--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It pained him that he did not know well…" description: "\"“It pained him that he did not know well what politics meant and that he did not know where the universe ended. He felt small and weak. When would he b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/james-joyce-281_pained_it-pained-him-that-he-did-not-know-well_299795.jpg" --- # It pained him that he did not know well what politics… ![“It pained him that he did not know well what politics meant and that he did not know where the universe ended. He felt small and weak. When would he be like the fellows in poetry and rhetoric? They had big voices and big boots and they studied trigonometry.” quote by James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/james-joyce-281_pained_it-pained-him-that-he-did-not-know-well_299795.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/james-joyce-281_pained_it-pained-him-that-he-did-not-know-well_299795.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11c/james-joyce-281_pained_it-pained-him-that-he-did-not-know-well_299795.jpg) > ““It pained him that he did not know well what politics meant and that he did not know where the universe ended. He felt small and weak. When would he be like the fellows in poetry and rhetoric? They had big voices and big boots and they studied trigonometry.”” [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker feels inadequate in politics and cosmology, yearning for the eloquence and confidence of poets and rhetoricians. **In simple terms:** He feels small and wants to be more learned. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge to build confidence. Themes insecurity learning ambition Mood reflective introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - education - public speaking - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism self‑identity Questions to Reflect On - What knowledge would empower you? - How can you balance humility and ambition? A Different Perspective May idealize poetic confidence unrealistically. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fellows Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellows-poetry-2865653/) [Pained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pained/) [Pained Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pained-did-2865654/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poetry Rhetoric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry-rhetoric-1081201/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics Meant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-meant-1607310/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not very active politically. 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Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [At the end of the day, politics is meant to do good to the society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-chandrababu-naidu/at-the-end-of-the-day-politics-is-meant-to-do-good-to-the-society/) [N. Chandrababu Naidu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-chandrababu-naidu/) > [The arts of speech are rhetoric and poetry. 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And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-you-are-pained-by-any-external-thing-it-is-not-this-thing-that/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Most human beings would have never been pained by the death of a human being if they had never seen a human being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-human-beings-would-have-never-been-pained-by-the-death-of-a/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [We are more pained when one of our friends is guilty of something shameful than when we do it ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-are-more-pained-when-one-of-our-friends-is-guilty-of-something/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Your dress is thin, you have been dancing, you are heated." "Always preaching," retorted she; "always coddling and admonishing." The answer Dr. John would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/your-dress-is-thin-you-have-been-dancing-you-are-heated-always/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) ## More by James Joyce > [He found in the world without as actual what was in his world within as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/he-found-in-the-world-without-as-actual-what-was-in-his-world-within/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“Ah, poor dogsbody! Here lies poor dogsbody's body.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/ah-poor-dogsbody-here-lies-poor-dogsbody-s-body/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Our civilization, bequeathed to us by fierce adventurers, eaters of meat and hunters, is so full of hurry and combat, so busy about many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/our-civilization-bequeathed-to-us-by-fierce-adventurers-eaters-of/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Shaw's works make me admire the magnificent tolerance and broadmindedness of the english.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/shaw-s-works-make-me-admire-the-magnificent-tolerance-and/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“Do you know what Ireland is?' asked Stephen with cold violence. 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And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/if-you-are-pained-by-any-external-thing-it-is-not-this-thing-that/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [I am deeply pained after learning about the death of Pravin Chougule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-thackeray/i-am-deeply-pained-after-learning-about-the-death-of-pravin-chougule/) [Raj Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-thackeray/) > [“He opened his mouth, then closed it, clearly struggling to find a way to touch his son without hurting him. “Jax…” he whispered, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/he-opened-his-mouth-then-closed-it-clearly-struggling-to-find-a-way/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [“Would you like me to tell you what I did last night when I got home?” “No.” She shivered. “Yes.” Brent chuckled quietly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-bailey/would-you-like-me-to-tell-you-what-i-did-last-night-when-i-got-home/) [Tessa Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-bailey/) > [“The first intimation I had that things were about to hot up was a pained and disapproving cough from the neighbourhood of the carpet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-3/the-first-intimation-i-had-that-things-were-about-to-hot-up-was-a/) [P G Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-3/) > [“There were times when I would sob until I shook, until my eyelids were so swollen that it pained me to open them, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonella-gambotto-burke/there-were-times-when-i-would-sob-until-i-shook-until-my-eyelids-were/) [Antonella Gambotto-Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonella-gambotto-burke/) > [“He makes a pained sound. 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