--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact remains that getting people…" description: "\"The fact remains that getting people right is not what living is all about anyway. It's getting them wrong that is living, getting them wrong and wrong..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/philip-roth-681_alive_the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-rig_3153604.jpg" --- # The fact remains that getting people right is not what… ![“The fact remains that getting people right is not what living is all about anyway. It's getting them wrong that is living, getting them wrong and wrong and wrong and then, on careful reconsideration, getting them wrong again. That's how we know we're alive: we're wrong.” quote by Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/philip-roth-681_alive_the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-rig_3153604.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/philip-roth-681_alive_the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-rig_3153604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/philip-roth-681_alive_the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-rig_3153604.jpg) > “The fact remains that getting people right is not what living is all about anyway. It's getting them wrong that is living, getting them wrong and wrong and wrong and then, on careful reconsideration, getting them wrong again. That's how we know we're alive: we're wrong.” [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. Life is defined by mistakes; recognizing and correcting them is essential to being alive. **In simple terms:** Being wrong shows we are alive. Key Takeaway Embrace errors as part of living. Themes existence error self-awareness Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - decision making - learning from mistakes - self-reflection Key Concepts philosophy human condition Questions to Reflect On - What does a recent mistake teach you? - How do you balance confidence with humility? A Different Perspective Constant error can lead to paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“The fact remains that getting people right is not what living is all about anyway. It's getting them wrong that is living, getting them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-right-is-not-what-living-is-all/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“You get them wrong before you meet them, while you're anticipating meeting them; you get them wrong while you're with them; and then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/you-get-them-wrong-before-you-meet-them-while-you-re-anticipating/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“That’s how we know we’re alive: we’re wrong. Maybe the best thing would be to forget being right or wrong about people and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/that-s-how-we-know-we-re-alive-we-re-wrong-maybe-the-best-thing-would/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“Is everyone to go off and lock the door and sit secluded like the lonely writers do, in a soundproof cell, summoning people out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/is-everyone-to-go-off-and-lock-the-door-and-sit-secluded-like-the/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“Better be alive and wrong than dead and right. He had no choice but to be suspicious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-snow/better-be-alive-and-wrong-than-dead-and-right-he-had-no-choice-but-to/) [Tiffany Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-snow/) > [Giving up, Letting go. Always in the wrong, Always, Always doing somthing wrong, Always Always no living to peoples expectations, Well, I live my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theshadowofhell/giving-up-letting-go-always-in-the-wrong-always-always-doing-somthing/) TheShadowOfhell > [“There is Right---and there is Wrong…You do One, and YOU ARE LIVING…You do the Other---and You may be walking around---But---YOU are as Dead as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-american-hero-john-wayne/there-is-right-and-there-is-wrong-you-do-one-and-you-are-living-you/) the - American Hero John Wayne > [“Every time I shot back, What's wrong with living in a dream world? And she'd say, You have to wake up. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/every-time-i-shot-back-what-s-wrong-with-living-in-a-dream-world-and/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [“No, if your life is without pain and anger and desperation then you are living it all wrong. You are not living at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-hick/no-if-your-life-is-without-pain-and-anger-and-desperation-then-you/) [Shaun Hick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-hick/) > [What's wrong with living our own lives instead of other peoples lives?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naquitta-faith/what-s-wrong-with-living-our-own-lives-instead-of-other-peoples-lives/) [Naquitta Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naquitta-faith/) > [What's wrong with living in a dream world? You have to wake up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/what-s-wrong-with-living-in-a-dream-world-you-have-to-wake-up/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [The end of culture is right living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-end-of-culture-is-right-living/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [There is no real excellence in all of this world which can be separated from right living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/there-is-no-real-excellence-in-all-of-this-world-which-can-be/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) > [For they, the philosophers, were considered teachers of right living, which is far more excellent, since to speak well belongs only to a few,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lactantius/for-they-the-philosophers-were-considered-teachers-of-right-living/) [Lactantius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lactantius/) > [There is no real excellence in all this word which can be separated from right living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/there-is-no-real-excellence-in-all-this-word-which-can-be-separated/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) ## More by Philip Roth > [“The old intergenerational give-and-take of the country-that-used-to-be, when everyone knew his role and took the rules dead seriously, the acculturating back-and-forth that all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-old-intergenerational-give-and-take-of-the-country-that-used-to/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You be greater than your feelings. I don't demand this of you - life does. Otherwise you'll be washed away by feelings. You'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/you-be-greater-than-your-feelings-i-don-t-demand-this-of-you-life/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Nothing bad can happen to a writer. Everything is material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/nothing-bad-can-happen-to-a-writer-everything-is-material/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“There are no reasons. She is obliged to be as she is. We all are. Reasons are in books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/there-are-no-reasons-she-is-obliged-to-be-as-she-is-we-all-are/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“As far as I can see there is no conquering or exorcising the past with words - words born either of imagination or forthrightness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/as-far-as-i-can-see-there-is-no-conquering-or-exorcising-the-past/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [The book really comes to life in the rewriting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-book-really-comes-to-life-in-the-rewriting/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“What is astonishing is that we, who had no idea how anything was going to turn out, now know exactly what happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/what-is-astonishing-is-that-we-who-had-no-idea-how-anything-was-going/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“Good Christ, a Jewish man with parents alive is a fifteen-year-old boy, and will remain a fifteen-year-old boy till they die!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/good-christ-a-jewish-man-with-parents-alive-is-a-fifteen-year-old-boy/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [I am the Raskolnikov of jerking off – the sticky evidence is everywhere!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/i-am-the-raskolnikov-of-jerking-off-the-sticky-evidence-is-everywhere/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“Better for real things to be uncontrollable, better for one's life to be undecipherable and intellectually impenetrable than to attempt to make casual sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/better-for-real-things-to-be-uncontrollable-better-for-one-s-life-to/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [“Doctor Spielvogel, it alleviates nothing fixing the blame - blaming is still ailing, of course, of course - but nonetheless, what was it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/doctor-spielvogel-it-alleviates-nothing-fixing-the-blame-blaming-is/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [My God! 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. Sure, there's been some scandal, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/you-asked-if-i-thought-my-fiction-had-changed-anything-in-the-culture/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) [Explore all 388 Philip Roth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The fact remains that getting people right is not what living is all about anyway. It's getting them wrong that is living, getting them wrong and wrong and wrong and then, on careful reconsideration, getting them wrong again. That's how we know we're alive: we're wrong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philip Roth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-right-is-not-what-living-is-all-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-right-is-not-what-living-is-all-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/philip-roth-681_alive_the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-rig_3153604.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/philip-roth-681_alive_the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-rig_3153604.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/740/philip-roth-681_alive_the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-rig_3153604.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The fact remains that getting people right is not what living is all about anyway. It's getting them wrong…” — Philip Roth", "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": "Philip Roth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The fact remains that getting people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-right-is-not-what-living-is-all-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-fact-remains-that-getting-people-right-is-not-what-living-is-all-2/#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 } } ] } ```