--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is as if, having stepped into a room…" description: "\"“It is as if, having stepped into a room, a man can no longer see the door through which he has come, and so cannot leave.”\" — Téa Obreht" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a68/t-a-obreht-11276_door_it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a_2037141.png" --- # It is as if, having stepped into a room, a man can no… ![“It is as if, having stepped into a room, a man can no longer see the door through which he has come, and so cannot leave.” quote by Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a68/t-a-obreht-11276_door_it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a_2037141.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a68/t-a-obreht-11276_door_it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a_2037141.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a68/t-a-obreht-11276_door_it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a_2037141.png) > ““It is as if, having stepped into a room, a man can no longer see the door through which he has come, and so cannot leave.”” [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Entering a new situation can obscure the way you came, making exit difficult. **In simple terms:** New environments can hide your exit path. Key Takeaway Stay aware of your origins when adapting. Themes adaptation awareness navigation identity change Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career change - relocation - relationship shifts - learning new skills Key Concepts personal growth career transition cultural immersion psychological adjustment Questions to Reflect On - What anchors keep you connected to your past? - How do you maintain direction in unfamiliar settings? A Different Perspective Over‑focus on the present can cause loss of perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [My first novel, 'Man Walks Into a Room,' is about a man who's lost his memory and has to start a second life. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/my-first-novel-man-walks-into-a-room-is-about-a-man-who-s-lost-his/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [There is always room for the man of force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/there-is-always-room-for-the-man-of-force/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Don't ever give a room for another man to makes your wife smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamidi-afeez-abiodun/don-t-ever-give-a-room-for-another-man-to-makes-your-wife-smile/) LAMIDI AFEEZ ABIODUN > [When I'm really hot, I can walk into a room and if a man doesn't look at me, he's probably gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-turner/when-i-m-really-hot-i-can-walk-into-a-room-and-if-a-man-doesn-t-look/) [Kathleen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-turner/) > [“the shadow from my body creating a window in the reflection, a hole in the room where an empty man stood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-lowell/the-shadow-from-my-body-creating-a-window-in-the-reflection-a-hole-in/) [Nathan Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-lowell/) > [“The amazing thing, I think as I close the door, is that they still come. After hearing all that terrible propaganda and lies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wicklund/the-amazing-thing-i-think-as-i-close-the-door-is-that-they-still-come/) Susan Wicklund > [“We don't have to do this," I said. His jaw set in a way that reminded me of how he'd look some times back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/we-don-t-have-to-do-this-i-said-his-jaw-set-in-a-way-that-reminded-me/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [Let us open wide the windows of our hearts, that each family member may feel welcome and 'at home.' Let us open also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/let-us-open-wide-the-windows-of-our-hearts-that-each-family-member-2/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [Was that the light people see before they die? Did I almost die? All these questions start to rise in my head when there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/was-that-the-light-people-see-before-they-die-did-i-almost-die-all/) [Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/) > [You have to come to your closed doors before you get to your open doors... What if you knew you had to go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-have-to-come-to-your-closed-doors-before-you-get-to-your-open/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [“Jesus says: ‘Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/jesus-says-look-i-stand-at-the-door-and-knock-if-you-hear-my-voice/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/behold-i-stand-at-the-door-and-knock-if-anyone-hears-my-voice-and/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [I let you walked out of my door, It is just fine knowing you out there somewhere along, Finding happiness with your own, For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reolope/i-let-you-walked-out-of-my-door-it-is-just-fine-knowing-you-out-there/) [Janet Reolope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reolope/) > [My grandmother and I would go see movies, and we'd come back to the apartment - we had a one-room apartment in Hollywood -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/my-grandmother-and-i-would-go-see-movies-and-we-d-come-back-to-the/) [Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/) > [She was standing in the airport of Copenhagen, staring at a doorway, trying to figure out if it was (a) a bathroom and (b)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/she-was-standing-in-the-airport-of-copenhagen-staring-at-a-doorway/) [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) ## More by Téa Obreht > [“I felt my voice had fallen through and through me, and I couldn't summon it back to tell him or myself anything at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/i-felt-my-voice-had-fallen-through-and-through-me-and-i-couldn-t/) [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [I grew up in Cyprus and Egypt, these fantastic places I remember fondly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/i-grew-up-in-cyprus-and-egypt-these-fantastic-places-i-remember-fondly/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [Everything necessary to understand my grandfather lies between two stories: the story of the tiger’s wife, and the story of the deathless man. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/everything-necessary-to-understand-my-grandfather-lies-between-two/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [“People become very upset,' Gavo tells me, 'when they find out they are going to die' . . . 