--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He said when he went to sell a man a…" description: "\"“He said when he went to sell a man a flue, he asked first about that man's wife's health and how his children were. He said he had a book that he kept..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/flannery-o-connor-639_computers_he-said-when-he-went-to-sell-a-man-a-flu_640061.png" --- # He said when he went to sell a man a flue, he asked first… ![“He said when he went to sell a man a flue, he asked first about that man's wife's health and how his children were. He said he had a book that he kept the names of his customers' families and what was wrong with them. A man's wife had cancer, he put her name down in the book and wrote 'cancer'…” quote by Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/flannery-o-connor-639_computers_he-said-when-he-went-to-sell-a-man-a-flu_640061.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/flannery-o-connor-639_computers_he-said-when-he-went-to-sell-a-man-a-flu_640061.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d2/flannery-o-connor-639_computers_he-said-when-he-went-to-sell-a-man-a-flu_640061.png) > ““He said when he went to sell a man a flue, he asked first about that man's wife's health and how his children were. He said he had a book that he kept the names of his customers' families and what was wrong with them. A man's wife had cancer, he put her name down in the book and wrote 'cancer' after it and inquired about her every time he went to that man's hardware store until she died; then he scratched out the word 'cancer' and wrote 'dead' there. "And I say thank God when they're dead," the salesman said; "that's one less to remember.”” [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A salesman records customers' family ailments, erasing them after death, reflecting a morbid sense of relief. **In simple terms:** The salesman tracks illnesses, feels relief when customers die. Key Takeaway Question the ethics of dehumanizing others. Themes ethics mortality empathy Mood somber critical Type literary psychological When to use this quote - customer service - health care - personal boundaries Key Concepts dehumanization record-keeping psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does this reveal about how we value human life? - How can we prevent such objectification in professional settings? A Different Perspective Such behavior reveals a disturbing lack of compassion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) ## Related quotes > [I wrote the book Don't Die, My Love as I was going through radiation, so it certainly has an air of authenticity about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lurlene-mcdaniel/i-wrote-the-book-don-t-die-my-love-as-i-was-going-through-radiation/) [Lurlene McDaniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lurlene-mcdaniel/) > [“My father had the spirit and integrity of a scientist, but he was a salesman. 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