--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How can we describe the most exalted…" description: "\"How can we describe the most exalted experience of our physical lives [sex], as if-jack, wrench, hubcap, and nuts-we were describing the changing of a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/john-cheever-3301_change_how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-exp_2472133.jpg" --- # How can we describe the most exalted experience of our… ![“How can we describe the most exalted experience of our physical lives [sex], as if-jack, wrench, hubcap, and nuts-we were describing the changing of a flat tire?” quote by John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/john-cheever-3301_change_how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-exp_2472133.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/john-cheever-3301_change_how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-exp_2472133.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/john-cheever-3301_change_how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-exp_2472133.jpg) > “How can we describe the most exalted experience of our physical lives \[sex\], as if-jack, wrench, hubcap, and nuts-we were describing the changing of a flat tire?” [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote likens sexual intimacy to a mundane, mechanical task, highlighting its physicality and perhaps its routine or utilitarian aspects. **In simple terms:** Sex is compared to fixing a tire. Key Takeaway Recognize both the profound and ordinary in intimacy. Themes intimacy mechanics human experience Mood reflective analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - personal reflection - creative writing - sexual health - everyday tasks Key Concepts sexuality mundanity metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How does framing intimacy as a task affect its meaning? - Can mechanical metaphors capture emotional aspects of sex? A Different Perspective The metaphor may reduce the emotional depth of sex to a purely physical act. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Flat tires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flat-tires/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) [Tire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tire/) ## Related quotes > [The methods and technologies of how to experience that which is beyond the physical is what is known as the science of yoga is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/the-methods-and-technologies-of-how-to-experience-that-which-is/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [When you come into my pieces, it's not an intellectual experience, it's a physical experience. It's coming at your body. There's light, there's sound,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-viola/when-you-come-into-my-pieces-it-s-not-an-intellectual-experience-it-s/) [Bill Viola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-viola/) > [“Every moment of this experience we call a physical life is determined by the choices you make in your thoughts, intentions, and actions. Thus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/every-moment-of-this-experience-we-call-a-physical-life-is-determined/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [I went to high school and university in Vancouver. Vancouver is really into yoga, so I have been doing it for years. The one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanya-asher/i-went-to-high-school-and-university-in-vancouver-vancouver-is-really/) [Vanya Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanya-asher/) > [For me, it's really important that the experience of art is always something that is able to provoke strong emotion, an emotion that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-henrot/for-me-it-s-really-important-that-the-experience-of-art-is-always/) [Camille Henrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-henrot/) > [I don't see anything wrong with a cell phone. That's great. You have a flat tire in the middle of the night; it works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/i-don-t-see-anything-wrong-with-a-cell-phone-that-s-great-you-have-a/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [I am a futility. The life of prayer begins with that. And God is not a comfort, to be offered like Kleenex. God is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-farrington/i-am-a-futility-the-life-of-prayer-begins-with-that-and-god-is-not-a/) [Tim Farrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-farrington/) > [Men exist because a vibrator can't fix a flat tire. On second thought, I should just buy a AAA card...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/men-exist-because-a-vibrator-can-t-fix-a-flat-tire-on-second-thought/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) > [When you keep asserting that things are going to work out well, that you can do the job, that you will not have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/when-you-keep-asserting-that-things-are-going-to-work-out-well-that/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [You're going to have some flat tires along the road of life. Change them and keep driving. It's just part of the journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-going-to-have-some-flat-tires-along-the-road-of-life-change/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ["Isn't it fun getting older?" is really a terrible fallacy. That's like saying I prefer driving an old car with a flat tire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/isn-t-it-fun-getting-older-is-really-a-terrible-fallacy-that-s-like/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse. Murphy's First Corollary If you tell the boss you were late for work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-edward-woodberry/left-to-themselves-things-tend-to-go-from-bad-to-worse-murphy-s-first/) [George Edward Woodberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-edward-woodberry/) > [“Everybody has a home team: It’s the people you call when you get a flat tire or when something terrible happens. It’s the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/everybody-has-a-home-team-it-s-the-people-you-call-when-you-get-a/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [You might be a redneck if your momma tore her best dress coon hunting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/you-might-be-a-redneck-if-your-momma-tore-her-best-dress-coon-hunting/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [We are not going to win because you have a new head coach, any more than you are going to fix a flat tire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/we-are-not-going-to-win-because-you-have-a-new-head-coach-any-more/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) ## More by John Cheever > [Only the opium eater truly understands the pain of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/only-the-opium-eater-truly-understands-the-pain-of-death/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [The poet or storyteller who feels that he is competing with a superb double play in the World Series is a lost man. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/the-poet-or-storyteller-who-feels-that-he-is-competing-with-a-superb/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“She perceived vaguely the pitiful corruption of the adult world; how cruel and frail it was, like a worn piece of burlap, patched with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/she-perceived-vaguely-the-pitiful-corruption-of-the-adult-world-how/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [For lovers, touch is metamorphosis. All the parts of their bodies seem to change, and they seem to become something different and better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/for-lovers-touch-is-metamorphosis-all-the-parts-of-their-bodies-seem/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“I dream that someone in space says to me: So let us rush, then, to see the world. 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The most we can do is exploit our memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/one-would-never-have-guessed-that-the-world-had-such-a-capacity-for/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“His stepmother -wearing a nightgown for comfort and a flowered hat for looks- had spent her days sitting in their parlor window in Baltimore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/his-stepmother-wearing-a-nightgown-for-comfort-and-a-flowered-hat-for/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [Fear tastes like a rusty knife and do not let her into your house. Courage tastes of blood. Stand up straight. Admire the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/fear-tastes-like-a-rusty-knife-and-do-not-let-her-into-your-house/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [I dream that my face appears on a postage stamp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/i-dream-that-my-face-appears-on-a-postage-stamp/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [Wisdom is the knowledge of good and evil, not the strength to choose between the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/wisdom-is-the-knowledge-of-good-and-evil-not-the-strength-to-choose/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“There was some faint coughing, a moan, and then a man spoke. "Are you all right, darling?" he asked. "Yes," a woman said wearily.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/there-was-some-faint-coughing-a-moan-and-then-a-man-spoke-are-you-all/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“It was one of those midsummer Sundays when everyone sits around saying, "I drank too much last night." You might have heard it whispered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/it-was-one-of-those-midsummer-sundays-when-everyone-sits-around/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) [Explore all 132 John Cheever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) ## More Change quotes > [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/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How can we describe the most exalted experience of our physical lives [sex], as if-jack, wrench, hubcap, and nuts-we were describing the changing of a flat tire?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Cheever" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-experience-of-our-physical-lives/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-experience-of-our-physical-lives/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/john-cheever-3301_change_how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-exp_2472133.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/john-cheever-3301_change_how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-exp_2472133.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/603/john-cheever-3301_change_how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-exp_2472133.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How can we describe the most exalted experience of our physical lives [sex], as if-jack, wrench, hubcap, and…” — John Cheever", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Cheever", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How can we describe the most...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-experience-of-our-physical-lives/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/how-can-we-describe-the-most-exalted-experience-of-our-physical-lives/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```