--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are familiar with people who seek out…" description: "\"“We are familiar with people who seek out solitude: penitents, failures, saints, or prophets. They retreat to deserts, preferably, where they live on l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/patrick-s-skind-5195_failure_we-are-familiar-with-people-who-seek-out_1074024.jpg" --- # We are familiar with people who seek out solitude… ![“We are familiar with people who seek out solitude: penitents, failures, saints, or prophets. They retreat to deserts, preferably, where they live on locusts and honey. Others, however, live in caves or cells on remote islands; some-more spectacularly-squat in cages mounted high atop poles swaying…” quote by Patrick Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/patrick-s-skind-5195_failure_we-are-familiar-with-people-who-seek-out_1074024.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/patrick-s-skind-5195_failure_we-are-familiar-with-people-who-seek-out_1074024.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fee/patrick-s-skind-5195_failure_we-are-familiar-with-people-who-seek-out_1074024.jpg) > ““We are familiar with people who seek out solitude: penitents, failures, saints, or prophets. They retreat to deserts, preferably, where they live on locusts and honey. Others, however, live in caves or cells on remote islands; some-more spectacularly-squat in cages mounted high atop poles swaying in the breeze. They do this to be nearer God. Their solitude is a self-moritification by which they do penance. They act in the belief that they are living a life pleasing to God. Or they wait months, years, for their solitude to be broken by some divine message that they hope then speedily to broadcast among mankind. Grenouille's case was nothing of the sort. There was not the least notion of God in his head. He was not doing penance or wating for some supernatural inspiration. He had withdrawn solely for his own pleasure, only to be near to himself. No longer distracted by anything external, he basked in his own existence and found it splendid. He lay in his stony crypt like his own corpse, hardly breathing, his heart hardly beating-and yet lived as intensively and dissolutely as ever a rake lived in the wide world outside.”” [Patrick Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage contrasts religious solitude, which seeks divine connection, with Grenouille’s self‑absorbed isolation for personal pleasure. **In simple terms:** Some seek solitude for God, Grenouille for himself. Key Takeaway Understand motives behind isolation. Themes spirituality solitude self‑knowledge Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - meditation retreats - creative solitude - self‑reflection - psychotherapy Key Concepts religion existentialism psychology self‑absorption Questions to Reflect On - Why do people isolate themselves? - What distinguishes healthy from unhealthy solitude? A Different Perspective Self‑absorption can become harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) ## Related quotes > [God is absence. God is the solitude of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/god-is-absence-god-is-the-solitude-of-man/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [There is convincing evidence that the search for solitude is not a luxury but a biological need. Just as humans posses a herding instinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/there-is-convincing-evidence-that-the-search-for-solitude-is-not-a/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [“A society coming apart at top and bottom, or passing over into another form, contains just as many possibilities for revelation as a society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barrett/a-society-coming-apart-at-top-and-bottom-or-passing-over-into-another/) [William Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barrett/) > [Women need real moments of solitude and self reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-de-angelis/women-need-real-moments-of-solitude-and-self-reflection-to-balance/) [Barbara De Angelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-de-angelis/) > [Self Esteem::"It is very easy in the world to live by the opinion of the world. It is very easy in solitude to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/self-esteem-it-is-very-easy-in-the-world-to-live-by-the-opinion-of/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“...books everywhere piled up in heaps, the rare companions of a solitude not self-imposed but sought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/books-everywhere-piled-up-in-heaps-the-rare-companions-of-a-solitude/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [Look, if I were alone in the world, I would have the right to choose despair, solitude and self-fulfillment. But I am not alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/look-if-i-were-alone-in-the-world-i-would-have-the-right-to-choose/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [There is a solitude, which each and every one of us has always carried with him, more inaccessible than the ice-cold mountains, more profound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cady-stanton/there-is-a-solitude-which-each-and-every-one-of-us-has-always-carried/) [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-cady-stanton/) > [The very pure spirit does not bother about the regard of others or human respect, but communes inwardly with God, alone and in solitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-john-of-the-cross/the-very-pure-spirit-does-not-bother-about-the-regard-of-others-or/) [St John Of The Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-john-of-the-cross/) > [God is the solitude of men. There was only me: I alone decided to commit Evil; alone, I invented Good. I am the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/god-is-the-solitude-of-men-there-was-only-me-i-alone-decided-to/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [God is not solitude, but perfect communion. For this reason the human person, the image of God, realizes himself or herself in love, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/god-is-not-solitude-but-perfect-communion-for-this-reason-the-human/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [“You can come into the rest of God through solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-can-come-into-the-rest-of-god-through-solitude/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The heart which has no agenda but God's is the heart at leisure from itself. Its emptiness