--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stories? We all spend our lives telling…" description: "\"Stories? We all spend our lives telling them, about this, about that, about people … But some? Some stories are so good we wish they’d never end. They’..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/dustin-hoffman-4662_doe_stories-we-all-spend-our-lives-telling-t_1011963.jpg" --- # Stories? We all spend our lives telling them, about this… ![“Stories? We all spend our lives telling them, about this, about that, about people … But some? Some stories are so good we wish they’d never end. They’re so gripping that we’ll go without sleep just to see a little bit more. Some stories bring us laughter and sometimes they bring us tears … but…” quote by Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/dustin-hoffman-4662_doe_stories-we-all-spend-our-lives-telling-t_1011963.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/dustin-hoffman-4662_doe_stories-we-all-spend-our-lives-telling-t_1011963.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/dustin-hoffman-4662_doe_stories-we-all-spend-our-lives-telling-t_1011963.jpg) > “Stories? We all spend our lives telling them, about this, about that, about people … But some? Some stories are so good we wish they’d never end. They’re so gripping that we’ll go without sleep just to see a little bit more. Some stories bring us laughter and sometimes they bring us tears … but isn’t that what a great story does? Makes you feel? Stories that are so powerful … they really are with us forever.” [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories are powerful, emotionally resonant narratives that can captivate us, evoke strong feelings, and linger in memory. **In simple terms:** Great stories move us and stay with us. Key Takeaway Seek stories that inspire and endure. Themes storytelling emotion memory human experience Mood inspired reflective Type narrative emotional cultural When to use this quote - reading novels - watching films - sharing personal anecdotes - writing - teaching storytelling Key Concepts narrative power emotional impact cultural transmission Questions to Reflect On - Which story has shaped your life? - How do you create stories that endure? A Different Perspective Not all stories are equally meaningful; some may reinforce harmful stereotypes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Feel Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-stories-1163410/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Gripping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gripping/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Stories Bring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-bring-816742/) [Stories Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-good-515996/) [Stories Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-powerful-2202758/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Without Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-sleep/) ## Related quotes > [Stories are one of the most powerful forces of persuasion available to us, especially stories that fit in with our view of what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/stories-are-one-of-the-most-powerful-forces-of-persuasion-available/) [Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/) > [We evolved to make sense of this nonlinear and unpredictable world with stories. These stories are often very powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/we-evolved-to-make-sense-of-this-nonlinear-and-unpredictable-world/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [“Some fictions become fixtures in the real city. Their stories are so powerful that they leap off the page on to the streets, irreversibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-eliot/some-fictions-become-fixtures-in-the-real-city-their-stories-are-so/) [Henry Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-eliot/) > [I want to tell stories powerful people don't want you to tell. It's not worth getting out of bed otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sweeney/i-want-to-tell-stories-powerful-people-don-t-want-you-to-tell-it-s/) [John Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sweeney/) > [Love is in all of the books, and that's the connective tissue between them. There's a lot of hope in me; I can feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/love-is-in-all-of-the-books-and-that-s-the-connective-tissue-between/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [This is what shame does to women: It isolates us and makes us feel our stories aren't really stories at all but idiosyncratic flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-brooks/this-is-what-shame-does-to-women-it-isolates-us-and-makes-us-feel-our/) [Kim Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-brooks/) > [I would not know how I am supposed to feel about many stories if not for the fact that the TV news personalities make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-would-not-know-how-i-am-supposed-to-feel-about-many-stories-if-not/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I feel that our stories are cross culturally irrelevant, and I'm a member if a larger community of people who have no boundaries in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giancarlo-esposito/i-feel-that-our-stories-are-cross-culturally-irrelevant-and-i-m-a/) [Giancarlo Esposito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giancarlo-esposito/) > [As a matter of fact, I deliberately look for the mundane, because I feel these stories are ignored. The most influential things that happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/as-a-matter-of-fact-i-deliberately-look-for-the-mundane-because-i/) [Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/) > [Like Rodgers and Hammerstein, I'm not afraid to deal with themes about the ups and downs of life, yet which are still entertaining, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-weinstein/like-rodgers-and-hammerstein-i-m-not-afraid-to-deal-with-themes-about/) [Harvey Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-weinstein/) > [I firmly believe as an author you have to go out in life and hear the stories of people. In pubs in the