--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When many story-tellers occupy themselves…" description: "\"“When many story-tellers occupy themselves with a social world which offers no great variety of lively action, their stories will probably resemble one..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/mary-lascelles-31507_authors_when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselve_1086277.jpg" --- # When many story-tellers occupy themselves with a social… ![“When many story-tellers occupy themselves with a social world which offers no great variety of lively action, their stories will probably resemble one another as to many of the major incidents, and if they draw on these limited resources like spend thrifts such resemblances will be inevitable--and…” quote by Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/mary-lascelles-31507_authors_when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselve_1086277.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/mary-lascelles-31507_authors_when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselve_1086277.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/mary-lascelles-31507_authors_when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselve_1086277.jpg) > ““When many story-tellers occupy themselves with a social world which offers no great variety of lively action, their stories will probably resemble one another as to many of the major incidents, and if they draw on these limited resources like spend thrifts such resemblances will be inevitable--and therefore not significant.”” [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When writers rely on limited social settings, their stories become similar, lacking distinctiveness and significance. **In simple terms:** Limited settings produce similar, unremarkable stories. Key Takeaway Seek diverse experiences for unique storytelling. Themes creativity originality context Mood analytical thoughtful Type critical literary When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - journalism - teaching literature Key Concepts narrative theory social observation Questions to Reflect On - How can limited settings be used creatively? - What strategies diversify narrative incidents? A Different Perspective Constraints can also spark innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authors/) [Limited resources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limited-resources/) [Resemblances Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resemblances-inevitable-2784461/) [Spend Thrifts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-thrifts-2784460/) [Stories Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-probably-2284091/) [Story Tellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-tellers-912968/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Thrifts Resemblances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrifts-resemblances-2784459/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) ## Related quotes > [We create stories to define our existence. If we do not create the stories, we probably go mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shekhar-kapur/we-create-stories-to-define-our-existence-if-we-do-not-create-the/) [Shekhar Kapur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shekhar-kapur/) > [Love stories are probably all Ive ever been able to write or want to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/love-stories-are-probably-all-ive-ever-been-able-to-write-or-want-to/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [Love stories are probably all I've ever been able to write or want to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/love-stories-are-probably-all-i-ve-ever-been-able-to-write-or-want-to/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [My family were great story-tellers. My mum was one of 12 and they were all fighting to tell stories. You have to tell a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-mina/my-family-were-great-story-tellers-my-mum-was-one-of-12-and-they-were/) [Denise Mina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-mina/) > [If the story-tellers could ha' got decency and good morals from true stories, who'd have troubled to invent parables?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/if-the-story-tellers-could-ha-got-decency-and-good-morals-from-true/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Even if you got rid of paper, you would still have story-tellers. In fact, you had the story-tellers before you had the paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/even-if-you-got-rid-of-paper-you-would-still-have-story-tellers-in/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“Conspiracy adepts love story-tellers who want to exorcise their fear, mixing rational and irrational elements to construct a plausible narrative for people craving a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/conspiracy-adepts-love-story-tellers-who-want-to-exorcise-their-fear/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“All people are natural story-tellers. We tell a story every time we tell someone what we did that day or share an opinion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/all-people-are-natural-story-tellers-we-tell-a-story-every-time-we/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [I've Grown Tired Of These F-ckin Grown Man Liars, Story Tellers, They Don't Even Need A Camp Fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-ve-grown-tired-of-these-f-ckin-grown-man-liars-story-tellers-they/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“When I get tired of new clunky writing, I resort to old fashioned story tellers, like Wilkie Collins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-rumzi/when-i-get-tired-of-new-clunky-writing-i-resort-to-old-fashioned/) [Sonia Rumzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-rumzi/) > [I grow tired of these fucking grown man liars, story tellers they don't even need a campfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-grow-tired-of-these-fucking-grown-man-liars-story-tellers-they-don/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [And the people listened, and their faces were quiet with listening. The story tellers, gathering attention into their tales, spoke in great rhythms, spoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-the-people-listened-and-their-faces-were-quiet-with-listening-the/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I usually dont like to spoon feed my audience, because I grew up idolizing story tellers who tell stories using symbolism, so it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-weeknd/i-usually-dont-like-to-spoon-feed-my-audience-because-i-grew-up/) [The Weeknd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-weeknd/) > [Foreign politicians don't have resources - or limited resources. It's useless dealing with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wang-jianlin/foreign-politicians-don-t-have-resources-or-limited-resources-it-s/) [Wang Jianlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wang-jianlin/) > [Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-a-limited-resource-so-pay-attention-to-where-you-pay/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) ## More by Mary Lascelles > [“A story conducted by the time of a clock and calendars alone would be a story not of human beings but of mechanical toys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/a-story-conducted-by-the-time-of-a-clock-and-calendars-alone-would-be/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“Charlotte Palmer is no sillier than Harriet Smith; and yet, how intolerable we should find it to see and hear as much of Charlotte…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/charlotte-palmer-is-no-sillier-than-harriet-smith-and-yet-how/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“In Jane Austen it was the critical faculty that would not be quieted; and that faculty in her, played on men and women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/in-jane-austen-it-was-the-critical-faculty-that-would-not-be-quieted/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“A clever girl may pass through the phase of foolish miss on the way to sensible woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/a-clever-girl-may-pass-through-the-phase-of-foolish-miss-on-the-way/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“Others beside Jane Austen have made their Eltons, though none quite so cooly as she.