--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had long ago learned that society…" description: "\"He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mario-puzo-2187_eye_he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imp_313245.png" --- # He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that… ![“He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful.” quote by Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mario-puzo-2187_eye_he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imp_313245.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mario-puzo-2187_eye_he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imp_313245.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mario-puzo-2187_eye_he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imp_313245.png) > “He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful.” [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Enduring societal slights can be turned into power when the humble stay vigilant and patient. **In simple terms:** Patience can turn humiliation into revenge. Key Takeaway Stay alert and patient. Themes patience revenge power dynamics humility Mood reflective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal relationships - political struggles - career advancement Key Concepts social hierarchy psychological resilience justice Questions to Reflect On - How can humility be used constructively? - When is patience more effective than retaliation? A Different Perspective Revenge may perpetuate cycles of conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) [There comes a time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/there-comes-a-time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imposes-insults-that-must-be/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“We’re adaptable, not blunderers. Every step has its questions, its changes. And we’ve got to be ready to face all of it. 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All the fighters I've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dewhurst/normally-i-ve-found-in-my-life-that-the-louder-you-speak-probably-the/) [David Dewhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dewhurst/) > [Good work is no done by "humble" men. It is one of the first duties of a professor, for example, in any subject, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/good-work-is-no-done-by-humble-men-it-is-one-of-the-first-duties-of-a/) [G. H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy/) > [Good work is not done by 'humble' men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/good-work-is-not-done-by-humble-men/) [G. H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy/) > [Books may be burned and cities sacked, but truth like the yearning for freedom, lives in the hearts of humble men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt-2/books-may-be-burned-and-cities-sacked-but-truth-like-the-yearning-for/) [Franklin D Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt-2/) > [The gains in education are never really lost. Books may be burned and cities sacked, but truth, like the yearning for freedom, lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-gains-in-education-are-never-really-lost-books-may-be-burned-and/) [Franklin D. 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It's not that you're being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paul-curtis/there-comes-a-time-when-you-re-losing-a-fight-that-it-just-doesn-t/) [Christopher Paul Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paul-curtis/) ## More by Mario Puzo > [“There are things that have to be done and you do them and you never talk about them.They can't be justified.You just do them.Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/there-are-things-that-have-to-be-done-and-you-do-them-and-you-never/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imposes-insults-that-must-be/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“going to the mattresses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/going-to-the-mattresses/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [I want to tell you a story. I have no other vanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/i-want-to-tell-you-a-story-i-have-no-other-vanity/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Wasn't it true that Sometimes the greatest misfortunes brought unforseen rewards? -Don Corleone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/wasn-t-it-true-that-sometimes-the-greatest-misfortunes-brought/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Pope Alexander smiled. He seemed more amused with the story than horrified. "The Baglioni are true believers," he said. "They believe in paradise. Such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/pope-alexander-smiled-he-seemed-more-amused-with-the-story-than/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [It was a lie but he believed in telling lies to people. Truth telling and medicine just didn't go together except in dire emergencies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/it-was-a-lie-but-he-believed-in-telling-lies-to-people-truth-telling/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [God seemed to be having a hard time killing him, and he'd be damned if he was going to make the job easy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/god-seemed-to-be-having-a-hard-time-killing-him-and-he-d-be-damned-if/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Everything you do in life use percentage as your god.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/everything-you-do-in-life-use-percentage-as-your-god/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“But up until that time I want you just to follow my lead and don’t worry. 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It is almost the equal of family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/friendship-is-everything-friendship-is-more-than-talent-it-is-more/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) [Explore all 171 Mario Puzo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) ## More Eye quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [“He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. 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They were made of kindness, and silver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/liesel-observed-the-strangeness-of-her-foster-father-s-eyes-they-were/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) Browse all 16,237 Eye quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mario Puzo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imposes-insults-that-must-be-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Eye" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imposes-insults-that-must-be-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mario-puzo-2187_eye_he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imp_313245.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mario-puzo-2187_eye_he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imp_313245.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/mario-puzo-2187_eye_he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imp_313245.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in…” — Mario Puzo", "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": "Mario Puzo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "He had long ago learned that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imposes-insults-that-must-be-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imposes-insults-that-must-be-2/#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 } } ] } ```