--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It wouldn't have surprised me to learn…" description: "\"“It wouldn't have surprised me to learn that nobody we knew had ever really seen the building: it was the sort of thing you wished you'd done, without ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/claire-messud-1372_surprised_it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-t_1152683.jpg" --- # It wouldn't have surprised me to learn that nobody we knew… ![“It wouldn't have surprised me to learn that nobody we knew had ever really seen the building: it was the sort of thing you wished you'd done, without actually wishing to do it.” quote by Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/claire-messud-1372_surprised_it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-t_1152683.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/claire-messud-1372_surprised_it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-t_1152683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/claire-messud-1372_surprised_it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-t_1152683.jpg) > ““It wouldn't have surprised me to learn that nobody we knew had ever really seen the building: it was the sort of thing you wished you'd done, without actually wishing to do it.”” [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## 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 experiences can be abstract, lacking true intention, leading to unfulfilled wishes. **In simple terms:** Wanting without wanting leads to emptiness. Key Takeaway Clarify true intentions before pursuing goals. Themes desire intention illusion goalsetting Mood contemplative inquisitive Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - travel plans - personal goals Key Concepts existentialism psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What do you truly want to achieve? - How can you turn vague wishes into specific plans? A Different Perspective Desire can inspire action when paired with concrete steps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/) ## Related quotes > [“It was only later that she would remember that the truth did not always set you free. And that you had to be careful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wax/it-was-only-later-that-she-would-remember-that-the-truth-did-not/) [Wendy Wax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wax/) > [When I first went to New York I was right out of high school, I was 17 years old, and I had never seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-henderson/when-i-first-went-to-new-york-i-was-right-out-of-high-school-i-was-17/) [Florence Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-henderson/) > [People will be surprised to learn that I've got a sense of humour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-henman/people-will-be-surprised-to-learn-that-i-ve-got-a-sense-of-humour/) [Tim Henman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-henman/) > [“He truly wouldn't have been surprised if they'd heard him all the way at the main Haus because Edouard pulled every ounce of feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-north/he-truly-wouldn-t-have-been-surprised-if-they-d-heard-him-all-the-way/) Vanessa North > [I'm extremely surprised to learn that a story, which has become familiar to children through the medium of comic strips and many succeeding novels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/i-m-extremely-surprised-to-learn-that-a-story-which-has-become/) [Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/) > [I'm no expert in vibrators, but I was surprised to learn that one could fit in that little box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-blodget/i-m-no-expert-in-vibrators-but-i-was-surprised-to-learn-that-one/) [Henry Blodget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-blodget/) > [If we discovered, emphatically, that ghosts were real, I probably wouldn't be surprised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-snook/if-we-discovered-emphatically-that-ghosts-were-real-i-probably-wouldn/) [Sarah Snook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-snook/) > [During my study of happiness, I noticed something that surprised me: I often learn more from one person's highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/during-my-study-of-happiness-i-noticed-something-that-surprised-me-i/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [When you give a lesson in meanness to a critter or a person, don't be surprised if they learn their lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/when-you-give-a-lesson-in-meanness-to-a-critter-or-a-person-don-t-be/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I think people are surprised to learn that Im pretty goofy and pretty funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-egan/i-think-people-are-surprised-to-learn-that-im-pretty-goofy-and-pretty/) [Susan Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-egan/) > [“You must endeavor to seem interested in the conversations of others; you'll be surprised by what you might learn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ge-paulus/you-must-endeavor-to-seem-interested-in-the-conversations-of-others/) [GE PAulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ge-paulus/) > [Find out about me and who I am before making judgements and assessments. You may be surprised with what you learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/find-out-about-me-and-who-i-am-before-making-judgements-and/) Enhance Dreams > [I would say about individuals, A Individual dies when they cease to to be surprised. I am surprised every morning when I see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-joshua-heschel/i-would-say-about-individuals-a-individual-dies-when-they-cease-to-to/) [Abraham Joshua Heschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-joshua-heschel/) > [I have a 12-year-old daughter, and all the time people will say, 'Oh, she's young!" and you'd be so surprised what you can learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-hartley/i-have-a-12-year-old-daughter-and-all-the-time-people-will-say-oh-she/) [Justin Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-hartley/) > [Being Indian, you won't be surprised to learn that your life is an Open Book!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mishan-amithab-kasiparsad/being-indian-you-won-t-be-surprised-to-learn-that-your-life-is-an/) [Mishan Amithab Kasiparsad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mishan-amithab-kasiparsad/) ## More by Claire Messud > [I'd wish for my work to be remembered rather than myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-d-wish-for-my-work-to-be-remembered-rather-than-myself/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I have said it somewhere - our literary lived lives are as important as our literally lived lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-have-said-it-somewhere-our-literary-lived-lives-are-as-important-as/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Life is about deciding what matters. It’s about the fantasy that determines the reality. Have you ever asked yourself whether you’d rather fly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-is-about-deciding-what-matters-it-s-about-the-fantasy-that/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Life's funny. You have to find a way to keep going, to keep laughing, even after you realize that none of your dreams will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-s-funny-you-have-to-find-a-way-to-keep-going-to-keep-laughing/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [It's the strangest thing about being human: to know so much, to communicate so much, and yet always to fall so drastically short of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-s-the-strangest-thing-about-being-human-to-know-so-much-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [The fictional narratives that television, film, and the news provide for girls and young women are appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-fictional-narratives-that-television-film-and-the-news-provide/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“I don't want to sleep,' my mother said. 