--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And this disease was called The…" description: "\"“And this disease was called The Loneliness, because when you saw your home town dwindle to the size of your fist and then lemon-size and then pin-size..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/ray-bradbury-75_home-town_and-this-disease-was-called-the-loneline_1666974.jpg" --- # And this disease was called The Loneliness, because when… ![“And this disease was called The Loneliness, because when you saw your home town dwindle to the size of your fist and then lemon-size and then pin-size and vanish in the fire-wake, you felt you had never been born, there was no town, you were nowhere, with space all around, nothing familiar, only…” quote by Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/ray-bradbury-75_home-town_and-this-disease-was-called-the-loneline_1666974.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/ray-bradbury-75_home-town_and-this-disease-was-called-the-loneline_1666974.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/542/ray-bradbury-75_home-town_and-this-disease-was-called-the-loneline_1666974.jpg) > ““And this disease was called The Loneliness, because when you saw your home town dwindle to the size of your fist and then lemon-size and then pin-size and vanish in the fire-wake, you felt you had never been born, there was no town, you were nowhere, with space all around, nothing familiar, only other strange men. And when the state of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, or Montana vanished into cloud seas, and, doubly, when the United States shrank to a misted island and the entire planet Earth became a muddy baseball tossed away, then you were alone, wandering in the meadows of space, on your way to a place you couldn’t imagine.”” [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote depicts existential loneliness as the world shrinks, leaving the individual isolated and disoriented in an unfamiliar, vast cosmos. **In simple terms:** Feeling alone as everything familiar disappears. Key Takeaway Embrace connection before isolation deepens. Themes loneliness existentialism isolation scale disorientation Mood melancholic reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - travel - space exploration - urban planning - mental health counseling - philosophical reflection Key Concepts cosmic perspective human insignificance urban decay Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain identity when familiar surroundings vanish? - What role does community play in mitigating existential dread? A Different Perspective It may romanticize solitude, overlooking the value of community support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Home town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home-town/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Planet earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planet-earth/) ## Related quotes > [“She knew he’d be back. No matter how elaborate its charade, she recognized loneliness when she saw it. 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Suddenly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-sound-has-died-out-and-the-cold-dark-night-fills-the-room-unable-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I remember feeling it even then- the sensation that your heart weighs more than your body- that it might burst out of your chest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/i-remember-feeling-it-even-then-the-sensation-that-your-heart-weighs/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [“She pulls up to the drive way Parks the car, Gets Out, Walks up to the door, And embraces me with an iron hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-pulls-up-to-the-drive-way-parks-the-car-gets-out-walks-up-to-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I wanted to know what had created the chasm in his spirit. Maybe it was a broken heart. 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Suddenly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boys-be/all-sound-has-died-out-and-the-cold-dark-night-fills-the-room-unable/) [Boys Be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boys-be/) > [They are sharing a drink called loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/they-are-sharing-a-drink-called-loneliness/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [Chicago's my old home town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikan/chicago-s-my-old-home-town/) [George Mikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikan/) > [I was born in Illinois, but I call Beaver Dam my home town. That's where I graduated from high school and started what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-macmurray/i-was-born-in-illinois-but-i-call-beaver-dam-my-home-town-that-s/) [Fred MacMurray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-macmurray/) > [“I saw on the pad not an operator's number from my home town, but one which seemed to interrupt the beating of my heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knowles/i-saw-on-the-pad-not-an-operator-s-number-from-my-home-town-but-one/) [John Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knowles/) > [I was studying American politicians who were searching - allegedly - for American communists because it would put them on the front pages of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-vaughn/i-was-studying-american-politicians-who-were-searching-allegedly-for/) [Robert Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-vaughn/) > [The vast majority of local people will neither know all of the initiatives nor have any perception that the individual elements are beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-burrell/the-vast-majority-of-local-people-will-neither-know-all-of-the/) [Paul Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-burrell/) ## More by Ray Bradbury > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Do you ever read any of the books you burn?" He laughed. "That's against the law!" "Oh. Of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/do-you-ever-read-any-of-the-books-you-burn-he-laughed-that-s-against/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [There's no reason to burn books if you don't read them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/there-s-no-reason-to-burn-books-if-you-don-t-read-them/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Remember, with writing, what you’re looking for is just one person to come up and tell you, 'I love you for what you do.