--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Asphalt hurts. But not as much as…" description: "\"“Asphalt hurts. But not as much as abandoning your dignity.”\" — Abby McDonald" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/abby-mcdonald-14536_asphalt_asphalt-hurts-but-not-as-much-as-abandon_2668326.jpg" --- # Asphalt hurts. But not as much as abandoning your dignity. ![“Asphalt hurts. But not as much as abandoning your dignity.” quote by Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/abby-mcdonald-14536_asphalt_asphalt-hurts-but-not-as-much-as-abandon_2668326.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/abby-mcdonald-14536_asphalt_asphalt-hurts-but-not-as-much-as-abandon_2668326.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e3/abby-mcdonald-14536_asphalt_asphalt-hurts-but-not-as-much-as-abandon_2668326.jpg) > ““Asphalt hurts. But not as much as abandoning your dignity.”” [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Physical pain is less damaging than losing self-respect; dignity matters more than bodily discomfort. **In simple terms:** Dignity outweighs physical hurt. Key Takeaway Protect your self-respect first. Themes self-respect pain integrity psychology Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - conflict resolution - personal growth - stress management Key Concepts dignity personal values resilience Questions to Reflect On - When have you chosen dignity over comfort? - Is pride ever counterproductive? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on pride can hinder help‑seeking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) ## Related quotes > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The street curves in and out, up and down in great waves of asphalt; at night the granite tomb is noisy with starlings like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-reznikoff/the-street-curves-in-and-out-up-and-down-in-great-waves-of-asphalt-at/) [Charles Reznikoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-reznikoff/) > [Big 35's whinin' on the asphalt. Grabbin' mud, and slingin' up some red dirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-jackson/big-35-s-whinin-on-the-asphalt-grabbin-mud-and-slingin-up-some-red/) [Alan Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-jackson/) > [At the Tour, you always have some fantastic days and some days where you hit the asphalt. Today was an asphalt day for me,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-voigt/at-the-tour-you-always-have-some-fantastic-days-and-some-days-where/) [Jens Voigt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-voigt/) > [Marilyn was one step from oblivion when I directed her in The Asphalt Jungle. I remember she impressed me more off the screen than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-huston/marilyn-was-one-step-from-oblivion-when-i-directed-her-in-the-asphalt/) [John Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-huston/) > [I was the first home-grown sex symbol, rather like Britain's naughty seaside postcards. When Marilyn Monroe's first film was shown here \[The Asphalt Jungle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-dors/i-was-the-first-home-grown-sex-symbol-rather-like-britain-s-naughty/) Diana Dors > [One way or another we all work for our vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-maddow/one-way-or-another-we-all-work-for-our-vice/) [Ben Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-maddow/) > [I learned to swing on monkey bars over asphalt. I learned that if you fall, it hurts, so you try not to fall. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cordes/i-learned-to-swing-on-monkey-bars-over-asphalt-i-learned-that-if-you/) Tim Cordes > [In my old age, I have come to believe that love is not a noun but a verb. An action. Like water, it flows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/in-my-old-age-i-have-come-to-believe-that-love-is-not-a-noun-but-a/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticide grain, For strip-mined mountain's majesty above the asphalt plain. America, America, man sheds his waste on thee, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/oh-beautiful-for-smoggy-skies-insecticide-grain-for-strip-mined/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Probably no single event highlights the strength of Campbell's argument (on peak oil) better than the rapid development of the Alberta tar sands. Bitumen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/probably-no-single-event-highlights-the-strength-of-campbell-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [And I saw it didn't matter who had loved me or who I loved. I was alone. The black oily asphalt, the slick beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/and-i-saw-it-didn-t-matter-who-had-loved-me-or-who-i-loved-i-was/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [“gravity chains us to the asphalt with such grace, we think it is kind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maura-o-connor/gravity-chains-us-to-the-asphalt-with-such-grace-we-think-it-is-kind/) Maura O'Connor > [The dog writhing in the gutter, its back broken by a passing car, knows what it is to be alive. So too with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-greenstein/the-dog-writhing-in-the-gutter-its-back-broken-by-a-passing-car-knows/) George Greenstein > [In a future that portends stronger and more-frequent hurricanes striking North America's Atlantic coast, ferocious winds will pummel tall, unsteady structures. Some will topple,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-weisman/in-a-future-that-portends-stronger-and-more-frequent-hurricanes/) [Alan Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-weisman/) ## More by Abby McDonald > [“So you try, and try, to move past it and forget about them, but it's like they're stuck in your head -- you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/so-you-try-and-try-to-move-past-it-and-forget-about-them-but-it-s/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“Why do guys do that?" I ask. "Name their vehicles." "Ownership." He grins. I reach over and punch him lightly. "What?" he protests. "It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/why-do-guys-do-that-i-ask-name-their-vehicles-ownership-he-grins-i/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“It's your life. If you don't make it so that you get what you want, nobody else will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/it-s-your-life-if-you-don-t-make-it-so-that-you-get-what-you-want/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“Love isn't pain. Heartbreak isn't noble or romantic. You deserve better, so don't ever forget.