'I want -- for God's sake, I want to wake up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-don-t-want-to-sleep-my-mother-said-i-want-for-god-s-sake-i-want-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It was supposed to say “Great Artist” on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say “such a good teacher/​daughter/​friend” instead;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-was-supposed-to-say-great-artist-on-my-tombstone-but-if-i-died/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Live, my dear Nora. Satisfy your hunger. There's food all around you, you know.' 'What kind of food, I'd like to know?' 'Ah'-he smiled-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/live-my-dear-nora-satisfy-your-hunger-there-s-food-all-around-you-you/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I digress a lot - it's how I experience the world. I would like to write in a way that will convey that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-digress-a-lot-it-s-how-i-experience-the-world-i-would-like-to-write/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [We think that - as kids, you know - that kids make up stories and live in a sort of fictional place, but that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/we-think-that-as-kids-you-know-that-kids-make-up-stories-and-live-in/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It makes sense that if you stand almost daily in the middle of a perfect crescent of shore, with a vista open to eternity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-makes-sense-that-if-you-stand-almost-daily-in-the-middle-of-a/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Once aware of my isolation, I was afraid not of it but of its interruption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/once-aware-of-my-isolation-i-was-afraid-not-of-it-but-of-its/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“who I am in my head, very few people really get to see that. Almost none. It’s the most precious gift I can give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/who-i-am-in-my-head-very-few-people-really-get-to-see-that-almost/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“My everyday Appleton life, my phones calls to my father, my occasional beers with friends, my Saturday-morning jobs around the reservoir - what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/my-everyday-appleton-life-my-phones-calls-to-my-father-my-occasional/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) [Explore all 249 Claire Messud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## More Surprised quotes > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ David Cameron was wrong on this \[Brexit\]. He didn't get the mood of his country right. He was very surprised to see what happened. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/david-cameron-was-wrong-on-this-brexit-he-didn-t-get-the-mood-of-his/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I am surprised that anyone can profess to be an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-am-surprised-that-anyone-can-profess-to-be-an-atheist/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Some friends said they weren't surprised to find out Napoleon and I were related, but it came as quite a shock to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-conti/some-friends-said-they-weren-t-surprised-to-find-out-napoleon-and-i/) [Tom Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-conti/) > [Many people would be surprised that, in fact, I'm quite shy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/many-people-would-be-surprised-that-in-fact-i-m-quite-shy/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Isn't there something wonderful about being surprised by what you weren't suspecting?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rege-jean-page/isn-t-there-something-wonderful-about-being-surprised-by-what-you/) [Rege-Jean Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rege-jean-page/) > [The millennials were raised in a cocoon, their anxious parents afraid to let them go out in the park to play. So should we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/the-millennials-were-raised-in-a-cocoon-their-anxious-parents-afraid/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [“We should have learned by now not to be surprised by kittypets." Graystripe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/we-should-have-learned-by-now-not-to-be-surprised-by-kittypets/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) > [“It surprised him how badly he wanted her to stay. It was that male possessiveness again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maisey-yates/it-surprised-him-how-badly-he-wanted-her-to-stay-it-was-that-male/) [Maisey Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maisey-yates/) > [I surprised the hell out of myself when I got MVP for the 2018 All Star Legends Celebrity game. I had no idea I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-miz/i-surprised-the-hell-out-of-myself-when-i-got-mvp-for-the-2018-all/) [The Miz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-miz/) > [I'm shocked and surprised by people that are shocked and surprised that certain things in life are made up or not as true as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclanahan/i-m-shocked-and-surprised-by-people-that-are-shocked-and-surprised/) [Scott McClanahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclanahan/) > [Today one can dare anything, and, furthermore, nobody is surprised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gauguin/today-one-can-dare-anything-and-furthermore-nobody-is-surprised/) [Paul Gauguin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gauguin/) > [I can whistle really loudly. You know the two-fingered whistle? That. People are usually really surprised that I can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccartney/i-can-whistle-really-loudly-you-know-the-two-fingered-whistle-that/) [Mary McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccartney/) > [I would not be surprised to see Syria break apart entirely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/i-would-not-be-surprised-to-see-syria-break-apart-entirely/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) [Browse all 1,060 Surprised quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It wouldn't have surprised me to learn that nobody we knew had ever really seen the building: it was the sort of thing you wished you'd done, without actually wishing to do it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claire Messud" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-that-nobody-we-knew-had-ever/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Surprised" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-that-nobody-we-knew-had-ever/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/claire-messud-1372_surprised_it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-t_1152683.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/claire-messud-1372_surprised_it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-t_1152683.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f69/claire-messud-1372_surprised_it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-t_1152683.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It wouldn't have surprised me to learn that nobody we knew had ever really seen the building: it was the…” — Claire Messud", "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": "Claire Messud", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It wouldn't have surprised me to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-that-nobody-we-knew-had-ever/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-wouldn-t-have-surprised-me-to-learn-that-nobody-we-knew-had-ever/#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 } } ] } ```