--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A neurotic can neither enjoy his…" description: "\"A neurotic can neither enjoy his illusions nor give them up.\" — Mason Cooley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mason-cooley-92_enjoy_a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusio_2625069.png" --- # A neurotic can neither enjoy his illusions nor give them up. ![“A neurotic can neither enjoy his illusions nor give them up.” quote by Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mason-cooley-92_enjoy_a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusio_2625069.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mason-cooley-92_enjoy_a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusio_2625069.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mason-cooley-92_enjoy_a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusio_2625069.png) > “A neurotic can neither enjoy his illusions nor give them up.” [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A neurotic person is trapped, unable to enjoy fantasies nor abandon them, creating perpetual dissatisfaction. **In simple terms:** Neurotics can’t enjoy or quit fantasies. Key Takeaway Break free from obsessive thinking. Themes mental health neurosis illusion attachment Mood analytical concerned Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - therapy - mindfulness - creative work - relationships Key Concepts psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What fantasies hold you back? - How can you practice letting go? A Different Perspective Escaping may require professional help. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Illusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusions/) [Neurotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neurotic/) ## Related quotes > [Some religions believe that there's a hierarchy, that you don't have a connection, but you must go through the shaman or the priest or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/some-religions-believe-that-there-s-a-hierarchy-that-you-don-t-have-a/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [Illusions are hazardous, and so are disillusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/illusions-are-hazardous-and-so-are-disillusions/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“Observe the difference between your attitude to illusions and mine. You have to defend the religious illusion with all your might. If it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/observe-the-difference-between-your-attitude-to-illusions-and-mine/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Freedom from worries and surcease from strain are illusions that always inhabit the distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/freedom-from-worries-and-surcease-from-strain-are-illusions-that/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [A man loses his illusions first, his teeth second, and his follies last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rowland/a-man-loses-his-illusions-first-his-teeth-second-and-his-follies-last/) [Helen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rowland/) > [The mere reality of life would be inconceivably poor without the charm of fancy, which brings in its bosom, no doubt, as many vain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/the-mere-reality-of-life-would-be-inconceivably-poor-without-the/) [Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/) > [If silence only conveys the Self, if all words and thoughts are illusions, why do we discuss it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-silence-only-conveys-the-self-if-all-words-and-thoughts-are/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The most important part of our lives-our sensations, emotions, desires, and aspirations-takes place in a universe of illusions which science can attenuate or destroy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/the-most-important-part-of-our-lives-our-sensations-emotions-desires/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [Of course she had some pathetic illusions about herself or she would not be able to go on living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/of-course-she-had-some-pathetic-illusions-about-herself-or-she-would/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [“The more you think about illusions, the more they'll swell up and take on form. And no longer be an illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-more-you-think-about-illusions-the-more-they-ll-swell-up-and-take/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“A great magician is not more magical than other magicians; he is just more magical in his presentation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/a-great-magician-is-not-more-magical-than-other-magicians-he-is-just/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Strange, isn't it, that no chemical will give a human being the iridescence that illusions have given them? Give me your hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/strange-isn-t-it-that-no-chemical-will-give-a-human-being-the/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-men-could-see-us-as-we-really-are-they-would-be-a-little-amazed/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Things aren't always as they appear. I've been believing things to be a certain way because I want them to be that way. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/things-aren-t-always-as-they-appear-i-ve-been-believing-things-to-be/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/life-and-death-are-illusions-we-are-in-a-constant-state-of/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) ## More by Mason Cooley > [Nostalgia keeps dissolving the ironic narratives in which I have contained my past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/nostalgia-keeps-dissolving-the-ironic-narratives-in-which-i-have/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The modernist writers found despair inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-modernist-writers-found-despair-inspirational/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Even the most abject have a sense of superiority based on powerful though undefined merits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-abject-have-a-sense-of-superiority-based-on-powerful/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Money comes to life as it is spent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/money-comes-to-life-as-it-is-spent/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Even the most fickle are faithful to a few bad habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-fickle-are-faithful-to-a-few-bad-habits/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Rage is exciting, but leaves me confused and exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/rage-is-exciting-but-leaves-me-confused-and-exhausted/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Literary tradition is full of lies about poverty-the jolly beggar, the poor but happy milkmaid, the wholesome diet of porridge, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/literary-tradition-is-full-of-lies-about-poverty-the-jolly-beggar-the/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Experience teaches us, but we scarcely know what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/experience-teaches-us-but-we-scarcely-know-what/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The body has a mind of its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-body-has-a-mind-of-its-own/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [In retirement, I look for days off from my days off. Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/in-retirement-i-look-for-days-off-from-my-days-off-mason-cooley/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [My intentions go one way, my desires another. Thus I feel both self-indulgent and deprived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/my-intentions-go-one-way-my-desires-another-thus-i-feel-both-self/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The Puritan sours his pleasures by disguising them as duties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-puritan-sours-his-pleasures-by-disguising-them-as-duties/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Unlike the actual, the fictional explains itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/unlike-the-actual-the-fictional-explains-itself/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Vacations prove that a life of pleasure is overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/vacations-prove-that-a-life-of-pleasure-is-overrated/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Outside literature, high-flown sentiments are merely exasperating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/outside-literature-high-flown-sentiments-are-merely-exasperating/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) [Explore all 1,401 Mason Cooley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## More Enjoy quotes > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/) [Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/) > [The Fringe is by far my favorite time of year; I like everything about it. But there are people I know who are much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/the-fringe-is-by-far-my-favorite-time-of-year-i-like-everything-about/) [Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/) > [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [The Germans will make a few scattered attacks, then go away. The Romans will enjoy a fine September.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-badoglio/the-germans-will-make-a-few-scattered-attacks-then-go-away-the-romans/) Pietro Badoglio > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [I enjoy upsetting the right people. I love poking fun at earnest censors. I want to push the bounds of what can be said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/i-enjoy-upsetting-the-right-people-i-love-poking-fun-at-earnest/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [I don't own a yacht or a flashy car. I've always had safe cars because I do so much driving. I don't think I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/i-don-t-own-a-yacht-or-a-flashy-car-i-ve-always-had-safe-cars-because/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) > [I really enjoy going to play for the national team and be with the guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedi-osman/i-really-enjoy-going-to-play-for-the-national-team-and-be-with-the/) [Cedi Osman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedi-osman/) > [The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-evening-s-the-best-part-of-the-day-you-ve-done-your-day-s-work/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I really enjoy hosting, not necessarily because it provides more airtime, but because it allows me to be a part of more substantive discussions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-ponder/i-really-enjoy-hosting-not-necessarily-because-it-provides-more/) [Samantha Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-ponder/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [We should not live in fear, we should all enjoy being able to express our views freely and openly, challenge each other on issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/we-should-not-live-in-fear-we-should-all-enjoy-being-able-to-express/) [Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/) > [Today it is the skeptics who are the social conformists, though because of powerful intellectual propaganda they continue to enjoy thinking of themselves as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/today-it-is-the-skeptics-who-are-the-social-conformists-though/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [Certainly, it is. Love is love, and loss is loss. We all love, and we all die, and everyone suffers the pain of grieving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/certainly-it-is-love-is-love-and-loss-is-loss-we-all-love-and-we-all/) [Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/) Browse all 13,068 Enjoy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A neurotic can neither enjoy his illusions nor give them up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mason Cooley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusions-nor-give-them-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enjoy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusions-nor-give-them-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mason-cooley-92_enjoy_a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusio_2625069.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mason-cooley-92_enjoy_a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusio_2625069.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/mason-cooley-92_enjoy_a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusio_2625069.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A neurotic can neither enjoy his illusions nor give them up.” — Mason Cooley", "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": "Mason Cooley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A neurotic can neither enjoy his...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusions-nor-give-them-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/a-neurotic-can-neither-enjoy-his-illusions-nor-give-them-up/#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 } } ] } ```