--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet it is the narrative that is the life…" description: "\"Yet it is the narrative that is the life of the dream while the events themselves are often interchangeable. The events of the waking world on the othe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/cormac-mccarthy-181_axes_yet-it-is-the-narrative-that-is-the-life_2638594.jpg" --- # Yet it is the narrative that is the life of the dream… ![“Yet it is the narrative that is the life of the dream while the events themselves are often interchangeable. The events of the waking world on the other hand are forced upon us and the narrative is the unguessed axis along which they must be strung.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/cormac-mccarthy-181_axes_yet-it-is-the-narrative-that-is-the-life_2638594.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/cormac-mccarthy-181_axes_yet-it-is-the-narrative-that-is-the-life_2638594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/cormac-mccarthy-181_axes_yet-it-is-the-narrative-that-is-the-life_2638594.jpg) > “Yet it is the narrative that is the life of the dream while the events themselves are often interchangeable. The events of the waking world on the other hand are forced upon us and the narrative is the unguessed axis along which they must be strung.” [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. Stories shape our dreams, while real events are interchangeable and imposed upon us, forming an unseen framework. **In simple terms:** Narratives guide dreams; events are imposed. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of personal narrative. Themes storytelling dreams reality agency Mood reflective philosophical Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - personal goal setting - creative writing - therapy - historical analysis Key Concepts existentialism narrative theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate between narrative and fact? - What role does storytelling play in coping? A Different Perspective Narratives can oversimplify complex realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“If we do not know ourselves in the waking world, what chance in dreams?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/if-we-do-not-know-ourselves-in-the-waking-world-what-chance-in-dreams/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The waking have one world in common; sleepers have each a private world of his own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heraclitus/the-waking-have-one-world-in-common-sleepers-have-each-a-private/) [Heraclitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heraclitus/) > [What he could bear in the waking world he could not by night and he sat awake for fear the dream would return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/what-he-could-bear-in-the-waking-world-he-could-not-by-night-and-he/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Most importantly, of course, we all care intensely for the narrative of our own life and very much want it to be a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/most-importantly-of-course-we-all-care-intensely-for-the-narrative-of/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Everything is a narrative in life. I learned that early on as a reporter at the 'Washington Post.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swisher/everything-is-a-narrative-in-life-i-learned-that-early-on-as-a/) [Kara Swisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swisher/) > [“What reading does, ultimately, is keep alive the dangerous and exhilarating idea that a life is not a sequence of lived moments, but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sven-birkerts/what-reading-does-ultimately-is-keep-alive-the-dangerous-and-2/) [Sven Birkerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sven-birkerts/) > [There is a narrative to every life, and I believe in the classic mode of storytelling that goes back to Homer and carries through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/there-is-a-narrative-to-every-life-and-i-believe-in-the-classic-mode/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [“There is a reason history has, at its heart, the narrative of one's life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/there-is-a-reason-history-has-at-its-heart-the-narrative-of-one-s-life/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The press is writing parallel narrative about my life, especially my married life and nothing about my work. That's media for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranvir-shorey/the-press-is-writing-parallel-narrative-about-my-life-especially-my/) [Ranvir Shorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranvir-shorey/) > [My only nightmare is waking up in a world were you're not mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-ocean/my-only-nightmare-is-waking-up-in-a-world-were-you-re-not-mine/) [Frank Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-ocean/) > [A dream is the key that unlocks the mysteries of the waking world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-marillier/a-dream-is-the-key-that-unlocks-the-mysteries-of-the-waking-world/) [Juliet Marillier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliet-marillier/) > [The song "Sing for the Submarine" presents my dream world, which is way different from my waking world. It's set in the future and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/the-song-sing-for-the-submarine-presents-my-dream-world-which-is-way/) [Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/) > [How often do we use other people as screens upon which to project our obsessions? Our discontents, dreams, desires, and fears? Well, I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradford-morrow/how-often-do-we-use-other-people-as-screens-upon-which-to-project-our/) Bradford Morrow > [“Don't you think a dream would feel shy if it were seen walking about in the waking world?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-3/don-t-you-think-a-dream-would-feel-shy-if-it-were-seen-walking-about/) [C S Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-3/) > [“Of the name and abode of this man but little is written, for they were of the waking world only; yet it is said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/of-the-name-and-abode-of-this-man-but-little-is-written-for-they-were/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) ## 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 Axes quotes > [It could just be a shift on the axis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cassidy/it-could-just-be-a-shift-on-the-axis/) [Bill Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cassidy/) > [When we are not realized, we are moving on the periphery, like a wheel and we are disturbed. But a realized soul is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/when-we-are-not-realized-we-are-moving-on-the-periphery-like-a-wheel/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [Outside the ring of dancing warriors with spears and axes stood wolves at a respectful distance, watching and waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/outside-the-ring-of-dancing-warriors-with-spears-and-axes-stood/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [The two revolutions, I mean the annual revolutions of the declination and of the centre of the Earth, are not completely equal; that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolaus-copernicus/the-two-revolutions-i-mean-the-annual-revolutions-of-the-declination/) [Nicolaus Copernicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolaus-copernicus/) > [A book is not an isolated being: it is a relationship, an axis of innumerable relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/a-book-is-not-an-isolated-being-it-is-a-relationship-an-axis-of/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [True. There is a beautiful Jesus. He is frozen to his bones like a chunk of beef. How desperately he wanted to pull his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/true-there-is-a-beautiful-jesus-he-is-frozen-to-his-bones-like-a/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [By threatening war against Iran, Iraq and North Korea in his now-famous "Axis of Evil" address, the president painted himself into a corner. Either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/by-threatening-war-against-iran-iraq-and-north-korea-in-his-now/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The world needs people who are more comfortable standing still. We keep the earth on it axis when everybody else is bouncing around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/the-world-needs-people-who-are-more-comfortable-standing-still-we/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [You're different. You're more perfect. Time is three things for most people, but for you, for us, just one. A singularity. One moment. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/you-re-different-you-re-more-perfect-time-is-three-things-for-most/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [Apart altogether from our own vital interests, we cannot and must not desert those other nations who have already gone through so much tragedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/apart-altogether-from-our-own-vital-interests-we-cannot-and-must-not/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [There is no question in my mind that we live in one of the truly bestial centuries in human history. There are plenty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-chargaff/there-is-no-question-in-my-mind-that-we-live-in-one-of-the-truly/) [Erwin Chargaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-chargaff/) > [“I fell in love. It felt exactly like a fall, a head-over-heels tumble into a state of unbearable lightness. The earth tilted on its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/i-fell-in-love-it-felt-exactly-like-a-fall-a-head-over-heels-tumble/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [ \[My\] pictures are about memory and forgetfulness. The evidence is dissolving. Bones crumble; human ash returns to soil; teeth, sandals, hair, bullets, axes disperse… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-norfolk/my-pictures-are-about-memory-and-forgetfulness-the-evidence-is/) Simon Norfolk > [ I think it\[3D\] should be used as a new artistic form, not as a gimmick, not to impress you but the existence of an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-think-it-3d-should-be-used-as-a-new-artistic-form-not-as-a-gimmick/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Certainly one is brought to the brink of one's sense of who one is, what one has to do, why me, why now, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-houston/certainly-one-is-brought-to-the-brink-of-one-s-sense-of-who-one-is/) [Jean Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-houston/) Browse all 150 Axes quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Yet it is the narrative that is the life of the dream while the events themselves are often interchangeable. 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