---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had severed relations with the Romanian…"
description: "\"I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to e..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_adopted_i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romania_61563.jpg"
---

#  I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had…

![“I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to earn a living. Luckily we spoke quite a bit of French at home so it wasn't too difficult for me to write in my adopted language.” quote by Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_adopted_i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romania_61563.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_adopted_i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romania_61563.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_adopted_i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romania_61563.jpg)

> “I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to earn a living. Luckily we spoke quite a bit of French at home so it wasn't too difficult for me to write in my adopted language.”

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

## 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 describes a personal break from politically conservative Romanian exiles, noting his modest livelihood teaching chess and his fluency in French that eases writing in a new language.

**In simple terms:** Isolation, adaptation, modest work, language shift.

Key Takeaway

Cultural dislocation and survival through skill.

Themes

political exile identity language adaptation economic survival cultural alienation personal resilience

Mood

reflective melancholic resilient

Type

personal anecdote historical observation

When to use this quote

- post‑revolution diaspora
- teaching chess for income
- writing in a non‑native tongue
- family communication in French
- navigating right‑wing circles

Key Concepts

political ideology exile experience language proficiency economic necessity

Practical Applications

- historical analysis of exile communities
- language‑learning curricula for immigrants

Questions to Reflect On

- How does language proficiency affect cultural integration?
- What role does modest work play in preserving identity?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adopted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adopted/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Chess Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess-lessons-836332/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Exile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exile/) [Exiles Politically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exiles-politically-836330/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Relation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relation/) [Relations Romanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relations-romanian-836331/) [Right wing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-wing/) [Romanian Exiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romanian-exiles-836329/) [Spokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spokes/) [Wings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wings/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [It's true that in Romanian I feel more relaxed, as if I'm wearing slippers...but I came to this decision primarily for other reasons: I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/it-s-true-that-in-romanian-i-feel-more-relaxed-as-if-i-m-wearing/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [There's been a lot of simple vilification of right-wing people. It's really easy to say, 'Well, you're Christian, you're anti-this and that, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-c-k/there-s-been-a-lot-of-simple-vilification-of-right-wing-people-it-s/)

[Louis C. K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-c-k/)

> [“right wing’s most common techniques—including the deceptive use of statistics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/right-wing-s-most-common-techniques-including-the-deceptive-use-of/)

[Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/)

> [In terms of hardline right-wing people on television, there's some people that make me cringe when I change the channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-carmack/in-terms-of-hardline-right-wing-people-on-television-there-s-some/)

[Chris Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-carmack/)

> [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/)

[Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/)

> [For me, that was a defining moment in my career, being at Chelsea, going through what has made me become a man in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-sturridge/for-me-that-was-a-defining-moment-in-my-career-being-at-chelsea-going/)

[Daniel Sturridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-sturridge/)

> [The right wing has an ecosystem that is funded by billionaires who want tax cuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/the-right-wing-has-an-ecosystem-that-is-funded-by-billionaires-who/)

[Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/)

> [My dad spent his whole life getting into fights for telling what he believed to be the truth. Basically it comes from my dad-and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/my-dad-spent-his-whole-life-getting-into-fights-for-telling-what-he/)

[Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/)

> [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/)

[Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/)

> [I think I can capture the taste buds of the average right-wing conservative who loves barbecue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-seale/i-think-i-can-capture-the-taste-buds-of-the-average-right-wing/)

[Bobby Seale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-seale/)

> [“Leaving Germany and settling somewhere else would have been the easiest option,” he told the host. “We—and I am talking about whoever has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/souad-mekhennet/leaving-germany-and-settling-somewhere-else-would-have-been-the/)

[Souad Mekhennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/souad-mekhennet/)

> [For a long time at Blackburn and at Fulham last season, I was playing on the right wing. I've never seen myself as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cairney/for-a-long-time-at-blackburn-and-at-fulham-last-season-i-was-playing/)

[Tom Cairney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cairney/)

> [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/)

[Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/)

> [There has certainly been ugly, right-wing hatred targeting Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/there-has-certainly-been-ugly-right-wing-hatred-targeting-barack-obama/)

[Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## More by Dumitru Tepeneag

