--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mason glowers, shaking his head. \"I've…" description: "\"“Mason glowers, shaking his head. \"I've ascended, descended, even condescended, and the List's not ended,— but haven't yet trans-cended a blessed thing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/thomas-pynchon-533_condescended_mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-asce_2402481.jpg" --- # Mason glowers, shaking his head. "I've ascended… ![“Mason glowers, shaking his head. "I've ascended, descended, even condescended, and the List's not ended,— but haven't yet trans-cended a blessed thing, thankee.” quote by Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/thomas-pynchon-533_condescended_mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-asce_2402481.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/thomas-pynchon-533_condescended_mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-asce_2402481.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/thomas-pynchon-533_condescended_mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-asce_2402481.jpg) > ““Mason glowers, shaking his head. "I've ascended, descended, even condescended, and the List's not ended,— but haven't yet trans-cended a blessed thing, thankee.”” [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character reflects on his endless cycles of rise and fall, never reaching true transcendence, highlighting perpetual striving. **In simple terms:** Never fully transcending, always cycling. Key Takeaway Accept limits while persisting. Themes existentialism humor struggle Mood wry thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career growth - personal development - spiritual quest Key Concepts postmodern fiction self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does “transcended a blessed thing” mean to you? - How do you recognize true progress? A Different Perspective Endless striving may lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ascended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ascended-775460/) [Ascended Descended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ascended-descended-6021769/) [Condescended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condescended-388424/) [Descended Condescended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/descended-condescended-6021768/) [Ve Ascended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-ascended-4809424/) ## Related quotes > [I think I've ascended to the point after a lot of years where I'm kind of OK on bass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-think-i-ve-ascended-to-the-point-after-a-lot-of-years-where-i-m/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [What I appreciated was the fact that the script delved into how Australians were - and still are - condescended to by the English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/what-i-appreciated-was-the-fact-that-the-script-delved-into-how/) [Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/) > [How do you know that, Philo, dear?" But Philologos had had enough of being condescended to. "Because, Lamion, I am not as dumb as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/how-do-you-know-that-philo-dear-but-philologos-had-had-enough-of/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [O felt that her mouth was beautiful, since her lover condescended to thrust himself into it . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-desclos/o-felt-that-her-mouth-was-beautiful-since-her-lover-condescended-to/) [Anne Desclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-desclos/) > [He that condescended so far, and stooped so low, to invite and bring us to heaven, will not refuse us a gracious reception there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-boyle/he-that-condescended-so-far-and-stooped-so-low-to-invite-and-bring-us/) [Robert Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-boyle/) > [“In short, the self-sufficient, wholly other, transcendent, and holy God condescended to create a world and creatures, knowing that they would reject him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-r-kreider/in-short-the-self-sufficient-wholly-other-transcendent-and-holy-god/) [Glenn R. Kreider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-r-kreider/) > [I thought I'd been condescended to as an Indian - that was nothing compared to the condescension for writing young adult literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-thought-i-d-been-condescended-to-as-an-indian-that-was-nothing-2/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Being reviewed is being condescended to by your inferiors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/being-reviewed-is-being-condescended-to-by-your-inferiors/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I have many times marveled at how I could feel so good about myself while eating peanuts in a middle seat on Southwest Airlines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/i-have-many-times-marveled-at-how-i-could-feel-so-good-about-myself/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [“These valuable thing produced in us a feeling of intimidation. We knew that no matter how far we got in life, we would never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/these-valuable-thing-produced-in-us-a-feeling-of-intimidation-we-knew/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [If you feel you're being condescended to and not taken seriously in the discussion, that can make people feel defensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-fox/if-you-feel-you-re-being-condescended-to-and-not-taken-seriously-in/) [Claire Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-fox/) > [I thought I’d been condescended to as an Indian - that was nothing compared to the condescension for writing Y.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-thought-i-d-been-condescended-to-as-an-indian-that-was-nothing/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“The goodness of our intentions was in direct correlation to the heights from which we condescended to each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levin/the-goodness-of-our-intentions-was-in-direct-correlation-to-the/) [Adam Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levin/) > [“If Mr. Blood had condescended to debate the matter with these ladies, he might have urged that having had his fill of wandering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-sabatini/if-mr-blood-had-condescended-to-debate-the-matter-with-these-ladies/) [Rafael Sabatini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-sabatini/) > [My parents never condescended to me. As a child, I always sat at the head of our dinner table. I was always given a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/my-parents-never-condescended-to-me-as-a-child-i-always-sat-at-the/) [Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/) ## More by Thomas Pynchon > [“How strange tonight, this city. As if something trembled below its surface, waiting to burst through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/how-strange-tonight-this-city-as-if-something-trembled-below-its/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“It was one of those great iron afternoons in London: the yellow sun being teased apart by a thoasand chimneys breathing, fawning upward without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/it-was-one-of-those-great-iron-afternoons-in-london-the-yellow-sun/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Surely for as long as there have been nights as bad as this one---something to raise the possibility of another night that could actually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/surely-for-as-long-as-there-have-been-nights-as-bad-as-this-one/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Death glided by, shadowless, among the empties on the grass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/death-glided-by-shadowless-among-the-empties-on-the-grass/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“People read what news they wanted to and each accordingly built his own rathouse of history's rags and straws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/people-read-what-news-they-wanted-to-and-each-accordingly-built-his/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Out of that night and day of unconditional wrath, folks would've expected to see any city, if it survived, all newly reborn, purified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/out-of-that-night-and-day-of-unconditional-wrath-folks-would-ve/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“As