--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But all this was nothing compared to the…" description: "\"“But all this was nothing compared to the face which I regret to say vaguely resembled my own, less the refinement of course, same little abortive mous..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/samuel-beckett-365_mouth-looked_but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the_2180771.jpg" --- # But all this was nothing compared to the face which I… ![“But all this was nothing compared to the face which I regret to say vaguely resembled my own, less the refinement of course, same little abortive moustache, same little ferrety eyes, same paraphimosis of the nose, and a thin red mouth that looked as if it was raw from trying to shit its tongue.” quote by Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/samuel-beckett-365_mouth-looked_but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the_2180771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/samuel-beckett-365_mouth-looked_but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the_2180771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/samuel-beckett-365_mouth-looked_but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the_2180771.jpg) > ““But all this was nothing compared to the face which I regret to say vaguely resembled my own, less the refinement of course, same little abortive moustache, same little ferrety eyes, same paraphimosis of the nose, and a thin red mouth that looked as if it was raw from trying to shit its tongue.”” [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker sees a distorted reflection of himself, highlighting absurdity and self‑disgust in human existence. **In simple terms:** Seeing a flawed self‑image. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection, confront absurdity. Themes absurdism self‑reflection identity disgust humor Mood darkly humorous reflective critical Type literary philosophical satirical When to use this quote - therapy - creative writing - performance art - personal introspection Key Concepts Existentialism self‑awareness body image Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of yourself do you hide? - How does humor soften confronting flaws? A Different Perspective The grotesque description may alienate rather than illuminate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“He leaned forward and bit her bottom lip. It was just the right size. He hated women with thin, judgmental lips. Smeared with dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-watson/he-leaned-forward-and-bit-her-bottom-lip-it-was-just-the-right-size/) [Penny Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-watson/) > [“We have seasonal festivals where men and women can join,” he explained. Sora felt the conversation take a different turn. She hesitated, wondering if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-shreffler/we-have-seasonal-festivals-where-men-and-women-can-join-he-explained/) [T.L. Shreffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-l-shreffler/) > [“Giancana was taken care of in his kitchen in the back of the head and then under the chin six times, Sicilian style, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/giancana-was-taken-care-of-in-his-kitchen-in-the-back-of-the-head-and/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“A smile played around the corners of his mouth. He looked up at me. "Bad dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawkins/a-smile-played-around-the-corners-of-his-mouth-he-looked-up-at-me-bad/) [Rachel Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawkins/) > [“True, at first sight, Grand manifested both the outward signs and typical manner of a humble employee in the local administration. Tall and thin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/true-at-first-sight-grand-manifested-both-the-outward-signs-and/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“His smile pulled up one corner of his mouth and he looked completely destructive. My heart and lady bits would not survive a night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/his-smile-pulled-up-one-corner-of-his-mouth-and-he-looked-completely/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [“It slowly began to dawn on me that I had been staring at her for an impossible amount of time. Lost in my thoughts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-slowly-began-to-dawn-on-me-that-i-had-been-staring-at-her-for-an/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [He must have been handsome when he was alive and was handsome still, although made monstrous by his pallor and her awareness of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/he-must-have-been-handsome-when-he-was-alive-and-was-handsome-still/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“He was staring at her mouth with what looked like raw hunger, his eyes turning more golden by the second. “Do that again,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-zaires/he-was-staring-at-her-mouth-with-what-looked-like-raw-hunger-his-eyes/) [Anna Zaires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-zaires/) > [“So,” I said. “Not ready to settle down, then?” “Definitely not.” His smile pulled up one corner of his mouth and he looked completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/so-i-said-not-ready-to-settle-down-then-definitely-not-his-smile/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [“Walter noticed the blue Cookie Monster head resting on the floor, From some angles, the smiling open mouth looked like an expression of abashed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rion-amilcar-scott/walter-noticed-the-blue-cookie-monster-head-resting-on-the-floor-from/) [Rion Amilcar Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rion-amilcar-scott/) > [She didn't see him at first. She was watching the dancers. Her color was high, and there were deep dimples at the corners of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/she-didn-t-see-him-at-first-she-was-watching-the-dancers-her-color/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“His eyes looked cruel, piercing, almost like those of a wolf seeking his prey, and his mouth looked thinner, more sinister than it had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-valentino/his-eyes-looked-cruel-piercing-almost-like-those-of-a-wolf-seeking/) [Serena Valentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-valentino/) > [“He looked at my mouth then he looked in my eyes then his arm and hand gave me a squeeze before he stated, “Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/he-looked-at-my-mouth-then-he-looked-in-my-eyes-then-his-arm-and-hand/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) ## More by Samuel Beckett > [“It was December, I had never felt so cold, the eel soup lay heavy on my stomach, I was afraid I'd die, I turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/it-was-december-i-had-never-felt-so-cold-the-eel-soup-lay-heavy-on-my/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“To be always what I am - and so changed from what I was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/to-be-always-what-i-am-and-so-changed-from-what-i-was/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [To what will love not stoop!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/to-what-will-love-not-stoop/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [With all this darkness round me I feel less alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/with-all-this-darkness-round-me-i-feel-less-alone/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“You may say it is all in my head, and indeed sometimes it seems to me I am in a head and that these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/you-may-say-it-is-all-in-my-head-and-indeed-sometimes-it-seems-to-me/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Here he stood. Here he sat. Here he knelt. Here he lay. Here he moved, to and fro, from the door to the window,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/here-he-stood-here-he-sat-here-he-knelt-here-he-lay-here-he-moved-to/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-are-we-doing-here-that-is-the-question-and-we-are-blessed-in/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [I shall state silences more competently than ever a better man spangled the butterflies of vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-shall-state-silences-more-competently-than-ever-a-better-man/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [It is useless not to seek, not to want, for when you cease to seek you start to find, and when you cease to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/it-is-useless-not-to-seek-not-to-want-for-when-you-cease-to-seek-you/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [We are not saints, but we have kept our appointment. How many people can boast as much?