> [The reader's impression is one of a dream - the only thing that's left upon waking is the memory of a melody at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/the-reader-s-impression-is-one-of-a-dream-the-only-thing-that-s-left/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [Since adolescence I've had a passion for Romantic Fantastique literature, which continued with Expressionism and culminated with the genius of Kafka. It's that German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/since-adolescence-i-ve-had-a-passion-for-romantic-fantastique/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [I was a professional chess player in Romania, but only a small-time master. When I came to France, I continued playing chess for many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-was-a-professional-chess-player-in-romania-but-only-a-small-time/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [There is no one 'best set-up', there are many - you can get to mate in endless ways. And - don't forget! - in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/there-is-no-one-best-set-up-there-are-many-you-can-get-to-mate-in/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [It's true that in Romanian I feel more relaxed, as if I'm wearing slippers...but I came to this decision primarily for other reasons: I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/it-s-true-that-in-romanian-i-feel-more-relaxed-as-if-i-m-wearing/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [Vain Art of the Fugue was the only one of my novels to be met with relative public recognition: it was nominated for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/vain-art-of-the-fugue-was-the-only-one-of-my-novels-to-be-met-with/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [My first book published in France was translated and titled Exercices d'Attente in 1972. It was a collection of short works written and published…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/my-first-book-published-in-france-was-translated-and-titled-exercices/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [Our Onirisme movement was a synthesis between the Romantic Fantastique and Surrealism. Dimov and I rejected automatic writing. We loved surrealist painters: Chirico, Magritte,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/our-onirisme-movement-was-a-synthesis-between-the-romantic/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [It's not the subject of narration that interests me, but the structure. That's why I stay in touch with my old works, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/it-s-not-the-subject-of-narration-that-interests-me-but-the-structure/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [On the other hand, Surrealism has been a part of Romanian literature since forever. Even before Tzara, who was originally Romanian, we had Urmuz,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/on-the-other-hand-surrealism-has-been-a-part-of-romanian-literature/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [Seine et Danube was launched in 2003 with the help of Romanian authorities who had finally realized the necessity of promoting literature and Romanian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/seine-et-danube-was-launched-in-2003-with-the-help-of-romanian/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [After multiple trips to Paris and being accused of participating in 'heinous' activities in regard to the state, I found my Romanian nationality revoked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/after-multiple-trips-to-paris-and-being-accused-of-participating-in/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [As my editor had no desire to frighten readers with the Romanian pages, he had them translated and published the whole thing in French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/as-my-editor-had-no-desire-to-frighten-readers-with-the-romanian/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [For me, literature is the daughter of music: a bit heavy and more level headed than its mother. Literature submits to the same principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/for-me-literature-is-the-daughter-of-music-a-bit-heavy-and-more-level/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

> [The East was no longer a threat to the western world, and when there's nothing to fear we turn our backs, we look elsewhere.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/the-east-was-no-longer-a-threat-to-the-western-world-and-when-there-s/)

[Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

[Explore all 27 Dumitru Tepeneag quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/)

## More Adopted quotes

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/)

[Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/)

> [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/)

[Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/)

> [I'm not at all against white people adopting black children, because we're all human beings who need to give love and be nurtured in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-m-not-at-all-against-white-people-adopting-black-children-because/)

[Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/)

> [Susan, an only child who never had any roots, and I, a lone wolf who got married 20 years to late, were adopted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harpo-marx/susan-an-only-child-who-never-had-any-roots-and-i-a-lone-wolf-who-got/)

[Harpo Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harpo-marx/)

> [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/)

[Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/)

> [A son or daughter in any human family is either born to or adopted by the parents. By definition, a child can't be both.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bridges/a-son-or-daughter-in-any-human-family-is-either-born-to-or-adopted-by/)

[Jerry Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bridges/)

> [. . . by natural selection our mind has adapted itself to the conditions of the external world. It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/)

[Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/)

> [I was adopted my black Americans, I feel that I'm a 'Hybrid'. When I'm around Africans'I suddenly feel very black American. And when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-was-adopted-my-black-americans-i-feel-that-i-m-a-hybrid-when-i-m/)

[Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/)

> [I did this one movie with a great director named Wayne Kramer. It was 'Crossing Over,' and Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chon/i-did-this-one-movie-with-a-great-director-named-wayne-kramer-it-was/)

[Justin Chon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chon/)

> [People, the common people, can genuinely see what I'm doing. Moreover, people know that I have adopted four principles in living my life: simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/people-the-common-people-can-genuinely-see-what-i-m-doing-moreover/)

[Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/)

> [To a large extent, the American church has become merged with the world. It has adopted so many of the world's ideals and standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/to-a-large-extent-the-american-church-has-become-merged-with-the/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [When you're adopted, no matter what, you've got issues with unconditional love. And you find out you're the product of the worst situation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/when-you-re-adopted-no-matter-what-you-ve-got-issues-with/)

[Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/)

> [Capitalism justified itself and was adopted as an economic principle on the express ground that it provides selfish motives for doing good, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/capitalism-justified-itself-and-was-adopted-as-an-economic-principle/)

[George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/)

> [“We adopted a pug with cancer and changed his name from Lucas to Lulu Guinness. I’m in the process of turning him gay by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babe-walker/we-adopted-a-pug-with-cancer-and-changed-his-name-from-lucas-to-lulu/)

[Babe Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-walker/)

[Browse all 735 Adopted quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adopted/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to earn a living. Luckily we spoke quite a bit of French at home so it wasn't too difficult for me to write in my adopted language.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dumitru Tepeneag"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adopted"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_adopted_i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romania_61563.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_adopted_i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romania_61563.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/512/dumitru-tepeneag-22841_adopted_i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romania_61563.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely…” — Dumitru Tepeneag",
                "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": "Dumitru Tepeneag",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I had severed relations with the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
