--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wasn’t it true, then, that everything in…" description: "\"“Wasn’t it true, then, that everything in his life from that point on had been a succession of things he hadn’t really wanted to do? Taking a hopelessl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b80/richard-yates-2840_buying-a-house_wasn-t-it-true-then-that-everything-in-h_2933825.png" --- # Wasn’t it true, then, that everything in his life from… ![“Wasn’t it true, then, that everything in his life from that point on had been a succession of things he hadn’t really wanted to do? Taking a hopelessly dull job to prove he could be as responsible as any other family man, moving to an overpriced, genteel apartment to prove his mature belief in the…” quote by Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b80/richard-yates-2840_buying-a-house_wasn-t-it-true-then-that-everything-in-h_2933825.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b80/richard-yates-2840_buying-a-house_wasn-t-it-true-then-that-everything-in-h_2933825.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b80/richard-yates-2840_buying-a-house_wasn-t-it-true-then-that-everything-in-h_2933825.png) > ““Wasn’t it true, then, that everything in his life from that point on had been a succession of things he hadn’t really wanted to do? Taking a hopelessly dull job to prove he could be as responsible as any other family man, moving to an overpriced, genteel apartment to prove his mature belief in the fundamentals of orderliness and good health, having another child to prove that the first one hadn’t been a mistake, buying a house in the country because that was the next logical step and he had to prove himself capable of taking it. Proving, proving; and for no other reason than that he was married to a woman who had somehow managed to put him forever on the defensive, who loved him when he was nice, who lived according to what she happened to feel like doing and who might at any time—this was the hell of it—who might at any time of day or night just happen to feel like leaving him. It was as ludicrous and as simple as that.”” [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The protagonist feels trapped by societal expectations and marital pressure, constantly proving himself through conventional milestones that don’t reflect his true desires. **In simple terms:** He feels forced to live a life he doesn’t want, trying to meet external standards. Key Takeaway Question the expectations you’re living for. Themes identity conformity marriage Mood conflicted reflective Type narrative psychological When to use this quote - career choices - family planning - home buying - relationship dynamics Key Concepts existentialism social pressure Questions to Reflect On - What would you choose if no one judged you? - How do you differentiate your desires from imposed expectations? 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And to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-urbano/for-him-she-was-the-evil-one-the-antagonist-to-his-life-story-the/) [Alyssa Urbano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-urbano/) > [“I wish I understood why you buy all this stuff." "For the same reason I married you," she murmured. "To help pass the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/i-wish-i-understood-why-you-buy-all-this-stuff-for-the-same-reason-i/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [If I were really, truly in love with someone who was truly in love with me, then I would get married, but that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/if-i-were-really-truly-in-love-with-someone-who-was-truly-in-love/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) > [“FatherMichael: OK we should get on with this; I don’t want to be late for my 2 o’clock. 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I am their mistake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-cameron/i-m-just-the-reason-they-married-mum-says-i-was-a-surprise-dad-says-i/) [Emma Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-cameron/) > [But I don't think there's any reason to get married again, especially after what I've been through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-minnelli/but-i-don-t-think-there-s-any-reason-to-get-married-again-especially/) [Liza Minnelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-minnelli/) > [Some people say the reason I am not married is that I don't understand small business and the toughest small business in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-prokhorov/some-people-say-the-reason-i-am-not-married-is-that-i-don-t/) [Mikhail Prokhorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-prokhorov/) > [I have always felt the only reason to get married is to have children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soha-ali-khan/i-have-always-felt-the-only-reason-to-get-married-is-to-have-children/) [Soha Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soha-ali-khan/) ## More by Richard Yates > [“Rachel was a girl who depended on small, recurrent rituals - that was one of the things he'd come to know about her, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/rachel-was-a-girl-who-depended-on-small-recurrent-rituals-that-was/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“In the East, he then believed, a man went to college not for vocational training but in disciplined search for wisdom and beauty, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/in-the-east-he-then-believed-a-man-went-to-college-not-for-vocational/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [God knows there certainly ought to be a window around here somewhere, for all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/god-knows-there-certainly-ought-to-be-a-window-around-here-somewhere/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“And you know what else I used to love? 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It’s the inability to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/do-you-know-what-the-definition-of-insane-is-yes-it-s-the-inability/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“It had been easy to decide in favor of love on Bethune Street, in favor of walking proud and naked on the grass rug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/it-had-been-easy-to-decide-in-favor-of-love-on-bethune-street-in/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [Anybody's marriage might benefit from an occasional embargo on talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/anybody-s-marriage-might-benefit-from-an-occasional-embargo-on-talk/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“Sometimes in dreams there are visions of the past. 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Sort of. I still had this idea that there was a whole world of marvelous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/you-still-felt-that-life-was-passing-you-by-sort-of-i-still-had-this/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) [Explore all 140 Richard Yates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) ## More Buying a house quotes > [Buying a house is not an overnight decision, and people can wait for 3 to 6 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajay-piramal/buying-a-house-is-not-an-overnight-decision-and-people-can-wait-for-3/) [Ajay Piramal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajay-piramal/) > [The only real indulgence was buying a house. That was a pretty big step.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calista-flockhart/the-only-real-indulgence-was-buying-a-house-that-was-a-pretty-big-step/) [Calista Flockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calista-flockhart/) > [“There sure are a lot of stairs. Holy crap,will these things ever end? Seriously? MORE STAIRS? This is ridiculous.I'm never buying a house with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-perkins/there-sure-are-a-lot-of-stairs-holy-crap-will-these-things-ever-end/) [Stephanie Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-perkins/) > [You see politicians talking about negative gearing or tax on your second home - most people I knew growing up couldn't afford the rent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/you-see-politicians-talking-about-negative-gearing-or-tax-on-your/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [You know, when I eat three peas, I'm pregnant. 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Even after a decade of being in Mumbai, there was a time when we didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/buying-a-house-in-mumbai-is-a-big-deal-even-after-a-decade-of-being/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [There are many things children accept as "grown-up things" over when they have no control and for which they have no responsibility--for instance, weddings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/there-are-many-things-children-accept-as-grown-up-things-over-when/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [I'm afraid of buying a house or anything, 'cause if there's one paparazzi outside for one day, then they'll never leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/i-m-afraid-of-buying-a-house-or-anything-cause-if-there-s-one/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [“I've come to the conclusion that buying a house is a lot like courting a woman. 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Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robbins/) > [“I acknowledged Gabe and his attempts at flight the way a legless child might view a hopeful but misguided parent buying a house full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslye-walton/i-acknowledged-gabe-and-his-attempts-at-flight-the-way-a-legless/) [Leslye Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslye-walton/) > [I watched my parents go from having very basic jobs to educating themselves, to buying a house. They set a really good bar for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinie-tempah/i-watched-my-parents-go-from-having-very-basic-jobs-to-educating/) [Tinie Tempah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinie-tempah/) [Browse all 33 Buying a house quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying-a-house/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Wasn’t it true, then, that everything in his life from that point on had been a succession of things he hadn’t really wanted to do? 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