---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why were they whining then?...whining…"
description: "\"“Why were they whining then?...whining, damn them, whining… Because they’d have to give up their hope of living like an animal and return to an honest,..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/william-h-gass-4166_human-life_why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn_336754.png"
---

#  Why were they whining then?...whining, damn them, whining……

![“Why were they whining then?...whining, damn them, whining… Because they’d have to give up their hope of living like an animal and return to an honest, conscious, human life. The prospect was hard.” quote by William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/william-h-gass-4166_human-life_why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn_336754.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/william-h-gass-4166_human-life_why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn_336754.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/william-h-gass-4166_human-life_why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn_336754.png)

> ““Why were they whining then?...whining, damn them, whining… Because they’d have to give up their hope of living like an animal and return to an honest, conscious, human life. The prospect was hard.””

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People must abandon false comforts and confront harsh reality to live authentically.

**In simple terms:** Give up false comforts to be truly human.

Key Takeaway

Embrace honest, conscious living.

Themes

authenticity existentialism comfort zones

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical existential

When to use this quote

- personal crisis
- ethical decision
- self‑realization
- psychological struggle

Key Concepts

human nature existential choice illusion

Questions to Reflect On

- What comforts are you clinging to?
- How does honesty change your life?

A Different Perspective

Hope can be a barrier to confronting reality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [I don't like whining about the challenges I face while I work. I know they are for the better so I can rise stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mawra-hocane/i-don-t-like-whining-about-the-challenges-i-face-while-i-work-i-know/)

[Mawra Hocane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mawra-hocane/)

> [“I have had it with the two of you,” Darren shouted. “I am sick and tired of the whining from you”—he pointed at Monica—“and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-had-it-with-the-two-of-you-darren-shouted-i-am-sick-and-tired/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I wish you wusses would stop whining about your unhappiness. I'm really fed up with it. Pour yourself a scotch and pull yourself together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/i-wish-you-wusses-would-stop-whining-about-your-unhappiness-i-m/)

[John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/)

> [Whining is not only graceless, but it can be dangerous. It can alert a brute that a victim is in the neighborhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/whining-is-not-only-graceless-but-it-can-be-dangerous-it-can-alert-a/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I like doing a challenging class because it makes me more brave in life. My perception of hardships is now completely different. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ione-skye/i-like-doing-a-challenging-class-because-it-makes-me-more-brave-in/)

[Ione Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ione-skye/)

> [So I'd better stop my whining and help myself cope better with even the worst Adversities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/so-i-d-better-stop-my-whining-and-help-myself-cope-better-with-even/)

[Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/)

> [ “\[D\]avid began to argue, with the whining intonations of German astonishment, \[...\] that everyone did it.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/d-avid-began-to-argue-with-the-whining-intonations-of-german/)

[Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/)

> [Work hard. Don’t quit. Be appreciative, be thankful, be grateful, be respectful. Also, never whine, never complain. And always, for crying out loud, keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-keaton/work-hard-don-t-quit-be-appreciative-be-thankful-be-grateful-be/)

[Michael Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-keaton/)

> [While many people think that we as reporters are whining and that this is a time of war, we are really the conveyors of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-rose/while-many-people-think-that-we-as-reporters-are-whining-and-that/)

Judd Rose

> [The proud spirit of the original owners of these vast prairies inherited through centuries of fierce and bloody wars for their possession, lingered last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-frank-baum/the-proud-spirit-of-the-original-owners-of-these-vast-prairies/)

[L. Frank Baum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-frank-baum/)

> [“It is good to be honest with God, but we must be careful that we don’t become whiners. There is nothing that aggravates my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/it-is-good-to-be-honest-with-god-but-we-must-be-careful-that-we-don-t/)

[Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/)

> [Stop WHINING about wanting a man, and just maybe you won't end up alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-whining-about-wanting-a-man-and-just-maybe-you-won-t-end-up-alone/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Poor David Hume is dying fast, but with more real cheerfulness and good humor and with more real resignation to the necessary course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/poor-david-hume-is-dying-fast-but-with-more-real-cheerfulness-and/)

[Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/)

> [“he writer has a grudge against society, which he documents with accounts of unsatisfying sex, unrealized ambition, unmitigated lo neliness, and a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/he-writer-has-a-grudge-against-society-which-he-documents-with/)

[Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/)