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/others-beside-jane-austen-have-made-their-eltons-though-none-quite-so/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“Jane Austen's narrative style seems to me to show (especially in the later novels) a curiously chameleon-like faculty; it varies in colour as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/jane-austen-s-narrative-style-seems-to-me-to-show-especially-in-the/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“Jane Austen never repeats herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/jane-austen-never-repeats-herself/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“Sympathy compounded of liking and compassion in varying proportions evidently seemed to Jane Austen the most natural inventive to imaginative interest in a character.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/sympathy-compounded-of-liking-and-compassion-in-varying-proportions/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“I suspect that Jane Austen's practice of denying herself the aid of figurative language which, as much as any of her other habits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/i-suspect-that-jane-austen-s-practice-of-denying-herself-the-aid-of/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“The artist (I suppose) usually pays for the privilege by some sort of partial insomnia, by the possession of one faculty that will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/the-artist-i-suppose-usually-pays-for-the-privilege-by-some-sort-of/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“Mannerism, especially when it takes the form of recurrent word or phrase, is by no means easy to represent; there is but a hair's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/mannerism-especially-when-it-takes-the-form-of-recurrent-word-or/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“The sole agents, indeed, in the action of her novels are individual human beings. And the comedy is the outcome of their making fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/the-sole-agents-indeed-in-the-action-of-her-novels-are-individual/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“As for Elizabeth Bennet, our chief reason for accepting her point of view as a reflection of her author's is the impression that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/as-for-elizabeth-bennet-our-chief-reason-for-accepting-her-point-of/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“Landscapes we must owe something to the eye of the beholder. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/landscapes-we-must-owe-something-to-the-eye-of-the-beholder/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) > [“Few novelists can be more scrupulous than Jane Austen as to the phrasing of the thoughts of their characters. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/few-novelists-can-be-more-scrupulous-than-jane-austen-as-to-the/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) [Explore all 16 Mary Lascelles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) ## More Authors quotes > [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [“Today if anything is trying to hold you back, give no attention to it. Get your hopes up, get your faith up, look up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/today-if-anything-is-trying-to-hold-you-back-give-no-attention-to-it/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“By their very nature, idiots do not have the intellectual capacity to identify genius. All that idiots are mentally equipped to recognize are other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dermot-davis/by-their-very-nature-idiots-do-not-have-the-intellectual-capacity-to/) [Dermot Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dermot-davis/) > [“Authors go on writing books, and so we go on reading them. It is a sad state of affairs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-aston/authors-go-on-writing-books-and-so-we-go-on-reading-them-it-is-a-sad/) [Elizabeth Aston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-aston/) > [“Intercourse is one thing, Intimacy is everything. Be encouraged”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-e-wagner/intercourse-is-one-thing-intimacy-is-everything-be-encouraged/) [Kerry E. Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-e-wagner/) > [Most of the more celebrated names among African-American authors, poets, and artists are known to the world because of their association with specific cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/most-of-the-more-celebrated-names-among-african-american-authors/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [“Do you read them? Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald?" "Only if I have to. I try to avoid old dead white men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/do-you-read-them-faulkner-hemingway-fitzgerald-only-if-i-have-to-i/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“Grayson: Fiction is just a lie anyway. Brianna: But it's not - it's a different kind of truth - it would be your truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/grayson-fiction-is-just-a-lie-anyway-brianna-but-it-s-not-it-s-a/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“How long has it been since you and me? Hugs and kisses. Blankets and snuggles. Our sparks smoldering without a fireplace. Losing time is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2019-fidelis-o-mkparu/how-long-has-it-been-since-you-and-me-hugs-and-kisses-blankets-and/) [2019 Fidelis O Mkparu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2019-fidelis-o-mkparu/) > [“Authors: The only people you thank for leaving you emotionally devastated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-the-stacks-bookstore/authors-the-only-people-you-thank-for-leaving-you-emotionally/) [Love The Stacks Bookstore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-the-stacks-bookstore/) > [“Authors, reviews are not for you. They are not for you. Authors, reviews are not for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/authors-reviews-are-not-for-you-they-are-not-for-you-authors-reviews/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [“I like to read as much as I can from every genre. That way, I can express my love for all writers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-selinsky/i-like-to-read-as-much-as-i-can-from-every-genre-that-way-i-can/) [Jen Selinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-selinsky/) > [“He's a liar for a living, all authors are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/he-s-a-liar-for-a-living-all-authors-are/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [“A writer writes regardless... even though... notwithstanding... despite... at any rate... anyhow... nevertheless... in the face of... undeterred by... heedless of... and because. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-writer-writes-regardless-even-though-notwithstanding-despite-at-any/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [“Crazy people love their Kindles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dermot-davis/crazy-people-love-their-kindles/) [Dermot Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dermot-davis/) [Browse all 529 Authors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When many story-tellers occupy themselves with a social world which offers no great variety of lively action, their stories will probably resemble one another as to many of the major incidents, and if they draw on these limited resources like spend thrifts such resemblances will be inevitable--and therefore not significant.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Lascelles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselves-with-a-social-world-which/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselves-with-a-social-world-which/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/mary-lascelles-31507_authors_when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselve_1086277.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/mary-lascelles-31507_authors_when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselve_1086277.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49b/mary-lascelles-31507_authors_when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselve_1086277.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When many story-tellers occupy themselves with a social world which offers no great variety of lively…” — Mary Lascelles", "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": "Mary Lascelles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When many story-tellers occupy themselves with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselves-with-a-social-world-which/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/when-many-story-tellers-occupy-themselves-with-a-social-world-which/#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 } } ] } ```