--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She was thinking about the way she’d…" description: "\"“She was thinking about the way she’d always taken for granted that the world had certain people in it, either central to her days or unseen and infreq..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/188/emily-st-john-mandel-20783_heart_she-was-thinking-about-the-way-she-d-alw_2786157.jpg" --- # She was thinking about the way she’d always taken for… ![“She was thinking about the way she’d always taken for granted that the world had certain people in it, either central to her days or unseen and infrequently thought of. How without any one of these people the world is a subtly but unmistakably altered place,” quote by Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/188/emily-st-john-mandel-20783_heart_she-was-thinking-about-the-way-she-d-alw_2786157.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/188/emily-st-john-mandel-20783_heart_she-was-thinking-about-the-way-she-d-alw_2786157.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/188/emily-st-john-mandel-20783_heart_she-was-thinking-about-the-way-she-d-alw_2786157.jpg) > ““She was thinking about the way she’d always taken for granted that the world had certain people in it, either central to her days or unseen and infrequently thought of. How without any one of these people the world is a subtly but unmistakably altered place,”” [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often overlook people’s roles, but each person subtly shapes the world. **In simple terms:** People’s unnoticed influence matters. Key Takeaway Recognize and appreciate hidden contributions. Themes gratitude interconnectedness awareness Mood appreciative contemplative Type literary reflective When to use this quote - teamwork - family - community events - personal relationships Key Concepts social dynamics psychology Questions to Reflect On - Who in your life has quietly changed you? - How can you honor unseen influences? A Different Perspective People may feel insignificant despite impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Infrequently Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infrequently-thought-3345181/) [Taken for granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken-for-granted/) [Taken Granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken-granted/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Thought People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-people/) [World Subtly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-subtly-3345182/) ## Related quotes > [“Underhill had to fight with himself to remain in place. But something was already changing inside him. Something that had become familiar in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-avery/underhill-had-to-fight-with-himself-to-remain-in-place-but-something/) [Simon Avery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-avery/) > [I'm not afraid of death. But I fear most the time that I will be taken for granted... forgotten... and left alone by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/i-m-not-afraid-of-death-but-i-fear-most-the-time-that-i-will-be-taken/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patience/) > [When I give, it does not come with strings, I'm not keeping track of what you owe me. When I give I choose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley/when-i-give-it-does-not-come-with-strings-i-m-not-keeping-track-of/) [Shirley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley/) > [Being taken for granted can be a compliment. It means that you've become a comfortable, trusted element in another person's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-brothers/being-taken-for-granted-can-be-a-compliment-it-means-that-you-ve/) [Joyce Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-brothers/) > [“To be relaxed is to stand amid the wilds birds and be taken for granted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gray-calvert/to-be-relaxed-is-to-stand-amid-the-wilds-birds-and-be-taken-for/) [Michael Gray Calvert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gray-calvert/) > [Nothing could be taken for granted. Women who loved you tried to cut your throat, while women who didn't even know your name scrubbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/nothing-could-be-taken-for-granted-women-who-loved-you-tried-to-cut/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [You traitor,I will never be taken for granted again.!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-the-veil/you-traitor-i-will-never-be-taken-for-granted-again/) [Pierce The Veil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-the-veil/) > [“It wasn't that you could take them for granted, as such - heaven knows, nothing can be taken for granted in this life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/it-wasn-t-that-you-could-take-them-for-granted-as-such-heaven-knows/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I wonder if being dependable is actually a bit of a downfall...I feel like I've been taken for granted by some people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wonder-if-being-dependable-is-actually-a-bit-of-a-downfall-i-feel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Good-byes make you think, they make you realize what you've had, what you've lost, and what you've taken for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-byes-make-you-think-they-make-you-realize-what-you-ve-had-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love doesnt demand to be loved back but it doesnt mean it exists to be taken for granted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-escalera/love-doesnt-demand-to-be-loved-back-but-it-doesnt-mean-it-exists-to/) [Fernando Escalera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-escalera/) > [You know that you are being taken for granted when you are no longer being asked to do something. But you are still