--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People like it when you tell them things…" description: "\"“People like it when you tell them things, in suitable portions, in a modest, intimate tone, and they think they know you, but they do not, they know _..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/per-petterson-8468_new-life_people-like-it-when-you-tell-them-things_2051367.jpg" --- # People like it when you tell them things, in suitable… ![“People like it when you tell them things, in suitable portions, in a modest, intimate tone, and they think they know you, but they do not, they know _about_ you, for what they are let in on are facts, not feelings, not what your opinion is about anything at all, not how what has happened to you…” quote by Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/per-petterson-8468_new-life_people-like-it-when-you-tell-them-things_2051367.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/per-petterson-8468_new-life_people-like-it-when-you-tell-them-things_2051367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b2/per-petterson-8468_new-life_people-like-it-when-you-tell-them-things_2051367.jpg) > ““People like it when you tell them things, in suitable portions, in a modest, intimate tone, and they think they know you, but they do not, they know \_about\_ you, for what they are let in on are facts, not feelings, not what your opinion is about anything at all, not how what has happened to you and how all the decisions you have made have turned you into who you are. What they do is they fill in with their own feelings and opinions and assumptions, and they compose a new life which has precious little to do with yours, and that lets you off the hook. No-one can touch you unless you yourself want them to.”” [Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People form shallow impressions based on limited facts, projecting their own feelings onto you, which lets them avoid true intimacy. **In simple terms:** People guess who you are from facts, not feelings, and fill in the gaps themselves. Key Takeaway Share deeper truths to foster authentic connections. Themes communication perception identity relationships Mood introspective cautionary Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - friendships - online dating - family dynamics - teamwork Key Concepts projection empathy self‑disclosure Questions to Reflect On - How often do you let others define you? - What would change if you shared more personal experiences? A Different Perspective Assuming you know someone from facts can lead to misunderstandings and emotional distance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [New life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-life/) ## Related quotes > [If I'm gonna make fun of Trump, I'm gonna tell you things that I've done that are similar. I like to tell on myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/if-i-m-gonna-make-fun-of-trump-i-m-gonna-tell-you-things-that-i-ve/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [“Memories aren't always about facts. Sometimes they're about feelings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-dionne/memories-aren-t-always-about-facts-sometimes-they-re-about-feelings/) [Karen Dionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-dionne/) > [Death cannot alter facts - only feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-noyes-hart/death-cannot-alter-facts-only-feelings/) [Frances Noyes Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-noyes-hart/) > [People can refute your facts, but never your feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-anthony-bower/people-can-refute-your-facts-but-never-your-feelings/) Sharon Anthony Bower > [What I use from my own life is not the facts, it's the emotion. It's how I felt about something. 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If you love me, prove it to me!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-martin/if-you-like-me-tell-me-if-you-miss-me-show-me-if-you-love-me-prove-it/) [Brandon Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-martin/) > [If you hate something, you hate it, and if you like something or somebody, you like it, but tell the truth. And most celebrities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/if-you-hate-something-you-hate-it-and-if-you-like-something-or/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I want stories where you either hate it or love it. I want to do movies like that, where it's not show and tell,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-keoghan/i-want-stories-where-you-either-hate-it-or-love-it-i-want-to-do/) [Barry Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-keoghan/) > [You like it too, and I can tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hawthorne-heights/you-like-it-too-and-i-can-tell/) [Hawthorne Heights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hawthorne-heights/) > [I never like to tell people what they should take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/i-never-like-to-tell-people-what-they-should-take/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) ## More by Per Petterson > [“Light in every lamp, light in every mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/light-in-every-lamp-light-in-every-mind/) [Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/) > [I come from a working-class family. They're the people I know and the people I love, I guess. 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