--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How can you be alienated without first…" description: "\"How can you be alienated without first having been connected?\" — Donald Barthelme" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/donald-barthelme-2980_alienated_how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-h_1843108.png" --- # How can you be alienated without first having been… ![“How can you be alienated without first having been connected?” quote by Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/donald-barthelme-2980_alienated_how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-h_1843108.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/donald-barthelme-2980_alienated_how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-h_1843108.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/donald-barthelme-2980_alienated_how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-h_1843108.png) > “How can you be alienated without first having been connected?” [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Alienation arises when you feel disconnected before any connection exists. **In simple terms:** You feel isolated before you connect. Key Takeaway Seek genuine connections early. Themes alienation connection existence Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - new relationships - team building - community involvement Key Concepts social psychology human need interdependence Questions to Reflect On - What connections are you avoiding? - How does early connection prevent alienation? A Different Perspective Some may argue alienation can be self‑inflicted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alienated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alienated/) [Alienated Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alienated-having-2365974/) [Connected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connected/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having/) [Having Connected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-connected-2365975/) ## Related quotes > [I wouldnt mind having my heart broken because it would mean that I had that much feeling connected to somebody. And that would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-field/i-wouldnt-mind-having-my-heart-broken-because-it-would-mean-that-i/) [Sally Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-field/) > [I alienated myself from the academic world almost entirely because it's a left-wing world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/i-alienated-myself-from-the-academic-world-almost-entirely-because-it/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [“He never cared too much for parties or people, but misanthropy could easily be cured by several alcoholic drinks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-rice/he-never-cared-too-much-for-parties-or-people-but-misanthropy-could/) [Daniel J. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-rice/) > [I think a lot of us feel, when we look at the Dow Jones plunging, alienated - you do feel as if we're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/i-think-a-lot-of-us-feel-when-we-look-at-the-dow-jones-plunging/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“Indeed, a great deal of pathological drug use is driven by unmet social needs, by being alienated and having difficulty connecting with others. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hart/indeed-a-great-deal-of-pathological-drug-use-is-driven-by-unmet/) [Carl Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hart/) > [I think I felt pretty alienated, being bigger, being mixed race, being of lower socioeconomic standing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-elsesser/i-think-i-felt-pretty-alienated-being-bigger-being-mixed-race-being/) [Paloma Elsesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-elsesser/) > [I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been terrified my entire life. So I can identify that fear which drives so many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-that-i-ve-been-terrified-my/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [I had no work after 'Gangster' for two years, and my sister Rangoli met with an accident that destroyed her looks. My struggle with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangna-ranaut/i-had-no-work-after-gangster-for-two-years-and-my-sister-rangoli-met/) [Kangna Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangna-ranaut/) > [“The alienated audiences was one that was aware of the performance as an arbitrary construction of the real, of the difference between players and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fiske/the-alienated-audiences-was-one-that-was-aware-of-the-performance-as/) [John Fiske](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fiske/) > [Almost every truly creative being alienated & expatriated in his own country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-ferlinghetti/almost-every-truly-creative-being-alienated-expatriated-in-his-own/) [Lawrence Ferlinghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-ferlinghetti/) > [“Of course I alienate myself from society. It's the only way I know of not being constantly reminded of all the ways I'm alienated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/of-course-i-alienate-myself-from-society-it-s-the-only-way-i-know-of/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [I've put out a lot of stuff that just confused and alienated people: a huge chunk of songs that were verbal and musical challenges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-ve-put-out-a-lot-of-stuff-that-just-confused-and-alienated-people-a/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [“A consequence of this alienation of humans from their own nature is that they are also alienated from each other. Productive activity becomes ‘activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/a-consequence-of-this-alienation-of-humans-from-their-own-nature-is/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [It took me a long time to realize that being alienated and not fitting in is not only OK, it's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realize-that-being-alienated-and-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you stop to think about it, so many films today where we don't have that kind of contact are films about alienation. About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-bernstein/when-you-stop-to-think-about-it-so-many-films-today-where-we-don-t/) [Elmer Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-bernstein/) ## More by Donald Barthelme > [And I sat there getting drunker and drunker and more in love and more in love...And you can never touch a girl in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/and-i-sat-there-getting-drunker-and-drunker-and-more-in-love-and-more/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“The story ends. It was written for several reasons. Nine of them are secrets. The tenth is that one should never cease considering human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/the-story-ends-it-was-written-for-several-reasons-nine-of-them-are/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“INTERVIEWER Why don’t you write tragedy? BARTHELME I’m fated to deal in mixtures, slumgullions, which preclude tragedy, which require a pure line. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/interviewer-why-don-t-you-write-tragedy-barthelme-i-m-fated-to-deal/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“Do I want to be loved in spite of?Do you? Does anyone? But aren't we all to some degree? Aren't there important parts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/do-i-want-to-be-loved-in-spite-of-do-you-does-anyone-but-aren-t-we/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“Our becoming is done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/our-becoming-is-done/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“Of course we had hoped that he would take up his sword as part of the President's war on poetry. The time is ripe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/of-course-we-had-hoped-that-he-would-take-up-his-sword-as-part-of-the/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [Capitalism places every man in competition with his fellows for a share of the available wealth. A few people accumulate big piles, but most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/capitalism-places-every-man-in-competition-with-his-fellows-for-a/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“You came and fell upon me, I was sitting in the wicker chair. The wicker exclaimed as your weight fell upon me. You were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/you-came-and-fell-upon-me-i-was-sitting-in-the-wicker-chair-the/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“Mother, have you noticed that this society we’re in tends to be a little…repressive?” “What does that mean, Eugenie? What does that mean, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/mother-have-you-noticed-that-this-society-we-re-in-tends-to-be-a/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [I keep wondering if, say, there is intelligent life on other planets, the scientists argue that something like two percent of the other planets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/i-keep-wondering-if-say-there-is-intelligent-life-on-other-planets/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“This muck heaves and palpitates. It is multi-directional and has a mayor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/this-muck-heaves-and-palpitates-it-is-multi-directional-and-has-a/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“They were heading I judged for the Sixth Precinct. Had I had the black hat with me, and sufficient men and horses and lariats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/they-were-heading-i-judged-for-the-sixth-precinct-had-i-had-the-black/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“art is a meditation upon external reality rather than a representation of external reality”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/art-is-a-meditation-upon-external-reality-rather-than-a/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [“the hinder portion scalding-house good eating Curve B in addition to the usual baths and ablutions military police sumptuousness of the washhouse risking misstatements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/the-hinder-portion-scalding-house-good-eating-curve-b-in-addition-to/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [Any genuine work of art generates new work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/any-genuine-work-of-art-generates-new-work/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) [Explore all 142 Donald Barthelme quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) ## More Alienated quotes > [I alienated myself from the academic world almost entirely because it's a left-wing world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/i-alienated-myself-from-the-academic-world-almost-entirely-because-it/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [It took me a long time to realize that being alienated and not fitting in is not only OK, it's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realize-that-being-alienated-and-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A consequence of this alienation of humans from their own nature is that they are also alienated from each other. Productive activity becomes ‘activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/a-consequence-of-this-alienation-of-humans-from-their-own-nature-is/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [I've put out a lot of stuff that just confused and alienated people: a huge chunk of songs that were verbal and musical challenges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-ve-put-out-a-lot-of-stuff-that-just-confused-and-alienated-people-a/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [“Of course I alienate myself from society. It's the only way I know of not being constantly reminded of all the ways I'm alienated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/of-course-i-alienate-myself-from-society-it-s-the-only-way-i-know-of/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [Almost every truly creative being alienated & expatriated in his own country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-ferlinghetti/almost-every-truly-creative-being-alienated-expatriated-in-his-own/) [Lawrence Ferlinghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-ferlinghetti/) > [“The alienated audiences was one that was aware of the performance as an arbitrary construction of the real, of the difference between players and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fiske/the-alienated-audiences-was-one-that-was-aware-of-the-performance-as/) [John Fiske](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fiske/) > [I had no work after 'Gangster' for two years, and my sister Rangoli met with an accident that destroyed her looks. My struggle with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangna-ranaut/i-had-no-work-after-gangster-for-two-years-and-my-sister-rangoli-met/) [Kangna Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangna-ranaut/) > [I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been terrified my entire life. So I can identify that fear which drives so many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-that-i-ve-been-terrified-my/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [I think I felt pretty alienated, being bigger, being mixed race, being of lower socioeconomic standing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-elsesser/i-think-i-felt-pretty-alienated-being-bigger-being-mixed-race-being/) [Paloma Elsesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-elsesser/) > [“Indeed, a great deal of pathological drug use is driven by unmet social needs, by being alienated and having difficulty connecting with others. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hart/indeed-a-great-deal-of-pathological-drug-use-is-driven-by-unmet/) [Carl Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hart/) > [I think a lot of us feel, when we look at the Dow Jones plunging, alienated - you do feel as if we're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/i-think-a-lot-of-us-feel-when-we-look-at-the-dow-jones-plunging/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He never cared too much for parties or people, but misanthropy could easily be cured by several alcoholic drinks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-rice/he-never-cared-too-much-for-parties-or-people-but-misanthropy-could/) [Daniel J. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-rice/) > [When you stop to think about it, so many films today where we don't have that kind of contact are films about alienation. About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-bernstein/when-you-stop-to-think-about-it-so-many-films-today-where-we-don-t/) [Elmer Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-bernstein/) > [“I was not descending in a plane, coming Home. I was watching an alien world as it ascended towards me - and one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/i-was-not-descending-in-a-plane-coming-home-i-was-watching-an-alien/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) [Browse all 78 Alienated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alienated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How can you be alienated without first having been connected?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald Barthelme" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-having-been-connected/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alienated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-having-been-connected/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/donald-barthelme-2980_alienated_how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-h_1843108.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/donald-barthelme-2980_alienated_how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-h_1843108.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/donald-barthelme-2980_alienated_how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-h_1843108.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How can you be alienated without first having been connected?” — Donald Barthelme", "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": "Donald Barthelme", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How can you be alienated without...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-having-been-connected/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/how-can-you-be-alienated-without-first-having-been-connected/#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 } } ] } ```