--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do you know what people really want?…" description: "\"Do you know what people really want? Everyone, I mean. Everybody in the world is thinking: I wish there was just one other person I could really talk t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/doris-lessing-501_be-kind_do-you-know-what-people-really-want-ever_1735389.jpg" --- # Do you know what people really want? Everyone, I mean… ![“Do you know what people really want? Everyone, I mean. Everybody in the world is thinking: I wish there was just one other person I could really talk to, who could really understand me, who'd be kind to me. That's what people really want, if they're telling the truth.” quote by Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/doris-lessing-501_be-kind_do-you-know-what-people-really-want-ever_1735389.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/doris-lessing-501_be-kind_do-you-know-what-people-really-want-ever_1735389.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/doris-lessing-501_be-kind_do-you-know-what-people-really-want-ever_1735389.jpg) > “Do you know what people really want? Everyone, I mean. Everybody in the world is thinking: I wish there was just one other person I could really talk to, who could really understand me, who'd be kind to me. That's what people really want, if they're telling the truth.” [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People fundamentally desire a deep, understanding, and kind connection with another. **In simple terms:** People want a truly understood and kind companion. Key Takeaway Seek authentic, compassionate relationships. Themes human connection understanding kindness Mood hopeful introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - friendship - therapy - support groups Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What does a genuine connection look like for you? - How can you foster deeper understanding? A Different Perspective True connection can be rare and vulnerable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Telling the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-the-truth/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Do you know what people really want? Everyone, I mean. Everybody in the world is thinking: I wish there was just one other person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing-the-golden-notebook/do-you-know-what-people-really-want-everyone-i-mean-everybody-in-the/) â Doris Lessing The Golden Notebook > [There are a lot of people out there that really aren't that different than me, I consider myself a pretty average guy, so hopefully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-aldean/there-are-a-lot-of-people-out-there-that-really-aren-t-that-different/) [Jason Aldean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-aldean/) > [I mean, everybody wants to play against Tom Brady.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leighton-vander-esch/i-mean-everybody-wants-to-play-against-tom-brady/) [Leighton Vander Esch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leighton-vander-esch/) > [There's nobody as good as the Ramones, never will be. I mean everybody's just emulated us and now everybody just kinda takes our sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-ramone/there-s-nobody-as-good-as-the-ramones-never-will-be-i-mean-everybody/) [Joey Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-ramone/) > [When I came up with the Alexa Bliss character, I wanted to be the girl that everyone knew. There was always that girl in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-bliss/when-i-came-up-with-the-alexa-bliss-character-i-wanted-to-be-the-girl/) [Alexa Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-bliss/) > [Just because we're stupid doesn't mean everybody else was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/just-because-we-re-stupid-doesn-t-mean-everybody-else-was/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [When the political columnists say 'Every thinking man' they mean themselves, and when candidates appeal to 'Every intelligent voter' they mean everybody who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-p-adams/when-the-political-columnists-say-every-thinking-man-they-mean/) [Franklin P. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-p-adams/) > [I mean everybody's got ex-boyfriends and girlfriends. Everybody's got baggage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-dobrev/i-mean-everybody-s-got-ex-boyfriends-and-girlfriends-everybody-s-got/) [Nina Dobrev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-dobrev/) > [“It isn't just Wally. It could be a girl, for goodness' sake. I mean if he were a girl - somebody in my dorm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/it-isn-t-just-wally-it-could-be-a-girl-for-goodness-sake-i-mean-if-he/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [Sure, I'm crazy. But that used to mean something. Now, everybody's crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-manson/sure-i-m-crazy-but-that-used-to-mean-something-now-everybody-s-crazy/) [Charles Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-manson/) > [It's everybody, I mean. Everything everybody does is so — I don't know — not wrong, or even mean, or even stupid necessarily. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-everybody-i-mean-everything-everybody-does-is-so-i-don-t-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All people really want is someone real, someone that gets them, someone they don't have to doubt, & someone they can trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-people-really-want-is-someone-real-someone-that-gets-them-someone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If people really want to find you, they find you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/if-people-really-want-to-find-you-they-find-you/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [The things people really want are love, connection, and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallika-chopra/the-things-people-really-want-are-love-connection-and-purpose/) [Mallika Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallika-chopra/) > [I just think music is one of those frontiers where people really want the "I" to be you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-spektor/i-just-think-music-is-one-of-those-frontiers-where-people-really-want/) [Regina Spektor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-spektor/) ## More by Doris Lessing > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“In the morning, when she wishes me to wake, she crouches on my chest, and pats my face with her paw. Or, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/in-the-morning-when-she-wishes-me-to-wake-she-crouches-on-my-chest/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [You know, whenever women make imaginary female kingdoms in literature, they are always very permissive, to use the jargon word, and easy and generous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/you-know-whenever-women-make-imaginary-female-kingdoms-in-literature/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [There is only one real sin and that is to persuade oneself that the second best is anything but second best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/there-is-only-one-real-sin-and-that-is-to-persuade-oneself-that-the/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“She was using the water as she had used the fruit earlier—to calm herself, to assure herself of the possibility of normality. Yet all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/she-was-using-the-water-as-she-had-used-the-fruit-earlier-to-calm/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [I remember World War II when there were very few books, very little paper available. For me to walk into a shop or look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-remember-world-war-ii-when-there-were-very-few-books-very-little/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [They can't give a Nobel to someone who's dead so I think they were probably thinking they had better give it to me now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/they-can-t-give-a-nobel-to-someone-who-s-dead-so-i-think-they-were/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“While she strode rapidly through the ward to the door at the other end, she was able to see that every bed or cot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/while-she-strode-rapidly-through-the-ward-to-the-door-at-the-other/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [I do not think that marriage is one of my talents. I've been much happier unmarried than married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-do-not-think-that-marriage-is-one-of-my-talents-i-ve-been-much/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [I haven't got the energy to write now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-haven-t-got-the-energy-to-write-now/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [What really fascinates me is this need that is so strong now that if you read a work of the imagination you instantly have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/what-really-fascinates-me-is-this-need-that-is-so-strong-now-that-if/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“The charge that the United Nations are using bacteriological warfare in Korea cannot be dismissed merely because it would be insane.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/the-charge-that-the-united-nations-are-using-bacteriological-warfare/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [What I did have, which others perhaps didn't, was a capacity for sticking at it, which really is the point, not the talent at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/what-i-did-have-which-others-perhaps-didn-t-was-a-capacity-for/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [The human community is evolving... . We can survive anything you care to mention. We are supremely equipped to survive, to adapt and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/the-human-community-is-evolving-we-can-survive-anything-you-care-to/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [So love is rest? The cosy corner? The little nook? Sometimes it ought to be. Sometimes it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/so-love-is-rest-the-cosy-corner-the-little-nook-sometimes-it-ought-to/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) [Explore all 508 Doris Lessing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) ## More Be kind quotes > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. 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