--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes he liked to think about leaving…" description: "\"“Sometimes he liked to think about leaving South Pass City and going west like he was meant to, like his dream-self had, except he suspected that the i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/lisa-henry-8958_elijah_sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leavin_2871081.jpg" --- # Sometimes he liked to think about leaving South Pass City… ![“Sometimes he liked to think about leaving South Pass City and going west like he was meant to, like his dream-self had, except he suspected that the idea he had of what it would be like there was no more real than the version of himself that was whole. He would get there and it would be no…” quote by Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/lisa-henry-8958_elijah_sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leavin_2871081.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/lisa-henry-8958_elijah_sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leavin_2871081.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/lisa-henry-8958_elijah_sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leavin_2871081.jpg) > ““Sometimes he liked to think about leaving South Pass City and going west like he was meant to, like his dream-self had, except he suspected that the idea he had of what it would be like there was no more real than the version of himself that was whole. He would get there and it would be no different than here. Going west wouldn't heal him. Wouldn't transform him. Nothing would. Even in a perfect world, Elijah would be flawed.”” [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator reflects that escaping to a new place won’t magically fix inner flaws; personal change must come from within. **In simple terms:** Leaving won’t cure inner flaws. Key Takeaway Seek internal growth, not just a change of scenery. Themes identity illusion self‑acceptance search for meaning Mood reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - relocation decisions - career changes - relationship breakups - personal crises Key Concepts existentialism psychology self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - What internal work is needed before seeking a new environment? - Can a new place ever truly change who you are? A Different Perspective Changing location may not address deeper psychological issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elijah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elijah/) [Elijah Flawed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elijah-flawed-3928663/) [Going West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-west-1864055/) [Perfect world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-world/) [West Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west-wouldn-3928665/) [World Elijah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-elijah-3928664/) ## Related quotes > [I like the idea of watching the sun go down in the ocean. I've always felt comfortable about that, I like sunsets. There's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-mcmillen/i-like-the-idea-of-watching-the-sun-go-down-in-the-ocean-i-ve-always/) [Michael C. McMillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-mcmillen/) > [I love going up the West Coast of the U. S. because it's one of my favorite parts of the world to tour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hay/i-love-going-up-the-west-coast-of-the-u-s-because-it-s-one-of-my/) [Colin Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hay/) > [I didnt travel properly until the year before university when I went backpacking around the US, circling around from New York up to Boston,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-dennis/i-didnt-travel-properly-until-the-year-before-university-when-i-went/) [Hugh Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-dennis/) > [I would rather die going to the west than live by staying in the east.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xuanzang/i-would-rather-die-going-to-the-west-than-live-by-staying-in-the-east/) [Xuanzang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xuanzang/) > [What I finally did in 1995 was I said, I'm going to get out of this town and I'm going to go out West.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-babbitt/what-i-finally-did-in-1995-was-i-said-i-m-going-to-get-out-of-this/) [Bruce Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-babbitt/) > [But he knew people and he was head writer for Have Gun Will Travel, and if you took those early Star Treks that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majel-barrett/but-he-knew-people-and-he-was-head-writer-for-have-gun-will-travel/) [Majel Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majel-barrett/) > [“There is a reason God used the east and west to describe how far he cast your sin from you,' he said. 'If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hall/there-is-a-reason-god-used-the-east-and-west-to-describe-how-far-he/) [Mark Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hall/) > [My view was, if I didn't like Boulder, I'd keep going west, except I never really wanted to live in the Bay Area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-feld/my-view-was-if-i-didn-t-like-boulder-i-d-keep-going-west-except-i/) [Brad Feld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-feld/) > [“Elijah didn't know how to say no to the man. Wait. He knew how to say no, but Crane didn't know how to listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/elijah-didn-t-know-how-to-say-no-to-the-man-wait-he-knew-how-to-say/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [Don't condemn if you see a person has a dirty glass of water, just show them the clean glass of water that you have.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/don-t-condemn-if-you-see-a-person-has-a-dirty-glass-of-water-just/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [ \[Elijah Wood\] has got such a broad outlook. It's so much bigger than just the acting industry. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/elijah-wood-has-got-such-a-broad-outlook-it-s-so-much-bigger-than/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. And we don't waste a lot of time arguin' about a dead black man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohammed-who-is-the-boss-and-we-don/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Many people are quick to say that we are not recognized by Muslims in the East . And I start with the Honorable Elijah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/many-people-are-quick-to-say-that-we-are-not-recognized-by-muslims-in/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/so-ahab-went-up-to-eat-and-to-drink-and-elijah-went-up-to-the-top-of/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [Before Elijah could raise a nation from the dead, he raised just one dead child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-engle/before-elijah-could-raise-a-nation-from-the-dead-he-raised-just-one/) [Lou Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-engle/) ## More by Lisa Henry > [“Because Clare had never let the fact that Mark didn't have a father in his life get in the way of sex education. She'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/because-clare-had-never-let-the-fact-that-mark-didn-t-have-a-father/) [lisa henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“ 'Maybe you out to go back there.' 'Can't. Gotta stay where... where I know what's what.' Where I don't forget what I am,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/maybe-you-out-to-go-back-there-can-t-gotta-stay-where-where-i-know/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“It was fine to be mocked or disliked on his own terms. But his sexual orientation was such a naked target, unfortified by nonchalance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/it-was-fine-to-be-mocked-or-disliked-on-his-own-terms-but-his-sexual/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“The men who killed your monsters weren’t heroes. They were even more frightening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/the-men-who-killed-your-monsters-weren-t-heroes-they-were-even-more/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“You dreamed about falling asleep?" Daniel asked him. "Falling asleep together." Bel smile. "And it was weird. You know what I said to you?