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/remember-with-writing-what-you-re-looking-for-is-just-one-person-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [As a result of reading science fiction when I was eight, I grew up with an interest in music, architecture, city planning, transportation, politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/as-a-result-of-reading-science-fiction-when-i-was-eight-i-grew-up/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“You can’t learn to write in college. It’s a very bad place for writers because the teachers always think they know more than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-can-t-learn-to-write-in-college-it-s-a-very-bad-place-for-writers/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We're going to become the martians when we land there. When we explore and build communities, we become the martians. That's a wonderful destiny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-re-going-to-become-the-martians-when-we-land-there-when-we-explore/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. ... I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-wish-you-a-wrestling-match-with-your-creative-muse-that-will-last-a/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The library is the biggest cracker box factory in the world. The more you eat, the more you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-library-is-the-biggest-cracker-box-factory-in-the-world-the-more/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-travel-for-romance-we-travel-for-architecture-and-we-travel-to-be/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I spent three days a week for 10 years educating myself in the public library, and it's better than college. People should educate themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-spent-three-days-a-week-for-10-years-educating-myself-in-the-public/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [If we try to deny the darkness in our souls then we'll become completely dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/if-we-try-to-deny-the-darkness-in-our-souls-then-we-ll-become/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/but-remember-that-the-captain-belongs-to-the-most-dangerous-enemy-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) [Explore all 1,520 Ray Bradbury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) ## More Home town quotes > [The vast majority of local people will neither know all of the initiatives nor have any perception that the individual elements are beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-burrell/the-vast-majority-of-local-people-will-neither-know-all-of-the/) [Paul Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-burrell/) > [I was studying American politicians who were searching - allegedly - for American communists because it would put them on the front pages of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-vaughn/i-was-studying-american-politicians-who-were-searching-allegedly-for/) [Robert Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-vaughn/) > [“I saw on the pad not an operator's number from my home town, but one which seemed to interrupt the beating of my heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knowles/i-saw-on-the-pad-not-an-operator-s-number-from-my-home-town-but-one/) [John Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knowles/) > [I was born in Illinois, but I call Beaver Dam my home town. That's where I graduated from high school and started what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-macmurray/i-was-born-in-illinois-but-i-call-beaver-dam-my-home-town-that-s/) [Fred MacMurray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-macmurray/) > [Chicago's my old home town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikan/chicago-s-my-old-home-town/) [George Mikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikan/) > [Never fly to the U.S. the day before Thanksgiving or the weekend after because every airport is guaranteed to be crammed to bursting with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/never-fly-to-the-u-s-the-day-before-thanksgiving-or-the-weekend-after/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [When peaceful reunification comes, the first thing I want to do is to take my 90-year-old mother and go to her home town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/when-peaceful-reunification-comes-the-first-thing-i-want-to-do-is-to/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [“I met this kid from Miles City, Montana, who read the Stars and Stripes every day, checking the casualty lists to see if by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-herr/i-met-this-kid-from-miles-city-montana-who-read-the-stars-and-stripes/) [Michael Herr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-herr/) > [It is a curious emotion, this certain homesickness I have in mind. With Americans, it is a national trait, as native to us as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/it-is-a-curious-emotion-this-certain-homesickness-i-have-in-mind-with/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [Your old home town's so far away, but inside your head there's a record that's playing, a song called 'Hold On](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/your-old-home-town-s-so-far-away-but-inside-your-head-there-s-a/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [Occasionally it's been a long and bumpy road - one I'm still travelling - but I've always felt like my home town has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-armitage/occasionally-it-s-been-a-long-and-bumpy-road-one-i-m-still-travelling/) [Simon Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-armitage/) > [My first big break was with the Ted Fio Rito band. 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It just kind of reassures me… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/i-still-love-to-go-back-to-mitchell-his-home-town-and-wander-up-and/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) [Browse all 128 Home town quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home-town/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And this disease was called The Loneliness, because when you saw your home town dwindle to the size of your fist and then lemon-size and then pin-size and vanish in the fire-wake, you felt you had never been born, there was no town, you were nowhere, with space all around, nothing familiar, only other strange men. 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