'They behave very strangely,' he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/people-become-very-upset-gavo-tells-me-when-they-find-out-they-are/) [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [“By the time I got to high school, I had learned to be more cautious about revealing my dreams. I was reading—and therefore writing—adventure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/by-the-time-i-got-to-high-school-i-had-learned-to-be-more-cautious/) [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [No matter how grave the secret, how imperative absolute silence, someone would always feel the urge to confess, and an unleashed secret is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/no-matter-how-grave-the-secret-how-imperative-absolute-silence/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [“To me, the persistence of my grandfather's rituals meant that he was unchanged, running on discipline and continuance and stoicism. I didn't notice, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/to-me-the-persistence-of-my-grandfather-s-rituals-meant-that-he-was/) [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [At the end of the day, it's about the reader's attachment to and belief in the magical elements that make or break magical realism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/at-the-end-of-the-day-it-s-about-the-reader-s-attachment-to-and/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [ “I started to feel that nagging sense of shame again, an acute awareness of my own inability to share in his \[my grandfather's\] optimism.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/i-started-to-feel-that-nagging-sense-of-shame-again-an-acute/) [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [I think the mythology of death really ran away with me when I was very young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/i-think-the-mythology-of-death-really-ran-away-with-me-when-i-was/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [A lot of writers that I know have told me that the first book you write, you write about your childhood, whether you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/a-lot-of-writers-that-i-know-have-told-me-that-the-first-book-you/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [When you're in a place, the details you focus on are different than details you focus on when you're writing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/when-you-re-in-a-place-the-details-you-focus-on-are-different-than/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [“Knowing, above all, that I would come looking, and find what he had left for me, all that remained of The Jungle Book in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/knowing-above-all-that-i-would-come-looking-and-find-what-he-had-left/) [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [My mother always says that fear and pain are immediate, and that, when they're gone we're left with the concept, but not the true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/my-mother-always-says-that-fear-and-pain-are-immediate-and-that-when/) [Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [“But children die how they have been living-with hope. They don't what is happening, so they expect nothing, they don't ask you to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/but-children-die-how-they-have-been-living-with-hope-they-don-t-what/) [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) [Explore all 60 Téa Obreht quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) ## More Door quotes > [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [When one door closes another doesn't just open, you can either open the same door or open a different one...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-one-door-closes-another-doesn-t-just-open-you-can-either-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [We can't love a place or a person if we always have one foot out the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-can-t-love-a-place-or-a-person-if-we-always-have-one-foot-out-the/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [Kindness unlocks doors that were thought to be closed forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/kindness-unlocks-doors-that-were-thought-to-be-closed-forever/) Unkown > [Dear parents,knocking while open the door to my bedroom kind of defeats the purpose of knocking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-parents-knocking-while-open-the-door-to-my-bedroom-kind-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [I won't be managing the Mets. I am closing the door on managing the Mets and probably everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-won-t-be-managing-the-mets-i-am-closing-the-door-on-managing-the/) [Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/) > [If opportunity doesnt knock, build a door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-opportunity-doesnt-knock-build-a-door/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Couples Therapy' is pretty big for me because it's opening the door to a new audience - a hip-hop following, which I feel is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-carrera/couples-therapy-is-pretty-big-for-me-because-it-s-opening-the-door-to/) [Carmen Carrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-carrera/) > [“Happiness isn't something that you plan for. It comes knocking unexpectedly, just like opportunity. And it's up to you to answer the door and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-doughton/happiness-isn-t-something-that-you-plan-for-it-comes-knocking/) [Autumn Doughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-doughton/) > [Nothing attracts me like a closed door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-bourke-white/nothing-attracts-me-like-a-closed-door/) [Margaret Bourke-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-bourke-white/) > [They never opened the door which leads to the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/they-never-opened-the-door-which-leads-to-the-soul/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“Hayley Haslett raised her hand and tapped on the door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rose/hayley-haslett-raised-her-hand-and-tapped-on-the-door/) [Carol Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rose/) > [I think you've still got to try to be good, day-to-day. You see a granny, you hold the door open for her. You just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-zayn/i-think-you-ve-still-got-to-try-to-be-good-day-to-day-you-see-a/) [Sami Zayn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-zayn/) Browse all 3,104 Door quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is as if, having stepped into a room, a man can no longer see the door through which he has come, and so cannot leave.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Téa Obreht" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a-man-can-no-longer-see-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Door" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a-man-can-no-longer-see-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a68/t-a-obreht-11276_door_it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a_2037141.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a68/t-a-obreht-11276_door_it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a_2037141.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a68/t-a-obreht-11276_door_it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a_2037141.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is as if, having stepped into a room, a man can no longer see the door through which he has come, and so…” — Téa Obreht", "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": "Téa Obreht", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is as if, having stepped...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a-man-can-no-longer-see-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/it-is-as-if-having-stepped-into-a-room-a-man-can-no-longer-see-the/#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 } } ] } ```