--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you read this you may already have…" description: "\"“When you read this you may already have met Hermes. In case you haven't, I'll add that he is a dog. But don't worry. he is very good-tempered - and mo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f7/jostein-gaarder-676_hermes_when-you-read-this-you-may-already-have_2871064.png" --- # When you read this you may already have met Hermes. In… ![“When you read this you may already have met Hermes. In case you haven't, I'll add that he is a dog. But don't worry. he is very good-tempered - and moreover, a good deal more intelligent than a lot of people. In any event he never tries to give the impression of being cleverer than he is.” quote by Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f7/jostein-gaarder-676_hermes_when-you-read-this-you-may-already-have_2871064.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f7/jostein-gaarder-676_hermes_when-you-read-this-you-may-already-have_2871064.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f7/jostein-gaarder-676_hermes_when-you-read-this-you-may-already-have_2871064.png) > ““When you read this you may already have met Hermes. In case you haven't, I'll add that he is a dog. But don't worry. he is very good-tempered - and moreover, a good deal more intelligent than a lot of people. In any event he never tries to give the impression of being cleverer than he is.”” [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hermes, a dog, is portrayed as intelligent and well‑tempered, defying expectations of cleverness. **In simple terms:** Hermes is a smart, gentle dog. Key Takeaway Don’t judge based on appearances. Themes perception animals humor Mood lighthearted thoughtful Type narrative philosophical When to use this quote - pet ownership - storytelling - teaching moments Key Concepts anthropomorphism character study Questions to Reflect On - How do you challenge assumptions? - What can animals teach us? A Different Perspective People may misinterpret humility as lack of ability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cleverer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleverer-389218/) [Hermes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hermes/) [Hermes Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hermes-case-3928637/) [Intelligent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligent/) [Met Hermes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/met-hermes-3928636/) ## Related quotes > [“Regrets are like mistresses," he informed her. "I ..." Her hand dropped from the handle. "What?" "Good men don't have them." She blinked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-johnson/regrets-are-like-mistresses-he-informed-her-i-her-hand-dropped-from/) [Alissa Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-johnson/) > [This woman is beautiful and clever: but how much cleverer she would have become if she were not beautiful!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/this-woman-is-beautiful-and-clever-but-how-much-cleverer-she-would/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“I have considered myself cleverer than any of the people surrounding me, and sometimes, would you belive it, have been positively ashamed of it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/i-have-considered-myself-cleverer-than-any-of-the-people-surrounding/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Will suspected Jem was in fact cleverer than he was himself - but he lacked Will's tendency to assume the absolute worst about people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/will-suspected-jem-was-in-fact-cleverer-than-he-was-himself-but-he/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Sitacuisses philosaphus mansisses' If you had kept your mouth shut, we may have thought you were cleverer!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latin/sitacuisses-philosaphus-mansisses-if-you-had-kept-your-mouth-shut-we/) [Latin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latin/) > [“I've been an idiot." "That's okay," I said. "You're still way cleverer than me".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-merrow/i-ve-been-an-idiot-that-s-okay-i-said-you-re-still-way-cleverer-than/) [J.L. Merrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-merrow/) > [To us — richer and cleverer than everyone else!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lynch/to-us-richer-and-cleverer-than-everyone-else/) [Scott Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lynch/) > [Here lies one who knew how to get around him men who were cleverer than himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/here-lies-one-who-knew-how-to-get-around-him-men-who-were-cleverer/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [The surest way to be deceived is to consider oneself cleverer than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-surest-way-to-be-deceived-is-to-consider-oneself-cleverer-than/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Evolution is cleverer than you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-crick/evolution-is-cleverer-than-you-are/) [Francis Crick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-crick/) > [It has been remarked (by a lady infinitely cleverer than the present author) how kindly disposed the world in general feels to young people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-clarke/it-has-been-remarked-by-a-lady-infinitely-cleverer-than-the-present-2/) [Susanna Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-clarke/) > [“The stupidest people suddenly become a little cleverer when we learn that they think well of us”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-morgan/the-stupidest-people-suddenly-become-a-little-cleverer-when-we-learn/) [Jude Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-morgan/) > [A process which makes one rogue cleverer than another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-process-which-makes-one-rogue-cleverer-than-another/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“If you are much cleverer than your enemy, you can even help your enemy to stay alive and not to harm himself!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-you-are-much-cleverer-than-your-enemy-you-can-even-help-your-enemy/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The cleverer I am at miniaturizing the world, the better I possess it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/the-cleverer-i-am-at-miniaturizing-the-world-the-better-i-possess-it/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) ## More by Jostein Gaarder > [“I no longer feel the need to see and sense more than I've already experienced. I just want so desperately to hang on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/i-no-longer-feel-the-need-to-see-and-sense-more-than-i-ve-already/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [The most subversive people are those who ask questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-most-subversive-people-are-those-who-ask-questions/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [The sophists were as a rule men who had traveled widely and seen different forms of government. Both conventions and local laws in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-sophists-were-as-a-rule-men-who-had-traveled-widely-and-seen/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [Where did the world come from? The question has an answer, even though I cannot get to it. It is a good question. