--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I smell wet pavement, and pretend that…" description: "\"“I smell wet pavement, and pretend that this is all there is.”\" — Veronica Roth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/666/veronica-roth-66_pavement_i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-th_3109357.png" --- # I smell wet pavement, and pretend that this is all there is. ![“I smell wet pavement, and pretend that this is all there is.” quote by Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/666/veronica-roth-66_pavement_i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-th_3109357.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/666/veronica-roth-66_pavement_i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-th_3109357.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/666/veronica-roth-66_pavement_i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-th_3109357.png) > ““I smell wet pavement, and pretend that this is all there is.”” [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## 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 pretends to accept a bleak reality, using imagination to cope with discomfort. **In simple terms:** Pretend to accept reality to cope. Key Takeaway Use imagination to transform discomfort. Themes coping imagination acceptance Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - stressful work - personal loss - creative block Key Concepts psychological resilience mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What does the wet pavement symbolize for you? - How can imagination aid healing? A Different Perspective Denial may prevent addressing underlying issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) ## Related quotes > [He's out of his depth on a wet pavement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-s-out-of-his-depth-on-a-wet-pavement/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You smell wet. Let's Party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/you-smell-wet-let-s-party/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) > [For me, it feels like driving from truth into a lie, from adulthood to childhoold. I watch the land of pavement and glass and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/for-me-it-feels-like-driving-from-truth-into-a-lie-from-adulthood-to/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I used to go outside every day and invent these elaborate worlds and scenarios in my head, and when I grew too old for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-used-to-go-outside-every-day-and-invent-these-elaborate-worlds-and/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Emily suffers no more from pain or weakness now. She will never suffer more in this world. She is gone after a hard, short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/emily-suffers-no-more-from-pain-or-weakness-now-she-will-never-suffer/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Leaves covered pavement like soggy cereal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/leaves-covered-pavement-like-soggy-cereal/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) > [I guess I thought I was Elvis Presley but I'll tell ya something. All Elvis did was stand on a stage and play a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evel-knievel/i-guess-i-thought-i-was-elvis-presley-but-i-ll-tell-ya-something-all/) [Evel Knievel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evel-knievel/) > [Snakes In The Grass , So I Stay On The Pavement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deezy-da-dreadhead/snakes-in-the-grass-so-i-stay-on-the-pavement/) [Deezy Da Dreadhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deezy-da-dreadhead/) > [Unlike running on a road or concrete, natural surfaces are more forgiving and offer a more varied terrain, ultimately resulting in less repetitive micro-trauma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-karnazes/unlike-running-on-a-road-or-concrete-natural-surfaces-are-more/) [Dean Karnazes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-karnazes/) > [White swan of cities slumbering in thy nest . . . White phantom city, whose untrodden streets Are rivers, and whose pavements are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/white-swan-of-cities-slumbering-in-thy-nest-white-phantom-city-whose/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [If a lady comes up to you and tells you that your dear mama is lying in a faint on the pavement round the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-smith/if-a-lady-comes-up-to-you-and-tells-you-that-your-dear-mama-is-lying/) [Stevie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-smith/) > [I believe that evidence shows that there is a real spirit, a real Beach, but it is beneath no pavement whatsoever, for all pavements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/i-believe-that-evidence-shows-that-there-is-a-real-spirit-a-real/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [Rhoda comes now, having slipped in while we were not looking. She must have made a tortuous course, taking cover now behind a waiter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/rhoda-comes-now-having-slipped-in-while-we-were-not-looking-she-must/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The basic scam in the Internet age is pretty easy even for the financially illiterate to grasp. It was as if banks like Goldman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/the-basic-scam-in-the-internet-age-is-pretty-easy-even-for-the/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [I think you're lucky if you discover what you really love at a young age. College wasn't something I was going to do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-think-you-re-lucky-if-you-discover-what-you-really-love-at-a-young/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) ## More by Veronica Roth > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I was beginning to feel that I had finally found a place to stay, a place that was not so unstable or corrupt or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-was-beginning-to-feel-that-i-had-finally-found-a-place-to-stay-a/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“He acts so tough that he’s probably afraid of marshmallows and really bright sunrises or something. Overcompensating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-acts-so-tough-that-he-s-probably-afraid-of-marshmallows-and-really/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [And is it selfish of me to crave victory, or is it brave?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-is-it-selfish-of-me-to-crave-victory-or-is-it-brave/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [You always look like someone's sucked the life right out of you when something fascinates you. -Tris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/you-always-look-like-someone-s-sucked-the-life-right-out-of-you-when/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We can be mended. We mend each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-can-be-mended-we-mend-each-other/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Don’t worry about me handling the pain," I say. "I’ve had a lot of practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/don-t-worry-about-me-handling-the-pain-i-say-i-ve-had-a-lot-of/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Soon I will honor my parents by dying as they died. and if all they believed about death was true, soon I will join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/soon-i-will-honor-my-parents-by-dying-as-they-died-and-if-all-they/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Mas lembre-se, já agora, que por vezes as pessoas que oprimimos tornam-se mais