"Everyone coming out of a perfume store is smelling the back of their hand"

This quote by Jonathan Carroll is a metaphor for how individuals often look for meaning in life. It suggests that individuals are constantly looking for something that will make them feel complete, and they typically try to find it in material things. The perfume shop represents the look for something that will make them feel pleased, and the act of smelling the back of their hand signifies the dissatisfaction that comes when they realize that the material things they have acquired do not bring them the satisfaction they were expecting. This quote is a tip that true complete satisfaction and satisfaction originate from within, and that material belongings are not the answer.