spread thighs are to the libertine...so was the letter V to young Stencil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/as-spread-thighs-are-to-the-libertine-so-was-the-letter-v-to-young/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Oedipa wondered whether, at the end of this (if it were supposed to end), she too might not be left with only compiled memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/oedipa-wondered-whether-at-the-end-of-this-if-it-were-supposed-to-end/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/if-they-can-get-you-asking-the-wrong-questions-they-don-t-have-to/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“remember didn't you sneak away from camp to have a moment alone with What you felt stirring across the land . . . it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/remember-didn-t-you-sneak-away-from-camp-to-have-a-moment-alone-with/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Through rain...then through dreaming glass, green with the evening. And herself in chair, old-fashioned, bonneted, looking west over the deck of Earth, inferno red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/through-rain-then-through-dreaming-glass-green-with-the-evening-and/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“She knew instinctively: he will be fine as the fraternity boy just out of an Ivy League school who knows he will never stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/she-knew-instinctively-he-will-be-fine-as-the-fraternity-boy-just-out/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Lovely morning, World War Two.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/lovely-morning-world-war-two/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“Listen to anything and take it apart again. Spectrum analysis, in my head. I can break down chords, and timbres, and words too into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/listen-to-anything-and-take-it-apart-again-spectrum-analysis-in-my/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [A screaming comes across the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/a-screaming-comes-across-the-sky/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) [Explore all 483 Thomas Pynchon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) ## More Condescended quotes > [What I appreciated was the fact that the script delved into how Australians were - and still are - condescended to by the English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/what-i-appreciated-was-the-fact-that-the-script-delved-into-how/) [Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/) > [“If Mr. Blood had condescended to debate the matter with these ladies, he might have urged that having had his fill of wandering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-sabatini/if-mr-blood-had-condescended-to-debate-the-matter-with-these-ladies/) [Rafael Sabatini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-sabatini/) > [“The goodness of our intentions was in direct correlation to the heights from which we condescended to each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levin/the-goodness-of-our-intentions-was-in-direct-correlation-to-the/) [Adam Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levin/) > [I thought I’d been condescended to as an Indian - that was nothing compared to the condescension for writing Y.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-thought-i-d-been-condescended-to-as-an-indian-that-was-nothing/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [If you feel you're being condescended to and not taken seriously in the discussion, that can make people feel defensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-fox/if-you-feel-you-re-being-condescended-to-and-not-taken-seriously-in/) [Claire Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-fox/) > [“These valuable thing produced in us a feeling of intimidation. We knew that no matter how far we got in life, we would never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/these-valuable-thing-produced-in-us-a-feeling-of-intimidation-we-knew/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [I have many times marveled at how I could feel so good about myself while eating peanuts in a middle seat on Southwest Airlines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/i-have-many-times-marveled-at-how-i-could-feel-so-good-about-myself/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [Being reviewed is being condescended to by your inferiors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/being-reviewed-is-being-condescended-to-by-your-inferiors/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I thought I'd been condescended to as an Indian - that was nothing compared to the condescension for writing young adult literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-thought-i-d-been-condescended-to-as-an-indian-that-was-nothing-2/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“In short, the self-sufficient, wholly other, transcendent, and holy God condescended to create a world and creatures, knowing that they would reject him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-r-kreider/in-short-the-self-sufficient-wholly-other-transcendent-and-holy-god/) [Glenn R. Kreider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-r-kreider/) > [He that condescended so far, and stooped so low, to invite and bring us to heaven, will not refuse us a gracious reception there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-boyle/he-that-condescended-so-far-and-stooped-so-low-to-invite-and-bring-us/) [Robert Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-boyle/) > [O felt that her mouth was beautiful, since her lover condescended to thrust himself into it . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-desclos/o-felt-that-her-mouth-was-beautiful-since-her-lover-condescended-to/) [Anne Desclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-desclos/) > [How do you know that, Philo, dear?" But Philologos had had enough of being condescended to. "Because, Lamion, I am not as dumb as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/how-do-you-know-that-philo-dear-but-philologos-had-had-enough-of/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [My parents never condescended to me. As a child, I always sat at the head of our dinner table. I was always given a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/my-parents-never-condescended-to-me-as-a-child-i-always-sat-at-the/) [Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/) > [Philip wasn't the sort of man to make a friend of a woman. He wanted devotion. I gave him that. I did, you know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/philip-wasn-t-the-sort-of-man-to-make-a-friend-of-a-woman-he-wanted/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) [Browse all 17 Condescended quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condescended-388424/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Mason glowers, shaking his head. \"I've ascended, descended, even condescended, and the List's not ended,— but haven't yet trans-cended a blessed thing, thankee.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Pynchon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-ascended-descended-even/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Condescended" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-ascended-descended-even/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/thomas-pynchon-533_condescended_mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-asce_2402481.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/thomas-pynchon-533_condescended_mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-asce_2402481.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92d/thomas-pynchon-533_condescended_mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-asce_2402481.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mason glowers, shaking his head. \"I've ascended, descended, even condescended, and the List's not ended…” — Thomas Pynchon", "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": "Thomas Pynchon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Mason glowers, shaking his head. \"I've...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-ascended-descended-even/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/mason-glowers-shaking-his-head-i-ve-ascended-descended-even/#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 } } ] } ```