--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is this obsession people have with…" description: "\"What is this obsession people have with books? They put them in their houses like they're trophies. What do you need it for after you read it?\" — Jerry..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/jerry-seinfeld-880_book_what-is-this-obsession-people-have-with_3087387.jpg" --- # What is this obsession people have with books? They put… ![“What is this obsession people have with books? They put them in their houses like they're trophies. What do you need it for after you read it?” quote by Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/jerry-seinfeld-880_book_what-is-this-obsession-people-have-with_3087387.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/jerry-seinfeld-880_book_what-is-this-obsession-people-have-with_3087387.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/074/jerry-seinfeld-880_book_what-is-this-obsession-people-have-with_3087387.jpg) > “What is this obsession people have with books? They put them in their houses like they're trophies. What do you need it for after you read it?” [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People treat books as status symbols rather than sources of utility. **In simple terms:** Books become trophies, not tools. Key Takeaway Use books for learning, not just display. Themes consumerism reading culture Mood ironic observational Type humorous critical When to use this quote - home décor - gift giving - personal development Key Concepts materialism literacy media critique Questions to Reflect On - Why do we showcase books? - How can we shift focus to their content? A Different Perspective The quote overlooks readers who cherish books for knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Houses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-houses-3451943/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Like Trophies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-trophies-5292802/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Obsession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession/) [Obsession People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession-people-3956268/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-books-313541/) [Trophies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trophies/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Fame has become this obsession for people, which kind of creeps me out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kravitz/fame-has-become-this-obsession-for-people-which-kind-of-creeps-me-out/) [Zoe Kravitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kravitz/) > [Often the true hero and heroines of my books are the houses, the places, the communities where people find a home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-french/often-the-true-hero-and-heroines-of-my-books-are-the-houses-the/) [Jackie French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-french/) > [We have a generation of kids who may never see a bookshelf or never see books in houses. What are they going to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/we-have-a-generation-of-kids-who-may-never-see-a-bookshelf-or-never/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [There's a lot of obsession about people's personal ambitions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/there-s-a-lot-of-obsession-about-people-s-personal-ambitions/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [“You cannot have more love and desire; for someone, than you have for yourself, or it isn't love, it's obsession. People mistake one for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-christopher/you-cannot-have-more-love-and-desire-for-someone-than-you-have-for/) [Stanley Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-christopher/) > [“The hilarious irony is that Buddhists - who deny the existence of the self - are the most self-obsessed people you can find. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-tanner/the-hilarious-irony-is-that-buddhists-who-deny-the-existence-of-the/) [Jack Tanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-tanner/) > [“There's a fine line between piety and wack-ass obsession, and people have been landing on the wrong side for thousands of years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-traig/there-s-a-fine-line-between-piety-and-wack-ass-obsession-and-people/) [Jennifer Traig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-traig/) > [“He was an average-looking, hard working fellow who was more comfortable reading about people in books than socializing with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-thomson/he-was-an-average-looking-hard-working-fellow-who-was-more/) [Cindy Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-thomson/) > [Books are the building blocks of civilization and a people without books are a people without history, a people with no story older than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/books-are-the-building-blocks-of-civilization-and-a-people-without/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [“It's okay to bribe people with books, right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/it-s-okay-to-bribe-people-with-books-right/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [If you're not reading - with your heart as well as your brain - you will be one stupid grown up. Even worst, you'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/if-you-re-not-reading-with-your-heart-as-well-as-your-brain-you-will/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Just the circumstances of being in D.C., people give you books, and there are issues you want to learn more about, so you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/just-the-circumstances-of-being-in-d-c-people-give-you-books-and/) [Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/) > [“I love books. I really, really love them. There's something special about bringing people and books together”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-truman/i-love-books-i-really-really-love-them-there-s-something-special/) [Margaret Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-truman/) > [“What the future held for her she didn't know. Of two things only she was certain. There would be children-her own or other people's-and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dalgliesh/what-the-future-held-for-her-she-didn-t-know-of-two-things-only-she/) [Alice Dalgliesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dalgliesh/) > [I care more about the people in books than the people I see every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/i-care-more-about-the-people-in-books-than-the-people-i-see-every-day/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) ## More by Jerry Seinfeld > [“i chose not to run”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/i-chose-not-to-run/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [We’re all trying to get to the same island, whether you swim, fly, surf, or skydive in, it doesn’t matter. What matters is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/we-re-all-trying-to-get-to-the-same-island-whether-you-swim-fly-surf/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I have a nice bookshelf in my office, but not my house. I'm crass, but not that crass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/i-have-a-nice-bookshelf-in-my-office-but-not-my-house-i-m-crass-but/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [There's no downside to fame and people who whine about it make me sick. It's the greatest thing in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/there-s-no-downside-to-fame-and-people-who-whine-about-it-make-me/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [We're all trying to get to the same island — whether you swim, fly, surf, or skydive, it doesn't matter. What matters is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/we-re-all-trying-to-get-to-the-same-island-whether-you-swim-fly-surf-2/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I was in the drug store the other day trying to get a cold medication...Not easy. There's an entire wall of products you need.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/i-was-in-the-drug-store-the-other-day-trying-to-get-a-cold-medication/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I went up to the camp and Paul had me eat my first oyster I had never had an oyster in my life. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/i-went-up-to-the-camp-and-paul-had-me-eat-my-first-oyster-i-had-never/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [Then, finally, the third year, begging the parents, I got the Superman Halloween costume. Cardboard box, self-made top, mask included. Remember the rubber band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/then-finally-the-third-year-begging-the-parents-i-got-the-superman/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [This is really a crazy idea, you know. It probably won't work, but that will be interesting, too. You have to motivate yourself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/this-is-really-a-crazy-idea-you-know-it-probably-won-t-work-but-that/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [If you get something right, you really feel it, right in your chest, on stage. I think it's an incomparable experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/if-you-get-something-right-you-really-feel-it-right-in-your-chest-on/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [People have an infinite attention span if you are entertaining them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/people-have-an-infinite-attention-span-if-you-are-entertaining-them/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [It's hard to do nothing because you tend to do something and then you have to drop everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/it-s-hard-to-do-nothing-because-you-tend-to-do-something-and-then-you/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [A really hard laugh is like sex-one of the ultimate diversions of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/a-really-hard-laugh-is-like-sex-one-of-the-ultimate-diversions-of/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [There are many things you can point to as proof that the human is not smart. But my personal favorite would have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/there-are-many-things-you-can-point-to-as-proof-that-the-human-is-not/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [You know what I never get with the limo? The tinted windows. Is that so people don't see you? Yeah, what a better way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/you-know-what-i-never-get-with-the-limo-the-tinted-windows-is-that-so/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) [Explore all 342 Jerry Seinfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What is this obsession people have with books? 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