-sustainability-because-sometimes-i-see/)

[Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/)

> [Once I tried to make a standardization of staircases. Probably that is one of the oldest of the standardizations. Of course, we design new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/once-i-tried-to-make-a-standardization-of-staircases-probably-that-is/)

[Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/)

> [My buildings will be my legacy... they will speak for me long after I'm gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-morgan/my-buildings-will-be-my-legacy-they-will-speak-for-me-long-after-i-m/)

[Julia Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-morgan/)

> [When I first came to New York City, what I was thrilled about was not the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/when-i-first-came-to-new-york-city-what-i-was-thrilled-about-was-not/)

[Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/)

> [I come from Canada, and maternity leave is six months to a year, and they also have paternity leave, and I think that there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobie-smulders/i-come-from-canada-and-maternity-leave-is-six-months-to-a-year-and/)

[Cobie Smulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobie-smulders/)

> [I love to walk through the streets of Jesus Maria and Pueblo Libre. The Spanish colonial buildings are in bright colors, two stories high,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-love-to-walk-through-the-streets-of-jesus-maria-and-pueblo-libre/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

[Browse all 376 Buildings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buildings/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The truth is I don't really know where my own interest in tall buildings really comes from. It cannot come from my hometown because there were no tall buildings there!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cesar Pelli"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-my-own-interest-in-tall/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Buildings"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-my-own-interest-in-tall/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/cesar-pelli-22141_buildings_the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-m_1740818.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/cesar-pelli-22141_buildings_the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-m_1740818.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/cesar-pelli-22141_buildings_the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-m_1740818.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The truth is I don't really know where my own interest in tall buildings really comes from. It cannot come…” — Cesar Pelli",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Cesar Pelli",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The truth is I don't really...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-my-own-interest-in-tall/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/the-truth-is-i-don-t-really-know-where-my-own-interest-in-tall/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
