--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But then an old man was discovered…" description: "\"“But then an old man was discovered impaled in a ditch, and once again his world had started crumbling away beneath his feet. He wondered how long he c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/henning-mankell-2068_gloomy_but-then-an-old-man-was-discovered-impal_2579215.jpg" --- # But then an old man was discovered impaled in a ditch, and… ![“But then an old man was discovered impaled in a ditch, and once again his world had started crumbling away beneath his feet. He wondered how long he could keep this up.” quote by Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/henning-mankell-2068_gloomy_but-then-an-old-man-was-discovered-impal_2579215.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/henning-mankell-2068_gloomy_but-then-an-old-man-was-discovered-impal_2579215.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e6/henning-mankell-2068_gloomy_but-then-an-old-man-was-discovered-impal_2579215.jpg) > ““But then an old man was discovered impaled in a ditch, and once again his world had started crumbling away beneath his feet. He wondered how long he could keep this up.”” [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An elderly man’s discovery of a grave injury leads to existential dread and questioning his endurance. **In simple terms:** Old age can bring sudden crises that test one’s resolve. Key Takeaway Seek support when confronting overwhelming challenges. Themes aging crisis resilience Mood somber thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - elder care - counseling - community support Key Concepts existential anxiety physical decline Questions to Reflect On - What resources can help in such dire moments? - How does one find purpose after loss? A Different Perspective Physical decline may limit options, making recovery harder. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gloomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gloomy/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) ## Related quotes > [Man may have discovered fire, but women discovered how to play with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/man-may-have-discovered-fire-but-women-discovered-how-to-play-with-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thousands of years ago the first man discovered how to make fire. 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Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“To be loved by Susan would be to be impaled by a bird's sharp beak, to be nailed to a barnyard door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/to-be-loved-by-susan-would-be-to-be-impaled-by-a-bird-s-sharp-beak-to/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...we are willing to lose ourselves in another as we exchange fates with one whom we love but on whom our heart is nevertheless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-theroux/we-are-willing-to-lose-ourselves-in-another-as-we-exchange-fates-with/) [Alexander Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-theroux/) > [“In my private apocalypse he will be impaled upon his own nightstick.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy-toole/in-my-private-apocalypse-he-will-be-impaled-upon-his-own-nightstick/) [John Kennedy Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy-toole/) > [“Even to be impaled by a happy fate makes you jerk against the knowledge of inevitability, of final commitment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-reid-banks/even-to-be-impaled-by-a-happy-fate-makes-you-jerk-against-the/) [Lynne Reid Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-reid-banks/) ## More by Henning Mankell > [“Those who contemplate never escape the doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/those-who-contemplate-never-escape-the-doubt/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“If a policeman is serious about his profession but says he has time, he lies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/if-a-policeman-is-serious-about-his-profession-but-says-he-has-time/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“There is a silence in empty houses that is unique... People have left and taken all the noise with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/there-is-a-silence-in-empty-houses-that-is-unique-people-have-left/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [My father thought, and now I think too, that the system of democracy is entirely based upon the system of justice. If we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/my-father-thought-and-now-i-think-too-that-the-system-of-democracy-is/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [I still have a photo on my wall of the greatest idol I will ever have in my life, and it's myself at eight.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/i-still-have-a-photo-on-my-wall-of-the-greatest-idol-i-will-ever-have/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“The experience he'd gained during his years in the police force had given him this unambiguous answer: there are no murderers. Only ordinary people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/the-experience-he-d-gained-during-his-years-in-the-police-force-had/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [We used to send whole flocks of birds shooting out of our mouths and never managed to grab them by their wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/we-used-to-send-whole-flocks-of-birds-shooting-out-of-our-mouths-and/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [He was so excessively polite that Wallendar suspected he had endured many humiliations in his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/he-was-so-excessively-polite-that-wallendar-suspected-he-had-endured/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“This is what Sweden is - quiet people leaning over the newspapers and coffee cups, each one with his own thoughts and destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/this-is-what-sweden-is-quiet-people-leaning-over-the-newspapers-and/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“Working with keys is always meaningful. Locking and opening is, in a sense, man's very purpose on this earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/working-with-keys-is-always-meaningful-locking-and-opening-is-in-a/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“La plupart des voyages dont on rêve n'ont jamais lieu. Ou alors on les accomplit intérieurement. L'avantage, quand on emprunte ces vols intérieurs, c'est…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/la-plupart-des-voyages-dont-on-r-ve-n-ont-jamais-lieu-ou-alors-on-les/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [Our exile organizations have been our way of replacing the cities and villages we have lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/our-exile-organizations-have-been-our-way-of-replacing-the-cities-and/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [What annoys a person who suicides? The life itself. Boredom. Tiredness that descends on every morning when you look at yourself at the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/what-annoys-a-person-who-suicides-the-life-itself-boredom-tiredness/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“Your memories will be a flock of birds, silently flying in the sky. You will see them flying in and see them flying away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/your-memories-will-be-a-flock-of-birds-silently-flying-in-the-sky-you/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“In the biological world children are the sole purpose. Nothing else matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/in-the-biological-world-children-are-the-sole-purpose-nothing-else/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) [Explore all 175 Henning Mankell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) ## More Gloomy quotes > [In narrow and gloomy streets, keep your spirit high!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/in-narrow-and-gloomy-streets-keep-your-spirit-high/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I myself have not met a self-confessed liberal since the late fifties (and even then it was a tacky thing to admit, like coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfrid-sheed/i-myself-have-not-met-a-self-confessed-liberal-since-the-late-fifties/) [Wilfrid Sheed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfrid-sheed/) > [It crosses my mind that our generation may leave problems that are simply too hard for human society in the generations that follow. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-garnaut/it-crosses-my-mind-that-our-generation-may-leave-problems-that-are/) [Ross Garnaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-garnaut/) > [Britannia's shame! There took her gloomy flight, On wing impetuous, a black sullen soul . Less base the fear of death than fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/britannia-s-shame-there-took-her-gloomy-flight-on-wing-impetuous-a/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [A gloomy guest fits not a wedding feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/a-gloomy-guest-fits-not-a-wedding-feast/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [What has changed is that my life then was less difficult and my future seemingly less gloomy, but as far as my inner self,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-has-changed-is-that-my-life-then-was-less-difficult-and-my/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [The past--the wild charge at the head of his men up San Juan Hill; the first years of his marriage when he worked late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-past-the-wild-charge-at-the-head-of-his-men-up-san-juan-hill-the/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The iron bolt...mysteriously fastens the door of hope and holds our spirits in a gloomy prison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-iron-bolt-mysteriously-fastens-the-door-of-hope-and-holds-our/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [I accept that climate change is a challenge, I accept the broad theory about global warming. I am sceptical about a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard/i-accept-that-climate-change-is-a-challenge-i-accept-the-broad-theory/) [John Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard/) > [The gloomy theology of the orthodox--the Calvinists--I do not, I cannot believe. Many of the notions--nay, most of the notions--which orthodox people have of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/the-gloomy-theology-of-the-orthodox-the-calvinists-i-do-not-i-cannot/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [“By the shores of Gitche Gumee, By the shining Big-Sea-Water, Stood the wigwam of Nokomis, Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis, Dark behind it rose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-the-shores-of-gitche-gumee-by-the-shining-big-sea-water-stood-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The gloomy recess of an ecclesiastical library is like a harbor, into which a far-traveling curiosity has sailed with its freight, and cast anchor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/the-gloomy-recess-of-an-ecclesiastical-library-is-like-a-harbor-into/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [London has the advantage of one of the most gloomy atmospheres in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-taylor/london-has-the-advantage-of-one-of-the-most-gloomy-atmospheres-in-the/) [Bayard Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-taylor/) > [That gloomy outside, like a rusty chest, contains the shoring treasure of a soul resolved and brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/that-gloomy-outside-like-a-rusty-chest-contains-the-shoring-treasure/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [I think I'm less gloomy than I used to be - I've got a very supportive other half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-think-i-m-less-gloomy-than-i-used-to-be-i-ve-got-a-very-supportive/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) [Browse all 293 Gloomy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gloomy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But then an old man was discovered impaled in a ditch, and once again his world had started crumbling away beneath his feet. 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