--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man runs into an old friend who had…" description: "\"“A man runs into an old friend who had somehow never been able to make it in life. \"I should give him some money\", he thinks. But instead he learns tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/paulo-coelho-10_entire-life_a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-so_1798856.jpg" --- # A man runs into an old friend who had somehow never been… ![“A man runs into an old friend who had somehow never been able to make it in life. "I should give him some money", he thinks. But instead he learns that his old friend has grown rich and is actually seeking him out to repay the debts he had run up over the years. They go to a bar they used to…” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/paulo-coelho-10_entire-life_a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-so_1798856.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/paulo-coelho-10_entire-life_a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-so_1798856.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/paulo-coelho-10_entire-life_a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-so_1798856.jpg) > ““A man runs into an old friend who had somehow never been able to make it in life. "I should give him some money", he thinks. But instead he learns that his old friend has grown rich and is actually seeking him out to repay the debts he had run up over the years. They go to a bar they used to frequent together and the friend buys drinks for everyone there, When they ask him how he became so successful, he answers that until only a few days ago, he had been living the role of the Other. "What is the Other?", they ask. "The 'Other' is the one who taught me what I should be like, but not what I am. The Other believes that it is out obligations to spend our entire life thinking about how to get our hands on as much money as possible so that we will not die of hunger when we are old. So we think so much about money and our plans for acquiring it that we discover that we are alive only when our days on earth are practically done. And then it's too late." "And you? Who are you?" "I am just like everyone else who listens to their heart: a person who is enchanted by the mystery of life. Who is open to miracles, who experiences joy and enthusiasm for what they do. It's just that the Other, afraid of disappointment, kept me from taking actions". "But there is suffering in life", one of the listeners said. "And there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggle for your dreams than to be defeated without ever even knowing what you're fighting for." "That's it?", another listener asked. "Yes, that's it. When I learned this, I resolved to become the person I had always wanted to be. The Other stood there in the corner of my room, watching me, but I will never let the Other into myself again - even though it has already tried to frighten me, warning me that it's risky not to think about the future." "From the moment that I ousted the Other from my life, the Divine Energy began to perform its miracles".”” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The story contrasts living for external expectations (“the Other”) versus following one’s inner calling, showing that true fulfillment comes from authentic purpose, not obsessive wealth pursuit. **In simple terms:** Choose inner purpose over external pressure. Key Takeaway Reject the Other, follow your heart. Themes purpose authenticity wealth inner voice spiritual growth Mood hopeful reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - financial planning - personal development - creative projects - spiritual practice Key Concepts self‑actualization mindset miracle divine energy Questions to Reflect On - What would you do if you stopped fearing the future? - How can you balance practical planning with heart‑led action? A Different Perspective The Other may be a useful motivator for short‑term goals, but over‑reliance can stifle growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Entire life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire-life/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-thinking/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Thinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-thinks-1891495/) [Mystery of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery-of-life/) [Old friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-friend/) [Perform Miracles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perform-miracles-613935/) [Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeking/) [Suffering In Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-in-life/) [Suffering Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-life-376193/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) ## Related quotes > [“What is the Other?" they ask. 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No one had ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/the-first-of-the-four-noble-truths-of-buddhism-that-there-is/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [All of our suffering in life is from saying we want one thing and doing another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/all-of-our-suffering-in-life-is-from-saying-we-want-one-thing-and/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [When we feel anger toward someone, we can consider that they are a being just like us, who has faced much suffering in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-feel-anger-toward-someone-we-can-consider-that-they-are-a/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [How many years of fatigue and punishment it takes to learn the simple truth that work, that disagreeable thing, is the only way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/how-many-years-of-fatigue-and-punishment-it-takes-to-learn-the-simple/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [“When we feel anger toward someone, we can consider that he or she is a being just like us, who has faced much suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-feel-anger-toward-someone-we-can-consider-that-he-or-she-is-a/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [But there is suffering in life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/but-there-is-suffering-in-life-and-there-are-defeats-no-one-can-avoid/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [A Man that wants Money thinks none can be unhappy that has it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-centlivre/a-man-that-wants-money-thinks-none-can-be-unhappy-that-has-it/) [Susanna Centlivre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-centlivre/) > [The one thing I've found you really can't joke about - and people think it's death or something - is money. No one thinks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/the-one-thing-i-ve-found-you-really-can-t-joke-about-and-people-think/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Follow your dreams, transform your life, take the path that leads to God. Perform your miracles. Cure. Make prophecies. Listen to your guardian angel.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/follow-your-dreams-transform-your-life-take-the-path-that-leads-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Fortunate are those who take the first step. Someday people will realize that men and women are capable of speaking the language of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/fortunate-are-those-who-take-the-first-step-someday-people-will/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Every day, God gives us the sun - and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/every-day-god-gives-us-the-sun-and-also-one-moment-in-which-we-have/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. 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And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. 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It took a long while for me to realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-skye/he-smiled-sadly-i-was-lost-from-the-moment-i-saw-you-on-ovchinin/) [Evelyn Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-skye/) [Browse all 1,704 Entire life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A man runs into an old friend who had somehow never been able to make it in life. \"I should give him some money\", he thinks. But instead he learns that his old friend has grown rich and is actually seeking him out to repay the debts he had run up over the years. They go to a bar they used to frequent together and the friend buys drinks for everyone there, When they ask him how he became so successful, he answers that until only a few days ago, he had been living the role of the Other. \"What is the Other?\", they ask. \"The 'Other' is the one who taught me what I should be like, but not what I am. The Other believes that it is out obligations to spend our entire life thinking about how to get our hands on as much money as possible so that we will not die of hunger when we are old. So we think so much about money and our plans for acquiring it that we discover that we are alive only when our days on earth are practically done. And then it's too late.\" \"And you? Who are you?\" \"I am just like everyone else who listens to their heart: a person who is enchanted by the mystery of life. Who is open to miracles, who experiences joy and enthusiasm for what they do. It's just that the Other, afraid of disappointment, kept me from taking actions\". \"But there is suffering in life\", one of the listeners said. \"And there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggle for your dreams than to be defeated without ever even knowing what you're fighting for.\" \"That's it?\", another listener asked. \"Yes, that's it. When I learned this, I resolved to become the person I had always wanted to be. The Other stood there in the corner of my room, watching me, but I will never let the Other into myself again - even though it has already tried to frighten me, warning me that it's risky not to think about the future.\" \"From the moment that I ousted the Other from my life, the Divine Energy began to perform its miracles\".”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-somehow-never-been-able-to-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Entire life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-somehow-never-been-able-to-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/paulo-coelho-10_entire-life_a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-so_1798856.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/paulo-coelho-10_entire-life_a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-so_1798856.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/paulo-coelho-10_entire-life_a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-so_1798856.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man runs into an old friend who had somehow never been able to make it in life. \"I should give him some…” — Paulo Coelho", "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": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A man runs into an old...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-somehow-never-been-able-to-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-man-runs-into-an-old-friend-who-had-somehow-never-been-able-to-make/#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 } } ] } ```