## More by William H. Gass

> [“Try to remember that artists in these catastrophic times, along with the serious scientists, are the only salvation for us, if there is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/try-to-remember-that-artists-in-these-catastrophic-times-along-with/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [“If someone asks me, “Why do you write?” I can reply by pointing out that it is a very dumb question. Nevertheless, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/if-someone-asks-me-why-do-you-write-i-can-reply-by-pointing-out-that/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [The things that stayed were things that didn't matter except they stayed, night and day, all seasons the same, and were peaceful to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/the-things-that-stayed-were-things-that-didn-t-matter-except-they/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [When book and reader's furrowed brow meet, it isn't always the book that's stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/when-book-and-reader-s-furrowed-brow-meet-it-isn-t-always-the-book/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [Getting even is one reason for writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/getting-even-is-one-reason-for-writing/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [“It's a simple world for her. A curtain fluttering - that's how she is - lives, moves - obediently, yet with every appearnace of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/it-s-a-simple-world-for-her-a-curtain-fluttering-that-s-how-she-is/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [“I dreamed my lips would drift down your back like a skiff on a river. I'd follow a vein with the point of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/i-dreamed-my-lips-would-drift-down-your-back-like-a-skiff-on-a-river/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [“Yes, we call it recursive, the act of reading, of looping the loop, of continually returning to an earlier group of words, behaving like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/yes-we-call-it-recursive-the-act-of-reading-of-looping-the-loop-of/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [“Then let us have a language worthy of our world, a democratic style where rich and well-born nouns can roister with some sluttish verb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/then-let-us-have-a-language-worthy-of-our-world-a-democratic-style/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [“Excellence is inconveniently difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/excellence-is-inconveniently-difficult/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [We must take our sentences seriously, which means we must understand them philosophically, and the odd thing is that the few who do, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/we-must-take-our-sentences-seriously-which-means-we-must-understand/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [We converse as we live by repeating, by combining and recombining a few elements over and over again just as nature does when of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/we-converse-as-we-live-by-repeating-by-combining-and-recombining-a/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [Sports, politics, and religion are the three passions of the badly educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/sports-politics-and-religion-are-the-three-passions-of-the-badly/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [“Then Jethro Furber wondered whether Omensetter wasn't an actor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/then-jethro-furber-wondered-whether-omensetter-wasn-t-an-actor/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

> [If you were a fully realized person-whatever the hell that would be-you wouldn't fool around writing books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/if-you-were-a-fully-realized-person-whatever-the-hell-that-would-be/)

[William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

[Explore all 115 William H. Gass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/)

## More Human life quotes

> [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/)

[Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/)

> [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/)

Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974

> [To hurry through the rise and fall of a fine, full sentence is like defying the role of time in human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/to-hurry-through-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-fine-full-sentence-is-like/)

[Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/)

> [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Art is not a pleasure, a solace, or an amusement; art is great matter. Art is an organ of human life, transmitting man's reasonable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/art-is-not-a-pleasure-a-solace-or-an-amusement-art-is-great-matter/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I free slaves because I believe we are all created equal. I just can't think of anything that has a higher purpose than putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-williams/i-free-slaves-because-i-believe-we-are-all-created-equal-i-just-can-t/)

[Virginia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-williams/)

> [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/)

[Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/)

> [There seems to be a kind of order in the universe…in the movement of the stars and the turning of the Earth and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/there-seems-to-be-a-kind-of-order-in-the-universe-in-the-movement-of/)

[Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/)

> [I think we are not spend our life as it pick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankit-narwal/i-think-we-are-not-spend-our-life-as-it-pick/)

ANKIT NARWAL

> [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [Anyone who thinks science is trying to make human life easier or more pleasant is utterly mistaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/anyone-who-thinks-science-is-trying-to-make-human-life-easier-or-more/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [Human life is created in God's image, and that makes it sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-s-smith/human-life-is-created-in-god-s-image-and-that-makes-it-sacred/)

[Colin S. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-s-smith/)

> [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [In these years we are witnessing the gigantic spectacle of innumerable human lives wandering about lost in their own labyrinths, through not having anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/in-these-years-we-are-witnessing-the-gigantic-spectacle-of/)

[Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/)

[Browse all 2,309 Human life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Why were they whining then?...whining, damn them, whining… Because they’d have to give up their hope of living like an animal and return to an honest, conscious, human life. The prospect was hard.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William H. Gass"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn-them-whining-because-they-d/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Human life"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn-them-whining-because-they-d/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/william-h-gass-4166_human-life_why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn_336754.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/william-h-gass-4166_human-life_why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn_336754.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/william-h-gass-4166_human-life_why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn_336754.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Why were they whining then?...whining, damn them, whining… Because they’d have to give up their hope of…” — William H. Gass",
                "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": "William H. Gass",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Why were they whining then?...whining, damn...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn-them-whining-because-they-d/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/why-were-they-whining-then-whining-damn-them-whining-because-they-d/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
