--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And now that Wells had heard him laugh…" description: "\"“And now that Wells had heard him laugh, he wondered whether the so-called Elephant Man had not in fact been smiling at him from the moment he stepped ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/f-lix-j-palma-11226_elephant-man_and-now-that-wells-had-heard-him-laugh-h_1980818.jpg" --- # And now that Wells had heard him laugh, he wondered… ![“And now that Wells had heard him laugh, he wondered whether the so-called Elephant Man had not in fact been smiling at him from the moment he stepped into the room, a warm, friendly smile intended to sooth the discomfort his appearance produced in his guests, a smile no one would ever see. As he…” quote by Felix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/f-lix-j-palma-11226_elephant-man_and-now-that-wells-had-heard-him-laugh-h_1980818.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/f-lix-j-palma-11226_elephant-man_and-now-that-wells-had-heard-him-laugh-h_1980818.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/f-lix-j-palma-11226_elephant-man_and-now-that-wells-had-heard-him-laugh-h_1980818.jpg) > ““And now that Wells had heard him laugh, he wondered whether the so-called Elephant Man had not in fact been smiling at him from the moment he stepped into the room, a warm, friendly smile intended to sooth the discomfort his appearance produced in his guests, a smile no one would ever see. As he left the room, he felt a tear roll down his cheek.”” [Felix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing kindness behind a scarred exterior can reveal hidden humanity. **In simple terms:** Compassion can appear in unexpected places. Key Takeaway Look beyond appearances. Themes empathy perception humanity Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - first impressions - social interactions - storytelling - personal growth Key Concepts social stigma inner beauty emotional healing Questions to Reflect On - What judgments do we make too quickly? - How does empathy change our view of others? A Different Perspective Not all smiles are genuine; motives may be hidden. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“May they enjoy a long and fruitful life together." Normally, that ancient toast brings about a predictable reaction: The groom always smiles proudly because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-they-enjoy-a-long-and-fruitful-life-together-normally-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I did a film in Nairobi, Kenya called 'The Last Elephant,' with John Lithgow, Isabella Rosallini, and James Earl Jones. So I was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-todd/i-did-a-film-in-nairobi-kenya-called-the-last-elephant-with-john/) [Tony Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-todd/) > [I watched a film called 'Elephant' recently. Its not stylish in the sense of expensive suits and Italian cars, but the styling on every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinie-tempah/i-watched-a-film-called-elephant-recently-its-not-stylish-in-the/) [Tinie Tempah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinie-tempah/) > [“Smile. Smile until all that's left are the broken pieces of your heart, slowly mending itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammiel-josiah-osia-monterde/smile-smile-until-all-that-s-left-are-the-broken-pieces-of-your-heart/) Ammiel Josiah Osia Monterde > [“She gave me a smile that left me wondering if I wanted to slap it off her, or kiss it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/she-gave-me-a-smile-that-left-me-wondering-if-i-wanted-to-slap-it-off/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [Today I m wearing the SMILE that you left me with..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/today-i-m-wearing-the-smile-that-you-left-me-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Smile. Smile until all that's left are the pieces of your broken heart that are slowly fixing itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammiel-josiah-osia-monterde/smile-smile-until-all-that-s-left-are-the-pieces-of-your-broken-heart/) Ammiel Josiah Osia Monterde > [Forget all the love I've given you, but let me be that one memory of yours which makes you smile when you are left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forget-all-the-love-i-ve-given-you-but-let-me-be-that-one-memory-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nat's face softens, her lips tilt at the corner and she speaks full of awe, "Wow." Still chuckling, I ask, "What?" She shifts from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-aurora/nat-s-face-softens-her-lips-tilt-at-the-corner-and-she-speaks-full-of/) [Belle Aurora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belle-aurora/) > [“To his left, he heard Inej laugh behind her mask. He'd never heard her laugh like that, giddy and wild.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/to-his-left-he-heard-inej-laugh-behind-her-mask-he-d-never-heard-her/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“the phone. “God, this sucks, man. The only good thing about this entire school since you moved is fifth period.” “What’s fifth period?” Holder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/the-phone-god-this-sucks-man-the-only-good-thing-about-this-entire/) [Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/) > [Oftentimes what happens actually is people say to me, 'I didn't know if it was you or not, and then I heard you laugh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/oftentimes-what-happens-actually-is-people-say-to-me-i-didn-t-know-if/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [“I'll be fine. My fear will keep me warm." She laughed. I think it was the first time I'd heard her laugh, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-klavan/i-ll-be-fine-my-fear-will-keep-me-warm-she-laughed-i-think-it-was-the/) [Andrew Klavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-klavan/) > [I am the person who handed over my photos in offices and performed humorous pieces I wrote. I am also the one who heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuthirakani/i-am-the-person-who-handed-over-my-photos-in-offices-and-performed/) [Samuthirakani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuthirakani/) > [“Adam stares at me so long I begin to blush. He tips my chin up so I meet his eyes. Blue blue blue boring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/adam-stares-at-me-so-long-i-begin-to-blush-he-tips-my-chin-up-so-i/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) ## More by Felix J. Palma > [“It might even teach Murray that while finding true love was one of the most wonderful things that could happen to you in life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/it-might-even-teach-murray-that-while-finding-true-love-was-one-of/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“And so everything depends on you, Bertie. Bishop or rook. Your life or mine. Do what you believe you have to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/and-so-everything-depends-on-you-bertie-bishop-or-rook-your-life-or/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“...for what was time if there was no one to measure it, if there was nothing to experience its passing? Time cold only be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/for-what-was-time-if-there-was-no-one-to-measure-it-if-there-was/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“My good manners prevent me from answering that, Mr. Gilmore, and my honesty from lying. Draw your own conclusions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/my-good-manners-prevent-me-from-answering-that-mr-gilmore-and-my/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [Time is a river sweeping away all that is born towards the darkest