--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges…" description: "\"Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges the wanderer back to lands which his ancestors left in the dim beginnings of history. Sometimes a man hits upon ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/w-somerset-maugham-237_ancestor_perhaps-some-deep-rooted-atavism-urges-t_2461713.jpg" --- # Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges the wanderer back… ![“Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges the wanderer back to lands which his ancestors left in the dim beginnings of history. Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels that he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle amid scenes that he has never seen before…” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/w-somerset-maugham-237_ancestor_perhaps-some-deep-rooted-atavism-urges-t_2461713.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/w-somerset-maugham-237_ancestor_perhaps-some-deep-rooted-atavism-urges-t_2461713.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/w-somerset-maugham-237_ancestor_perhaps-some-deep-rooted-atavism-urges-t_2461713.jpg) > “Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges the wanderer back to lands which his ancestors left in the dim beginnings of history. Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels that he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle amid scenes that he has never seen before, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth. Here at last he finds rest.” [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A wanderer feels an ancestral pull to a new land, finding belonging and rest among strangers **In simple terms:** Finding home in unfamiliar places Key Takeaway Seek connection and peace in new environments Themes identity belonging journey Mood contemplative nostalgic Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - immigration - settlement - career change - personal transformation Key Concepts cultural heritage self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - What draws you to a place you never knew? - How can you honor ancestors while forging your own path? A Different Perspective Nostalgia may blind to present realities ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Wanderer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanderer/) [Wanderers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanderers/) ## Related quotes > [“I have an idea that some men are born out of their due place. Accident has cast them amid certain surroundings, but they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/i-have-an-idea-that-some-men-are-born-out-of-their-due-place-accident/) [W. 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Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“My dear, you used to be quite a dish; now you're quite a tureen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/my-dear-you-used-to-be-quite-a-dish-now-you-re-quite-a-tureen/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“When people say they do not care what others thing of them, for the most part they deceive themselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/when-people-say-they-do-not-care-what-others-thing-of-them-for-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) [Explore all 840 W. Somerset Maugham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## More Ancestor quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. 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