expected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-higgins/you-know-that-you-are-being-taken-for-granted-when-you-are-no-longer/) [Rebecca Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-higgins/) > [Even the strongest feelings expire when ignored and taken for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-the-strongest-feelings-expire-when-ignored-and-taken-for-granted/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being taken for granted is an unpleasant but sincere form of praise. Ironically, the more reliable you are and the less you complain, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/being-taken-for-granted-is-an-unpleasant-but-sincere-form-of-praise/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [I'm fortunate in one way and I can take pride from the fact that I've consistently performed for 10 years, which is something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cavendish/i-m-fortunate-in-one-way-and-i-can-take-pride-from-the-fact-that-i-ve/) [Mark Cavendish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cavendish/) ## More by Emily St. John Mandel > [“He wished he could somehow go back and find the iPhone people whom he'd jostled on the sidewalk earlier, apologize to them - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/he-wished-he-could-somehow-go-back-and-find-the-iphone-people-whom-he/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“All those people,” Clark said to Imaginary Robert, but Imaginary Robert didn’t reply.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/all-those-people-clark-said-to-imaginary-robert-but-imaginary-robert/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“... every time someone dies you start counting how much time has passed since they've been gone. First you count it in minutes, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/every-time-someone-dies-you-start-counting-how-much-time-has-passed/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“I've been thinking lately about immortality. What it means to be remembered, what I want to be remembered for, certain questions concerning memory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/i-ve-been-thinking-lately-about-immortality-what-it-means-to-be/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“She slipped so easily into the folds of his life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/she-slipped-so-easily-into-the-folds-of-his-life/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [What I mean to say is, the more you remember, the more you’ve lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/what-i-mean-to-say-is-the-more-you-remember-the-more-you-ve-lost/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [There are certain qualities of light that blur the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/there-are-certain-qualities-of-light-that-blur-the-years/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“All three caravans of the Travelling Symphony are labelled as such, THE TRAVELLING SYMPHONY lettered in white on both sides, but the lead caravan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/all-three-caravans-of-the-travelling-symphony-are-labelled-as-such/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“A fragment for my friend-- If your soul left this earth I would follow and find you Silent, my starship suspended in night”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/a-fragment-for-my-friend-if-your-soul-left-this-earth-i-would-follow/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [Hell is the absence of the people you long for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/hell-is-the-absence-of-the-people-you-long-for/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“You remembered.” “Of course,” Clark said. “That’s one thing I like about birthdays, they stay in one place. Same spot on the calendar, year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/you-remembered-of-course-clark-said-that-s-one-thing-i-like-about/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“Why did we always say we were going to shoot emails?” “I don’t know. I’ve wondered that too.” “Why couldn’t we just say we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/why-did-we-always-say-we-were-going-to-shoot-emails-i-don-t-know-i-ve/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“They’ve done what’s expected of them. They want to do something different but it’s impossible now, there’s a mortgage, kids, whatever, they’re trapped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/they-ve-done-what-s-expected-of-them-they-want-to-do-something/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [“Forever is the most dizzying word in the English language. The idea of staying in one place forever was like standing at the border…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/forever-is-the-most-dizzying-word-in-the-english-language-the-idea-of/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) > [No one ever thinks they’re awful, even people who really actually are. It’s some sort of survival mechanism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-st-john-mandel/no-one-ever-thinks-they-re-awful-even-people-who-really-actually-are/) [Emily St. John Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) [Explore all 30 Emily St. John Mandel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-st-john-mandel/) ## More Heart quotes > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [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/) > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/) [Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) [Rena Kornreich Gelissen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rena-kornreich-gelissen/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/) [Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) [Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She was thinking about the way she’d always taken for granted that the world had certain people in it, either central to her days or unseen and infrequently thought of. 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