---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many lonely people, Strike knew, found it…"
description: "\"“Many lonely people, Strike knew, found it pleasant to be the focus of somebody’s undivided attention and sought to prolong the novel experience.”\" — R..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/robert-galbraith-3411_focus_many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it_1320592.jpg"
---

#  Many lonely people, Strike knew, found it pleasant to be…

![“Many lonely people, Strike knew, found it pleasant to be the focus of somebody’s undivided attention and sought to prolong the novel experience.” quote by Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/robert-galbraith-3411_focus_many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it_1320592.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/robert-galbraith-3411_focus_many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it_1320592.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/robert-galbraith-3411_focus_many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it_1320592.jpg)

> ““Many lonely people, Strike knew, found it pleasant to be the focus of somebody’s undivided attention and sought to prolong the novel experience.””

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Lonely individuals crave undivided attention, seeking to extend the feeling of being the focus.

**In simple terms:** Loneliness drives desire for attention.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address underlying loneliness.

Themes

loneliness attention human connection

Mood

introspective empathetic

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- social media interactions
- friendship dynamics

Key Concepts

psychology social needs validation

Questions to Reflect On

- What does seeking attention reveal about personal insecurities?
- How can we provide genuine connection without fostering dependency?

A Different Perspective

Attention alone cannot fulfill deeper emotional needs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Lonely people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely-people/) [Undivided attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undivided-attention/)

## Related quotes

> [“Intuition, they called it, but Strike knew it to be the reading of subtle signs, the subconscious joining of dots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/intuition-they-called-it-but-strike-knew-it-to-be-the-reading-of/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“However, Strike knew that the truly deluded would happily discount such trivialities as DNA evidence, citing contamination, or conspiracy. They saw what they wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/however-strike-knew-that-the-truly-deluded-would-happily-discount/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [Most people prepare for travels by reading about their destination; it always seemed an odd approach to me. I find it much easier and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/most-people-prepare-for-travels-by-reading-about-their-destination-it/)

[Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/)

> [“Only the thirsty knows the real taste of water; only the lonely knows the real weight of emptiness!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/only-the-thirsty-knows-the-real-taste-of-water-only-the-lonely-knows/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“We are accustomed to think of ourselves as a great democratic body, linked by common ties of blood and language, united indissolubly by all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/we-are-accustomed-to-think-of-ourselves-as-a-great-democratic-body/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [Lonely people have enthusiasms which cannot always be explained. When something strikes them as funny, the intensity and length of their laughter mirrors the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/lonely-people-have-enthusiasms-which-cannot-always-be-explained-when/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [SOLIDAO, LONELINESS. What is it that we call loneliness. It can't simply be the absence of others, you can be alone and not lonely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pascal-mercier/solidao-loneliness-what-is-it-that-we-call-loneliness-it-can-t-simply/)

[Pascal Mercier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pascal-mercier/)

> [Howie Epstein was a kind, patient, and extremely talented musician. He took two years out of his life and dedicated his undivided attention to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prine/howie-epstein-was-a-kind-patient-and-extremely-talented-musician-he/)

[John Prine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prine/)

> [Baboon on your back, but what's sad is that crack, was introduced to hispanic communities and blacks, But then it spread to white and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/outkast/baboon-on-your-back-but-what-s-sad-is-that-crack-was-introduced-to/)

[Outkast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/outkast/)

> [“The sentiment behind the golden rule is great (treating others the way we wish to be treated ourselves). But nowadays we don’t even treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timber-hawkeye/the-sentiment-behind-the-golden-rule-is-great-treating-others-the-way/)

[Timber Hawkeye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timber-hawkeye/)

> [Everyone is always in need of something that another person can give, be it undivided attention, a kind word or deep empathy. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/everyone-is-always-in-need-of-something-that-another-person-can-give/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [ “The Sexual plight of these children \[those adolescents experimenting sexually\] is officially not mentioned. The revolutionary attack on hypocrisy by Ibsen, Freud, Ellis, Dreiser,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/the-sexual-plight-of-these-children-those-adolescents-experimenting/)

[Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/)

> [When you smiled you had my undivided attention. When you laughed you had my urge to laugh with you. When you cried you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-smiled-you-had-my-undivided-attention-when-you-laughed-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Desert this mad and unfounded obsession with the so-called truth. In pursuit of truth, you are guaranteed a long and perilous run through a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fahy/desert-this-mad-and-unfounded-obsession-with-the-so-called-truth-in/)

[Tom Fahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fahy/)

> [“The greatest gift you can bestow upon your children is your time and undivided attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brozina/the-greatest-gift-you-can-bestow-upon-your-children-is-your-time-and/)

