--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ah, dear Jude; that's because you are…" description: "\"“Ah, dear Jude; that's because you are like a totally deaf man observing people listening to music. You say 'What are they regarding? Nothing is there...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/thomas-hardy-410_listening-to-music_ah-dear-jude-that-s-because-you-are-like_923579.jpg" --- # Ah, dear Jude; that's because you are like a totally deaf… ![“Ah, dear Jude; that's because you are like a totally deaf man observing people listening to music. You say 'What are they regarding? Nothing is there.' But something is.” quote by Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/thomas-hardy-410_listening-to-music_ah-dear-jude-that-s-because-you-are-like_923579.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/thomas-hardy-410_listening-to-music_ah-dear-jude-that-s-because-you-are-like_923579.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/thomas-hardy-410_listening-to-music_ah-dear-jude-that-s-because-you-are-like_923579.jpg) > ““Ah, dear Jude; that's because you are like a totally deaf man observing people listening to music. You say 'What are they regarding? Nothing is there.' But something is.”” [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A deaf man cannot grasp music, yet perceives something beyond the obvious. **In simple terms:** Seeing beyond what is heard. Key Takeaway Seek deeper meaning beyond surface. Themes perception communication misunderstanding Mood thoughtful enigmatic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - art criticism - personal introspection - spiritual quest Key Concepts subjectivity existential insight Questions to Reflect On - What is the 'something' you sense beyond words? - How does silence shape understanding? A Different Perspective Interpretation can be limited by personal bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deaf/) [Deaf Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deaf-man-246603/) [Dear Jude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dear-jude-1448440/) [Listening to music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening-to-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [People Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-listening/) [Spiritual quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-quotes/) [Totally Deaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totally-deaf-1448441/) ## Related quotes > [You are Joseph the dreamer of dreams, dear Jude. And a tragic Don Quixote. And sometimes you are St. Stephen, who, while they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/you-are-joseph-the-dreamer-of-dreams-dear-jude-and-a-tragic-don/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [When I got into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, a doctor told me to give up the course as I'd be totally deaf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-beacham/when-i-got-into-the-royal-academy-of-dramatic-art-a-doctor-told-me-to/) [Stephanie Beacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-beacham/) > [I'm totally deaf in my right ear, yeah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/i-m-totally-deaf-in-my-right-ear-yeah/) [Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/) > [“And the blind man said to the deaf man, "Do you see what I hear?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gerard-trotman/and-the-blind-man-said-to-the-deaf-man-do-you-see-what-i-hear/) [Wayne Gerard Trotman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gerard-trotman/) > [There is a master way with words that cannot be learned but instead developed: a deaf man develops exceptional vision, a blind man exceptional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/there-is-a-master-way-with-words-that-cannot-be-learned-but-instead/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Beethoven's last quartets were written by a deaf man and should only be listened to by a deaf man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/beethoven-s-last-quartets-were-written-by-a-deaf-man-and-should-only/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [“They say a deaf man heard a dumb man talking about a blind man who saw a cripple walking the tightrope.” He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-perutz/they-say-a-deaf-man-heard-a-dumb-man-talking-about-a-blind-man-who/) [Leo Perutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-perutz/) > [“There is a master way with words which is not learned but is instead developed: a deaf man develops exceptional vision, a blind man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/there-is-a-master-way-with-words-which-is-not-learned-but-is-instead/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“For a deaf man, the world is a zoo of mime artists”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-bell/for-a-deaf-man-the-world-is-a-zoo-of-mime-artists/) [A.A. 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Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-w-dixon/) > [You can knock on a deaf man's door forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/you-can-knock-on-a-deaf-man-s-door-forever/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [The most happy marriage I can imagine to myself would be the union of a deaf man to a blind woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-most-happy-marriage-i-can-imagine-to-myself-would-be-the-union-of/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [The thing I love most about being famous is people listening to me when I have something important to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/the-thing-i-love-most-about-being-famous-is-people-listening-to-me/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I never anticipated that people would be listening to my songs and getting something out of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-reid/i-never-anticipated-that-people-would-be-listening-to-my-songs-and/) [Noah Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-reid/) ## More by Thomas Hardy > [“He grew away from old associations, and saw something new in life and humanity. Secondarily, he made close acquaintance with phenomena which he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/he-grew-away-from-old-associations-and-saw-something-new-in-life-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“She was in a sound sleep, Jude, dying of anxiety lest she should have caught a chill which might permanently injure her, was glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/she-was-in-a-sound-sleep-jude-dying-of-anxiety-lest-she-should-have/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. 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Part of her body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/as-soon-as-she-could-discern-the-outline-of-the-house-it-had-all-its/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [ The perfect woman, you see \[is\] a working-woman; not an idler; not a fine lady; but one who \[uses\] her hands and her head… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-perfect-woman-you-see-is-a-working-woman-not-an-idler-not-a-fine/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“The Sinister Spirit sneered: 'It had to be!' 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It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [“A man who saw has turned blind, A hearer deaf, A leader now leads astray!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-lichtheim/a-man-who-saw-has-turned-blind-a-hearer-deaf-a-leader-now-leads-astray/) [Miriam Lichtheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-lichtheim/) > [If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-you-are-the-master-be-sometimes-blind-if-you-are-the-servant-be/) [R. 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There was another couple there that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/my-girlfriend-and-i-went-to-a-dinner-party-the-other-night-and-we/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [In other restaurants you'll see employees signing to each other, since we also hire many deaf men and women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-karcher/in-other-restaurants-you-ll-see-employees-signing-to-each-other-since/) [Carl Karcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-karcher/) > [Must whales and dolphins be subjected to deafening noise that will cause more than 3.5 million instances of temporary and/or permanent hearing loss? 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