--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This was his healthy state and it made…" description: "\"“This was his healthy state and it made him cheerful, pleasant, and very attractive to intelligent men and to all women. In this state he considered th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_death_this-was-his-healthy-state-and-it-made-h_649615.jpg" --- # This was his healthy state and it made him cheerful… ![“This was his healthy state and it made him cheerful, pleasant, and very attractive to intelligent men and to all women. In this state he considered that he would one day accomplish some quiet subtle thing that the elect would deem worthy and, passing on, would join the dimmer stars in a nebulous…” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_death_this-was-his-healthy-state-and-it-made-h_649615.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_death_this-was-his-healthy-state-and-it-made-h_649615.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/115/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_death_this-was-his-healthy-state-and-it-made-h_649615.jpg) > ““This was his healthy state and it made him cheerful, pleasant, and very attractive to intelligent men and to all women. In this state he considered that he would one day accomplish some quiet subtle thing that the elect would deem worthy and, passing on, would join the dimmer stars in a nebulous, indeterminate heaven half-way between death and immortality. Until the time came for this effort he would be Anthony Patch—not a portrait of a man but a distinct and dynamic personality, opinionated, contemptuous, functioning from within outward—a man who was aware that there could be no honor and yet had honor, who knew the sophistry of courage and yet was brave.”” [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes a man who, in a balanced, cheerful state, feels destined for a subtle, noble achievement that will grant him a place between mortality and eternity. **In simple terms:** A man feels hopeful about a modest, lasting legacy while wrestling with paradoxical honor and bravery. Key Takeaway Embrace inner balance while pursuing meaningful goals. Themes identity ambition honor existence Mood reflective hopeful melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal growth - creative work - spiritual contemplation - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts existentialism self‑actualization paradox legacy Questions to Reflect On - What does “quiet subtle thing” mean to you? - How do you reconcile honor without external validation? A Different Perspective His optimism may ignore practical obstacles and the cost of ambition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Dynamic personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dynamic-personality/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) ## Related quotes > [“A man who was aware that there could be no honor and yet had honor, who knew the sophistry of courage and yet was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/a-man-who-was-aware-that-there-could-be-no-honor-and-yet-had-honor/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“In 1913, when Anthony Patch was twenty-five, two years were already gone since irony, the Holy Ghost of this later day, had, theoretically at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/in-1913-when-anthony-patch-was-twenty-five-two-years-were-already/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [One reason why the progressive state is 'cheerful' is that social conflict is diminished by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/one-reason-why-the-progressive-state-is-cheerful-is-that-social/) [Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/) > [“In 1913, when Anthony Patch was twenty-five, two years were already gone since irony, the Holy Ghost of this later day, had, theoretically at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald-2/in-1913-when-anthony-patch-was-twenty-five-two-years-were-already-2/) [F Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald-2/) > [“Young Anthony had one picture of his father and mother together—so often had it faced his eyes in childhood that it had acquired the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/young-anthony-had-one-picture-of-his-father-and-mother-together-so/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It was all very purposeful and sad when Anthony told Gloria one night that he wanted, above all things, to be killed. But, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-was-all-very-purposeful-and-sad-when-anthony-told-gloria-one-night/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was drafted early in the fall, and the examining doctor made no mention of low blood-pressure. It was all very purposeless and sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-drafted-early-in-the-fall-and-the-examining-doctor-made-no/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“No one cares about us but ourselves, Anthony,” she said one day. “It'd be ridiculous for me to go about pretending I felt any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/no-one-cares-about-us-but-ourselves-anthony-she-said-one-day-it-d-be/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Seldom do we experience the charisma and character of a dynamic personality such as Lou Holtz, the very successful former football coach of Notre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-pohlad/seldom-do-we-experience-the-charisma-and-character-of-a-dynamic/) Carl Pohlad > [I am a bit of a dynamic personality and have the ability to use my vocabulary in some creative ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mauro-ranallo/i-am-a-bit-of-a-dynamic-personality-and-have-the-ability-to-use-my/) [Mauro Ranallo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauro-ranallo/) > [We now demand glamour and fast-flowing dramatic action. A generation of Christians reared among push buttons and automatic machines is impatient of slower and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-now-demand-glamour-and-fast-flowing-dramatic-action-a-generation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Making a record is like delineating a personality, and you can't do that without it being incredibly dynamic. Because that's what a personality is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-healy/making-a-record-is-like-delineating-a-personality-and-you-can-t-do/) [Matty Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matty-healy/) > [“On the pavement by the side of the road was planted a banner two storeys high. Even in the blow-up the celebrity appeared stunted.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-joseph/on-the-pavement-by-the-side-of-the-road-was-planted-a-banner-two/) [Manu Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manu-joseph/) > [I think that my strong determination for justice comes from the very strong, dynamic personality of my father ... I have rarely ever met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-think-that-my-strong-determination-for-justice-comes-from-the-very/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused him of being a bore - on the contrary, they thought him too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-people-who-hanged-christ-never-to-do-them-justice-accused-him-of/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. 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Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Explore all 1,568 F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. 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You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. 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