---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I came away believing and really deeply…"
description: "\"I came away believing and really deeply troubled by is the extent to which you can have two well-intentioned people talking in a friendly spirit and yo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/george-saunders-317_believe_i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply_2293245.jpg"
---

#  I came away believing and really deeply troubled by is the…

![“I came away believing and really deeply troubled by is the extent to which you can have two well-intentioned people talking in a friendly spirit and you get to a point where the two mutual mythologies just don't intersect. So kind of the next piece I'd like to write or think about is how did this…” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/george-saunders-317_believe_i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply_2293245.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/george-saunders-317_believe_i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply_2293245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/george-saunders-317_believe_i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply_2293245.jpg)

> “I came away believing and really deeply troubled by is the extent to which you can have two well-intentioned people talking in a friendly spirit and you get to a point where the two mutual mythologies just don't intersect. So kind of the next piece I'd like to write or think about is how did this left-right divide get so weird and codified.”

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Two well‑meaning people can clash when their underlying belief systems don’t align, creating a strange, codified split.

**In simple terms:** Different myths cause conflict despite good intentions.

Key Takeaway

Seek common ground beyond myths.

Themes

politics communication conflict

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

analytical contemplative

When to use this quote

- debates
- team meetings
- policy discussions
- family conversations

Key Concepts

ideology social psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What myths shape your political views?
- How can you bridge divergent belief systems?

A Different Perspective

Assumes myths are the only barrier, ignoring personal biases.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Divide Weird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divide-weird-5397285/) [Divides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divides/) [Friendly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendly/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Mutual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual/) [Mutual Mythologies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual-mythologies-5397286/) [Mythology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-talking/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Really deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-deep/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Right Divide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-divide-5397287/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Troubled Extent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troubled-extent-5397288/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Weird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weird/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [It's so ironic that you often hear these right-wing people talking about the Constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/it-s-so-ironic-that-you-often-hear-these-right-wing-people-talking/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [We have a problem with women in leadership across the board. This leadership gap - this problem of not enough women in leadership -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/we-have-a-problem-with-women-in-leadership-across-the-board-this/)

[Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/)

> [I really, deeply believe in the primacy of character. I believe that my job as a writer is to put a believable human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/i-really-deeply-believe-in-the-primacy-of-character-i-believe-that-my/)

[Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/)

> [It's important for me to work with a strong director because I know I can go to some really deep places, I just need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-mendes/it-s-important-for-me-to-work-with-a-strong-director-because-i-know-i/)

[Eva Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-mendes/)

> [I could definitely rock out to Kraftwerk's "Tour De France," Tubeway Army, or Gary Numan. All of that stuff has an infectious beat, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-could-definitely-rock-out-to-kraftwerk-s-tour-de-france-tubeway/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [There is something about the photographs that is endlessly disturbing. The fact that we like to think of them as torture actually hides what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/there-is-something-about-the-photographs-that-is-endlessly-disturbing/)

[Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/)

> [So you have Sleep Stage One, Two, and then Three/Four. One is a little bit lighter stage of the quiet, non-REM sleep and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-harris/so-you-have-sleep-stage-one-two-and-then-three-four-one-is-a-little/)

[Shelby Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-harris/)

> [I've never heard anyone say the really deep lessons of life have come in times of ease and comfort. But, I have heard many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/i-ve-never-heard-anyone-say-the-really-deep-lessons-of-life-have-come/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [I am a science fiction enthusiast, really, deep down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/i-am-a-science-fiction-enthusiast-really-deep-down/)

[Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/)

> [Some of the best cooks that I've cooked with, whether it's in New York or Chicago or even here in Philadelphia, are actually Ecuadorians.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-garces/some-of-the-best-cooks-that-i-ve-cooked-with-whether-it-s-in-new-york/)

[Jose Garces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-garces/)

> [You can experience play at work, not because you're messing around or wasting time or something, but because you're looking really deeply and seriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bogost/you-can-experience-play-at-work-not-because-you-re-messing-around-or/)

[Ian Bogost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bogost/)

> [Sure, I do wish I sometimes got to play more heroes, but hey, I can't beat the fact that I am working constantly. Anyway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/sure-i-do-wish-i-sometimes-got-to-play-more-heroes-but-hey-i-can-t/)

[Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/)

> [But television affords you, what you just described, to - over the course of 18 hours, now that we're doing a third season -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cillian-murphy/but-television-affords-you-what-you-just-described-to-over-the-course/)

[Cillian Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cillian-murphy/)

> [If I am ever obscure in my expressions, do not fancy that therefore I am deep. If I were really deep, all the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/if-i-am-ever-obscure-in-my-expressions-do-not-fancy-that-therefore-i/)

[Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/)

> [ That has been another interesting discovery: that basically a city \[Lagos\] could recover from a really deep, deep, deep pit. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rem-koolhaas/that-has-been-another-interesting-discovery-that-basically-a-city/)

[Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rem-koolhaas/)

## More by George Saunders

> [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“Wow wow wow is all I can say! Remember how I always buy lunchtime Scratch-Off ticket? Have I said? Maybe did not say? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/wow-wow-wow-is-all-i-can-say-remember-how-i-always-buy-lunchtime/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“None of it was real; nothing was real. Everything was real; inconceivably real, infinitely dear. These and all things started as nothing, latent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/none-of-it-was-real-nothing-was-real-everything-was-real/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“We must see God not as a Him (some linear rewarding fellow) but an IT, a great beast beyond our understanding, who wants something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-must-see-god-not-as-a-him-some-linear-rewarding-fellow-but-an-it-a/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [America, to me, should be shouting all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of them nuts, but please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/america-to-me-should-be-shouting-all-the-time-a-bunch-of-shouting/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [In my case, when I am trying to be "kind" I often default in a sort of toothless loving-all stance that is, actually, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/in-my-case-when-i-am-trying-to-be-kind-i-often-default-in-a-sort-of/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“A Clinton staffer tells me his theory. Think about Frank Sinatra, he says: born to sing. Think about Willie Mays: born to play ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/a-clinton-staffer-tells-me-his-theory-think-about-frank-sinatra-he/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [What America is, to me, is a guy doesn't want to buy, you let him not buy, you respect his not buying. A guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-america-is-to-me-is-a-guy-doesn-t-want-to-buy-you-let-him-not/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [What good the prophet in the wilderness may do is incremental and personal. It's good for us to hear someone speak the irrational truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-good-the-prophet-in-the-wilderness-may-do-is-incremental-and/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

> [You don't want to be that parent - the one who dresses his kid in a cloth sack when all the other kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-don-t-want-to-be-that-parent-the-one-who-dresses-his-kid-in-a/)

[George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

[Explore all 690 George Saunders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/)

## More Believe quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/)

[Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/)

[Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/)

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

[Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I came away believing and really deeply troubled by is the extent to which you can have two well-intentioned people talking in a friendly spirit and you get to a point where the two mutual mythologies just don't intersect. So kind of the next piece I'd like to write or think about is how did this left-right divide get so weird and codified.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Saunders"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply-troubled-by-is-the-extent-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Believe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply-troubled-by-is-the-extent-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/george-saunders-317_believe_i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply_2293245.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/george-saunders-317_believe_i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply_2293245.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/george-saunders-317_believe_i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply_2293245.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I came away believing and really deeply troubled by is the extent to which you can have two well-intentioned…” — George Saunders",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "George Saunders",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I came away believing and really...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply-troubled-by-is-the-extent-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-came-away-believing-and-really-deeply-troubled-by-is-the-extent-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
