--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It struck him that the truly…" description: "\"It struck him that the truly characteristic thing about modern life was not its cruelty and insecurity, but simply its bareness, its dinginess, its lis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/george-orwell-57_achieve_it-struck-him-that-the-truly-characteris_2817642.jpg" --- # It struck him that the truly characteristic thing about… ![“It struck him that the truly characteristic thing about modern life was not its cruelty and insecurity, but simply its bareness, its dinginess, its listlessness. Life, if you looked about you, bore no resemblance not only to the lies that streamed out of the telescreens, but even to the ideals…” quote by George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/george-orwell-57_achieve_it-struck-him-that-the-truly-characteris_2817642.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/george-orwell-57_achieve_it-struck-him-that-the-truly-characteris_2817642.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/768/george-orwell-57_achieve_it-struck-him-that-the-truly-characteris_2817642.jpg) > “It struck him that the truly characteristic thing about modern life was not its cruelty and insecurity, but simply its bareness, its dinginess, its listlessness. Life, if you looked about you, bore no resemblance not only to the lies that streamed out of the telescreens, but even to the ideals that the party was trying to achieve.” [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern life feels empty and bleak, lacking both the false promises of propaganda and the lofty goals of the regime. **In simple terms:** Life feels barren and meaningless. Key Takeaway Seek genuine purpose. Themes existentialism modernity disillusionment Mood reflective somber Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - daily routine - media consumption - political engagement Key Concepts philosophy political critique Questions to Reflect On - What gives your life meaning today? - How can you resist the emptiness of modern culture? A Different Perspective Finding meaning may be challenging amid pervasive emptiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cruelty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruelty/) [Insecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecurity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Modern life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-life/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) ## Related quotes > [“It struck him that the truly characteristic thing about modern life was not its cruelty and insecurity, but simply it's bareness, it's dinginess, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-struck-him-that-the-truly-characteristic-thing-about-modern-life/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“How could you tell how much of it was lies? 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