--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you never left anything or anyone…" description: "\"If you never left anything or anyone there would be no room for the new. Naturally, to move on is an infidelity -- to others, to the past, to old notio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/hanif-kureishi-3233_belief_if-you-never-left-anything-or-anyone-the_567841.jpg" --- # If you never left anything or anyone there would be no… ![“If you never left anything or anyone there would be no room for the new. Naturally, to move on is an infidelity -- to others, to the past, to old notions of oneself. Perhaps every day should contain at least one essential infidelity or necessary betrayal. It would be an optimistic, hopeful act…” quote by Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/hanif-kureishi-3233_belief_if-you-never-left-anything-or-anyone-the_567841.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/hanif-kureishi-3233_belief_if-you-never-left-anything-or-anyone-the_567841.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5e/hanif-kureishi-3233_belief_if-you-never-left-anything-or-anyone-the_567841.jpg) > “If you never left anything or anyone there would be no room for the new. Naturally, to move on is an infidelity -- to others, to the past, to old notions of oneself. Perhaps every day should contain at least one essential infidelity or necessary betrayal. It would be an optimistic, hopeful act, guaranteeing belief in the future -- a declaration that things can be not only different but better.” [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Embracing change may require betraying old selves; it's a hopeful act that opens space for better possibilities. **In simple terms:** Change needs letting go of old identities. Key Takeaway Accept necessary betrayals for growth. Themes change self‑discovery optimism Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career transition - relationship ending - habit change - creative projects Key Concepts identity betrayal personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What old belief must you release? - How can betrayal be framed as growth? A Different Perspective May overlook the pain caused to others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Betrayal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/betrayal/) [Declaration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/declaration/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Hopeful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopeful/) [Infidelity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infidelity/) [Optimistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimistic/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Don't trust a guy who accuses you of infidelity. He's cheating. He's projecting. If you're living that kind of life, you think everybody else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-cooper/don-t-trust-a-guy-who-accuses-you-of-infidelity-he-s-cheating-he-s/) [Bradley Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-cooper/) > [People will always be interested in relationships, infidelity and sex and everything connected to things in their own lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-longoria/people-will-always-be-interested-in-relationships-infidelity-and-sex/) [Eva Longoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-longoria/) > [ “\[Love Wasn’t as They Said\] Love wasn’t as they said… It didn’t last forever as they claimed… It is fleeting moments only recognized By… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-yako/love-wasn-t-as-they-said-love-wasn-t-as-they-said-it-didn-t-last/) [Louis Yako](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-yako/) > [Each husband gets the infidelity he deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelda-popkin/each-husband-gets-the-infidelity-he-deserves/) [Zelda Popkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelda-popkin/) > [“And tell your wife whatever you want, but don't make promises you're not going to keep. And don't knock yourself out over it; you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-fitten/and-tell-your-wife-whatever-you-want-but-don-t-make-promises-you-re/) Marc Fitten > [“Très, très, triste...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/tr-s-tr-s-triste/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) > [A society in which conjugal infidelity is tolerated must always be in the long run a society adverse to women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/a-society-in-which-conjugal-infidelity-is-tolerated-must-always-be-in/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I don't want to sell myself short. You hurt your spouse, not so much by the infidelity, but by the negative feelings about yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-zaslow/i-don-t-want-to-sell-myself-short-you-hurt-your-spouse-not-so-much-by/) [Michael Zaslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-zaslow/) > [In business partnerships and marriage partnerships, O' the cheating that goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-antin/in-business-partnerships-and-marriage-partnerships-o-the-cheating/) Saul Antin > [“For me, it´s sloth," I say. "Hedonistic sloth and escapism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/for-me-it-s-sloth-i-say-hedonistic-sloth-and-escapism/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) > [“To keep myself from harming or calling N and to stave off the rage and despair, I focus on my extraordinary son, drink midrange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/to-keep-myself-from-harming-or-calling-n-and-to-stave-off-the-rage/) [Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/) > [I cannot bear that you / Should think me faithful, when I am untrue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vita-sackville-west/i-cannot-bear-that-you-should-think-me-faithful-when-i-am-untrue/) [Vita Sackville-West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vita-sackville-west/) > [If you leave someone for another person, don't be surprised if that person leaves you for someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-leave-someone-for-another-person-don-t-be-surprised-if-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Was he a bad man or just a foolish one? He didn't feel bad to himself. As a husband he believed himself to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/was-he-a-bad-man-or-just-a-foolish-one-he-didn-t-feel-bad-to-himself/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) ## More by Hanif Kureishi > [I'm always writing. I'm an obsessive. It's not because I'm a disciplined person. It's because I'm crazy about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-m-always-writing-i-m-an-obsessive-it-s-not-because-i-m-a/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [ Harvey \[Weinstein\] didn't want to release \[MY SON THE FANATIC\]; he held it for two years because he wanted a happy ending, although I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/harvey-weinstein-didn-t-want-to-release-my-son-the-fanatic-he-held-it/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“Starenje nije za slabice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/starenje-nije-za-slabice/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“Ali isto tako sam i shvatio da prestupnistvo samo ucvrscuje pravila koja pokusava da prekrsi. Nista ne osnazuje normu kao odstupanje od nje.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/ali-isto-tako-sam-i-shvatio-da-prestupnistvo-samo-ucvrscuje-pravila/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [One would hope, as well that intimacy would leave more of a mark, that more of it would remain. But it doesn’t. You just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/one-would-hope-as-well-that-intimacy-would-leave-more-of-a-mark-that/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“You see people truly when they enjoy the most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/you-see-people-truly-when-they-enjoy-the-most/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [I guess writing is a kind of therapy in the sense that there are things you need to say and you say them, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-guess-writing-is-a-kind-of-therapy-in-the-sense-that-there-are/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [What a quality of innocence people have when they don't expect to be harmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/what-a-quality-of-innocence-people-have-when-they-don-t-expect-to-be/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“People who were only ever half right about things drove me mad. I hated the flood of opinion, the certainty, the easy talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/people-who-were-only-ever-half-right-about-things-drove-me-mad-i/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“Desire is naughty and doesn't conform to our ideals, which is why we have such a need of them. Desire mocks all human endeavour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/desire-is-naughty-and-doesn-t-conform-to-our-ideals-which-is-why-we/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [I began to enjoy my own generosity; I felt the pleasure of pleasing others, especially as this was accompanied by money-power. I was paying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-began-to-enjoy-my-own-generosity-i-felt-the-pleasure-of-pleasing/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“Maybe you never stop feeling like an eight-year-old in front of your parents. You resolve to be your mature self, to react in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/maybe-you-never-stop-feeling-like-an-eight-year-old-in-front-of-your/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“I don’t like being left for long struggling with my dangerous self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-don-t-like-being-left-for-long-struggling-with-my-dangerous-self/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [“Who doesn’t love cock?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/who-doesn-t-love-cock/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) [Explore all 129 Hanif Kureishi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [The inner defenses are unconscious. They consist of a kind of magic aura which the mind builds around cherished belief. Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Browse all 10,268 Belief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you never left anything or anyone there would be no room for the new. Naturally, to move on is an infidelity -- to others, to the past, to old notions of oneself. Perhaps every day should contain at least one essential infidelity or necessary betrayal. 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