--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You’d think you’d know when something…" description: "\"“You’d think you’d know when something smells bad; But if you’ve lived among sewage your whole life, bad smells are normal. Everything else seems to sm..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/melissa-abigail-103130_life_you-d-think-you-d-know-when-something-sm_584332.jpg" --- # You’d think you’d know when something smells bad; But if… ![“You’d think you’d know when something smells bad; But if you’ve lived among sewage your whole life, bad smells are normal. Everything else seems to smell the same— even the purest, freshest breeze.” quote by Melissa Abigail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/melissa-abigail-103130_life_you-d-think-you-d-know-when-something-sm_584332.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/melissa-abigail-103130_life_you-d-think-you-d-know-when-something-sm_584332.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/melissa-abigail-103130_life_you-d-think-you-d-know-when-something-sm_584332.jpg) > ““You’d think you’d know when something smells bad; But if you’ve lived among sewage your whole life, bad smells are normal. Everything else seems to smell the same— even the purest, freshest breeze.”” Melissa Abigail ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Constant exposure to foul odors normalizes them, making even fresh scents seem similar, highlighting adaptation. **In simple terms:** Habituation makes bad smells seem normal. Key Takeaway Be aware of sensory adaptation. Themes Perception Adaptation Sensory experience Environment Normalcy Mood reflective observant Type statement philosophical When to use this quote - Urban living - Industrial work - Personal health Key Concepts Psychology of habituation Sensory overload Questions to Reflect On - How does environment shape perception? - Can you reset your senses? A Different Perspective Some may become desensitized to danger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) ## Related quotes > [“What do I smell like?" she asked, ignoring his question. He gave this some thought before answering, "Purple." "Purple?" "Um-hmm." "I didn't know smells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-rose/what-do-i-smell-like-she-asked-ignoring-his-question-he-gave-this/) [Frankie Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-rose/) > [“Bad smells made her angry, they were a personal affront.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/bad-smells-made-her-angry-they-were-a-personal-affront/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“If something bad smells in the basement, it will eventually make its way to the attic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/if-something-bad-smells-in-the-basement-it-will-eventually-make-its/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [Winning is the deodorant of the game, it covers all bad smells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nicol/winning-is-the-deodorant-of-the-game-it-covers-all-bad-smells/) [Steve Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nicol/) > [I don't like bad smells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-radziwill/i-don-t-like-bad-smells/) [Carole Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-radziwill/) > [“Know something about the world, and by this I mean the world outside of books. This might require joining the Marines, or working on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/know-something-about-the-world-and-by-this-i-mean-the-world-outside/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [I know how to live here, I know how everything smells, and tastes, and is. What could I ever search for in the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-beagle/i-know-how-to-live-here-i-know-how-everything-smells-and-tastes-and/) [Peter S. Beagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-beagle/) > [You know when someone smells soo good, and then you get captivated by them. Enchanting...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-when-someone-smells-soo-good-and-then-you-get-captivated-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The deal looks bad and smells worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-malkin/the-deal-looks-bad-and-smells-worse/) [Michelle Malkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-malkin/) > [Praise from an enemy smells of craft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/praise-from-an-enemy-smells-of-craft/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Who's this—alone with stone and sky? It's only my old dog and I— It's only him; it's only me; Alone with stone and grass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siegfried-sassoon/who-s-this-alone-with-stone-and-sky-it-s-only-my-old-dog-and-i-it-s/) [Siegfried Sassoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siegfried-sassoon/) > [ The smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood \[p. 53\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/the-smells-of-christmas-are-the-smells-of-childhood-p-53/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [Don't you hate it when you get on a elevator and someone smells like they took a bath in perfume or cologne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jreyes/don-t-you-hate-it-when-you-get-on-a-elevator-and-someone-smells-like/) JREYES > [So, back home, I have an Iron Man shrine, basically. And one of the things in it is a bust of Iron Man's head,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iman-vellani/so-back-home-i-have-an-iron-man-shrine-basically-and-one-of-the/) [Iman Vellani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iman-vellani/) > [“There was a strange exciting smell in the air - the smell of wine, cigar smoke, and perfume, mingled with the scent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-was-a-strange-exciting-smell-in-the-air-the-smell-of-wine-cigar/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Melissa Abigail > [“Maybe it's not true, but no one cares about truth—they only care about what they think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-abigail/maybe-it-s-not-true-but-no-one-cares-about-truth-they-only-care-about/) Melissa Abigail Explore all 2 Melissa Abigail quotes ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [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/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You’d think you’d know when something smells bad; But if you’ve lived among sewage your whole life, bad smells are normal. 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