Jim Brozina

## More by Robert Galbraith

> [“Instinct was clawing at him like an importuning dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/instinct-was-clawing-at-him-like-an-importuning-dog/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“Hard to remember these days that there was a time you had to wait for the ink and paper reviews to see your work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/hard-to-remember-these-days-that-there-was-a-time-you-had-to-wait-for/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“it was weird. Would you believe it if some supermodel called you up and told you she was your sister?’ Strike thought of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/it-was-weird-would-you-believe-it-if-some-supermodel-called-you-up/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“Strike was used to playing archaeologist among the ruins of people’s traumatised memories;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/strike-was-used-to-playing-archaeologist-among-the-ruins-of-people-s/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“The model? Whoa.' But Spanner's interest in human beings, even when dead or famous, was still secondary to his fondness for rare comics, technological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/the-model-whoa-but-spanner-s-interest-in-human-beings-even-when-dead/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“The whole world's writing novels, but nobody's reading them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/the-whole-world-s-writing-novels-but-nobody-s-reading-them/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“Looking like a rake with two plastic tangerines tied to it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/looking-like-a-rake-with-two-plastic-tangerines-tied-to-it/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“so he sat smoking on the sofa with the lower trouser leg hanging empty towards the floor, lost in thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/so-he-sat-smoking-on-the-sofa-with-the-lower-trouser-leg-hanging/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“People liked to talk; there were very few exceptions, the question was how you made them do it. Some were amenable to alcohol; others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/people-liked-to-talk-there-were-very-few-exceptions-the-question-was/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“Can I ask who you are, sir?" "Yeah, I expect so," said Strike, walking past him and ringing the doorbell. Anstis's dinner invitation notwithstanding,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/can-i-ask-who-you-are-sir-yeah-i-expect-so-said-strike-walking-past/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“With the invention of the internet, any subliterate cretin can be Michiko Kakutani.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/with-the-invention-of-the-internet-any-subliterate-cretin-can-be/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“She is a woman of an excellent assurance, and an extraordinary happy wit, and tongue. Ben Jonson, Epicoene, or The Silent Woman”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/she-is-a-woman-of-an-excellent-assurance-and-an-extraordinary-happy/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“Forever encased in the amber of a writer's prose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/forever-encased-in-the-amber-of-a-writer-s-prose/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“...writers are a savage breed, Mr. Strike. If you want life-long friendship and selfless camaraderie, join the army and learn to kill. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/writers-are-a-savage-breed-mr-strike-if-you-want-life-long-friendship/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

> [“mythomania, her need to provoke, to taunt, to test.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/mythomania-her-need-to-provoke-to-taunt-to-test/)

[Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

[Explore all 130 Robert Galbraith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/)

## More Focus quotes

> [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/)

[Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/)

> [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/)

[Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/)

> [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/)

[Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/)

> [There are more important things to focus on in life than how you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/there-are-more-important-things-to-focus-on-in-life-than-how-you-look/)

[Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [“This is Galileo,” said Aristotle. “He advocates understanding the world through observation and experiment. He is an unimaginative thinker, but his results demand our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/this-is-galileo-said-aristotle-he-advocates-understanding-the-world/)

[Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/)

> [Too many times we flitter our energy into too many goals and in the process don't achieve much. Focus is very important in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishali-kasture/too-many-times-we-flitter-our-energy-into-too-many-goals-and-in-the/)

[Vaishali Kasture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishali-kasture/)

> [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/)

[Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/)

> [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/)

[Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/)

> [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [All I'm focused on is playing my game. Everything else will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigor-dimitrov/all-i-m-focused-on-is-playing-my-game-everything-else-will-take-care/)

[Grigor Dimitrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigor-dimitrov/)

> [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/)

[Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/)

[Browse all 11,734 Focus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Many lonely people, Strike knew, found it pleasant to be the focus of somebody’s undivided attention and sought to prolong the novel experience.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Galbraith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it-pleasant-to-be-the-focus-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Focus"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it-pleasant-to-be-the-focus-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/robert-galbraith-3411_focus_many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it_1320592.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/robert-galbraith-3411_focus_many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it_1320592.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/robert-galbraith-3411_focus_many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it_1320592.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Many lonely people, Strike knew, found it pleasant to be the focus of somebody’s undivided attention and…” — Robert Galbraith",
                "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": "Robert Galbraith",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Many lonely people, Strike knew, found...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it-pleasant-to-be-the-focus-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/many-lonely-people-strike-knew-found-it-pleasant-to-be-the-focus-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
