--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Curious, he thought, how, if you knew a…" description: "\"“Curious, he thought, how, if you knew a person long enough, he could elicit every kind of emotion from you, every possible reaction, envy, admiration,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ae/rohinton-mistry-4393_admiration_curious-he-thought-how-if-you-knew-a-per_2788655.jpg" --- # Curious, he thought, how, if you knew a person long… ![“Curious, he thought, how, if you knew a person long enough, he could elicit every kind of emotion from you, every possible reaction, envy, admiration, pity, irritation, fury, fondness, jealousy, love, disgust. But in the end all human beings became candidates for compassion, all of us, without…” quote by Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ae/rohinton-mistry-4393_admiration_curious-he-thought-how-if-you-knew-a-per_2788655.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ae/rohinton-mistry-4393_admiration_curious-he-thought-how-if-you-knew-a-per_2788655.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ae/rohinton-mistry-4393_admiration_curious-he-thought-how-if-you-knew-a-per_2788655.jpg) > ““Curious, he thought, how, if you knew a person long enough, he could elicit every kind of emotion from you, every possible reaction, envy, admiration, pity, irritation, fury, fondness, jealousy, love, disgust. But in the end all human beings became candidates for compassion, all of us, without exception...and if we could recognize this from the beginning, what a saving in pain and grief and misery.”” [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deep familiarity with a person evokes a full spectrum of emotions, leading to universal compassion and reduced suffering. **In simple terms:** Knowing others breeds compassion. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy to ease pain. Themes compassion human connection emotions Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - friendship - counseling - community building Key Concepts emotional intelligence shared experience Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance empathy with self‑care? - What practices sustain compassionate action? A Different Perspective Compassion can be overwhelming without boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Admiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admiration/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Pain And Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain-and-grief/) [Thought provoking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-provoking/) ## Related quotes > [A mixture of admiration and pity is one of the surest recipes for affection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/a-mixture-of-admiration-and-pity-is-one-of-the-surest-recipes-for/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [Human affairs inspire in noble hearts only two feelings-admiration or pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/human-affairs-inspire-in-noble-hearts-only-two-feelings-admiration-or/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [If you lose emotion, and you gain it back, you realise that hate and love are very important to distribute properly. So I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/if-you-lose-emotion-and-you-gain-it-back-you-realise-that-hate-and/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [It's amazing to hear, as a voice matures and then starts to decline, what kind of emotion is still conveyed by a really good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wopat/it-s-amazing-to-hear-as-a-voice-matures-and-then-starts-to-decline/) [Tom Wopat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wopat/) > [So pretty much, to sum it up, if you can freak someone out and bring that kind of emotion out of somebody with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lambert/so-pretty-much-to-sum-it-up-if-you-can-freak-someone-out-and-bring/) [Adam Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lambert/) > [“Life can be so difficult at times, but fighting through the pain is so worth it. It's better to feel every kind of emotion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/life-can-be-so-difficult-at-times-but-fighting-through-the-pain-is-so/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Living in somebody else's pain for an actor man, it's actually nice when you get to feel that kind of emotion. That's what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-teller/living-in-somebody-else-s-pain-for-an-actor-man-it-s-actually-nice/) [Miles Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-teller/) > [Ever since I was four years old, I loved making people smile, making them think, making them feel good, feel some kind of emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-margret/ever-since-i-was-four-years-old-i-loved-making-people-smile-making/) [Ann-Margret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-margret/) > [We may not commit a lesser Sin under pretence to avoid a greater, but we may, nay we ought to endure the greatest Pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-astell/we-may-not-commit-a-lesser-sin-under-pretence-to-avoid-a-greater-but/) [Mary Astell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-astell/) > [“She did believe in God. And she believed that Jane was with him. And suddenly her pain and grief became human and natural. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/she-did-believe-in-god-and-she-believed-that-jane-was-with-him-and/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“Not one day in anyone’s life is an uneventful day, no day without profound meaning, no matter how dull and boring it might seem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/not-one-day-in-anyone-s-life-is-an-uneventful-day-no-day-without/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [Said l loved you but l lied... Like the nocturnal's horizons dull and rancid to glow, like nightingale's fluttered wings blown by the cyclone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/said-l-loved-you-but-l-lied-like-the-nocturnal-s-horizons-dull-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's a secret to get through loss, pain and grief. If we're alone we can't see who we are. When we join the club,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/there-s-a-secret-to-get-through-loss-pain-and-grief-if-we-re-alone-we/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [“When I’m invisible I don’t have to feel anything. The pain and grief and fear goes away. I go numb and quiet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-paterson/when-i-m-invisible-i-don-t-have-to-feel-anything-the-pain-and-grief/) [Cecily Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-paterson/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) ## More by Rohinton Mistry > [You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/you-have-to-maintain-a-fine-balance-between-hope-and-despair/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [What folly made young people, even those in