--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Snobbery? But it's only a form of despair." description: "\"Snobbery? But it's only a form of despair.\" — Joseph Brodsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/joseph-brodsky-1225_despair_snobbery-but-it-s-only-a-form-of-despair_2687807.png" --- # Snobbery? But it's only a form of despair. ![“Snobbery? But it's only a form of despair.” quote by Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/joseph-brodsky-1225_despair_snobbery-but-it-s-only-a-form-of-despair_2687807.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/joseph-brodsky-1225_despair_snobbery-but-it-s-only-a-form-of-despair_2687807.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c5/joseph-brodsky-1225_despair_snobbery-but-it-s-only-a-form-of-despair_2687807.png) > “Snobbery? But it's only a form of despair.” [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Snobbery is a manifestation of despair, a coping mechanism for insecurity. **In simple terms:** Snobbery stems from inner despair. Key Takeaway Address underlying despair. Themes social status despair insecurity Mood critical analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - workplace dynamics - social gatherings - online behavior Key Concepts psychology social critique Questions to Reflect On - Why do people use snobbery? - What healthier ways express self‑worth? A Different Perspective Snobbery may also be a deliberate power play, not just despair. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Snobbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snobbery/) ## Related quotes > [The most common form of despair is not being who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-common-form-of-despair-is-not-being-who-you-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ The most common despair is...not choosing, or willing, to be oneself...\[but\] the deepest form of despair is to choose to be another than oneself. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/the-most-common-despair-is-not-choosing-or-willing-to-be-oneself-but/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [The deepest form of despair is to choose to be another than himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/the-deepest-form-of-despair-is-to-choose-to-be-another-than-himself/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [“The most common form of despair is not being who you are. -Soren Kierkegaard”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/the-most-common-form-of-despair-is-not-being-who-you-are-soren/) [Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/) > [“Patience, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/patience-n-a-minor-form-of-despair-disguised-as-a-virtue/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“The tunnel under the wall of intellectual snobbery is the only way back to common sense reality, but most won't find it because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-navarro/the-tunnel-under-the-wall-of-intellectual-snobbery-is-the-only-way/) [D.E. Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-navarro/) > [Those who complain that it's lonely at the top never invite you up there to keep them company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic/those-who-complain-that-it-s-lonely-at-the-top-never-invite-you-up/) [John Alejandro King Aka The Covert Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic/) > [“As C. S. Lewis regularly remarked, the chronological snobbery of the modern age (i.e. the assumption that anything that comes after around 1750 is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/as-c-s-lewis-regularly-remarked-the-chronological-snobbery-of-the/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [Is class snobbery a social reality in the United States? Absolutely, and the kind that's codified by meritocracy is probably more toxic than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/is-class-snobbery-a-social-reality-in-the-united-states-absolutely/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [I always tell the fans, 'Screw it! Like what you like. Listen to what you want.' Insisting that one type of music is better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/i-always-tell-the-fans-screw-it-like-what-you-like-listen-to-what-you/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [I think sometimes with politics, young people especially have become disillusioned with it, because they can't relate to it, there's a lot of snobbery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-toffolo/i-think-sometimes-with-politics-young-people-especially-have-become/) [Georgia Toffolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-toffolo/) > [When I was a child, headlice were something to be mentioned in hushed horror. 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Unfortunately, it remains in schools and universities; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/americans-have-been-tremendously-fortunate-in-poetry-regarding-both/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [Life—the way it really is—is a battle not between good and bad, but between bad and worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/life-the-way-it-really-is-is-a-battle-not-between-good-and-bad-but/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [Poems, novels - these things belong to the nation, to the culture, and the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/poems-novels-these-things-belong-to-the-nation-to-the-culture-and-the/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [“If there is any substitute for love, it is memory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/if-there-is-any-substitute-for-love-it-is-memory/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) [Explore all 264 Joseph Brodsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) ## More Despair quotes > [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“She searched her mind for a single day when it had felt good to be alive. There must have been one, surely?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-abbott/she-searched-her-mind-for-a-single-day-when-it-had-felt-good-to-be/) [Rachel Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-abbott/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Your spirit is the part of you that seeks meaning and purpose. It's the part drawn to hope, that will not give in to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/your-spirit-is-the-part-of-you-that-seeks-meaning-and-purpose-it-s/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [The modernist writers found despair inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-modernist-writers-found-despair-inspirational/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The skin and shell of things Though fair are not Thy wish nor prayer but got My meer despair of wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/the-skin-and-shell-of-things-though-fair-are-not-thy-wish-nor-prayer/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [“A fine setting for a fit of despair,” it occurred to him, “if I were only standing here by accident instead of design.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/a-fine-setting-for-a-fit-of-despair-it-occurred-to-him-if-i-were-only/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Enough for this bow & arrow. It caused me nothing but sorrow. No need for another tomorrow. In your heart, I will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louaiq8/enough-for-this-bow-arrow-it-caused-me-nothing-but-sorrow-no-need-for/) Louaiq8 > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Do not consider despair as a thick and high wall standing on your way; it is just a darkness and you can still walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/do-not-consider-despair-as-a-thick-and-high-wall-standing-on-your-way/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim. 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