--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They were not friends. They didn't know…" description: "\"They were not friends. They didn't know each other. It struck Tom like a horrible truth, true for all time, true for the people he had known in the pas..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/patricia-highsmith-3982_all-time_they-were-not-friends-they-didn-t-know-e_3039904.jpg" --- # They were not friends. They didn't know each other. It… ![“They were not friends. They didn't know each other. It struck Tom like a horrible truth, true for all time, true for the people he had known in the past and for those he would know in the future: each had stood and would stand before him, and he would know time and time again that he would never…” quote by Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/patricia-highsmith-3982_all-time_they-were-not-friends-they-didn-t-know-e_3039904.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/patricia-highsmith-3982_all-time_they-were-not-friends-they-didn-t-know-e_3039904.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/patricia-highsmith-3982_all-time_they-were-not-friends-they-didn-t-know-e_3039904.jpg) > “They were not friends. They didn't know each other. It struck Tom like a horrible truth, true for all time, true for the people he had known in the past and for those he would know in the future: each had stood and would stand before him, and he would know time and time again that he would never know them, and the worst was that there would always be the illusion, for a time, that he did know them, and that he and they were completely in harmony and alike. For an instant the wordless shock of his realization seemed more than he could bear.” [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human connections can feel illusory, leading to profound loneliness when true intimacy is absent. **In simple terms:** Friends may be strangers in disguise. Key Takeaway Seek genuine, lasting relationships. Themes loneliness illusion human connection Mood melancholic introspective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - making new friends - reconnecting with old acquaintances - evaluating relationships Key Concepts existentialism social psychology Questions to Reflect On - What relationships feel superficial to you? - How can you cultivate deeper bonds? A Different Perspective Illusions may be comforting; confronting them can be painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bears/) [Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Not friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-friends/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Realization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realization/) [Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shock/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [I said it would be better if we weren’t friends, not that I didn’t want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-said-it-would-be-better-if-we-weren-t-friends-not-that-i-didn-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was kind of a MySpace kid in high school, and people thought since I had so many MySpace friends that they didn't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blackbear/i-was-kind-of-a-myspace-kid-in-high-school-and-people-thought-since-i/) [Blackbear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blackbear/) > [I never, ever, saw the evil Steve Jobs. 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It struck Tom like a horrible truth, true for all time, true for the people he had known in the past and for those he would know in the future: each had stood and would stand before him, and he would know time and time again that he would never know them, and the worst was that there would always be the illusion, for a time, that he did know them, and that he and they were completely in harmony and alike. 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