--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man needs many things in his life to…" description: "\"“A man needs many things in his life to make it bearable. A good woman. Sons and daughters. Comradeship. Warmth. Food and shelter. But above all these ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/david-gemmell-1821_children_a-man-needs-many-things-in-his-life-to-m_712276.jpg" --- # A man needs many things in his life to make it bearable. A… ![“A man needs many things in his life to make it bearable. A good woman. Sons and daughters. Comradeship. Warmth. Food and shelter. But above all these things, he needs to be able to know that he is a man.” quote by David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/david-gemmell-1821_children_a-man-needs-many-things-in-his-life-to-m_712276.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/david-gemmell-1821_children_a-man-needs-many-things-in-his-life-to-m_712276.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/david-gemmell-1821_children_a-man-needs-many-things-in-his-life-to-m_712276.jpg) > ““A man needs many things in his life to make it bearable. A good woman. Sons and daughters. Comradeship. Warmth. Food and shelter. But above all these things, he needs to be able to know that he is a man.”” [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A man's identity and fulfillment rely on relationships, purpose, and self‑recognition beyond material needs. **In simple terms:** A man needs love, purpose, and self‑validation. Key Takeaway Seek purpose and authentic connections. Themes identity purpose relationships masculinity Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - family life - military service - community building - personal crisis Key Concepts existentialism social bonds self‑esteem Questions to Reflect On - What defines your sense of self? - How do you balance duty and personal identity? A Different Perspective Self‑knowledge may be elusive despite external support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Good woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-woman/) [Know Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-man/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Man needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-needs/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Needs Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs-things-587249/) [Things Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-needs-2340544/) ## Related quotes > [There is a time and a place for things. Sometimes one needs to put a filter on oneself. That can be a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/there-is-a-time-and-a-place-for-things-sometimes-one-needs-to-put-a/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [“It's the little things she needs someone for, like someone to hold her hand at the end of a long day, or someone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marla-miniano/it-s-the-little-things-she-needs-someone-for-like-someone-to-hold-her/) [Marla Miniano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marla-miniano/) > [“A tiger only needs three things to be comfortable. Lots of food, sleep, and…actually, no it’s just those two things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-houck/a-tiger-only-needs-three-things-to-be-comfortable-lots-of-food-sleep/) [Colleen Houck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-houck/) > [A person needs three things to be happy in the world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-person-needs-three-things-to-be-happy-in-the-world-someone-to-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [An Irishman needs three things : silence, cunnning, and exile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/an-irishman-needs-three-things-silence-cunnning-and-exile/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [The soule needs few things, the body many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-soule-needs-few-things-the-body-many/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [“Nothing needs to be done, and things get done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/nothing-needs-to-be-done-and-things-get-done/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [Love needs two things: it has to be rooted in freedom and it has to know the art of trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/love-needs-two-things-it-has-to-be-rooted-in-freedom-and-it-has-to/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Everybody needs four things in life: Something to do, someone to love, someone to believe in and something to hope for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/everybody-needs-four-things-in-life-something-to-do-someone-to-love/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [If someone gives me a to-do list, I say 'thank you, this is nice.' One needs things to throw in the wastebasket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/if-someone-gives-me-a-to-do-list-i-say-thank-you-this-is-nice-one/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [A girl only needs three things in her life: love to make her weak, alcohol to make her strong, and friends to pick her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/a-girl-only-needs-three-things-in-her-life-love-to-make-her-weak/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“If needs must, she could do those things for herself-or find another man. And yet...she needed him-would mourn his loss if it came. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-needs-must-she-could-do-those-things-for-herself-or-find-another/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/a-writer-needs-three-things-experience-observation-and-imagination/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [There is nothing in the desert and no man needs nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david/there-is-nothing-in-the-desert-and-no-man-needs-nothing/) [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david/) > [“You know the legend, lady, but you don’t know the man. And damn if I’m not tempted to introduce you to the man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/you-know-the-legend-lady-but-you-don-t-know-the-man-and-damn-if-i-m/) [Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/) ## More by David Gemmell > [Do not complain of life's unfairness. It is never fair - at best it is impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/do-not-complain-of-life-s-unfairness-it-is-never-fair-at-best-it-is/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“It seems to me, that you people spend a great deal of time talking about honour, but strip away the high sounding words and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/it-seems-to-me-that-you-people-spend-a-great-deal-of-time-talking/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [Makes no sense to me,' said Huntsekker. 'You don't know who is at your door, but you know the thoughts of a man twenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/makes-no-sense-to-me-said-huntsekker-you-don-t-know-who-is-at-your/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [I may be stupid, as you say, to believe in honour and friendship and loyalty without price. But these are virtues to be cherished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/i-may-be-stupid-as-you-say-to-believe-in-honour-and-friendship-and/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [When your life has been spent in one war after another for forty-five years, you have to be pretty handy to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/when-your-life-has-been-spent-in-one-war-after-another-for-forty-five/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [When healers yearn to kill then hope begins to die ... Evil cannot be overcome by evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/when-healers-yearn-to-kill-then-hope-begins-to-die-evil-cannot-be/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [I have discovered in my long life that there are many words and phrases which have more power than any spell of magick. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/i-have-discovered-in-my-long-life-that-there-are-many-words-and/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“Listen...You could spend a lifetime trying to understand the works of evil men. Their joys are not ours. They love to inflict pain, create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/listen-you-could-spend-a-lifetime-trying-to-understand-the-works-of/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [ We are full of dreams \[...\] We long for the unattainable. We believe in the nonsense of fables. There is no pure love; there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/we-are-full-of-dreams-we-long-for-the-unattainable-we-believe-in-the/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [It is easier with strangers, for they touch your life but for an instant. You will not disappoint them, for you owe them nothing;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/it-is-easier-with-strangers-for-they-touch-your-life-but-for-an/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [I don't know yet whether I fully believe in fate, but certain things do happen in a man's life that he cannot explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/i-don-t-know-yet-whether-i-fully-believe-in-fate-but-certain-things/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [If you look at any ancient civilization, they've all used fantasy stories to train the young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/if-you-look-at-any-ancient-civilization-they-ve-all-used-fantasy/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [All men have talents. Some build, some paint, some write, some fight. For me it is different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/all-men-have-talents-some-build-some-paint-some-write-some-fight-for/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“Never violate a woman, nor harm a child. Do not lie, cheat or steal. These things are for lesser men. Protect the weak against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/never-violate-a-woman-nor-harm-a-child-do-not-lie-cheat-or-steal/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) > [“The truth? What the Hell is the truth? We're born, we live and we die. Everything else is just shades of opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gemmell/the-truth-what-the-hell-is-the-truth-we-re-born-we-live-and-we-die/) [David Gemmell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) [Explore all 201 David Gemmell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gemmell/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [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/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. 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