--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Somerset Maugham said that it took at…" description: "\"Somerset Maugham said that it took at least six human beings to make one fictional character. That is true of landscape as well, I think. We have to ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/mary-lee-settle-47976_change_somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-le_2582527.jpg" --- # Somerset Maugham said that it took at least six human… ![“Somerset Maugham said that it took at least six human beings to make one fictional character. That is true of landscape as well, I think. We have to make our landscapes, change streets, create new turnings, rebuild or tear down, change time, and even nature, if need be.” quote by Mary Lee Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/mary-lee-settle-47976_change_somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-le_2582527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/mary-lee-settle-47976_change_somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-le_2582527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/mary-lee-settle-47976_change_somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-le_2582527.jpg) > “Somerset Maugham said that it took at least six human beings to make one fictional character. That is true of landscape as well, I think. We have to make our landscapes, change streets, create new turnings, rebuild or tear down, change time, and even nature, if need be.” [Mary Lee Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating characters, landscapes, or societies requires multiple contributors; collaboration shapes reality. **In simple terms:** Collaboration builds worlds. Key Takeaway Foster teamwork in creative projects. Themes collaboration creation community Mood analytical creative Type creative social When to use this quote - urban planning - film production - novel writing Key Concepts social construction artistic process Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance many inputs? - When is solo creation preferable? A Different Perspective Too many voices can dilute vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beings Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beings-make-1790990/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Fictional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fictional/) [Fictional character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fictional-character/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Landscape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landscape/) [Make Fictional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-fictional-1790988/) [Make Landscapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-landscapes-1790989/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Six](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six/) [Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somerset-maugham/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [It's certainly easy for me to make a fictional character mad about something. I can get them angry about something that I'm relatively indifferent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/it-s-certainly-easy-for-me-to-make-a-fictional-character-mad-about/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [I don't want to make fictional characters who are perfect - that's a vanilla situation - but the fact is you are allowed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-granik/i-don-t-want-to-make-fictional-characters-who-are-perfect-that-s-a/) [Debra Granik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-granik/) > [It's not fiction's job to be photographically representative of reality. If I want to make a fictional world where there's no kindness, this doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/it-s-not-fiction-s-job-to-be-photographically-representative-of/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We referenced fictional characters as if they were people to learn from. As if real-life people were too nebulous, too private and unreal for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/we-referenced-fictional-characters-as-if-they-were-people-to-learn/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) > [“fictional character, this seemed to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/fictional-character-this-seemed-to/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [It's all fun and games until someone insults your favorite fictional character...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-all-fun-and-games-until-someone-insults-your-favorite-fictional/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I do like to embed a fictional character firmly in an occupation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-lively/i-do-like-to-embed-a-fictional-character-firmly-in-an-occupation/) [Penelope Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-lively/) > [“Meaning, yes -- I don't really exist except on the page or in the back of your brain. But if you think it's weird…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-michel-sullivan/meaning-yes-i-don-t-really-exist-except-on-the-page-or-in-the-back-of/) [Kyle Michel Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-michel-sullivan/) > [“She was so plain. Would it kill you to wear skirts more, he had said to her. Would it really hurt you? He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-sefton/she-was-so-plain-would-it-kill-you-to-wear-skirts-more-he-had-said-to/) [Meg Sefton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-sefton/) > [As soon as I started reading, I found myself drawn to fictional character's homes as much as I was to the characters themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-andrews/as-soon-as-i-started-reading-i-found-myself-drawn-to-fictional/) [Mary Kay Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-andrews/) > [Writers are magpies, and we collect details about people and we use them for fictional characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/writers-are-magpies-and-we-collect-details-about-people-and-we-use/) [Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/) > [As far as I am concerned, Don Quixote is the most metal fictional character that I know. Single handed, he is trying to change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lee/as-far-as-i-am-concerned-don-quixote-is-the-most-metal-fictional/) [Christopher Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lee/) > [When you're playing a fictional character reacting to the real world, it's incredibly difficult and confusing and kind of messes with your values a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-helms/when-you-re-playing-a-fictional-character-reacting-to-the-real-world/) [Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-helms/) > [“When you “lose yourself” inside the world of a fictional character while reading a story, you may actually end up changing your own behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-marselle/when-you-lose-yourself-inside-the-world-of-a-fictional-character/) [Terry Marselle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-marselle/) > [There are things you can say in the voice of a fictional character that you could not explore any other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/contrapoints/there-are-things-you-can-say-in-the-voice-of-a-fictional-character/) [ContraPoints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/contrapoints/) ## More by Mary Lee Settle > [Having watched herself in the speckled mirror ... she was already shocked beyond surprise at what the flat hand of age could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/having-watched-herself-in-the-speckled-mirror-she-was-already-shocked/) [Mary Lee Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/) > [Anyone who has a choice and doesn't choose to write is a fool. The work is hard, the perks are few, the pay is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/anyone-who-has-a-choice-and-doesn-t-choose-to-write-is-a-fool-the/) [Mary Lee Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/) > [When I'm working on a serious and solid book ... I read about a detective novel a day. It's the best legal dope in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/when-i-m-working-on-a-serious-and-solid-book-i-read-about-a-detective/) [Mary Lee Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/) > [Recorded history is wrong. It’s wrong because the voiceless have no voice in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/recorded-history-is-wrong-it-s-wrong-because-the-voiceless-have-no/) [Mary Lee Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/) > [ \[The inspiration that comes to authors of fiction\] is not an act of intelligence. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/the-inspiration-that-comes-to-authors-of-fiction-is-not-an-act-of/) [Mary Lee Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/) > [the first time you are reconciled to the terrible unfairness of disappointment, you are getting old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/the-first-time-you-are-reconciled-to-the-terrible-unfairness-of/) [Mary Lee Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/) > [Don't people know that it's the hardest work in the world? Joseph Conrad said that he had loaded hundredweights of coal all day long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/don-t-people-know-that-it-s-the-hardest-work-in-the-world-joseph/) [Mary Lee Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/) [Explore all 8 Mary Lee Settle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Somerset Maugham said that it took at least six human beings to make one fictional character. That is true of landscape as well, I think. We have to make our landscapes, change streets, create new turnings, rebuild or tear down, change time, and even nature, if need be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Lee Settle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-least-six-human-beings-to-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-least-six-human-beings-to-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/mary-lee-settle-47976_change_somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-le_2582527.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/mary-lee-settle-47976_change_somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-le_2582527.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/mary-lee-settle-47976_change_somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-le_2582527.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Somerset Maugham said that it took at least six human beings to make one fictional character. That is true…” — Mary Lee Settle", "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 Lee Settle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lee-settle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Somerset Maugham said that it took...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-least-six-human-beings-to-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lee-settle/somerset-maugham-said-that-it-took-at-least-six-human-beings-to-make/#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 } } ] } ```