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/where-did-the-world-come-from-the-question-has-an-answer-even-though/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“As soon as she concentrated on being alive now, the thought of dying also came into her mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/as-soon-as-she-concentrated-on-being-alive-now-the-thought-of-dying/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Po haljini sam mogao da vidim kako njeno telo diše, jer se haljina dizala i spuštala, dizala i spuštala, skoro kao da morski talasi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/po-haljini-sam-mogao-da-vidim-kako-njeno-telo-di-e-jer-se-haljina/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [Since the Renaissance, people have had to get used to living their life on a random planet in the vast galaxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/since-the-renaissance-people-have-had-to-get-used-to-living-their/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“without imagination, nothing really new will ever be created.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/without-imagination-nothing-really-new-will-ever-be-created/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“The German poet Goethe once said that "he who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth." I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-german-poet-goethe-once-said-that-he-who-cannot-draw-on-three/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Sophie left the den and wandered about in the large garden. She tried to forget what she had learned at school, especially in science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/sophie-left-the-den-and-wandered-about-in-the-large-garden-she-tried/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [...long before the child learns to talk properly-and long before it learns to think philosophically-the world will have become a habit. A pity, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/long-before-the-child-learns-to-talk-properly-and-long-before-it/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“any one question can be more explosive than a thousand answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/any-one-question-can-be-more-explosive-than-a-thousand-answers/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“We can't own each other's past. The question is whether we have a future together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/we-can-t-own-each-other-s-past-the-question-is-whether-we-have-a/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Uno no muere en medio del quinto acto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/uno-no-muere-en-medio-del-quinto-acto/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Wer das Schicksal durchschauen will, muss es überleben.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/wer-das-schicksal-durchschauen-will-muss-es-berleben/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) [Explore all 305 Jostein Gaarder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) ## More Hermes quotes > [“Even though I've never met my dad and don't really want to, I share some of his talents. Along with being the messenger of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-though-i-ve-never-met-my-dad-and-don-t-really-want-to-i-share/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [hermes has threatened me with slow mail. lousy Internet service and a horrible stock market if i publish this story. I hope he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/hermes-has-threatened-me-with-slow-mail-lousy-internet-service-and-a/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [The Bird of Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kohta-hirano/the-bird-of-hermes-is-my-name-eating-my-wings-to-make-me-tame/) [Kohta Hirano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kohta-hirano/) > [Have any of you taken a look out at Greece in the last, say, hour or so? (Hermes) What? Are they reacting to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/have-any-of-you-taken-a-look-out-at-greece-in-the-last-say-hour-or-so/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Thoth, Hermes, the stylus, the palette, the pen, the quill endure, though our books are a floor of smouldering ash under our feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-doolittle/thoth-hermes-the-stylus-the-palette-the-pen-the-quill-endure-though/) [Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-doolittle/) > [When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/when-i-bestride-him-i-soar-i-am-a-hawk-he-trots-the-air-the-earth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A little background: Annabeth used to adventure with Hermes's son Luke. Over time, Annabeth developed a crush on Luke. As Annabeth got older, Luke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/a-little-background-annabeth-used-to-adventure-with-hermes-s-son-luke/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“Ex ‘Fleet man?” “He was a full Commander, last I heard, sir.” “Interesting.” Falconer commented. “Get me his specs. If I have to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/ex-fleet-man-he-was-a-full-commander-last-i-heard-sir-interesting/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [“Look in it,' he said, smiling slightly, as you do when you have given someone a present which you know will please him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/look-in-it-he-said-smiling-slightly-as-you-do-when-you-have-given/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“Hermes tilted his head. “Percy, that almost sounded like sarcasm. You know very well the gods can’t go around busting heads and ripping up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/hermes-tilted-his-head-percy-that-almost-sounded-like-sarcasm-you/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Snakes are sometimes perceived as evil, but they are also perceived as medicine. If you look at an ambulance, there's the two snakes on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/snakes-are-sometimes-perceived-as-evil-but-they-are-also-perceived-as/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [“Hermes gazed up at the stars. "My dear young cousin, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can't give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/hermes-gazed-up-at-the-stars-my-dear-young-cousin-if-there-s-one/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [ \[Hermes addresses Prometheus :\] To you, the clever and crafty, bitter beyond all bitterness, who has sinned against the gods in bestowing honors upon… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hermes-addresses-prometheus-to-you-the-clever-and-crafty-bitter/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Hermes bags are the only bags that auction houses accept. Given that it's already valuable to begin with, making it into an even special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heart-evangelista/hermes-bags-are-the-only-bags-that-auction-houses-accept-given-that/) [Heart Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heart-evangelista/) > [“Hermes visited him in the Underworld a few days before the spring equinox festival, cajoling Hades to come to it. Hades wandered across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ringle/hermes-visited-him-in-the-underworld-a-few-days-before-the-spring/) [Molly Ringle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ringle/) [Browse all 61 Hermes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hermes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When you read this you may already have met Hermes. In case you haven't, I'll add that he is a dog. But don't worry. he is very good-tempered - and moreover, a good deal more intelligent than a lot of people. 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