--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Ruth's view, they looked 'like a…" description: "\"“In Ruth's view, they looked 'like a couple' because they seemed to possess some terrible secret between them - they appeared stricken with remorse whe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/john-irving-337_humor_in-ruth-s-view-they-looked-like-a-couple_408646.jpg" --- # In Ruth's view, they looked 'like a couple' because they… ![“In Ruth's view, they looked 'like a couple' because they seemed to possess some terrible secret between them - they appeared stricken with remorse when they saw her. Only a novelist could ever imagine such nonsense. (In part, it was because of her perverse ability to imagine anything that in this…” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/john-irving-337_humor_in-ruth-s-view-they-looked-like-a-couple_408646.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/john-irving-337_humor_in-ruth-s-view-they-looked-like-a-couple_408646.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b29/john-irving-337_humor_in-ruth-s-view-they-looked-like-a-couple_408646.jpg) > ““In Ruth's view, they looked 'like a couple' because they seemed to possess some terrible secret between them - they appeared stricken with remorse when they saw her. Only a novelist could ever imagine such nonsense. (In part, it was because of her perverse ability to imagine anything that in this instance Ruth failed to imagine the obvious)”” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often project hidden motives onto others, interpreting ordinary interactions as secretive or scandalous. **In simple terms:** We read too much into others' behavior. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about others' motives. Themes perception misinterpretation relationships Mood cautious analytical Type observational critical When to use this quote - friendships - romantic relationships - workplace dynamics Key Concepts psychology social cognition Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports your interpretation? - How might you verify before jumping to conclusions? A Different Perspective Assuming hidden motives can damage trust and communication. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) ## Related quotes > [“Ruth thought of a novel as a great, untidy house, a disorderly mansion; her job was to make the place fit to live in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/ruth-thought-of-a-novel-as-a-great-untidy-house-a-disorderly-mansion/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Novels were not arguments; a story worked, or it didn't, on its own merits. What did it matter if a detail was real or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/novels-were-not-arguments-a-story-worked-or-it-didn-t-on-its-own/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" 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Except on her face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-zambreno/ruth-loved-color-so-much-she-rarely-wore-any-except-on-her-face/) [Kate Zambreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-zambreno/) > [Honestly, I love Ruth's Chris.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-butler/honestly-i-love-ruth-s-chris/) [Ross Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-butler/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. 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