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/you-dreamed-about-falling-asleep-daniel-asked-him-falling-asleep/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“ It'll blow your mind, he'd said. Nothing about what it would do to his heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/it-ll-blow-your-mind-he-d-said-nothing-about-what-it-would-do-to-his/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“I'm wearing a French maid's outfit because this bunch of misogynistic homophobes thinks that the most humiliating thing you can do to a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/i-m-wearing-a-french-maid-s-outfit-because-this-bunch-of-misogynistic/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“ 'You're like starlight,' Cam whispered, and his teeth scraped up my jaw. I shivered. 'I could lose myself in you.' ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/you-re-like-starlight-cam-whispered-and-his-teeth-scraped-up-my-jaw-i/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“Sometimes the universe collapsed in the blink of an eye. Other times it limped on and on, hour by hour, day by day, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/sometimes-the-universe-collapsed-in-the-blink-of-an-eye-other-times/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“ Miss u, he typed out, but didn't send it. Want u, he typed out, but didn't send it. OK, he sent back, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/miss-u-he-typed-out-but-didn-t-send-it-want-u-he-typed-out-but-didn-t/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“Deacon grinned and raised his hand. There was a moment’s hesitation, a few seconds where Deacon wasn’t sure whether he could really do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/deacon-grinned-and-raised-his-hand-there-was-a-moment-s-hesitation-a/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“It's a laugh," Grady said. "No way a laugh can sound bad. You heard the way Cody snorts like a pig? You got nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/it-s-a-laugh-grady-said-no-way-a-laugh-can-sound-bad-you-heard-the/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“After girls we talked about the officers, and which ones hated us most that week, and how we never did anything to deserve it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/after-girls-we-talked-about-the-officers-and-which-ones-hated-us-most/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“For most people, blood is still thicker than water, but I guess all bets are off when you put money in the mix.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/for-most-people-blood-is-still-thicker-than-water-but-i-guess-all/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [“I ain't got much patience for virgins. You just grit your teeth and mind you don't scream too loud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/i-ain-t-got-much-patience-for-virgins-you-just-grit-your-teeth-and/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) [Explore all 59 Lisa Henry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) ## More Elijah quotes > [Before Elijah could raise a nation from the dead, he raised just one dead child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-engle/before-elijah-could-raise-a-nation-from-the-dead-he-raised-just-one/) [Lou Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-engle/) > [So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/so-ahab-went-up-to-eat-and-to-drink-and-elijah-went-up-to-the-top-of/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [Many people are quick to say that we are not recognized by Muslims in the East . And I start with the Honorable Elijah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/many-people-are-quick-to-say-that-we-are-not-recognized-by-muslims-in/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. And we don't waste a lot of time arguin' about a dead black man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohammed-who-is-the-boss-and-we-don/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [ \[Elijah Wood\] has got such a broad outlook. It's so much bigger than just the acting industry. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/elijah-wood-has-got-such-a-broad-outlook-it-s-so-much-bigger-than/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [Don't condemn if you see a person has a dirty glass of water, just show them the clean glass of water that you have.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/don-t-condemn-if-you-see-a-person-has-a-dirty-glass-of-water-just/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Since the white people collectively have practiced the worst form of hatred against Negroes in America and they know that they are guilty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/since-the-white-people-collectively-have-practiced-the-worst-form-of/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Elijah looks angelic but his beauty of spirit is what makes his Frodo leap out of the screen. Unalloyed goodness is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/elijah-looks-angelic-but-his-beauty-of-spirit-is-what-makes-his-frodo/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us to eat fish during the month of Ramadan. He is breaking us away from meats. That was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/the-honorable-elijah-muhammad-taught-us-to-eat-fish-during-the-month/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [“Elijah told Ahab that the dogs would lick his blood, and so it came to pass, as you would imagine, since only the successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/elijah-told-ahab-that-the-dogs-would-lick-his-blood-and-so-it-came-to/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“Elijah was brilliant in his response. He did not panic. He did not moralize with the distraught widow. He did not say, “I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/elijah-was-brilliant-in-his-response-he-did-not-panic-he-did-not/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [I'm a Brit and I just put myself on tape, back in London, for a very distant American project that I thought I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/i-m-a-brit-and-i-just-put-myself-on-tape-back-in-london-for-a-very/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [“«¡MALDITO IDRIL!» (Elijah)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-gonz-lez-lozano/maldito-idril-elijah/) [Valeria González Lozano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-gonz-lez-lozano/) > [ \[Elijah Wood\] is a really fully-rounded, amazing human being, and I feel incredibly lucky, especially given how closely we have to work together. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/elijah-wood-is-a-really-fully-rounded-amazing-human-being-and-i-feel/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said when the children of Israel rebelled against Moses and Aaron and did not want to leave their slavemaster to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/the-honorable-elijah-muhammad-said-when-the-children-of-israel/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) [Browse all 164 Elijah quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elijah/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sometimes he liked to think about leaving South Pass City and going west like he was meant to, like his dream-self had, except he suspected that the idea he had of what it would be like there was no more real than the version of himself that was whole. He would get there and it would be no different than here. Going west wouldn't heal him. Wouldn't transform him. Nothing would. Even in a perfect world, Elijah would be flawed.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lisa Henry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leaving-south-pass-city-and-going/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Elijah" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leaving-south-pass-city-and-going/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/lisa-henry-8958_elijah_sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leavin_2871081.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/lisa-henry-8958_elijah_sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leavin_2871081.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/724/lisa-henry-8958_elijah_sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leavin_2871081.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes he liked to think about leaving South Pass City and going west like he was meant to, like his…” — Lisa Henry", "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": "Lisa Henry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Sometimes he liked to think about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leaving-south-pass-city-and-going/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/sometimes-he-liked-to-think-about-leaving-south-pass-city-and-going/#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 } } ] } ```