--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That people were manifold creatures…" description: "\"“That people were manifold creatures didn't come as a surprise to the Swede, even if it was a bit of a shock to realize it anew when someone let you do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/philip-roth-681_felt-sorry_that-people-were-manifold-creatures-didn_83894.jpg" --- # That people were manifold creatures didn't come as a… ![“That people were manifold creatures didn't come as a surprise to the Swede, even if it was a bit of a shock to realize it anew when someone let you down. What was astonishing to him was how people seemed to run out of their own being, run out of whatever the stuff was that made them who they were…” quote by Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/philip-roth-681_felt-sorry_that-people-were-manifold-creatures-didn_83894.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/philip-roth-681_felt-sorry_that-people-were-manifold-creatures-didn_83894.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/philip-roth-681_felt-sorry_that-people-were-manifold-creatures-didn_83894.jpg) > ““That people were manifold creatures didn't come as a surprise to the Swede, even if it was a bit of a shock to realize it anew when someone let you down. What was astonishing to him was how people seemed to run out of their own being, run out of whatever the stuff was that made them who they were and, drained of themselves, turn into the sort of people they would once have felt sorry for. It was as though while their lives were rich and full they were secretly sick of themselves and couldn't wait to dispose of their sanity and their health and all sense of proportion so as to get down to that other self, the true self, who was a wholly deluded fuckup. It was as though being in tune with life was an accident that might sometimes befall the fortunate young but was otherwise something for which human beings lacked any real affinity.”” [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) ## 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 explores how individuals, when faced with disappointment, may abandon their authentic selves, adopting a false persona that feels both delusional and self‑destructive, suggesting a disconnect between lived richness and inner alienation. **In simple terms:** People can lose their true selves when hurt, becoming a delusional version of themselves. Key Takeaway Identity can fracture under emotional strain. Themes Identity Self‑deception Disillusionment Psychological alienation Human fragility Mood Melancholic Introspective Type Philosophical Literary When to use this quote - After a betrayal - During a personal crisis - When confronting existential doubt Key Concepts Authenticity vs. façade Coping mechanisms Practical Applications - Therapeutic reflection on self‑concept - Literary analysis of character breakdown Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be 'true' to oneself? - Can self‑delusion ever serve a protective purpose? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) ## Related quotes > [“What was astonishing to him was how people seemed to run out of their own being, run out of whatever the stuff was that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/what-was-astonishing-to-him-was-how-people-seemed-to-run-out-of-their-2/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“what was astonishing to him was how people seemed to run out of their own being, run out of whatever the stuff was that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/what-was-astonishing-to-him-was-how-people-seemed-to-run-out-of-their/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [All of a sudden I'm an actor, and I spend a decade trying to fit in and realising that I didn't, really. 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The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/my-god-the-english-language-is-a-form-of-communication-conversation/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You asked if I thought my fiction had changed anything in the culture and the answer is no. 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And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-bernstein/gambling-has-held-human-beings-in-thrall-for-millennia-it-has-been/) [Peter L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-bernstein/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. 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