---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have never seen a man look and smile…"
description: "\"“I have never seen a man look and smile, sit and walk like that, he thought. I, also, would like to look and smile, sit and walk like that, so free, so..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/hermann-hesse-130_look-smile_i-have-never-seen-a-man-look-and-smile-s_2481864.png"
---

#  I have never seen a man look and smile, sit and walk like…

![“I have never seen a man look and smile, sit and walk like that, he thought. I, also, would like to look and smile, sit and walk like that, so free, so worthy, so restrained, so candid, so childlike and mysterious. A man only looks and walks like that when he has conquered his self. I also will…” quote by Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/hermann-hesse-130_look-smile_i-have-never-seen-a-man-look-and-smile-s_2481864.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/hermann-hesse-130_look-smile_i-have-never-seen-a-man-look-and-smile-s_2481864.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/hermann-hesse-130_look-smile_i-have-never-seen-a-man-look-and-smile-s_2481864.png)

> ““I have never seen a man look and smile, sit and walk like that, he thought. I, also, would like to look and smile, sit and walk like that, so free, so worthy, so restrained, so candid, so childlike and mysterious. A man only looks and walks like that when he has conquered his self. I also will conquer my self.””

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

## About This Quote

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

Self‑conquest frees one to act and appear with childlike wonder, honesty, and restraint, reflecting inner mastery.

**In simple terms:** Conquer self, gain freedom, act childlike and sincere.

Key Takeaway

Pursue inner mastery for authentic expression.

Themes

self‑mastery freedom authenticity childlike mystery

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- creative endeavors
- mindful living

Key Concepts

psychology spirituality literature

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “conquering self” mean to you?
- How can you embody childlike sincerity?

A Different Perspective

Self‑conquest is a lifelong, non‑linear process.

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> [The first and the best victory is to conquer self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-first-and-the-best-victory-is-to-conquer-self/)

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> [Before we can conquer the world, we must first conquer the self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/before-we-can-conquer-the-world-we-must-first-conquer-the-self/)

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[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/if-you-do-not-conquer-self-you-will-be-conquered-by-self/)

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> [“The first and best victory is to conquer self. To be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-first-and-best-victory-is-to-conquer-self-to-be-conquered-by-self/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [“First and best victory is to conquer self. To be conquered By self is, of all things. the most shameful and objectionable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/first-and-best-victory-is-to-conquer-self-to-be-conquered-by-self-is/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [“like pretty what would it be like if i thought i was pretty what would it be like if i carried that knowledge around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/like-pretty-what-would-it-be-like-if-i-thought-i-was-pretty-what/)

[Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/)

> [I'd like to be thought of as someone who keeps it real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-diaz/i-d-like-to-be-thought-of-as-someone-who-keeps-it-real/)

[Nick Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-diaz/)

> [Be like you thought our love would last too long, if it were chain'd together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/be-like-you-thought-our-love-would-last-too-long-if-it-were-chain-d/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“I don’t need anyone else to distract me from myself anymore, like I always thought I would.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/i-don-t-need-anyone-else-to-distract-me-from-myself-anymore-like-i/)

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> [“I like thought which preserves a whiff of flesh and blood, and I prefer a thousand times an idea rising from sexual tension or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/i-like-thought-which-preserves-a-whiff-of-flesh-and-blood-and-i/)

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> [“That's the key to having it all: stop expecting it to look like what you thought it was going to look like.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-chupack/that-s-the-key-to-having-it-all-stop-expecting-it-to-look-like-what/)

[Cindy Chupack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-chupack/)

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[Alice Steinbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-steinbach/)

## More by Hermann Hesse

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

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> [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/)

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[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [“The mistaken and unhappy notion that a man is an enduring unity is known to you. It is also known to you that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-mistaken-and-unhappy-notion-that-a-man-is-an-enduring-unity-is/)

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> [“... it would be better for our country and the world in general, if at least the few people who were capable of thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-would-be-better-for-our-country-and-the-world-in-general-if-at/)

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> [The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/the-bird-fights-its-way-out-of-the-egg-the-egg-is-the-world-who-would/)

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[Explore all 951 Hermann Hesse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

## More Look Smile quotes

> [Before I Met You , I Never Knew What It Felt Like To Look At Someone And Smile For No Reason!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-i-met-you-i-never-knew-what-it-felt-like-to-look-at-someone/)

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

> [I have the feeling that we are in such a hurry that we do not have time to look at one another and smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-have-the-feeling-that-we-are-in-such-a-hurry-that-we-do-not-have/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [Before I Talk with you , I neva knew what it was like to be able to look at some one & smile for no reason :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-i-talk-with-you-i-neva-knew-what-it-was-like-to-be-able-to/)

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[Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/)

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> [Before I met you, I never knew what it was like to look at someone & smile for no reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-i-met-you-i-never-knew-what-it-was-like-to-look-at-someone/)

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