--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you were to look on him fleetingly, to…" description: "\"“If you were to look on him fleetingly, to spare him only a passing glance, you would see only a man. If you looked a moment longer, you might get the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/140/s-g-night-9655_man-looked_if-you-were-to-look-on-him-fleetingly-to_2990784.jpg" --- # If you were to look on him fleetingly, to spare him only a… ![“If you were to look on him fleetingly, to spare him only a passing glance, you would see only a man. If you looked a moment longer, you might get the feeling that there was something about him, something distinctly different. You might notice something peculiar about his eyes, might spot something…” quote by S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/140/s-g-night-9655_man-looked_if-you-were-to-look-on-him-fleetingly-to_2990784.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/140/s-g-night-9655_man-looked_if-you-were-to-look-on-him-fleetingly-to_2990784.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/140/s-g-night-9655_man-looked_if-you-were-to-look-on-him-fleetingly-to_2990784.jpg) > ““If you were to look on him fleetingly, to spare him only a passing glance, you would see only a man. If you looked a moment longer, you might get the feeling that there was something about him, something distinctly different. You might notice something peculiar about his eyes, might spot something strange about the tattoos running the length of his arms. Something out of place, something you cannot quite put your finger on….But to you, he still would be just a man. But a clever eye…a clever eye could see him for what he truly is. A clever eye would notice how his pupils taper at their tops and bottoms. A clever eye would see that his irises are no natural color. A clever eye would see that the patterns coiled on his arms, like blackened tongues of roiling flame, are not sunken into his skin like a tattoo’s Ink, but gently beveled at their edges — a part of his flesh. A clever eye could tell that, no, he is not just a man. Not just a Human. He is a Majiski — one of my people. -The Penitent God”” [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A perceptive observer can discern hidden, non‑human traits that ordinary glances miss, revealing deeper identity. **In simple terms:** Seeing beyond the surface reveals true nature. Key Takeaway Look deeper, question appearances. Themes perception identity otherness observation Mood curious intrigued analytical Type narrative descriptive philosophical When to use this quote - first encounter - investigation - character analysis - detective work Key Concepts anthropology species distinction visual cues Questions to Reflect On - What details would you notice first? - How does bias affect what you see? A Different Perspective If the observer lacks knowledge, they may misinterpret or overlook crucial signs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clever Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever-eye-4699564/) [Eye Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye-clever-4699565/) [Man Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-looked-232494/) [Peculiar Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peculiar-eyes-4699567/) [Strange Tattoos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange-tattoos-4699566/) ## Related quotes > [“Of course you are peculiar. If the world continues its present trend, and if you walk in obedience to the doctrines and principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/of-course-you-are-peculiar-if-the-world-continues-its-present-trend/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [Barring that natural expression of villainy which we all have, the man looked honest enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/barring-that-natural-expression-of-villainy-which-we-all-have-the-man/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The young man looked down from the cart at the people in front of him. Jonah felt his teacher’s eyes meet his own, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-myers/the-young-man-looked-down-from-the-cart-at-the-people-in-front-of-him/) [Anna Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-myers/) > [“Twas a shame a man who looked like that ever had to wear a shirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mallory/twas-a-shame-a-man-who-looked-like-that-ever-had-to-wear-a-shirt/) [Margaret Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mallory/) > [“The fat man looked amused. "What on earth for?" he said. "I never have any contact with writers. If I do, they just keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavie-tidhar/the-fat-man-looked-amused-what-on-earth-for-he-said-i-never-have-any/) [Lavie Tidhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavie-tidhar/) > [“As I was leaving, a door opened and a man looked out. I got the feeling we were having a mutual oh-crap-you're-not-supposed-to-see-me reaction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rardin/as-i-was-leaving-a-door-opened-and-a-man-looked-out-i-got-the-feeling/) [Jennifer Rardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rardin/) > [“Upon which, every man looked at his neighbour, and then all cast down their eyes and sat silent. Except one man, who got up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/upon-which-every-man-looked-at-his-neighbour-and-then-all-cast-down/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The old man looked at him with his sun-burned, confident loving eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-old-man-looked-at-him-with-his-sun-burned-confident-loving-eyes/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Tim and Marlboro Man looked toward the fire. “C’mon, Charlie,” Tim said. “Why don’t you drive us around to the north side and