---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’ll teach you how to decipher all the…"
description: "\"“I’ll teach you how to decipher all the confused faces by closing your eyes & how to cringe when someone says the words ‘your generation’. I will teach..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/steve-toltz-3783_closing-your-eyes_i-ll-teach-you-how-to-decipher-all-the-c_1187054.png"
---

#  I’ll teach you how to decipher all the confused faces by…

![“I’ll teach you how to decipher all the confused faces by closing your eyes & how to cringe when someone says the words ‘your generation’. I will teach you how not to demonise your enemies & how to make yourself unappetising when the hordes turn up to eat you. I’ll teach you how to yell with your…” quote by Steve Toltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/steve-toltz-3783_closing-your-eyes_i-ll-teach-you-how-to-decipher-all-the-c_1187054.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/steve-toltz-3783_closing-your-eyes_i-ll-teach-you-how-to-decipher-all-the-c_1187054.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08f/steve-toltz-3783_closing-your-eyes_i-ll-teach-you-how-to-decipher-all-the-c_1187054.png)

> ““I’ll teach you how to decipher all the confused faces by closing your eyes & how to cringe when someone says the words ‘your generation’. I will teach you how not to demonise your enemies & how to make yourself unappetising when the hordes turn up to eat you. I’ll teach you how to yell with your mouth closed & how to steal happiness & how the only real joy is singing yourself hoarse & nude girls & how never to eat in an empty restaurant & how not to leave the windows of your heart open when it looks like rain & how everyone has a stump where something necessary was amputated. I’ll teach you how to know what’s missing.””

[Steve Toltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-toltz/)

## About This Quote

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

The passage sat a satirical guide to coping with modern alienation, urging self‑awareness, emotional restraint, and the paradoxical pursuit of joy amid absurdity.

**In simple terms:** Advice on handling alienation and finding joy in absurdity.

Key Takeaway

Embrace self‑knowledge and balance absurdity with authenticity.

Themes

alienation self‑awareness absurdity joy emotional restraint

Mood

wry reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical satirical motivational

When to use this quote

- social gatherings
- personal crises
- creative work
- interpersonal conflict

Key Concepts

existentialism satire psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance self‑protection with authentic expression?
- What absurdities mask deeper needs in your life?

A Different Perspective

The advice is hyperbolic and may encourage emotional suppression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Closing your eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closing-your-eyes/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Generation Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-teach-1491005/) [Real joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-joy/) [Teach Decipher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-decipher-3505524/) [Teach Demonise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-demonise-3505525/) [Teach Yell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-yell-3159534/) [Ur Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ur-eyes/) [Yell Mouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yell-mouth-3505526/)

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> [“Sleep is closing your eyes and trusting you will heal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-barone/sleep-is-closing-your-eyes-and-trusting-you-will-heal/)

[Danielle Barone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-barone/)

> [What makes the perfect kiss? Closing your eyes when you kiss is important. Or lifting up the leg, but that's more of a girl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bieber/what-makes-the-perfect-kiss-closing-your-eyes-when-you-kiss-is/)

[Justin Bieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bieber/)

> [Not truly living in the present moment & later regretting is like closing your eyes when a peacock is dancing, only to want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/not-truly-living-in-the-present-moment-later-regretting-is-like/)

[RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rvm/)

> [Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-fate-is-like-a-small-sandstorm-that-keeps-changing/)

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

> [“Closing your eyes isn’t going to change anything. Nothing’s going to disappear just because you can’t see what’s going on…. Keep your eyes wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/closing-your-eyes-isn-t-going-to-change-anything-nothing-s-going-to/)

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> [I don't seem to require a lot of sleep. I just - if I get four, five good hours, I'm fine. But sleeping is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-white/i-don-t-seem-to-require-a-lot-of-sleep-i-just-if-i-get-four-five-good/)

[Betty White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-white/)

> [ \[My father\] advised me to sit every few months in my reading chair for an entire evening, close my eyes and try to think… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-walter-alvarez/my-father-advised-me-to-sit-every-few-months-in-my-reading-chair-for/)

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> [“I could give you peace. Imagine closing your eyes with no worries, no pain, no fears, no regrets, no appetites, and no guilt. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-could-give-you-peace-imagine-closing-your-eyes-with-no-worries-no/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“Keep your eyes open, especially if you’re wearing a blindfold while driving. Closing your eyes in that situation could be dangerous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/keep-your-eyes-open-especially-if-you-re-wearing-a-blindfold-while/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

## More by Steve Toltz

> [ “To my horror principles have wormed their way into \[the\] fabric of my being.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-toltz/to-my-horror-principles-have-wormed-their-way-into-the-fabric-of-my/)

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> [I'm not sure if I always wanted to be a writer, but I was always writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-toltz/i-m-not-sure-if-i-always-wanted-to-be-a-writer-but-i-was-always/)

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> [ \[I'll teach you\] how not to leave the windows of your heart open when it looks like rain and how everyone has a stump… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-toltz/i-ll-teach-you-how-not-to-leave-the-windows-of-your-heart-open-when/)

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## More Closing your eyes quotes

> [“Keep your eyes open, especially if you’re wearing a blindfold while driving. Closing your eyes in that situation could be dangerous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/keep-your-eyes-open-especially-if-you-re-wearing-a-blindfold-while/)

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> [Fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/fate-is-like-a-small-sandstorm-that-keeps-changing-directions-you/)

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> [And I do pay a lot of attention to how things feel underneath my feet. It's a way of transporting yourself somewhere that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evie-wyld/and-i-do-pay-a-lot-of-attention-to-how-things-feel-underneath-my-feet/)

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> [Our breath gets shallow and ineffective when we are in a stressed state. I advocate stopping whatever you're doing for a couple of minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-wagner/our-breath-gets-shallow-and-ineffective-when-we-are-in-a-stressed/)

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> [“That's another one of our rules. Closing your eyes isn't going to change anything. Nothing's going to disappear just because you can't see what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-s-another-one-of-our-rules-closing-your-eyes-isn-t-going-to/)

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> [Faith, joy, optimism. But not the folly of closing your eyes to reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josemaria-escriva/faith-joy-optimism-but-not-the-folly-of-closing-your-eyes-to-reality/)

[Josemaria Escriva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josemaria-escriva/)

> [Look at light and admire its beauty. Close your eyes, and then look again: what you saw is no longer there; and what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/look-at-light-and-admire-its-beauty-close-your-eyes-and-then-look/)

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