--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a man's at odds to know his own mind…" description: "\"If a man's at odds to know his own mind it's because he hasn't got aught but his mind to know it with.\" — Cormac McCarthy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/cormac-mccarthy-181_men_if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind_538000.jpg" --- # If a man's at odds to know his own mind it's because he… ![“If a man's at odds to know his own mind it's because he hasn't got aught but his mind to know it with.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/cormac-mccarthy-181_men_if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind_538000.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/cormac-mccarthy-181_men_if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind_538000.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/cormac-mccarthy-181_men_if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind_538000.jpg) > “If a man's at odds to know his own mind it's because he hasn't got aught but his mind to know it with.” [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. A person struggles to understand their own thoughts because they lack external perspectives, suggesting introspection alone is insufficient. **In simple terms:** Self‑knowledge needs outside input Key Takeaway Seek external feedback Themes philosophy self‑awareness psychology Mood thoughtful introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision making - mental health - creative writing Key Concepts inner dialogue cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - What external sources could clarify your thinking? - How do you differentiate intuition from delusion? A Different Perspective Relying solely on inner thought can lead to blind spots. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aught Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aught-mind-4505661/) [Know Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-mind-243084/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Hasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-hasn-875618/) [Mind Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-know-243083/) [Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odds/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“I know what's in your mind. I know everything. That's what makes me so sick and old and tired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/i-know-what-s-in-your-mind-i-know-everything-that-s-what-makes-me-so/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [As you see, it is not that I don't know my own mind, I know it very well but only up to a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-see-it-is-not-that-i-don-t-know-my-own-mind-i-know-it-very/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know my body. I know my mind. I know what I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-hof/i-know-my-body-i-know-my-mind-i-know-what-i-can-do/) [Wim Hof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-hof/) > [“For loss is what we live with all the time. / None knows this better than the mind should know, the mind / that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bronk/for-loss-is-what-we-live-with-all-the-time-none-knows-this-better/) [William Bronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bronk/) > [You are not the mind. If you know you are not the mind, then what difference does it make if it's busy or quiet?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/you-are-not-the-mind-if-you-know-you-are-not-the-mind-then-what/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [I used to be into Bjork and PJ Harvey, and they used to blow my mind. But there hasn't been a pop star blowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolandi-visser/i-used-to-be-into-bjork-and-pj-harvey-and-they-used-to-blow-my-mind/) [Yolandi Visser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolandi-visser/) > [You're looking like a woman now, you're mind hasn't gotten the message somehow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-vee/you-re-looking-like-a-woman-now-you-re-mind-hasn-t-gotten-the-message/) [Bobby Vee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-vee/) > [“It’s a mystery. A man’s at odds to know his mind cause his mind is aught he has to know it with. He can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/it-s-a-mystery-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-mind-cause-his-mind-is-3/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“It’s a mystery. A man’s at odds to know his mind cause his mind is aught he has to know it with. He can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/it-s-a-mystery-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-mind-cause-his-mind-is-2/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“It's a mystery. A man's at odds to know his mind cause his mind is aught he has to know it with. He can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/it-s-a-mystery-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-mind-cause-his-mind-is/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [If there is a conflict in your mind between what you know and what you are seeing, paint what you see because if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schmid/if-there-is-a-conflict-in-your-mind-between-what-you-know-and-what/) [Richard Schmid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schmid/) > [My mind cannot know you, only labels, judgments, facts, and opinions about you. Being alone knows directly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/my-mind-cannot-know-you-only-labels-judgments-facts-and-opinions/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“Keep an open mind and know that you can always learn more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorii-myers/keep-an-open-mind-and-know-that-you-can-always-learn-more/) [Lorii Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorii-myers/) > [It's all in the mind, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-milligan/it-s-all-in-the-mind-you-know/) [Spike Milligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-milligan/) ## 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 Men quotes > [When I passed the Chancellor he arose, waved his hand at me, and I waved back at him. I think the writers showed bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/when-i-passed-the-chancellor-he-arose-waved-his-hand-at-me-and-i/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Most celebrated men live in a condition of prostitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/most-celebrated-men-live-in-a-condition-of-prostitution/) [Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Hats off to starting a franchise younger than we all did in 'Twilight' and keeping your cool. The 'Harry Potter' men and women had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/hats-off-to-starting-a-franchise-younger-than-we-all-did-in-twilight/) [Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Browse all 84,229 Men quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a man's at odds to know his own mind it's because he hasn't got aught but his mind to know it with.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cormac McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind-it-s-because-he-hasn-t-got/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Men" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind-it-s-because-he-hasn-t-got/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/cormac-mccarthy-181_men_if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind_538000.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/cormac-mccarthy-181_men_if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind_538000.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/cormac-mccarthy-181_men_if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind_538000.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If a man's at odds to know his own mind it's because he hasn't got aught but his mind to know it with.” — Cormac McCarthy", "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": "Cormac McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If a man's at odds to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind-it-s-because-he-hasn-t-got/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind-it-s-because-he-hasn-t-got/#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 } } ] } ```