---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Doesn't seem quite real. It's not…"
description: "\"Doesn't seem quite real. It's not meaningful. I can't quite imagine myself being 73. That's the age my father was! [Laughter.] How can I be his age? It..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/don-delillo-294_age_doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaning_2186900.jpg"
---

#  Doesn't seem quite real. It's not meaningful. I can't…

![“Doesn't seem quite real. It's not meaningful. I can't quite imagine myself being 73. That's the age my father was! &#91;Laughter.&#93; How can I be his age? It's weird.” quote by Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/don-delillo-294_age_doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaning_2186900.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/don-delillo-294_age_doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaning_2186900.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/don-delillo-294_age_doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaning_2186900.jpg)

> “Doesn't seem quite real. It's not meaningful. I can't quite imagine myself being 73. That's the age my father was! \[Laughter.\] How can I be his age? It's weird.”

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker feels detached from his future self, questioning the meaning of aging and identity.

**In simple terms:** Aging feels strange and meaningless.

Key Takeaway

Embrace present moments despite future uncertainty.

Themes

identity aging existentialism

Mood

reflective conflicted

Type

philosophical conversational

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- family discussions
- creative writing
- therapy

Key Concepts

self-perception temporal dissonance

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your view of aging affect your current choices?
- What would give your future self purpose?

A Different Perspective

Aging is inevitable and can be meaningful with perspective.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Age Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-father-686644/) [Age Weird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-weird-4748494/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Laughter Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter-age-4748495/) [Meaningful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningful/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Weird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weird/)

## Related quotes

> [No one prepares you at 7 years of age to have your father tell you he is a criminal - you are still a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-pablo-escobar/no-one-prepares-you-at-7-years-of-age-to-have-your-father-tell-you-he/)

[Juan Pablo Escobar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-pablo-escobar/)

> [The thing about writing or making art is that I'm not thinking about that stuff while I'm doing it. Like the driver's ed kid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-martin/the-thing-about-writing-or-making-art-is-that-i-m-not-thinking-about/)

[Chelsea Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-martin/)

> [ With recidivism algorithms, for example, I worry about racist outcomes. With personality tests \[for hiring\], I worry about filtering out people with mental health… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-o-neil/with-recidivism-algorithms-for-example-i-worry-about-racist-outcomes/)

[Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-o-neil/)

> [I want to be fulfilled creatively as an actress and get to be in roles that are meaningful and impactful. I hope the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amandla-stenberg/i-want-to-be-fulfilled-creatively-as-an-actress-and-get-to-be-in/)

[Amandla Stenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amandla-stenberg/)

> [Synchronicity reveals the meaningful connections between the subjective and objective world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/synchronicity-reveals-the-meaningful-connections-between-the/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [The only thing that I am trying to do is to find stories that I like, stories that are meaningful and that can connect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-herrera/the-only-thing-that-i-am-trying-to-do-is-to-find-stories-that-i-like/)

[Alfonso Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-herrera/)

> [“You can drink your soup ice-cold, but it's no longer soup; you can do eccentric things in life, but if you haven't been able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-can-drink-your-soup-ice-cold-but-it-s-no-longer-soup-you-can-do/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [I do not chase after anyone if you wanna walk out my life then I will hold the fu\*\*\*\*g door open for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/i-do-not-chase-after-anyone-if-you-wanna-walk-out-my-life-then-i-will/)

[Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/)

> [I don't feel I have to write deep and meaningful songs; they can be light and meaningless. It has to do with the place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-diamond/i-don-t-feel-i-have-to-write-deep-and-meaningful-songs-they-can-be/)

[Neil Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-diamond/)

> [We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/we-re-wired-to-expect-the-world-to-be-brighter-and-more-meaningful/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [It's great when you can write a meaningful song that touches people, but sometimes you just wanna have fun and sing a silly song…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/it-s-great-when-you-can-write-a-meaningful-song-that-touches-people/)

[Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/)

> [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/)

[Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/)

> [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/)

[Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/)

> [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/)

> [You've touched people and known it. You've touched people and never may know it. Either way, you have something to give. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/you-ve-touched-people-and-known-it-you-ve-touched-people-and-never/)

[Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/)

## More by Don DeLillo

> [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [Everything is barely weeks. Everything is days. We have minutes to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/everything-is-barely-weeks-everything-is-days-we-have-minutes-to-live/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [The novel is the dream release, the suspension of reality that history needs to escape its own brutal confinements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-novel-is-the-dream-release-the-suspension-of-reality-that-history/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“As I listened I thought a featureless baggy man was striking me in slow motion with a well-polished stone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/as-i-listened-i-thought-a-featureless-baggy-man-was-striking-me-in/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“Murray said, 'I don't trust anybody's nostalgia but my own. Nostalgia is a product of dissatisfaction and rage. It´s a settling of grievances between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/murray-said-i-don-t-trust-anybody-s-nostalgia-but-my-own-nostalgia-is/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“She is beginning to think it is possible that all creation is a spurt of blank matter that chances to make an emerald planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/she-is-beginning-to-think-it-is-possible-that-all-creation-is-a-spurt/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“Those who have abandoned belief must still believe in us. They are sure that they are right not to believe but they know belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/those-who-have-abandoned-belief-must-still-believe-in-us-they-are/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“The plane had lost power in all three engines, dropped from thirty-four thousand feet to twelve thousand feet. Something like four miles. When the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-plane-had-lost-power-in-all-three-engines-dropped-from-thirty/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“Grass: I live in a great steel tower that reflects the blazing sun. People catch fire just walking by. The more bodies that pile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/grass-i-live-in-a-great-steel-tower-that-reflects-the-blazing-sun/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“What people discard could make a nation”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/what-people-discard-could-make-a-nation/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“Marriage is something we make from available materials. In this sense it’s improvised, it’s almost offhand. Maybe this is why we know so little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/marriage-is-something-we-make-from-available-materials-in-this-sense/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [The true life is not reducible to words spoken or written, not by anyone, ever. The true life takes place when we're alone, thinking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-true-life-is-not-reducible-to-words-spoken-or-written-not-by/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [I've come to think of Europe as a hardcover book, America as the paperback version.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-ve-come-to-think-of-europe-as-a-hardcover-book-america-as-the/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [There is a set of balances and rhythms to a novel that we can't experience in real life. So I think there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/there-is-a-set-of-balances-and-rhythms-to-a-novel-that-we-can-t/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“There is no lie in war or preparation of war that can't be defended. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/there-is-no-lie-in-war-or-preparation-of-war-that-can-t-be-defended/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

[Explore all 699 Don DeLillo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Doesn't seem quite real. It's not meaningful. I can't quite imagine myself being 73. That's the age my father was! [Laughter.] How can I be his age? It's weird.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Don DeLillo"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaningful-i-can-t-quite-imagine/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaningful-i-can-t-quite-imagine/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/don-delillo-294_age_doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaning_2186900.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/don-delillo-294_age_doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaning_2186900.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/don-delillo-294_age_doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaning_2186900.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Doesn't seem quite real. It's not meaningful. I can't quite imagine myself being 73. That's the age my…” — Don DeLillo",
                "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": "Don DeLillo",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Doesn't seem quite real. It's not...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaningful-i-can-t-quite-imagine/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/doesn-t-seem-quite-real-it-s-not-meaningful-i-can-t-quite-imagine/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