shore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/time-is-a-river-sweeping-away-all-that-is-born-towards-the-darkest/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“The whole world was no more than the precise length of each moment that separated them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/the-whole-world-was-no-more-than-the-precise-length-of-each-moment/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“It was the gaze of a person who yearns for something and refuses to believe it will never be hers, because hope is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/it-was-the-gaze-of-a-person-who-yearns-for-something-and-refuses-to/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“There is little more I can add short of dissecting the man, or going into intimate details such as the modest proportions and slight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/there-is-little-more-i-can-add-short-of-dissecting-the-man-or-going/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“And hearing her breathe softly by his side, Wells understood that, as so often happened, his wife knew what he wanted so much better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/and-hearing-her-breathe-softly-by-his-side-wells-understood-that-as/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [The paths that we choose don't always take us where we want to go. Sometimes they take us where we need to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/the-paths-that-we-choose-don-t-always-take-us-where-we-want-to-go/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [I don't think traveling back in time on an empty stomach is a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/i-don-t-think-traveling-back-in-time-on-an-empty-stomach-is-a-good/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“Ultimately it was man's limited senses which established the boundaries of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/ultimately-it-was-man-s-limited-senses-which-established-the/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [“That is why I need you to take into account the elasticity of time, its ability to expand or contract like an accordion regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/that-is-why-i-need-you-to-take-into-account-the-elasticity-of-time/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [Somehow this literary genre, which most people condemned, acted as a sort of counterbalance to Charles's soul; it was the ballast that prevented him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/somehow-this-literary-genre-which-most-people-condemned-acted-as-a/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) > [He had learned from experience that what he succeeded in putting down on paper was only ever a pale reflection of what he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-lix-j-palma/he-had-learned-from-experience-that-what-he-succeeded-in-putting-down/) [Félix J. Palma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) [Explore all 54 Felix J. Palma quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-lix-j-palma/) ## More Elephant man quotes > [I always think I look like the Elephant Man - I can't get used to my own image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/i-always-think-i-look-like-the-elephant-man-i-can-t-get-used-to-my/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [ It's amazing how quickly human beings adapt, isn't it? It was such a great crew, and David \[Lynch\] was wonderful to work with \[on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/it-s-amazing-how-quickly-human-beings-adapt-isn-t-it-it-was-such-a/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [If you've got a great crew it's intense, but its quite short. 'The Elephant Man' was longer than most, for an independent film. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/if-you-ve-got-a-great-crew-it-s-intense-but-its-quite-short-the/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [I first got involved with Mel Brooks through 'The Elephant Man.' Everybody knows now, but they didn't know at the time that he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-first-got-involved-with-mel-brooks-through-the-elephant-man/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [The mind's the standard of the man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-mind-s-the-standard-of-the-man/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [I'll do anything to keep everyone laughing. Things get too intense on film sets. I remember on The Elephant Man, I used to imitate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/i-ll-do-anything-to-keep-everyone-laughing-things-get-too-intense-on/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > ['The Elephant Man' was hugely enjoyable to do. I thought the one stage, when Chris Tucker did the first makeup and it took 12…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/the-elephant-man-was-hugely-enjoyable-to-do-i-thought-the-one-stage/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [Always drawn to the theatric, Bowie also performed in stage productions of "The Elephant Man" and just recently collaborated on "Lazarus," an off-Broadway musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/always-drawn-to-the-theatric-bowie-also-performed-in-stage/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [The Elephant Man would never have gotten up and gone, ‘Oh, God. Look at me hair today.’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/the-elephant-man-would-never-have-gotten-up-and-gone-oh-god-look-at/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [But my mother loved The Elephant Man, and my father gave David Lynch a scholarship to study in Rome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/but-my-mother-loved-the-elephant-man-and-my-father-gave-david-lynch-a/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [I saw David Lynch's 'The Elephant Man' when I was 15. I was completely bowled over. I found it so beautiful, strange and mesmerizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-daniels/i-saw-david-lynch-s-the-elephant-man-when-i-was-15-i-was-completely/) [Ben Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-daniels/) > [I'm extremely excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to take on the portrayal of Joseph Merrick in the BBC's adaption of 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-heaton/i-m-extremely-excited-and-honoured-to-be-given-the-opportunity-to/) [Charlie Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-heaton/) > [I developed a script that told the real story of The Elephant Man but also told the story of my journey into the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-pearson/i-developed-a-script-that-told-the-real-story-of-the-elephant-man-but/) [Adam Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-pearson/) > [I really wanted to work with David Lynch. I was a big fan of The Elephant Man and Eraserhead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sting/i-really-wanted-to-work-with-david-lynch-i-was-a-big-fan-of-the/) [Sting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sting/) > [What is bigger than an elephant? But this also is become man's plaything, and a spectacle at public solemnities; and it learns to skip,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/what-is-bigger-than-an-elephant-but-this-also-is-become-man-s/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) Browse all 29 Elephant man quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And now that Wells had heard him laugh, he wondered whether the so-called Elephant Man had not in fact been smiling at him from the moment he stepped into the room, a warm, friendly smile intended to sooth the discomfort his appearance produced in his guests, a smile no one would ever see. 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