--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For me the world has always been more of…" description: "\"For me the world has always been more of a puppet show. But when one looks behind the curtain and traces the strings upward he finds they terminate in ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4b/cormac-mccarthy-181_behinds_for-me-the-world-has-always-been-more-of_2455419.jpg" --- # For me the world has always been more of a puppet show… ![“For me the world has always been more of a puppet show. But when one looks behind the curtain and traces the strings upward he finds they terminate in the hands of yet other puppets, themselves with their own strings which trace upward in turn, and so on. In my own life I saw these strings whose…” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4b/cormac-mccarthy-181_behinds_for-me-the-world-has-always-been-more-of_2455419.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4b/cormac-mccarthy-181_behinds_for-me-the-world-has-always-been-more-of_2455419.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d4b/cormac-mccarthy-181_behinds_for-me-the-world-has-always-been-more-of_2455419.jpg) > “For me the world has always been more of a puppet show. But when one looks behind the curtain and traces the strings upward he finds they terminate in the hands of yet other puppets, themselves with their own strings which trace upward in turn, and so on. In my own life I saw these strings whose origins were endless enact the deaths of great men in violence and madness. Enact the ruin of a nation.” [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that power and destiny are controlled by layers of unseen forces, each dependent on higher ones, leading to endless cycles of violence. **In simple terms:** Power is shaped by hidden forces and cycles. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden influences and question authority. Themes power destiny violence history control Mood cynical reflective somber Type literary philosophical critical When to use this quote - political analysis - historical study - personal reflection - literary critique Key Concepts determinism causality systems theory Questions to Reflect On - How do we identify the hidden strings in our own lives? - Can we break the cycle of inherited violence? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex human agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Curtains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curtains/) [Endless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endless/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Puppet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puppet/) [Puppet shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puppet-shows/) [Puppets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puppets/) [Puppets Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puppets-strings-605107/) [Ruins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruins/) [Saws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saws/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings/) [Strings Origins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings-origins-605108/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Puppet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-puppet-605109/) ## Related quotes > [Superpowers flex their wings, hold the world on puppet strings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/offspring/superpowers-flex-their-wings-hold-the-world-on-puppet-strings/) [Offspring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/offspring/) > [We are only puppets, our strings are being pulled by unknown forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-b-chner/we-are-only-puppets-our-strings-are-being-pulled-by-unknown-forces/) [Georg Buchner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-b-chner/) > [If anyone would have been paying serious attention to my puppet shows, I would have been sent to therapy very young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-balaban/if-anyone-would-have-been-paying-serious-attention-to-my-puppet-shows/) [Bob Balaban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-balaban/) > [I always loved putting on shows - when you're the youngest of seven and five are older sisters, you've got to get noticed somehow!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wenham/i-always-loved-putting-on-shows-when-you-re-the-youngest-of-seven-and/) [David Wenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wenham/) > [I used to do puppet shows as a kid - me and my brother would do them - and then any poor soul who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-giacchino/i-used-to-do-puppet-shows-as-a-kid-me-and-my-brother-would-do-them/) [Michael Giacchino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-giacchino/) > [My granddad was very funny and I really loved making people laugh. I used to do puppet shows and I really liked seeing people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-herring/my-granddad-was-very-funny-and-i-really-loved-making-people-laugh-i/) [Richard Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-herring/) > [I wanted to deconstruct the puppet show. I wanted to turn it inside out and do stuff that you're not supposed to do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-white/i-wanted-to-deconstruct-the-puppet-show-i-wanted-to-turn-it-inside/) [Wayne White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-white/) > [Who's in or out, who moves the grand machine, Nor stirs my curiosity, or spleen; Secrets of state no more I wish to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/who-s-in-or-out-who-moves-the-grand-machine-nor-stirs-my-curiosity-or/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [In my early childhood, I was a performer by nature. I used to do puppet shows as a kid and entertain kids in classes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/in-my-early-childhood-i-was-a-performer-by-nature-i-used-to-do-puppet/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [All of society is built to prop up that lie, the whole world a big, noisy puppet show meant to distract us from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/all-of-society-is-built-to-prop-up-that-lie-the-whole-world-a-big/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [The pretty fellows you speak of, I own entertain me sometimes, but is it impossible to be diverted with what one