--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is wrong with story is that it is…" description: "\"“What is wrong with story is that it is not a true story. Men have in their minds a picture of how the world will be. How they will be in that world. T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/cormac-mccarthy-181_different-ways_what-is-wrong-with-story-is-that-it-is-n_341156.jpg" --- # What is wrong with story is that it is not a true story… ![“What is wrong with story is that it is not a true story. Men have in their minds a picture of how the world will be. How they will be in that world. The world may be many different ways for them but there is one world that will never be and that is the world they dream of.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/cormac-mccarthy-181_different-ways_what-is-wrong-with-story-is-that-it-is-n_341156.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/cormac-mccarthy-181_different-ways_what-is-wrong-with-story-is-that-it-is-n_341156.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/613/cormac-mccarthy-181_different-ways_what-is-wrong-with-story-is-that-it-is-n_341156.jpg) > ““What is wrong with story is that it is not a true story. Men have in their minds a picture of how the world will be. How they will be in that world. The world may be many different ways for them but there is one world that will never be and that is the world they dream of.”” [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. People cling to imagined perfect worlds, but reality is varied; the dream world remains unattainable. **In simple terms:** Dreams of a perfect world clash with reality. Key Takeaway Accept reality’s complexity over idealized visions. Themes hope illusion reality Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary reflective When to use this quote - personal goals - political movements - artistic creation - relationship expectations Key Concepts idealism dreams human desire Questions to Reflect On - What perfect world do you imagine? - How can you reconcile dreams with reality? A Different Perspective Idealism can cause disappointment when expectations are unmet. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Different ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-ways/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Story Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-men-1594823/) [Story True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-true-653742/) [True story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-story/) [World Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-different-303330/) [Wrong Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-story-392873/) ## Related quotes > [A story-a true story-can heal as much as medicine can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-alexander/a-story-a-true-story-can-heal-as-much-as-medicine-can/) [Eben Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-alexander/) > [“The story, the true story, is the one that the audience members create in their minds... transformed, elucidated, expanded, edited, and clarified by their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-story-the-true-story-is-the-one-that-the-audience-members-create/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“They said, “let me tell you a story, a true story, a story about good and evil, … a story that lives inside of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mano-sotelo/they-said-let-me-tell-you-a-story-a-true-story-a-story-about-good-and/) [Mano Sotelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mano-sotelo/) > [“To call a story a true story is an insult to both art and truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/to-call-a-story-a-true-story-is-an-insult-to-both-art-and-truth/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [The story itself, the true story, is the one that the audience members create in their minds, guided and shaped by my text, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-story-itself-the-true-story-is-the-one-that-the-audience-members/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [The true story of every person in this world is not the story you see, the external story. The true story of each person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-true-story-of-every-person-in-this-world-is-not-the-story-you-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My dear Elinor, you were obviously born into the wrong story,” said Dustfinger at last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/my-dear-elinor-you-were-obviously-born-into-the-wrong-story-said/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [Sometimes I get the story wrong, or it's the wrong story, and then things don't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lloyd-webber/sometimes-i-get-the-story-wrong-or-it-s-the-wrong-story-and-then/) [Andrew Lloyd Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lloyd-webber/) > [When all the details fit in perfectly, something is probably wrong with the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baxter/when-all-the-details-fit-in-perfectly-something-is-probably-wrong/) [Charles Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baxter/) > [“If people don´t trust you, maybe you´ve told them the wrong story”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-people-don-t-trust-you-maybe-you-ve-told-them-the-wrong-story/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [“Naturally all of them had a sad story: too much notice, not enough, or the worst kind. Some tale about dragon daddies and false-hearted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/naturally-all-of-them-had-a-sad-story-too-much-notice-not-enough-or/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I think that whenever a book is not a challenge, I'm telling the wrong story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-think-that-whenever-a-book-is-not-a-challenge-i-m-telling-the-wrong/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [What a different story men would have to tell if only they would adopt a DEFINITE PURPOSE, and stand by that purpose until it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/what-a-different-story-men-would-have-to-tell-if-only-they-would/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“When people tell you there’s something wrong with a story, they’re almost always right. When they tell what it is that’s wrong and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/when-people-tell-you-there-s-something-wrong-with-a-story-they-re/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-ever-find-yourself-in-the-wrong-story-leave/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## 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 Different ways quotes > [“Picking locks was not a skill he had ever cultivated, but he persisted day after day, turning the tip of his talon into different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/picking-locks-was-not-a-skill-he-had-ever-cultivated-but-he-persisted/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [There are many different ways the public can respond to actors - they can see you on TV and feel they know you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/there-are-many-different-ways-the-public-can-respond-to-actors-they/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [“The first phase of modernism, which so far as the English language goes we associate with Pound and Yeats, Wyndham Lewis and Eliot and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-kermode/the-first-phase-of-modernism-which-so-far-as-the-english-language/) [Frank Kermode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-kermode/) > [When we fall utterly, something gathers us up. But our falling must be without reservation, without expectation, without hope, though not hopeless. You cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-we-fall-utterly-something-gathers-us-up-but-our-falling-must-be/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) > [It is great to see Bollywood celebrities contributing to so many different trends in so many different ways. I think this is one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-dutta/it-is-great-to-see-bollywood-celebrities-contributing-to-so-many/) [Lara Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-dutta/) > [I do remember what I said. The promise. To protect her. If I'd done that ... even if I didn't make it, you wouldn't've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-do-remember-what-i-said-the-promise-to-protect-her-if-i-d-done-that/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Skating is a sport that I found a lot of interest in from a very, very young age. Ultimately, I think that being on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-chen/skating-is-a-sport-that-i-found-a-lot-of-interest-in-from-a-very-very/) [Nathan Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-chen/) > [I was going to say 'my friend Stuart', but I suppose he's not a friend any more. I seem to have lost a number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-coe/i-was-going-to-say-my-friend-stuart-but-i-suppose-he-s-not-a-friend/) [Jonathan Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-coe/) > [I'll reshoot a corridor 13 different ways, and you'll never recognise them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/i-ll-reshoot-a-corridor-13-different-ways-and-you-ll-never-recognise/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [She waited for you in a thousand different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/she-waited-for-you-in-a-thousand-different-ways/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“5 Tips for Mirroring Others 1. Body language. When they smile, you smile. When they lean back in their chair, you lean back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/5-tips-for-mirroring-others-1-body-language-when-they-smile-you-smile/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Movies have been doing so much of the same thing - in slightly different ways - for so long that few of the possibilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/movies-have-been-doing-so-much-of-the-same-thing-in-slightly/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [With acting, it's like you form chemistry with different people in different ways, so it's really added even more fun to work, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-blackburn/with-acting-it-s-like-you-form-chemistry-with-different-people-in/) [Tyler Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-blackburn/) [Browse all 2,175 Different ways quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-ways/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What is wrong with story is that it is not a true story. Men have in their minds a picture of how the world will be. 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