--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whether you look at no men at all, or…" description: "\"“Whether you look at no men at all, or look at every single one - it comes to the same thing. You can throw yourself at their hearts, because you've go..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/robert-musil-2009_quote_whether-you-look-at-no-men-at-all-or-loo_937455.jpg" --- # Whether you look at no men at all, or look at every single… ![“Whether you look at no men at all, or look at every single one - it comes to the same thing. You can throw yourself at their hearts, because you've gone mad from being always a stranger; from not being able to understand how you can even bear to hold their hands in your own any longer than you…” quote by Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/robert-musil-2009_quote_whether-you-look-at-no-men-at-all-or-loo_937455.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/robert-musil-2009_quote_whether-you-look-at-no-men-at-all-or-loo_937455.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/033/robert-musil-2009_quote_whether-you-look-at-no-men-at-all-or-loo_937455.jpg) > ““Whether you look at no men at all, or look at every single one - it comes to the same thing. You can throw yourself at their hearts, because you've gone mad from being always a stranger; from not being able to understand how you can even bear to hold their hands in your own any longer than you have to.”” [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) ## 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 explores alienation and the paradox of intimacy, suggesting that despite attempts to connect, we remain strangers to each other's inner worlds. **In simple terms:** We stay distant even when we try to get close. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect emotional boundaries. Themes alienation intimacy existentialism Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - relationship counseling - personal therapy - artistic expression Key Concepts selfhood otherness psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance closeness with personal autonomy? - Can true understanding ever be achieved? A Different Perspective Human connection is limited by inherent otherness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hearts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts/) [Hold Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-hands/) [Look Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-men-601113/) [Mad Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mad-stranger-1576969/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) ## Related quotes > [People in chorus tends to be much more emotional or at least wear their hearts on their sleeve. They are generally the kind to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-whitacre/people-in-chorus-tends-to-be-much-more-emotional-or-at-least-wear/) [Eric Whitacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-whitacre/) > [She will look at you as women look at men, and she will judge you as a woman judge men...not on the strength of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/she-will-look-at-you-as-women-look-at-men-and-she-will-judge-you-as-a/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [When I need to identify rebels, I look for men with principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/when-i-need-to-identify-rebels-i-look-for-men-with-principles/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Not because Socrates said so,... I look upon all men as my compatriots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/not-because-socrates-said-so-i-look-upon-all-men-as-my-compatriots/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [If you look at men's roles for the last thousand years, the desire is fundamental. We want to take care of, provide for, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/if-you-look-at-men-s-roles-for-the-last-thousand-years-the-desire-is/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [It really pisses me off when people look at women who are older and are not in a relationship as somehow sad or missing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-shor/it-really-pisses-me-off-when-people-look-at-women-who-are-older-and/) [Miriam Shor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-shor/) > [All women like to look up to their men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/all-women-like-to-look-up-to-their-men/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [The only way to look at men is like they're electrons. They have all these charges sticking out, and they're always looking for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/the-only-way-to-look-at-men-is-like-they-re-electrons-they-have-all/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [“Eyes on me.” His low timber rolls across my skin and causes a warm chill to hit me right between my legs. “Only me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-riley/eyes-on-me-his-low-timber-rolls-across-my-skin-and-causes-a-warm/) [Alexa Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-riley/) > [Women need to look for men with goals , education & a future. in ten years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/women-need-to-look-for-men-with-goals-education-a-future-in-ten-years/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm into the natural look on men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunx/i-m-into-the-natural-look-on-men/) [Hunx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunx/) > [When you look at men's fashion magazines, you see a lot of well-groomed guys in suits, but very rarely do you see a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-astbury/when-you-look-at-men-s-fashion-magazines-you-see-a-lot-of-well/) [Ian Astbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-astbury/) > [Father's Day is hopefully a time when the culture says, 'This is our moment to look at who our men and boys are.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gurian/father-s-day-is-hopefully-a-time-when-the-culture-says-this-is-our/) [Michael Gurian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gurian/) > [What you see is what you get. I think women often look at men as projects and try to change us. But we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-lopez/what-you-see-is-what-you-get-i-think-women-often-look-at-men-as/) [Mario Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-lopez/) > [Men look at women's behinds and go: what an ass! Women look at men faces and go: what an ass!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/men-look-at-women-s-behinds-and-go-what-an-ass-women-look-at-men/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) ## More by Robert Musil > [“Everything we feel and do is somehow oriented "lifeward," and the least deviation away from this direction toward something beyond is difficult or alarming.