--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She'd seen them them all before, those…" description: "\"“She'd seen them them all before, those faces. She knew them all, knew the sound of their voices, sounds mired in human emotions, sounds clear and pure..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/steven-erikson-588_human-emotions_she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-fa_1366133.jpg" --- # She'd seen them them all before, those faces. She knew… ![“She'd seen them them all before, those faces. She knew them all, knew the sound of their voices, sounds mired in human emotions, sounds clear and pure with thought, and sounds wavering in that chasm between the two. Is this, she wondered, my legacy? And one day I'll be just one more of those…” quote by Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/steven-erikson-588_human-emotions_she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-fa_1366133.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/steven-erikson-588_human-emotions_she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-fa_1366133.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/steven-erikson-588_human-emotions_she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-fa_1366133.jpg) > ““She'd seen them them all before, those faces. She knew them all, knew the sound of their voices, sounds mired in human emotions, sounds clear and pure with thought, and sounds wavering in that chasm between the two. Is this, she wondered, my legacy? And one day I'll be just one more of those faces, frozen in death and wonder.”” [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator reflects on how personal identity blends with collective memory, questioning what remains as a lasting imprint after death. **In simple terms:** She wonders about her lasting impact among many faces. Key Takeaway Consider how your actions shape your legacy. Themes identity memory legacy mortality Mood contemplative melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal reflection - writing - public speaking Key Concepts collective consciousness human emotion existential reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to leave a personal mark? - How do we reconcile individuality with shared experience? A Different Perspective Legacy may be fleeting and indistinguishable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Human emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-emotions/) ## Related quotes > [A celebration of insignificance, Is that all we are in the end? And one day I’ll just be one more of those faces, frozen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/a-celebration-of-insignificance-is-that-all-we-are-in-the-end-and-one/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“Where are the days we once held So loose in our sure hands? When did these racing streams Carve depthless caves beneath our feet?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/where-are-the-days-we-once-held-so-loose-in-our-sure-hands-when-did/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [I knew I was going to go into the field and make fun of people to their faces. I knew what I was getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-knew-i-was-going-to-go-into-the-field-and-make-fun-of-people-to/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [“He watched their faces, and he knew each meant desperately what she said because they loved each other, and deep inside surely each knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-craven/he-watched-their-faces-and-he-knew-each-meant-desperately-what-she/) [Margaret Craven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-craven/) > [“Hasan's face changed. Maybe not changed, not really,but suddenly I had the feeling i was looking at two faces, the one I knew, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/hasan-s-face-changed-maybe-not-changed-not-really-but-suddenly-i-had/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [A man cannot paint portraits till he has seen faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/a-man-cannot-paint-portraits-till-he-has-seen-faces/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [“He did not alarm her, for she thought she had seen him before in the faces of many women who have no children. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-barrie/he-did-not-alarm-her-for-she-thought-she-had-seen-him-before-in-the/) [J.M. Barrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-barrie/) > [“You talk to them. And look at their faces. Cows have very expressive faces." I knew her well enough at that point not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/you-talk-to-them-and-look-at-their-faces-cows-have-very-expressive/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [I had seen faces in photographs I might have found beautiful had I known even vaguely in what beauty was supposed to consist. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-had-seen-faces-in-photographs-i-might-have-found-beautiful-had-i/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [I've turned up to auditions and seen faces that I recognise and I think I know them. Then I realise I know them because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-jones/i-ve-turned-up-to-auditions-and-seen-faces-that-i-recognise-and-i/) [Ruth Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-jones/) > [I have never seen faces, but because I have looked people in the eye, only their gazes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schoenberg/i-have-never-seen-faces-but-because-i-have-looked-people-in-the-eye/) [Arnold Schoenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schoenberg/) > [“Our study of psychoneurotic disturbances points to a more comprehensive explanation, which includes that of Westermarck. When a wife loses her husband, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/our-study-of-psychoneurotic-disturbances-points-to-a-more/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [I guess I kinda lost control, because in the middle of the play I ran up and lit the evil puppet villain on fire.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-i-kinda-lost-control-because-in-the-middle-of-the-play-i-ran/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The strongest human emotion is fear. It's the essence of any good thriller that, for a little while, you believe in the boogeyman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carpenter/the-strongest-human-emotion-is-fear-it-s-the-essence-of-any-good/) [John Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carpenter/) > [“Why? Must one have seen the world? In this village, in every house, in every shack, you will find the entire range of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sendker-jan-philipp/why-must-one-have-seen-the-world-in-this-village-in-every-house-in/) Sendker, Jan-Philipp ## More by Steven Erikson > [“No matter, they weren’t going anywhere. Never again. Two skeletons buried beneath a dead city. No more fitting a barrow for a warrior of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/no-matter-they-weren-t-going-anywhere-never-again-two-skeletons/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“I was reminded ... the way that wood crumbles into dissolution.’ ‘The release of energy. Perhaps a better way of seeing it.’ ‘Such release…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/i-was-reminded-the-way-that-wood-crumbles-into-dissolution-the/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“I am here to arrest your manservant. The one named Bugg.’ ‘Oh, now really, his cooking isn’t that bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/i-am-here-to-arrest-your-manservant-the-one-named-bugg-oh-now-really/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [The more civilized a nation, the more conformed its population, until that civilization's last age arrives, when multiplicity wages war with conformity. The former…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/the-more-civilized-a-nation-the-more-conformed-its-population-until/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“People in great need were quick to find blame in themselves, quick to assume the burden of guilt for things they in truth had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/people-in-great-need-were-quick-to-find-blame-in-themselves-quick-to/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“Envy shrugged. 'Can no value be found in good intentions?' 'What, precisely, are you trying to justify? And to me, or yourself?' She glared,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/envy-shrugged-can-no-value-be-found-in-good-intentions-what-precisely/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [Any reasonable ruler would have the expectation and the demand the other way round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/any-reasonable-ruler-would-have-the-expectation-and-the-demand-the/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“The existance of many gods conveys true complexity of mortal life. Conversely, the assertion of but one god leads to a denial of complexity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/the-existance-of-many-gods-conveys-true-complexity-of-mortal-life/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“All right, shadow-priest, you've been spying — on what? What state secrets have you learned watching me groom these horses?' 'Only that they hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/all-right-shadow-priest-you-ve-been-spying-on-what-what-state-secrets/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“There is nothing wrong with where we are, how we are. You spit on satisfaction, leaving you always unsettled and miserable. I am a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-where-we-are-how-we-are-you-spit-on/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“Why do I hate spiders? Gods, who doesn't? What a stupid question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/why-do-i-hate-spiders-gods-who-doesn-t-what-a-stupid-question/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [It is an extraordinary act of courage,' said Tulas Shorn, 'to come to know a stranger's pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/it-is-an-extraordinary-act-of-courage-said-tulas-shorn-to-come-to/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“I admit,’ said Spite, ‘to a certain melancholy when visiting vibrant cities, as is this Darujhistan. A long life teaches one just how ephemeral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/i-admit-said-spite-to-a-certain-melancholy-when-visiting-vibrant/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [All art is an intensely vulnerable gesture, and it is made with no small amounts of risk, and fear. So, I have plenty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/all-art-is-an-intensely-vulnerable-gesture-and-it-is-made-with-no/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“People who make up their minds about something never listen to advice - especially when it's to the contrary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/people-who-make-up-their-minds-about-something-never-listen-to-advice/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) [Explore all 452 Steven Erikson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) ## More Faces quotes > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I've seen every one, from Motley Crue to John Denver, with tears running down my face. I had no idea everyone had such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-nicks/i-ve-seen-every-one-from-motley-crue-to-john-denver-with-tears/) [Stevie Nicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-nicks/) > [So," I said. "Seems you're going to be stuck with me for a while." He smiled. A real smile that lit up his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/so-i-said-seems-you-re-going-to-be-stuck-with-me-for-a-while-he/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [If enough money is involved and enough people believe that two plus two equals five the media will report the story with a straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/if-enough-money-is-involved-and-enough-people-believe-that-two-plus/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Here comes old Rosie she's looking mighty fine, here comes hot Nancy she's steppin' right on time. There go the street lights bringing on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/here-comes-old-rosie-she-s-looking-mighty-fine-here-comes-hot-nancy/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [A face is too slight a foundation for happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/a-face-is-too-slight-a-foundation-for-happiness/) [Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/) > [ That's probably why my face was looking so crazy when I was crying \[in "Hardball"\] because it was some real. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-b-jordan/that-s-probably-why-my-face-was-looking-so-crazy-when-i-was-crying-in/) [Michael B. Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-b-jordan/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) [Browse all 13,128 Faces quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She'd seen them them all before, those faces. She knew them all, knew the sound of their voices, sounds mired in human emotions, sounds clear and pure with thought, and sounds wavering in that chasm between the two. Is this, she wondered, my legacy? And one day I'll be just one more of those faces, frozen in death and wonder.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Erikson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-faces-she-knew-them-all-knew/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Faces" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-faces-she-knew-them-all-knew/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/steven-erikson-588_human-emotions_she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-fa_1366133.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/steven-erikson-588_human-emotions_she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-fa_1366133.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/steven-erikson-588_human-emotions_she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-fa_1366133.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She'd seen them them all before, those faces. She knew them all, knew the sound of their voices, sounds…” — Steven Erikson", "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": "Steven Erikson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She'd seen them them all before,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-faces-she-knew-them-all-knew/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/she-d-seen-them-them-all-before-those-faces-she-knew-them-all-knew/#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 } } ] } ```