--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was a strange business and it made a…" description: "\"“It was a strange business and it made a sad and curious impression on me; everything that had belonged to me in these earlier years of my life left me..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/hermann-hesse-130_business_it-was-a-strange-business-and-it-made-a_2145913.png" --- # It was a strange business and it made a sad and curious… ![“It was a strange business and it made a sad and curious impression on me; everything that had belonged to me in these earlier years of my life left me, was alien and lost to me. I suddenly saw how sad and artificial my life had been during this period, for the loves, friends, habits and pleasures…” quote by Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/hermann-hesse-130_business_it-was-a-strange-business-and-it-made-a_2145913.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/hermann-hesse-130_business_it-was-a-strange-business-and-it-made-a_2145913.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/hermann-hesse-130_business_it-was-a-strange-business-and-it-made-a_2145913.png) > ““It was a strange business and it made a sad and curious impression on me; everything that had belonged to me in these earlier years of my life left me, was alien and lost to me. I suddenly saw how sad and artificial my life had been during this period, for the loves, friends, habits and pleasures of these years were discarded like badly fitting clothes. I parted from them without pain and all that remained was to wonder that I could have endured them so long.”” [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. The narrator feels alienated from his past life, realizing it was artificial; he lets it go without pain, questioning his endurance. **In simple terms:** He sees his past as false and moves on. Key Takeaway Question the authenticity of your past. Themes identity alienation self‑realization Mood melancholic introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career transition - breakup - spiritual crisis - creative block Key Concepts existentialism psychology personal transformation Questions to Reflect On - What parts of your past feel inauthentic? - How can you honor growth while moving forward? A Different Perspective Letting go may cause hidden grief later. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-sad-4490830/) [Clothes Parted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothes-parted-3810903/) [Curious Impression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curious-impression-4490828/) [Impression Belonged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impression-belonged-4490826/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Without pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/without-pain/) [Years Discarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-discarded-3810902/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [I suddenly saw how sad and artificial my life had been during this period, for the loves, friends, habits and pleasures of these years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/i-suddenly-saw-how-sad-and-artificial-my-life-had-been-during-this/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [This is a sick business. 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