--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What were he and his friends doing…" description: "\"“What were he and his friends doing, really, other than hanging from a branch, sticking their tongues out to catch the sweetness? He thought about the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jeffrey-eugenides-462_el-salvador_what-were-he-and-his-friends-doing-reall_1557859.png" --- # What were he and his friends doing, really, other than… ![“What were he and his friends doing, really, other than hanging from a branch, sticking their tongues out to catch the sweetness? He thought about the people he knew, with their excellent young bodies, their summerhouses, their cool clothes, their potent drugs, their liberalism, their orgasms…” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jeffrey-eugenides-462_el-salvador_what-were-he-and-his-friends-doing-reall_1557859.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jeffrey-eugenides-462_el-salvador_what-were-he-and-his-friends-doing-reall_1557859.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jeffrey-eugenides-462_el-salvador_what-were-he-and-his-friends-doing-reall_1557859.png) > ““What were he and his friends doing, really, other than hanging from a branch, sticking their tongues out to catch the sweetness? He thought about the people he knew, with their excellent young bodies, their summerhouses, their cool clothes, their potent drugs, their liberalism, their orgasms, their haircuts. Everything they did was either pleasurable in itself or engineered to bring pleasure down the line. Even the people he knew who were "political" and who protested the war in El Salvador did so largely in order to bathe themselves in an attractively crusading light. And the artists were the worst, the painters and the writers, because they believed they were living for art when they were really feeding their narcissism. Mitchell had always prided himself on his discipline. He studied harder than anyone he knew. But that was just his way of tightening his grip on the branch.”” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People chase pleasure or status, often using art or activism as masks for self‑indulgence, while discipline can become a control mechanism. **In simple terms:** Pleasure and status drive behavior; discipline may hide selfish motives. Key Takeaway Question motives behind actions. Themes pleasure status art activism discipline selfishness Mood critical analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career choices - creative pursuits - political activism - personal self‑reflection - relationship dynamics Key Concepts existentialism psychology culture Questions to Reflect On - What drives your pursuits? - How do you differentiate genuine art from narcissism? A Different Perspective Discipline can become an ego‑shield rather than growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [El salvador](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/el-salvador/) ## Related quotes > [If Mitchell was ever going to become a good Christian, he would have to stop disliking people so intensely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/if-mitchell-was-ever-going-to-become-a-good-christian-he-would-have/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I love soccer. My father is from Argentina and my mother is from El Salvador. I grew up watching Argentinean soccer. I get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-pardo/i-love-soccer-my-father-is-from-argentina-and-my-mother-is-from-el/) [J. D. Pardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-pardo/) > [My middle name is Nicole. 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When the doubts you have about it don't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/you-can-tell-when-something-s-not-moving-forward-anymore-when-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Normality wasn't normal. It couldn't be. If normality were normal, everybody could leave it alone. 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Everything they did was either pleasurable in itself or engineered to bring pleasure down the line. Even the people he knew who were \"political\" and who protested the war in El Salvador did so largely in order to bathe themselves in an attractively crusading light. And the artists were the worst, the painters and the writers, because they believed they were living for art when they were really feeding their narcissism. Mitchell had always prided himself on his discipline. He studied harder than anyone he knew. 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