poderosas do que nós gostaríamos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/mas-lembre-se-j-agora-que-por-vezes-as-pessoas-que-oprimimos-tornam/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“am aware of how little space there is between us—six inches at most. That space feels charged with electricity. I feel like it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/am-aware-of-how-little-space-there-is-between-us-six-inches-at-most/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Oh, good,” I say, a sour taste in my mouth. “Heroism is what I was focused on. Not, you know, trying not to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/oh-good-i-say-a-sour-taste-in-my-mouth-heroism-is-what-i-was-focused/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Caleb frowns at him. "How old are you, anyway?" "Eighteen." "And you don't think you're too old to be with my little sister?" Tobias…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/caleb-frowns-at-him-how-old-are-you-anyway-eighteen-and-you-don-t/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [What do you think they're going to do to us when they find us guilty?" she says after a few minutes of silence have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/what-do-you-think-they-re-going-to-do-to-us-when-they-find-us-guilty/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“La paz está restringida, eso es libertad”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/la-paz-est-restringida-eso-es-libertad/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [In some parts of the ancient world, the hawk symbolized the sun. Back when I got this, I figured if I always had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/in-some-parts-of-the-ancient-world-the-hawk-symbolized-the-sun-back/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) [Explore all 1,589 Veronica Roth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More Pavement quotes > [I think you're lucky if you discover what you really love at a young age. College wasn't something I was going to do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-think-you-re-lucky-if-you-discover-what-you-really-love-at-a-young/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [The basic scam in the Internet age is pretty easy even for the financially illiterate to grasp. It was as if banks like Goldman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/the-basic-scam-in-the-internet-age-is-pretty-easy-even-for-the/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [Rhoda comes now, having slipped in while we were not looking. She must have made a tortuous course, taking cover now behind a waiter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/rhoda-comes-now-having-slipped-in-while-we-were-not-looking-she-must/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [I believe that evidence shows that there is a real spirit, a real Beach, but it is beneath no pavement whatsoever, for all pavements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/i-believe-that-evidence-shows-that-there-is-a-real-spirit-a-real/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [If a lady comes up to you and tells you that your dear mama is lying in a faint on the pavement round the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-smith/if-a-lady-comes-up-to-you-and-tells-you-that-your-dear-mama-is-lying/) [Stevie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-smith/) > [White swan of cities slumbering in thy nest . . . White phantom city, whose untrodden streets Are rivers, and whose pavements are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/white-swan-of-cities-slumbering-in-thy-nest-white-phantom-city-whose/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [Unlike running on a road or concrete, natural surfaces are more forgiving and offer a more varied terrain, ultimately resulting in less repetitive micro-trauma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-karnazes/unlike-running-on-a-road-or-concrete-natural-surfaces-are-more/) [Dean Karnazes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-karnazes/) > [Snakes In The Grass , So I Stay On The Pavement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deezy-da-dreadhead/snakes-in-the-grass-so-i-stay-on-the-pavement/) [Deezy Da Dreadhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deezy-da-dreadhead/) > [I guess I thought I was Elvis Presley but I'll tell ya something. All Elvis did was stand on a stage and play a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evel-knievel/i-guess-i-thought-i-was-elvis-presley-but-i-ll-tell-ya-something-all/) [Evel Knievel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evel-knievel/) > [Leaves covered pavement like soggy cereal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-cornwell/leaves-covered-pavement-like-soggy-cereal/) [Patricia Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-cornwell/) > [Emily suffers no more from pain or weakness now. She will never suffer more in this world. She is gone after a hard, short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/emily-suffers-no-more-from-pain-or-weakness-now-she-will-never-suffer/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [When I moved to London, you could park your motorcycle in the pavement, on the sidewalk. We would stay here and just leave it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/when-i-moved-to-london-you-could-park-your-motorcycle-in-the-pavement/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I remember I was a child, and when I grew up I was a poet. It all happened at sixty miles an hour and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ruefle/i-remember-i-was-a-child-and-when-i-grew-up-i-was-a-poet-it-all/) [Mary Ruefle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ruefle/) > [In Koln, a town of monks and bones, And pavement fang'd with murderous stones, And rags and hags, and hideous wenches, I counted two-and-seventy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/in-koln-a-town-of-monks-and-bones-and-pavement-fang-d-with-murderous/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [For his thirtieth birthday he had filled a whole night-club off Regent Street; people had been queuing on the pavement to get in. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/for-his-thirtieth-birthday-he-had-filled-a-whole-night-club-off/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) Browse all 170 Pavement quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I smell wet pavement, and pretend that this is all there is.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Veronica Roth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-this-is-all-there-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pavement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-this-is-all-there-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/666/veronica-roth-66_pavement_i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-th_3109357.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/666/veronica-roth-66_pavement_i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-th_3109357.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/666/veronica-roth-66_pavement_i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-th_3109357.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I smell wet pavement, and pretend that this is all there is.” — Veronica Roth", "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": "Veronica Roth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I smell wet pavement, and pretend...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-this-is-all-there-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-smell-wet-pavement-and-pretend-that-this-is-all-there-is/#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 } } ] } ```