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/we-are-not-saints-but-we-have-kept-our-appointment-how-many-people/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [The new light above my table is a great improvement. With all this darkness around me I feel less alone. (Pause.) In a way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/the-new-light-above-my-table-is-a-great-improvement-with-all-this/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [I lay down across her with my face in her breasts and my hand on her. We lay there without moving. But under us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-lay-down-across-her-with-my-face-in-her-breasts-and-my-hand-on-her/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [Women are all the bloody sameyou can't love for five minutes without wanting it abolished in brats and house bloody wifery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/women-are-all-the-bloody-sameyou-can-t-love-for-five-minutes-without/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“ESTRAGON: Do you think God sees me? VLADIMIR: You must close your eyes. Estragon closes his eyes, staggers worse. ESTRAGON: (stopping, brandishing his fists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/estragon-do-you-think-god-sees-me-vladimir-you-must-close-your-eyes/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [Deplorable mania, when something happens, to inquire what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/deplorable-mania-when-something-happens-to-inquire-what/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) [Explore all 609 Samuel Beckett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) ## More Mouth Looked quotes > [“He leaned forward and bit her bottom lip. It was just the right size. He hated women with thin, judgmental lips. Smeared with dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-watson/he-leaned-forward-and-bit-her-bottom-lip-it-was-just-the-right-size/) [Penny Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-watson/) > [“His eyes looked cruel, piercing, almost like those of a wolf seeking his prey, and his mouth looked thinner, more sinister than it had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-valentino/his-eyes-looked-cruel-piercing-almost-like-those-of-a-wolf-seeking/) [Serena Valentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-valentino/) > [She didn't see him at first. She was watching the dancers. Her color was high, and there were deep dimples at the corners of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/she-didn-t-see-him-at-first-she-was-watching-the-dancers-her-color/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Walter noticed the blue Cookie Monster head resting on the floor, From some angles, the smiling open mouth looked like an expression of abashed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rion-amilcar-scott/walter-noticed-the-blue-cookie-monster-head-resting-on-the-floor-from/) [Rion Amilcar Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rion-amilcar-scott/) > [“So,” I said. “Not ready to settle down, then?” “Definitely not.” His smile pulled up one corner of his mouth and he looked completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/so-i-said-not-ready-to-settle-down-then-definitely-not-his-smile/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [“He was staring at her mouth with what looked like raw hunger, his eyes turning more golden by the second. “Do that again,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-zaires/he-was-staring-at-her-mouth-with-what-looked-like-raw-hunger-his-eyes/) [Anna Zaires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-zaires/) > [He must have been handsome when he was alive and was handsome still, although made monstrous by his pallor and her awareness of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/he-must-have-been-handsome-when-he-was-alive-and-was-handsome-still/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“It slowly began to dawn on me that I had been staring at her for an impossible amount of time. Lost in my thoughts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-slowly-began-to-dawn-on-me-that-i-had-been-staring-at-her-for-an/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“His smile pulled up one corner of his mouth and he looked completely destructive. My heart and lady bits would not survive a night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/his-smile-pulled-up-one-corner-of-his-mouth-and-he-looked-completely/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [“True, at first sight, Grand manifested both the outward signs and typical manner of a humble employee in the local administration. Tall and thin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/true-at-first-sight-grand-manifested-both-the-outward-signs-and/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“A smile played around the corners of his mouth. He looked up at me. "Bad dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawkins/a-smile-played-around-the-corners-of-his-mouth-he-looked-up-at-me-bad/) [Rachel Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawkins/) > [“Giancana was taken care of in his kitchen in the back of the head and then under the chin six times, Sicilian style, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/giancana-was-taken-care-of-in-his-kitchen-in-the-back-of-the-head-and/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [“We have seasonal festivals where men and women can join,” he explained. Sora felt the conversation take a different turn. She hesitated, wondering if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-shreffler/we-have-seasonal-festivals-where-men-and-women-can-join-he-explained/) [T.L. Shreffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-l-shreffler/) > [“He looked at my mouth then he looked in my eyes then his arm and hand gave me a squeeze before he stated, “Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/he-looked-at-my-mouth-then-he-looked-in-my-eyes-then-his-arm-and-hand/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) Browse all 15 Mouth Looked quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But all this was nothing compared to the face which I regret to say vaguely resembled my own, less the refinement of course, same little abortive moustache, same little ferrety eyes, same paraphimosis of the nose, and a thin red mouth that looked as if it was raw from trying to shit its tongue.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Beckett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the-face-which-i-regret-to-say/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mouth Looked" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the-face-which-i-regret-to-say/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/samuel-beckett-365_mouth-looked_but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the_2180771.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/samuel-beckett-365_mouth-looked_but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the_2180771.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/944/samuel-beckett-365_mouth-looked_but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the_2180771.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But all this was nothing compared to the face which I regret to say vaguely resembled my own, less the…” — Samuel Beckett", "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": "Samuel Beckett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But all this was nothing compared...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the-face-which-i-regret-to-say/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/but-all-this-was-nothing-compared-to-the-face-which-i-regret-to-say/#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 } } ] } ```