--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a man, however passively, becomes an…" description: "\"When a man, however passively, becomes an obstacle to the fulfillment of a woman's desires, he becomes an odious thing in her eyes, - or will, given ti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/theodore-dreiser-8057_desire_when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an_2969012.jpg" --- # When a man, however passively, becomes an obstacle to the… ![“When a man, however passively, becomes an obstacle to the fulfillment of a woman's desires, he becomes an odious thing in her eyes, - or will, given time enough.” quote by Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/theodore-dreiser-8057_desire_when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an_2969012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/theodore-dreiser-8057_desire_when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an_2969012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/theodore-dreiser-8057_desire_when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an_2969012.jpg) > “When a man, however passively, becomes an obstacle to the fulfillment of a woman's desires, he becomes an odious thing in her eyes, - or will, given time enough.” [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When a man blocks a woman's desires, he becomes despised over time. **In simple terms:** Obstructing women leads to resentment. Key Takeaway Respect women's autonomy. Themes gender dynamics power desire relationships respect Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - marriage - workplace - social interactions Key Concepts feminist theory social power psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does power imbalance affect desire? - Can empathy change perception? A Different Perspective Context may vary across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desires Odious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desires-odious-4560575/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Fulfillment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fulfillment/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Her eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/her-eyes/) [Man Passively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-passively-4560574/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Obstacles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obstacles/) [Passively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passively/) [Passively Obstacle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passively-obstacle-4560576/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Woman Desires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-desires-949626/) ## Related quotes > [A woman desires for a partener with whom she can communicate honestly, be herself, and feel emotionally safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/a-woman-desires-for-a-partener-with-whom-she-can-communicate-honestly/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [Just because a woman desires a relationship DOES NOT mean she's desperate! Waiting for the RIGHT one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-because-a-woman-desires-a-relationship-does-not-mean-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As all-consuming as a young girl's fancies were ... a woman's desires could be twice as dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-medeiros/as-all-consuming-as-a-young-girl-s-fancies-were-a-woman-s-desires/) [Teresa Medeiros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-medeiros/) > [“A woman desires to be a man's last romance, her baby's first love and a person who can live with dignity all her life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/purba-chakraborty/a-woman-desires-to-be-a-man-s-last-romance-her-baby-s-first-love-and/) [Purba Chakraborty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/purba-chakraborty/) > [In the depth of her emotional integrity a woman desires to be with a man of emotional depth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/in-the-depth-of-her-emotional-integrity-a-woman-desires-to-be-with-a/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [Every virtuous woman desires a husband to whom she can look for guidance and protection through this world. 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Who won’t be scared by loyalty and truth, nor turn away from the darkness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-de-gandt/i-seek-a-woman-the-woman-of-my-desires-who-won-t-be-scared-by-loyalty/) [Anne de Gandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-de-gandt/) > [“You are the woman who desires my kiss, and I thirst for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marek-halter/you-are-the-woman-who-desires-my-kiss-and-i-thirst-for-you/) [Marek Halter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marek-halter/) > [This is what you learned in college," the narrator tells you early on. "A man desires the satisfaction of his desire; a woman desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-mu-oz-ryan/this-is-what-you-learned-in-college-the-narrator-tells-you-early-on-a/) [Pam Muñoz Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-mu-oz-ryan/) > [“When I was 6 I wanted to be a nurse. When I was 14 I wanted to be a spy or a lion tamer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-thurlow/when-i-was-6-i-wanted-to-be-a-nurse-when-i-was-14-i-wanted-to-be-a/) [Chloe Thurlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-thurlow/) > [You know, sometimes a man just can't satisfy all of a woman's desires. Which is why God invented dental floss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-sometimes-a-man-just-can-t-satisfy-all-of-a-woman-s-desires/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is dangerous to maintain equality at the cost of placing the pieces passively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-karpov/it-is-dangerous-to-maintain-equality-at-the-cost-of-placing-the/) [Anatoly Karpov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-karpov/) > [Not actively surviving is passively dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ori-hofmekler/not-actively-surviving-is-passively-dying/) [Ori Hofmekler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ori-hofmekler/) ## More by Theodore Dreiser > [A real flame of love is a subtle thing. It burns as a will-o'-the-wisp, dancing onward to fairy lands of delight. It roars as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/a-real-flame-of-love-is-a-subtle-thing-it-burns-as-a-will-o-the-wisp/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“Cowperwood was shocked by the nudity of the Venus which conveyed an atmosphere of European freedom not common to America;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/cowperwood-was-shocked-by-the-nudity-of-the-venus-which-conveyed-an/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“...the past was so painful at any point. It seared and burned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/the-past-was-so-painful-at-any-point-it-seared-and-burned/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“His eyes expressed the difficulty he felt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/his-eyes-expressed-the-difficulty-he-felt/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“Who were these people with money, and what had they done that they should enjoy so much luxury, where others as good seemingly as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/who-were-these-people-with-money-and-what-had-they-done-that-they/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [To the untraveled, territory other than their own familiar heath is invariably fascinating. Next to love it is the one thing that solaces and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/to-the-untraveled-territory-other-than-their-own-familiar-heath-is/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [The true meaning of money yet remains to be popularly explained and comprehended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/the-true-meaning-of-money-yet-remains-to-be-popularly-explained-and/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“now. If any habits ever had time to fix upon her, they would have operated here. Habits are peculiar things. They will drive the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/now-if-any-habits-ever-had-time-to-fix-upon-her-they-would-have/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“Here were these two, bandying little phrases, drawing purses, looking at cards, and both unconscious of how inarticulate all their real feelings were. Neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/here-were-these-two-bandying-little-phrases-drawing-purses-looking-at/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [Assure a man that he has a soul and then frighten him with old wives' tales as to what is to become of him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/assure-a-man-that-he-has-a-soul-and-then-frighten-him-with-old-wives/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [If we are to extract any joy out of our span, we must think and plan and make things better not only for ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/if-we-are-to-extract-any-joy-out-of-our-span-we-must-think-and-plan/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“In your rocking-chair, by your window dreaming, shall you long, alone. In your rocking- chair, by your window, shall you dream such happiness as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/in-your-rocking-chair-by-your-window-dreaming-shall-you-long-alone-in/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [“Carrie felt this as a personal reproof. She read "Dora Thorne," or had a great deal in the past. It seemed only fair to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/carrie-felt-this-as-a-personal-reproof-she-read-dora-thorne-or-had-a/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [You walk into a room, see a woman, and something happens. It's chemical. What are you going to do about it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/you-walk-into-a-room-see-a-woman-and-something-happens-it-s-chemical/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) > [Theodore Dreiser Should ought to write nicer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/theodore-dreiser-should-ought-to-write-nicer/) [Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) [Explore all 82 Theodore Dreiser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When a man, however passively, becomes an obstacle to the fulfillment of a woman's desires, he becomes an odious thing in her eyes, - or will, given time enough.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Theodore Dreiser" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an-obstacle-to-the-fulfillment/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an-obstacle-to-the-fulfillment/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/theodore-dreiser-8057_desire_when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an_2969012.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/theodore-dreiser-8057_desire_when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an_2969012.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/theodore-dreiser-8057_desire_when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an_2969012.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When a man, however passively, becomes an obstacle to the fulfillment of a woman's desires, he becomes an…” — Theodore Dreiser", "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": "Theodore Dreiser", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When a man, however passively, becomes...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an-obstacle-to-the-fulfillment/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/when-a-man-however-passively-becomes-an-obstacle-to-the-fulfillment/#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 } } ] } ```