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/everything-we-feel-and-do-is-somehow-oriented-lifeward-and-the-least/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [“He was in that familiar state - not that the occasion mattered to seriously to him -- of incoherent ideas spreading outward without a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/he-was-in-that-familiar-state-not-that-the-occasion-mattered-to/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [It is life that does the thinking all around us, forming with playful ease the connections our reason can only laboriously patch together piecemeal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/it-is-life-that-does-the-thinking-all-around-us-forming-with-playful/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [“What is it you do, then? I'll tell you: You leave out whatever doesn't suit you. As the author himself has done before you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/what-is-it-you-do-then-i-ll-tell-you-you-leave-out-whatever-doesn-t/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [and while faith based on theological reasoning is today universally engaged in a bitter struggle with doubt and resistance from the prevailing brand of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/and-while-faith-based-on-theological-reasoning-is-today-universally/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [What is the use of good painting? We want a spell cast upon the optical part of our existence! We seldom really see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/what-is-the-use-of-good-painting-we-want-a-spell-cast-upon-the/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [That the will of the people can be established by voting for democrats is, of course, a delusion. Yet when considering a non-threatening system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/that-the-will-of-the-people-can-be-established-by-voting-for/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [“Ein Mann, der die Wahrheit will, wird Gelehrter; ein Mann, der seine Subjektivität spielen lassen will, wird vielleicht Schriftsteller; was aber soll ein Mann…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/ein-mann-der-die-wahrheit-will-wird-gelehrter-ein-mann-der-seine/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [“For a long time now a hint of aversion had lain on everything he did and experienced, a shadow of impotence and loneliness, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/for-a-long-time-now-a-hint-of-aversion-had-lain-on-everything-he-did/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [“All the knowledge that has led our species from wearing animal skins to people flying, complete with proofs, would fill a handful of reference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/all-the-knowledge-that-has-led-our-species-from-wearing-animal-skins/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [I also believe that few people remain completely untouched by the thought that instead of the life they lead there might also be another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/i-also-believe-that-few-people-remain-completely-untouched-by-the/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [“His appearance gives no clue to what his profession might be, and yet he doesn't look like a man without a profession either. Consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/his-appearance-gives-no-clue-to-what-his-profession-might-be-and-yet/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [Philosophers are people who do violence, but have no army at their disposal, and so subjugate the world by locking it into a system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/philosophers-are-people-who-do-violence-but-have-no-army-at-their/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [“The drive of his own nature to keep developing prevents him from believing that anything is final and complete, yet everything he encounters behaves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/the-drive-of-his-own-nature-to-keep-developing-prevents-him-from/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [“And so the mind or spirit is the great opportunist, itself impossible to pin down, take hold of, anywhere; one is tempted to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/and-so-the-mind-or-spirit-is-the-great-opportunist-itself-impossible/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) [Explore all 139 Robert Musil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) ## More Hearts quotes > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Well, write me into the list of Those Who Don’t Mind a Bit,” said Cupid, eyeing his perfectly toned arms and chest. “My, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/well-write-me-into-the-list-of-those-who-don-t-mind-a-bit-said-cupid/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/where-can-we-go-to-find-god-if-we-cannot-see-him-in-our-own-hearts/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [When the time comes for you to give your heart to someone, make sure that you select someone who will never break your heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-the-time-comes-for-you-to-give-your-heart-to-someone-make-sure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's a fact of life. Hearts are always hurting. And yet they still keep pumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-castellucci/it-s-a-fact-of-life-hearts-are-always-hurting-and-yet-they-still-keep/) [Cecil Castellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-castellucci/) > [The last four years have not diluted the memory or weakened the resolve of our citizens. Four years later, our hearts still hurt for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-doolittle/the-last-four-years-have-not-diluted-the-memory-or-weakened-the/) [John Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-doolittle/) > [The Good Hearts always easily get broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/the-good-hearts-always-easily-get-broken/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [The thing is, it has to do with heart - we have to understand what hearts are for before we can get back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/the-thing-is-it-has-to-do-with-heart-we-have-to-understand-what/) [John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/) > [“…the child's heart bled when it was broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-child-s-heart-bled-when-it-was-broken/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [For you do not yet know the strengths of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet on the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-you-do-not-yet-know-the-strengths-of-your-hearts-and-you-cannot/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Eat and drink; they say to you but their hearts are not with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-flores/eat-and-drink-they-say-to-you-but-their-hearts-are-not-with-you/) [Lara Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-flores/) > [Different hearts beat on different strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/different-hearts-beat-on-different-strings/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [When you start looking at people's hearts,instead of their face,life becomes clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-start-looking-at-people-s-hearts-instead-of-their-face-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We've all had someone break our hearts or have been fired from a job or have been cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/we-ve-all-had-someone-break-our-hearts-or-have-been-fired-from-a-job/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) [Browse all 1,237 Hearts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Whether you look at no men at all, or look at every single one - it comes to the same thing. 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