---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That day I learned a person can get used…"
description: "\"“That day I learned a person can get used to anything. Soon it all seemed normal to us, and we even joked about it,”\" — George Saunders"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/george-saunders-317_quote_that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used_2229106.jpg"
---

#  That day I learned a person can get used to anything. Soon…

![“That day I learned a person can get used to anything. Soon it all seemed normal to us, and we even joked about it,” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/george-saunders-317_quote_that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used_2229106.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/george-saunders-317_quote_that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used_2229106.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/george-saunders-317_quote_that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used_2229106.jpg)

> ““That day I learned a person can get used to anything. Soon it all seemed normal to us, and we even joked about it,””

[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.

People adapt to extreme circumstances, normalizing them over time.

**In simple terms:** Humans adjust to harsh realities.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and question harmful normalizations.

Themes

adaptation normalization human resilience

Mood

reflective serious

Type

observational critical

When to use this quote

- war zones
- refugee camps
- pandemic lockdowns
- abusive relationships

Key Concepts

psychology social conditioning

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you notice when something becomes 'normal' but harmful?
- What steps can you take to resist harmful adaptation?

A Different Perspective

Normalization can mask underlying suffering.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Day Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-learned-673285/) [Joked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joked-651129/) [Learned person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-person/) [Normal Joked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-joked-5007762/) [Soon Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soon-normal-5007763/)

## Related quotes

> [The more aware you become, the more you shed from day to day what you have learned so that your mind is always fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/the-more-aware-you-become-the-more-you-shed-from-day-to-day-what-you/)

[Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/)

> [One day I learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-bonilla/one-day-i-learned/)

[Yasmin Bonilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-bonilla/)

> [Men. The day they learned to admit to a mistake was the day they became women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/men-the-day-they-learned-to-admit-to-a-mistake-was-the-day-they/)

[Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/)

> [“She practiced every day. She learned her own speed and her own explosive force. She learned the angle, position, and intensity of a killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/she-practiced-every-day-she-learned-her-own-speed-and-her-own/)

[Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/)

> [“And so, for the rest of the day, I learned a few things from Steve. While we were crafting tools, he asked if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cube-kid/and-so-for-the-rest-of-the-day-i-learned-a-few-things-from-steve/)

[Cube Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cube-kid/)

> [The day I learned to say no is the same day I learned to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-a-macleod/the-day-i-learned-to-say-no-is-the-same-day-i-learned-to-say-yes/)

[Lisa A MacLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-a-macleod/)

> [“On the day I learned of Vati's death, my outlook on life changed profoundly. I had discovered that a good day could never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irmgard-a-hunt/on-the-day-i-learned-of-vati-s-death-my-outlook-on-life-changed/)

[Irmgard A. Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irmgard-a-hunt/)

> [“My life changed the day I moved beyond just wishing for things and I started earning them. That is the day I learned that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/my-life-changed-the-day-i-moved-beyond-just-wishing-for-things-and-i/)

[Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/)

> [“Life will throw a lot at you, so you can count on learning something new every day. I have learned to open my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lynn-steele/life-will-throw-a-lot-at-you-so-you-can-count-on-learning-something/)

[Amy Lynn Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-lynn-steele/)

> [The day I came in and found another actor's name on my dressing room door, and my stuff out in the hall, that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-penny/the-day-i-came-in-and-found-another-actor-s-name-on-my-dressing-room/)

[Joe Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-penny/)

> [“It was the day he learned that smart, witty girls were brighter than sunlight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-fuller/it-was-the-day-he-learned-that-smart-witty-girls-were-brighter-than/)

[Olivia Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-fuller/)

> [I must have missed school the day we learned about Abraham Lincoln being a vampire slayer...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-must-have-missed-school-the-day-we-learned-about-abraham-lincoln/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ . . . \[A\]s a rule, the most learned persons do not produce the greatest results. We see that only too often. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/a-s-a-rule-the-most-learned-persons-do-not-produce-the-greatest/)

[Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/)

> [If we grow wiser and more learned in our intercourse with wise and learned persons, how much more will we gain in our inner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huldrych-zwingli/if-we-grow-wiser-and-more-learned-in-our-intercourse-with-wise-and/)

[Huldrych Zwingli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huldrych-zwingli/)

> [“There is much more to be learned from a person’s head than from their data streams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-mcneill/there-is-much-more-to-be-learned-from-a-person-s-head-than-from-their/)

[Dwight McNeill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-mcneill/)

## 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 Learned person quotes

> [If we grow wiser and more learned in our intercourse with wise and learned persons, how much more will we gain in our inner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huldrych-zwingli/if-we-grow-wiser-and-more-learned-in-our-intercourse-with-wise-and/)

[Huldrych Zwingli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huldrych-zwingli/)

> [“There is much more to be learned from a person’s head than from their data streams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-mcneill/there-is-much-more-to-be-learned-from-a-person-s-head-than-from-their/)

[Dwight McNeill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-mcneill/)

> [ . . . \[A\]s a rule, the most learned persons do not produce the greatest results. We see that only too often. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/a-s-a-rule-the-most-learned-persons-do-not-produce-the-greatest/)

[Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/)

> [In his forty-third year William Stoner learned what others, much younger, had learned before him: that the person one loves at first is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-his-forty-third-year-william-stoner-learned-what-others-much/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Education beats the beauty and the youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/education-beats-the-beauty-and-the-youth/)

[Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/)

> [You can tell a lot about a person by who his or her heroes are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-person-by-who-his-or-her-heroes-are/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-ve-learned-that-you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-person-by-the-way-s-he/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [If anyone spends almost the whole day in reading...he gradually loses the capacity for thinking...This is the case with many learned persons; they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/if-anyone-spends-almost-the-whole-day-in-reading-he-gradually-loses/)

[Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/)

> [I have learned that I am also a person who has to be able to go fishing whenever I can and for as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howell-raines/i-have-learned-that-i-am-also-a-person-who-has-to-be-able-to-go/)

[Howell Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howell-raines/)

> [“It was because of the way you treated me that I learned to be my own person, have my own opinion, stand my ground.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieran-scott/it-was-because-of-the-way-you-treated-me-that-i-learned-to-be-my-own/)

[Kieran Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieran-scott/)

> [Vannevar Bush has said that there is no more thrilling experience for a man than to be able to state that he has learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-franklin/vannevar-bush-has-said-that-there-is-no-more-thrilling-experience-for/)

[Kenneth Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-franklin/)

> [Teaching a learned person ….](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/teaching-a-learned-person/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [A learned person will become noble only when he or she has put into real practice what has been learned, instead of mere words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/a-learned-person-will-become-noble-only-when-he-or-she-has-put-into/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [I've learned if a person doesn't treat you with respect, then they don't deserve yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-learned-if-a-person-doesn-t-treat-you-with-respect-then-they-don/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The learned person who only talks will never Penetrate to the inner heart of humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/the-learned-person-who-only-talks-will-never-penetrate-to-the-inner/)

[Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/)

[Browse all 25 Learned person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-person/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“That day I learned a person can get used to anything. Soon it all seemed normal to us, and we even joked about it,”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Saunders"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used-to-anything-soon-it-all/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Learned person"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used-to-anything-soon-it-all/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/george-saunders-317_quote_that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used_2229106.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/george-saunders-317_quote_that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used_2229106.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09e/george-saunders-317_quote_that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used_2229106.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“That day I learned a person can get used to anything. Soon it all seemed normal to us, and we even joked…” — 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": "“That day I learned a person...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used-to-anything-soon-it-all/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/that-day-i-learned-a-person-can-get-used-to-anything-soon-it-all/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