is filled with the Love of God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliot/the-heart-which-has-no-agenda-but-god-s-is-the-heart-at-leisure-from/) [Elisabeth Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-elliot/) > [Oh you who have been removed from God in his solitude by the abyss of time, how can you expect to reach him without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mansur-al-hallaj/oh-you-who-have-been-removed-from-god-in-his-solitude-by-the-abyss-of/) [Mansur Al-Hallaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mansur-al-hallaj/) > [God is not solitude, but perfect communion. For this reason the human person, the image of God, realizes himself or herself in love, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/god-is-not-solitude-but-perfect-communion-for-this-reason-the-human-2/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) ## More by Patrick Suskind > [“He had no use for sensual gratification, unless that gratification consisted of pure, incorporeal odors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/he-had-no-use-for-sensual-gratification-unless-that-gratification/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“...if you could not close a door behind you to take a shit in the city - even if it was just the door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/if-you-could-not-close-a-door-behind-you-to-take-a-shit-in-the-city/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [With one glance he had got himself trapped in the brown fundament of her eyes, he was in danger of sinking, as if into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/with-one-glance-he-had-got-himself-trapped-in-the-brown-fundament-of/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“…in that moment, as he saw and smelled how irresistible its effect was and how with lightning speed it spread and made captives of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/in-that-moment-as-he-saw-and-smelled-how-irresistible-its-effect-was/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“People even travelled to Lapland, up there in the North, with its eternal ice and savages who gorged themselves on raw fish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/people-even-travelled-to-lapland-up-there-in-the-north-with-its/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [When they finally did dare it, at first with stolen glances and then candid ones, they had to smile. They were uncommonly proud. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/when-they-finally-did-dare-it-at-first-with-stolen-glances-and-then/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [For people could close their eyes to greatness, to horrors, to beauty, and their ears to melodies or deceiving words. But they couldn't escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/for-people-could-close-their-eyes-to-greatness-to-horrors-to-beauty/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“The wind blew cold, and he was freezing, but he did not notice that he was freezing, for within him was a counterfrost, fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/the-wind-blew-cold-and-he-was-freezing-but-he-did-not-notice-that-he/) [Patrick Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“Something was happening while you waited. The most essential thing was happening. And even if he himself was doing nothing, it was happening through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/something-was-happening-while-you-waited-the-most-essential-thing-was/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“Although he had used it very sparingly, the perfume that he had mixed in Montpellier was slowly was slowly running out. He created a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/although-he-had-used-it-very-sparingly-the-perfume-that-he-had-mixed/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [He had withdrawn solely for his own personal pleasure, only to be near to himself. No longer distracted by anything external, he basked in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/he-had-withdrawn-solely-for-his-own-personal-pleasure-only-to-be-near/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“This scent had a freshness, but not the freshness of limes or pomegranates, not the freshness of myrrh or cinnamon bark or curly mint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/this-scent-had-a-freshness-but-not-the-freshness-of-limes-or/) [Patrick Suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [And because people are stupid and use their noses only for blowing, but believe absolutely anything they see with their eyes, they will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/and-because-people-are-stupid-and-use-their-noses-only-for-blowing/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [It was good, really, that this external world still existed, if only as a place of refuge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/it-was-good-really-that-this-external-world-still-existed-if-only-as/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“And the awful thing was that Grenouille, although he knew that this odour was his odour, could not smell it. Virtually drowning in himself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/and-the-awful-thing-was-that-grenouille-although-he-knew-that-this/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) [Explore all 72 Patrick Suskind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) ## More Failure quotes > [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/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We are familiar with people who seek out solitude: penitents, failures, saints, or prophets. They retreat to deserts, preferably, where they live on locusts and honey. Others, however, live in caves or cells on remote islands; some-more spectacularly-squat in cages mounted high atop poles swaying in the breeze. They do this to be nearer God. Their solitude is a self-moritification by which they do penance. They act in the belief that they are living a life pleasing to God. Or they wait months, years, for their solitude to be broken by some divine message that they hope then speedily to broadcast among mankind. Grenouille's case was nothing of the sort. There was not the least notion of God in his head. He was not doing penance or wating for some supernatural inspiration. He had withdrawn solely for his own pleasure, only to be near to himself. No longer distracted by anything external, he basked in his own existence and found it splendid. 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