despises? I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/the-pretty-fellows-you-speak-of-i-own-entertain-me-sometimes-but-is/) [Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/) > [I never really did years of movie-after-movie-after-movie but when you've got three toddlers in the house you're performing all day long, anyway, with puppet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-roberts/i-never-really-did-years-of-movie-after-movie-after-movie-but-when/) [Julia Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-roberts/) > [Renaissance man, woman, either way it's a worthy pursuit! Like the painters of Emilia's day, I was raised in an environment that encouraged creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pope-osborne/renaissance-man-woman-either-way-it-s-a-worthy-pursuit-like-the/) [Mary Pope Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pope-osborne/) > [Tears are curious things, for like earthquakes or puppet shows, they can occur at any time, without any warning and without any good reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tears-are-curious-things-for-like-earthquakes-or-puppet-shows-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Poetry is a puppet-show, where riders of skyrockets and divers of sea fathoms gossip about the sixth sense and the fourth dimension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-a-puppet-show-where-riders-of-skyrockets-and-divers-of-sea/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) ## More by Cormac McCarthy > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The events of the world can have no separate life from the world. And yet the world itself can have no temporal view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-events-of-the-world-can-have-no-separate-life-from-the-world-and/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“I had two dreams about him after he died. I dont remember the first one all that well but it was about meetin him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/i-had-two-dreams-about-him-after-he-died-i-dont-remember-the-first/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They set forth in a crimson dawn where sky and earth closed in a razorous plane. Out there dark little archipelagos of cloud and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-set-forth-in-a-crimson-dawn-where-sky-and-earth-closed-in-a/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Nothing. Where all was burnt to ash before them no fires were to be had and the nights were long and dark and cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/nothing-where-all-was-burnt-to-ash-before-them-no-fires-were-to-be/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [He said that whether a man's life was writ in a book someplace or whether it took its form day by day was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-said-that-whether-a-man-s-life-was-writ-in-a-book-someplace-or/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“He lives in a room above a courtyard behind a tavern and he comes down at night like some fairybook beast to fight with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-lives-in-a-room-above-a-courtyard-behind-a-tavern-and-he-comes/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Ultimo hombre. Last man standing, must've been one. Where'd he go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/ultimo-hombre-last-man-standing-must-ve-been-one-where-d-he-go/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“They went through the last of the cars and then walked up the track to the locomotive and climbed up to the catwalk. Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/they-went-through-the-last-of-the-cars-and-then-walked-up-the-track/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Night fell upon them dark and starblown and the wagon grew swollen near mute with dew. On their chairs in such black immobility these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/night-fell-upon-them-dark-and-starblown-and-the-wagon-grew-swollen/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“When I was in school I studied biology. I learned that in making their experiments scientists will take some group - bacteria, mice, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-i-was-in-school-i-studied-biology-i-learned-that-in-making-their/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [ “We none of us knew him to speak \[Dutch\]. Asked him where he'd learned it you know what he said? What did he say.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/we-none-of-us-knew-him-to-speak-dutch-asked-him-where-he-d-learned-it/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“You know that the things you put it your head stay there, right?' 'Yeah. But you remember some things, don't you?' 'Yeah. You remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-know-that-the-things-you-put-it-your-head-stay-there-right-yeah/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) [Explore all 927 Cormac McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## More Behinds quotes > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [God hides Himself behind causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rollin/god-hides-himself-behind-causes/) [Charles Rollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rollin/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) > [With the realization of God comes all power. If the little wave knew that behind it is the great ocean, it could say, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/with-the-realization-of-god-comes-all-power-if-the-little-wave-knew/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm really thankful to God, man. Like now, I'm really making a real comeback with my group. With or without a record, with or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/i-m-really-thankful-to-god-man-like-now-i-m-really-making-a-real/) [Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) [Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For me the world has always been more of a puppet show. But when one looks behind the curtain and traces the strings upward he finds they terminate in the hands of yet other puppets, themselves with their own strings which trace upward in turn, and so on. In my own life I saw these strings whose origins were endless enact the deaths of great men in violence and madness. 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