we’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/tim-and-marlboro-man-looked-toward-the-fire-c-mon-charlie-tim-said/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [There's never a man looked me between the eyes and seen a good day a'terward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/there-s-never-a-man-looked-me-between-the-eyes-and-seen-a-good-day-a/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“He was a broad-faced man who looked good in hats. Who”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/he-was-a-broad-faced-man-who-looked-good-in-hats-who/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [“The man looked really spooked. And a spooked Force Recon Marine with a head injury was not someone to fool around with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-urban/the-man-looked-really-spooked-and-a-spooked-force-recon-marine-with-a/) [Madeleine Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-urban/) > [“Pull himself together? This was a man who looked permanently cemented together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/pull-himself-together-this-was-a-man-who-looked-permanently-cemented/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [“As I sat there I could not believe that this boring, average-looking man with his receding hairline and large glasses – a man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-lawrence-young/as-i-sat-there-i-could-not-believe-that-this-boring-average-looking/) [D. Lawrence-Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-lawrence-young/) > [“She couldn’t make him look just like any other man to her. He looked like the love thoughts of women. He could be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/she-couldn-t-make-him-look-just-like-any-other-man-to-her-he-looked/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) ## More by S.G. Night > [“Forgive me, I have yet to introduce myself.” The Human spread his arms expansively and bowed in his chair. He made grand gestures at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/forgive-me-i-have-yet-to-introduce-myself-the-human-spread-his-arms/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“Rachel scowled. “You’ve known Mrak longer than anyone alive. You know what I know — the things he's done, the things he hides from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/rachel-scowled-you-ve-known-mrak-longer-than-anyone-alive-you-know/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“Rachel snorted derisively. “You don’t seriously buy into all her prophetess hocus-pocus, do you?” “I do, actually,” Notak said, frowning. “She is the augur,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/rachel-snorted-derisively-you-don-t-seriously-buy-into-all-her/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“Hmm,” Joseph shrugged. “Good point. Who needs a caravan guard when you’ve got a Genshwin?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/hmm-joseph-shrugged-good-point-who-needs-a-caravan-guard-when-you-ve/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“This will do,” Notak said. “I need to meet my colleague to discuss details. How much do you want for the map?” “Go ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/this-will-do-notak-said-i-need-to-meet-my-colleague-to-discuss/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“He has a story. A story worth more than my own beating heart. He has a name. A name that — if it were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/he-has-a-story-a-story-worth-more-than-my-own-beating-heart-he-has-a/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“Oh, God in heaven, kill me now…” Rachel groaned. “I hate going to see Mrak. I always feel awkward going back to Velik Tor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/oh-god-in-heaven-kill-me-now-rachel-groaned-i-hate-going-to-see-mrak/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“His is the name of fire, the name that rides the whisper of the candlelight. His name was…is…Racath Thanjel. And this is his story.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/his-is-the-name-of-fire-the-name-that-rides-the-whisper-of-the/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“No one really knew who (or what) the Curator actually was, nor could anyone guess as to where he came from or why he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/no-one-really-knew-who-or-what-the-curator-actually-was-nor-could/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“You had your chance. But that’s over now. No more antidotes. No more schedules. No more sickly-sweet order. No more cheating death. Your time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/you-had-your-chance-but-that-s-over-now-no-more-antidotes-no-more/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“An upright spine is more valuable to me than favor.” - Racath Thanjel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/an-upright-spine-is-more-valuable-to-me-than-favor-racath-thanjel/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“She was always like that — it’s what I remember most about her. There was always something…wrong with Rachel. She was always permeated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/she-was-always-like-that-it-s-what-i-remember-most-about-her-there/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“Ah, good day, friend. Nice of you to drop in on my little corner of the world. How might I assist you on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/ah-good-day-friend-nice-of-you-to-drop-in-on-my-little-corner-of-the/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Death. How may I be of service this evening?” - Racath Thanjel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/good-evening-ladies-and-gentlemen-my-name-is-death-how-may-i-be-of/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) > [“I am Notak,” he answered in his dry, normal voice. “I kill Demons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-night/i-am-notak-he-answered-in-his-dry-normal-voice-i-kill-demons/) [S.G. Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) [Explore all 71 S.G. Night quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-night/) ## More Man Looked quotes > [Barring that natural expression of villainy which we all have, the man looked honest enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/barring-that-natural-expression-of-villainy-which-we-all-have-the-man/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“As I sat there I could not believe that this boring, average-looking man with his receding hairline and large glasses – a man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-lawrence-young/as-i-sat-there-i-could-not-believe-that-this-boring-average-looking/) [D. Lawrence-Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-lawrence-young/) > [“Pull himself together? This was a man who looked permanently cemented together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-banks/pull-himself-together-this-was-a-man-who-looked-permanently-cemented/) [Maya Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-banks/) > [“The man looked really spooked. And a spooked Force Recon Marine with a head injury was not someone to fool around with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-urban/the-man-looked-really-spooked-and-a-spooked-force-recon-marine-with-a/) [Madeleine Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-urban/) > [“He was a broad-faced man who looked good in hats. Who”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mcdermott/he-was-a-broad-faced-man-who-looked-good-in-hats-who/) [Alice McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mcdermott/) > [There's never a man looked me between the eyes and seen a good day a'terward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/there-s-never-a-man-looked-me-between-the-eyes-and-seen-a-good-day-a/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“Tim and Marlboro Man looked toward the fire. “C’mon, Charlie,” Tim said. “Why don’t you drive us around to the north side and we’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/tim-and-marlboro-man-looked-toward-the-fire-c-mon-charlie-tim-said/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [The old man looked at him with his sun-burned, confident loving eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-old-man-looked-at-him-with-his-sun-burned-confident-loving-eyes/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Upon which, every man looked at his neighbour, and then all cast down their eyes and sat silent. Except one man, who got up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/upon-which-every-man-looked-at-his-neighbour-and-then-all-cast-down/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“As I was leaving, a door opened and a man looked out. I got the feeling we were having a mutual oh-crap-you're-not-supposed-to-see-me reaction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rardin/as-i-was-leaving-a-door-opened-and-a-man-looked-out-i-got-the-feeling/) [Jennifer Rardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rardin/) > [“The fat man looked amused. "What on earth for?" he said. "I never have any contact with writers. If I do, they just keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavie-tidhar/the-fat-man-looked-amused-what-on-earth-for-he-said-i-never-have-any/) [Lavie Tidhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavie-tidhar/) > [“Twas a shame a man who looked like that ever had to wear a shirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mallory/twas-a-shame-a-man-who-looked-like-that-ever-had-to-wear-a-shirt/) [Margaret Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mallory/) > [“The young man looked down from the cart at the people in front of him. Jonah felt his teacher’s eyes meet his own, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-myers/the-young-man-looked-down-from-the-cart-at-the-people-in-front-of-him/) [Anna Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-myers/) > [“She couldn’t make him look just like any other man to her. He looked like the love thoughts of women. He could be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zora-neale-hurston/she-couldn-t-make-him-look-just-like-any-other-man-to-her-he-looked/) [Zora Neale Hurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zora-neale-hurston/) > [“There must be some kind of internal time distortion effect in here, because when I look at myself in the little mirror above my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-yu/there-must-be-some-kind-of-internal-time-distortion-effect-in-here/) [Charles Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-yu/) [Browse all 28 Man Looked quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-looked-232494/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you were to look on him fleetingly, to spare him only a passing glance, you would see only a man. If you looked a moment longer, you might get the feeling that there was something about him, something distinctly different. You might notice something peculiar about his eyes, might spot something strange about the tattoos running the length of his arms. Something out of place, something you cannot quite put your finger on….But to you, he still would be just a man. But a clever eye…a clever eye could see him for what he truly is. A clever eye would notice how his pupils taper at their tops and bottoms. A clever eye would see that his irises are no natural color. A clever eye would see that the patterns coiled on his arms, like blackened tongues of roiling flame, are not sunken into his skin like a tattoo’s Ink, but gently beveled at their edges — a part of his flesh. A clever eye could tell that, no, he is not just a man. Not just a Human. He is a Majiski — one of my people. -The Penitent God”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "S.G. 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