--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: but back then, at thirty-five…" description: "\"“but back then, at thirty-five, thirty-eight, forty, I walked around with a feeling that my life had never truly belonged to me, that I had never truly..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/971/paul-auster-351_hurt_but-back-then-at-thirty-five-thirty-eigh_2894721.jpg" --- # but back then, at thirty-five, thirty-eight, forty, I… ![“but back then, at thirty-five, thirty-eight, forty, I walked around with a feeling that my life had never truly belonged to me, that I had never truly inhabited myself, that i had never been real. And because I wasn't real, I didn't understand the effect I had on others, the damage I could cause…” quote by paul auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/971/paul-auster-351_hurt_but-back-then-at-thirty-five-thirty-eigh_2894721.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/971/paul-auster-351_hurt_but-back-then-at-thirty-five-thirty-eigh_2894721.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/971/paul-auster-351_hurt_but-back-then-at-thirty-five-thirty-eigh_2894721.jpg) > ““but back then, at thirty-five, thirty-eight, forty, I walked around with a feeling that my life had never truly belonged to me, that I had never truly inhabited myself, that i had never been real. And because I wasn't real, I didn't understand the effect I had on others, the damage I could cause, the hurt I could inflict on the people who loved me.”” [paul auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He feels detached from his own life, questioning his authenticity and impact on loved ones. **In simple terms:** Feeling disconnected from self. Key Takeaway Seek genuine self‑connection. Themes identity authenticity relationships Mood introspective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal reflection - family dynamics - therapy Key Concepts existential doubt self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - What parts of yourself feel unreal? - How does this affect your relationships? A Different Perspective Self‑realization can be painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [“He could see. 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