UK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-todd/i-firmly-believe-as-an-author-you-have-to-go-out-in-life-and-hear-the/) [Charles Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-todd/) > [I'm always willing to help out when people have stories and they bring them to me. I also like the completely fun films like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnamdi-asomugha/i-m-always-willing-to-help-out-when-people-have-stories-and-they/) [Nnamdi Asomugha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnamdi-asomugha/) > [Stories bring us together. We can talk about them and bond over them. They are shared knowledge, shared legend, and shared history; often, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/stories-bring-us-together-we-can-talk-about-them-and-bond-over-them/) [Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/) > [Stories can bring alive the moral universe in a very vivid, useful, engaging way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-gleitzman/stories-can-bring-alive-the-moral-universe-in-a-very-vivid-useful/) [Morris Gleitzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-gleitzman/) > [“Imagination takes you to places steam trains cannot reach but stories bring you home with magic in your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shani-morris/imagination-takes-you-to-places-steam-trains-cannot-reach-but-stories/) [Shani Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shani-morris/) ## More by Dustin Hoffman > [Well this is aptly called a junket, for both of us. I have never been to a house of prostitution, but I understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/well-this-is-aptly-called-a-junket-for-both-of-us-i-have-never-been/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I think the most insulting thing you can do to a director is to challenge when he or she is satisfied with your interpretation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-think-the-most-insulting-thing-you-can-do-to-a-director-is-to/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [A "take" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we-think-that-we-have-to-get-it/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [“(In response to the question: What is your least favorite word?) It's three words that we usually use as one: woulda, shoulda, coulda. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/in-response-to-the-question-what-is-your-least-favorite-word-it-s/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Many actors want to play Hamlet and Macbeth. Ever since I became an actor, from the very beginning I just wanted to play a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/many-actors-want-to-play-hamlet-and-macbeth-ever-since-i-became-an/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Blame is for God and small children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/blame-is-for-god-and-small-children/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [The truth is, the older you get, the less variety of parts you are offered. If you're a star and you've spent most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/the-truth-is-the-older-you-get-the-less-variety-of-parts-you-are/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [“I say go, go, be led. particularly If you're in your twenties, which I suspect a lot of you are in. I tell my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-say-go-go-be-led-particularly-if-you-re-in-your-twenties-which-i/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I walked out of the theater and started crying. My wife asked me, 'Why are you crying?' I said, 'Because I can't do that.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-walked-out-of-the-theater-and-started-crying-my-wife-asked-me-why/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Acting didn't solve much! If it did, I would have ended up much less crazy than I am today, but I'm not. At least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/acting-didn-t-solve-much-if-it-did-i-would-have-ended-up-much-less/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I don't like the fact that I have to get older so fast, but I like the fact that I'm aging so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-don-t-like-the-fact-that-i-have-to-get-older-so-fast-but-i-like-the/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [We need to band together as a unit every day, especially to conquer the strength of the AIDS virus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/we-need-to-band-together-as-a-unit-every-day-especially-to-conquer/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [There were a few things that went into it. When you're doing something you're trying to be your audience at the same time, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/there-were-a-few-things-that-went-into-it-when-you-re-doing-something/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [You spend so much of your life basing yourself on what you think other people think of you. Then you realise that maybe one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/you-spend-so-much-of-your-life-basing-yourself-on-what-you-think/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [My wife always says that I will be stuck with this forever: I am the difficult one. With Jack Nicholson they always said it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/my-wife-always-says-that-i-will-be-stuck-with-this-forever-i-am-the/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) [Explore all 107 Dustin Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) ## More Doe quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Sometimes a sign or a quote is simply interesting by itself and does not require anything beyond being framed on a page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/sometimes-a-sign-or-a-quote-is-simply-interesting-by-itself-and-does/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) [Browse all 25,574 Doe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Stories? We all spend our lives telling them, about this, about that, about people … But some? Some stories are so good we wish they’d never end. They’re so gripping that we’ll go without sleep just to see a little bit more. 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