middle age, think they were immortal? How much better, their lives, if they could remember the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/what-folly-made-young-people-even-those-in-middle-age-think-they-were/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [“What sense did the world make? Where was God, the Bloody Fool? Did He have no notion of fair and unfair? Couldn't He read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/what-sense-did-the-world-make-where-was-god-the-bloody-fool-did-he/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [Lately you are brooding too much about rights. Give up this dangerous habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/lately-you-are-brooding-too-much-about-rights-give-up-this-dangerous/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [Flirting with madness was one thing; when madness started flirting back, it was time to call the whole thing off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/flirting-with-madness-was-one-thing-when-madness-started-flirting/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [“But since the world is imperfect, we must put blinders on the senses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/but-since-the-world-is-imperfect-we-must-put-blinders-on-the-senses/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [“And the further they go, the more they'll remember, they can take it from me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/and-the-further-they-go-the-more-they-ll-remember-they-can-take-it/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [World can be a bewildering place,and dreams and ambitions are often paths to the most pernicious of traps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/world-can-be-a-bewildering-place-and-dreams-and-ambitions-are-often/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [“In those days," continued Ishvar, "it seemed to me that that was all one could expect in life. A harsh road strewn with sharp…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/in-those-days-continued-ishvar-it-seemed-to-me-that-that-was-all-one/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [“God is dead," said Maneck. "That's what a German philosopher wrote." She was shocked. "Trust the Germans to say such things," she frowned. "And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/god-is-dead-said-maneck-that-s-what-a-german-philosopher-wrote-she/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [“Where humans were concerned, the only emotion that made sense was wonder, at their ability to endure; and sorrow, for the hopelessness of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/where-humans-were-concerned-the-only-emotion-that-made-sense-was/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [“I've done lots of jobs. Right now, I'm a hair collector." "That's good", said Ishvar tentatively. "What do you have to do as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/i-ve-done-lots-of-jobs-right-now-i-m-a-hair-collector-that-s-good/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [If there was an abundance of misery in the world, there was also sufficient joy, yes - as long as one knew where to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/if-there-was-an-abundance-of-misery-in-the-world-there-was-also/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [The whole quilt is much more important than any single square.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/the-whole-quilt-is-much-more-important-than-any-single-square/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [...there was another, gorier parturition, when two nations incarnated out of one. A foreigner drew a magic line on a map and called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/there-was-another-gorier-parturition-when-two-nations-incarnated-out/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) [Explore all 110 Rohinton Mistry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) ## More Admiration quotes > [I have tremendous admiration for companies with the kind of pioneering spirit and innovation eBay has demonstrated from day one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/i-have-tremendous-admiration-for-companies-with-the-kind-of/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [The older you've gotten, the more respect and admiration you've received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jupp-heynckes/the-older-you-ve-gotten-the-more-respect-and-admiration-you-ve/) [Jupp Heynckes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jupp-heynckes/) > [I still don't feel I know Hitchcock at all. I find that the more one looks, the more elusive he becomes. But my admiration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/i-still-don-t-feel-i-know-hitchcock-at-all-i-find-that-the-more-one/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [“There have been those among us who have been so dazzled by the might and technological wizardy of Europe that they have been rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahdaf-soueif/there-have-been-those-among-us-who-have-been-so-dazzled-by-the-might/) [Ahdaf Soueif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahdaf-soueif/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Humor is the opposite of all self-admiration and self-praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/humor-is-the-opposite-of-all-self-admiration-and-self-praise/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) > [“A warm, trustworthy person who is also strong elicits admiration, but only after you’ve established trust does your strength become a gift rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-cuddy/a-warm-trustworthy-person-who-is-also-strong-elicits-admiration-but/) [Amy Cuddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-cuddy/) > [The book it reminded me of most is Henry Miller’s The Books in My Life. Like Miller, Shields manages to convey his affection for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-alexis/the-book-it-reminded-me-of-most-is-henry-miller-s-the-books-in-my/) [Andre Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-alexis/) > [... we need to interrogate "reverence," for idolization can be another way one is objectified and not really taken seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/we-need-to-interrogate-reverence-for-idolization-can-be-another-way/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-may-be-important-to-great-thinkers-to-examine-the-world-to-explain/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“There must be a reason to smile, Miss François. Will you supply one?" It was Daisy's turn to stare. For a long moment they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-jo-wright/there-must-be-a-reason-to-smile-miss-fran-ois-will-you-supply-one-it/) [Jaime Jo Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-jo-wright/) > [“Let me make two remarks. First I concentrate on the task ahead for 2016. I’m quite busy with that—thank you very much. 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