--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s a mystery. A man’s at odds to know…" description: "\"“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 know his heart, but he dont want to. Rightly s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/cormac-mccarthy-181_psychology_it-s-a-mystery-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-h_2249303.jpg" --- # It’s a mystery. A man’s at odds to know his mind cause his… ![“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 know his heart, but he dont want to. Rightly so.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/cormac-mccarthy-181_psychology_it-s-a-mystery-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-h_2249303.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/cormac-mccarthy-181_psychology_it-s-a-mystery-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-h_2249303.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/cormac-mccarthy-181_psychology_it-s-a-mystery-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-h_2249303.jpg) > ““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 know his heart, but he dont want to. Rightly so.”” [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 reflects the paradox that people can understand their emotions but often resist confronting them, leading to inner conflict. **In simple terms:** People know their hearts but avoid facing them. Key Takeaway Accept and explore your true feelings. Themes self-awareness conflict psychology Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - therapy - decision making - creative work - leadership Key Concepts existentialism cognitive dissonance Questions to Reflect On - What are you avoiding in your inner life? - How does denial affect your choices? A Different Perspective Self‑knowledge can be painful and may destabilize one’s sense of identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“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/) > [If you want to know someone's mind, listen to their words. If you want to know their heart, watch their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-know-someone-s-mind-listen-to-their-words-if-you-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can let everyone know what is on your mind, but let only a few know what is in your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-let-everyone-know-what-is-on-your-mind-but-let-only-a-few/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-a-man-s-at-odds-to-know-his-own-mind-it-s-because-he-hasn-t-got/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [All so convinced that you're following your heart cause your mind don't control what it does sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/all-so-convinced-that-you-re-following-your-heart-cause-your-mind-don/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Heading out, cause your not on my mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-time-rush/heading-out-cause-your-not-on-my-mind/) [Big Time Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-time-rush/) > [All so convinced that you're followin your heart cause your mind don't control what it does sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/all-so-convinced-that-you-re-followin-your-heart-cause-your-mind-don/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Every phenomenon, however trifling it be, has a cause, and a mind infinitely powerful, and infinitely well-informed concerning the laws of nature could have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/every-phenomenon-however-trifling-it-be-has-a-cause-and-a-mind/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [Distance makes the heart grow fonder or cause the mind to wander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray/distance-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder-or-cause-the-mind-to-wander/) [RAY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray/) > [I don't feel pain cause it's all in the mind, And what's mines is mines and yours is mine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-jones/i-don-t-feel-pain-cause-it-s-all-in-the-mind-and-what-s-mines-is/) [Kirk Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-jones/) > [Narrowness of mind is often the cause of obstinacy; we do not easily believe beyond what we see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/narrowness-of-mind-is-often-the-cause-of-obstinacy-we-do-not-easily/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Mind alone is the cause of the bondage or freedom of the soul. By the attachment of the mind to the world we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-cole-whittaker/mind-alone-is-the-cause-of-the-bondage-or-freedom-of-the-soul-by-the/) [Terry Cole-Whittaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-cole-whittaker/) > [There is, I conceive, no contradiction in believing that mind is at once the cause of matter and of the development of individualised human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-russel-wallace/there-is-i-conceive-no-contradiction-in-believing-that-mind-is-at/) [Alfred Russel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-russel-wallace/) > [When you find inner peace, neither the presence nor absence of any person, place or thing, condition, circumstance, or situation can be the Creator…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/when-you-find-inner-peace-neither-the-presence-nor-absence-of-any/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“Because mind is Cause and the world is Effect, we change the world by changing the thoughts we think about the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/because-mind-is-cause-and-the-world-is-effect-we-change-the-world-by/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## 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. 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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 Psychology quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. 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I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. 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