--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When dealing with a subject who is dead…" description: "\"When dealing with a subject who is dead, you have this feeling of being God. You know who they're going to marry, when they're going to die. It's stran..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/claire-tomalin-8837_being_when-dealing-with-a-subject-who-is-dead_833881.jpg" --- # When dealing with a subject who is dead, you have this… ![“When dealing with a subject who is dead, you have this feeling of being God. You know who they're going to marry, when they're going to die. It's strange to feel so omniscient.” quote by Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/claire-tomalin-8837_being_when-dealing-with-a-subject-who-is-dead_833881.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/claire-tomalin-8837_being_when-dealing-with-a-subject-who-is-dead_833881.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/claire-tomalin-8837_being_when-dealing-with-a-subject-who-is-dead_833881.jpg) > “When dealing with a subject who is dead, you have this feeling of being God. You know who they're going to marry, when they're going to die. It's strange to feel so omniscient.” [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When studying a dead subject, one may feel omniscient, assuming knowledge of their private life and fate. **In simple terms:** Studying the dead can feel like knowing everything about them. Key Takeaway Approach historical subjects with humility. Themes history empathy humility Mood reflective analytical Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - research - writing - teaching Key Concepts biography narrative perspective Questions to Reflect On - How can you avoid projecting your own views onto historical figures? - What limits exist in knowing a dead person’s true thoughts? A Different Perspective Assuming omniscience can misrepresent truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead/) [Dead Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-feeling-582522/) [Dealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dealing/) [Die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Feel Omniscient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-omniscient-582521/) [Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling/) [Feeling God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-god-246068/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Marry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marry/) [Omniscient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/omniscient/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subject/) [Subject Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subject-dead-582523/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [It's a taboo subject. How the dead are betrayed by the living. We who are living--we who have survived--understand that our guilt is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/it-s-a-taboo-subject-how-the-dead-are-betrayed-by-the-living-we-who/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Shudder, in fact, is not quite the word for the feeling. Feeling is not quite the word for the feeling. How's bathing at knifepoint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-lipsyte/shudder-in-fact-is-not-quite-the-word-for-the-feeling-feeling-is-not/) [Sam Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lipsyte/) > [“Scientific’ Marxism is dead. Its feeling of social responsibility and its love for freedom must survive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-r-popper/scientific-marxism-is-dead-its-feeling-of-social-responsibility-and/) [Karl R. Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-r-popper/) > [Most of the people I admire, they usually smell funny and don't get out much. It's true. Most of them are either dead or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/most-of-the-people-i-admire-they-usually-smell-funny-and-don-t-get/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [“All great men are dead, and I'm not feeling too well myself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/all-great-men-are-dead-and-i-m-not-feeling-too-well-myself/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I'm constantly suspended between feeling dead and feeling alive, and I can't decide if I'm truly living or just trying to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-constantly-suspended-between-feeling-dead-and-feeling-alive-and-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The longer I live, the more I have the feeling like God looks down, like when you've just bitten into a vanilla ice cream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/the-longer-i-live-the-more-i-have-the-feeling-like-god-looks-down/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [“Thankful to see this day. Feeling God's love, experiencing His blessings & secure in His grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanina-king/thankful-to-see-this-day-feeling-god-s-love-experiencing-his/) [LaNina King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanina-king/) > [“I do not believe that I am an atheist. Let me tell you of an experience I had. I was nineteen years old at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-f-walter/i-do-not-believe-that-i-am-an-atheist-let-me-tell-you-of-an/) [Otto F. Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-f-walter/) > [“Poem from Rev. Jim Cotter, as listed on the opening pages of “Anatomy of the Spirit” by Caroline Myss: ~ God be in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/poem-from-rev-jim-cotter-as-listed-on-the-opening-pages-of-anatomy-of/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [“Feeling after God is dangerous business. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-covington/feeling-after-god-is-dangerous-business/) [Dennis Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-covington/) > [To feel is to communicate with your Spirit-with God. Feeling is God's mirror; intuition is God's telephone. To seek your truth is to deepen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-loggins/to-feel-is-to-communicate-with-your-spirit-with-god-feeling-is-god-s/) [Kenny Loggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-loggins/) > [“Just say to yourself: I know that God is with me and will help me to think and say and do the right thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-say-to-yourself-i-know-that-god-is-with-me-and-will-help-me-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God leads us step by step, from event to event. Only afterward, as we look back over the way we have come and reconsider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tournier/god-leads-us-step-by-step-from-event-to-event-only-afterward-as-we/) [Paul Tournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tournier/) > [It's my feeling that God lends you your children until they're about eighteen years old. If you haven't made your points with them by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-ford/it-s-my-feeling-that-god-lends-you-your-children-until-they-re-about/) [Betty Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-ford/) ## More by Claire Tomalin > [“Poor Nelly, she was not to know that fashions in sin change as much as other fashions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/poor-nelly-she-was-not-to-know-that-fashions-in-sin-change-as-much-as/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [I always feel sad when I come to the end of a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/i-always-feel-sad-when-i-come-to-the-end-of-a-book/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [I would like to have a more social life than I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/i-would-like-to-have-a-more-social-life-than-i-have/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [I continually get more information about a subject after the book has been published.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/i-continually-get-more-information-about-a-subject-after-the-book-has/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [I was working at the 'Evening Standard' when I heard that there was a job going as deputy literary editor on the 'New Statesman.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/i-was-working-at-the-evening-standard-when-i-heard-that-there-was-a/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [I've behaved badly in my life. 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I used to write it in my head all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/poetry-was-one-of-the-things-that-interested-me-most-as-i-was-growing/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [Biographers search for traces, for evidence of activity, for signs of movement, for letters, for diaries, for photographs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/biographers-search-for-traces-for-evidence-of-activity-for-signs-of/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [You become more tolerant when you become older. You're not interested in rapping people over the knuckles; you're interested in understanding them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/you-become-more-tolerant-when-you-become-older-you-re-not-interested/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [Dickens is a lover of human beings; a relisher of human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/dickens-is-a-lover-of-human-beings-a-relisher-of-human-beings/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [Dickens never joined a political party nor put forward a political programme. He was a writer who rightly saw his power as coming through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/dickens-never-joined-a-political-party-nor-put-forward-a-political/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [Throughout his life, Dickens cared passionately about orphans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/throughout-his-life-dickens-cared-passionately-about-orphans/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [It's a difficult thing to lose a child, a grown-up child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/it-s-a-difficult-thing-to-lose-a-child-a-grown-up-child/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) [Explore all 77 Claire Tomalin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) ## More Being quotes > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [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/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I love being in Malibu. It's so cool there, and the water is just, it's nice and, and I love the beach. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-evancho/i-love-being-in-malibu-it-s-so-cool-there-and-the-water-is-just-it-s/) [Jackie Evancho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-evancho/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [I love to fish. I love the peacefulness of being around the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-love-to-fish-i-love-the-peacefulness-of-being-around-the-water/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) > [When you're in your twenties and starting out, the problem is that you care about being cool. Being older, I can care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-righton/when-you-re-in-your-twenties-and-starting-out-the-problem-is-that-you/) [James Righton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-righton/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? 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