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/love-isn-t-pain-heartbreak-isn-t-noble-or-romantic-you-deserve-better/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“I'm an evil, nature-hating girl now, but for some reason, that feels better than pretending to like things I don't. I'm done smiling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/i-m-an-evil-nature-hating-girl-now-but-for-some-reason-that-feels/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“Everyone had their own agenda. She just had to stop reacting emotionally: decipher the real motives for their behaviour without taking every word as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/everyone-had-their-own-agenda-she-just-had-to-stop-reacting/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“How many times has that happened? I find myself wondering. How many times have I sat, waiting, while he catches up with somebody else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/how-many-times-has-that-happened-i-find-myself-wondering-how-many/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“It's the habit that gets you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/it-s-the-habit-that-gets-you/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“You’re not in love with me, not really, you just love the way I always made you feel. Like you were the centre of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/you-re-not-in-love-with-me-not-really-you-just-love-the-way-i-always/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“See" Kayla links her arm through mine, leaving Blake to jostle and race the other guys. "I tell them I can handle my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/see-kayla-links-her-arm-through-mine-leaving-blake-to-jostle-and-race/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“We love the idea of transformation, so we can make ourselves something more than just ordinary. It's why you're doing this, isn't it?" she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/we-love-the-idea-of-transformation-so-we-can-make-ourselves-something/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“I curl my fingers into my palm to make up for the fact that they're not wrapped around his.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/i-curl-my-fingers-into-my-palm-to-make-up-for-the-fact-that-they-re/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“Just because people say something's great, it doesn't mean you have to agree, not if you don't actually enjoy it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/just-because-people-say-something-s-great-it-doesn-t-mean-you-have-to/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“Let stuff simply unfold, for once in your life, without spinning all those hopeful romantic fantasies. The less time you spend dreaming up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/let-stuff-simply-unfold-for-once-in-your-life-without-spinning-all/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) > [“The less time you spend dreaming up a world of happily ever after, the more time you'll have to actually live -- no evers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-mcdonald/the-less-time-you-spend-dreaming-up-a-world-of-happily-ever-after-the/) [Abby McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) [Explore all 46 Abby McDonald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-mcdonald/) ## More Asphalt quotes > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The dog writhing in the gutter, its back broken by a passing car, knows what it is to be alive. So too with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-greenstein/the-dog-writhing-in-the-gutter-its-back-broken-by-a-passing-car-knows/) George Greenstein > [“gravity chains us to the asphalt with such grace, we think it is kind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maura-o-connor/gravity-chains-us-to-the-asphalt-with-such-grace-we-think-it-is-kind/) Maura O'Connor > [And I saw it didn't matter who had loved me or who I loved. I was alone. The black oily asphalt, the slick beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/and-i-saw-it-didn-t-matter-who-had-loved-me-or-who-i-loved-i-was/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [Probably no single event highlights the strength of Campbell's argument (on peak oil) better than the rapid development of the Alberta tar sands. Bitumen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/probably-no-single-event-highlights-the-strength-of-campbell-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticide grain, For strip-mined mountain's majesty above the asphalt plain. America, America, man sheds his waste on thee, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/oh-beautiful-for-smoggy-skies-insecticide-grain-for-strip-mined/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [In my old age, I have come to believe that love is not a noun but a verb. An action. Like water, it flows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/in-my-old-age-i-have-come-to-believe-that-love-is-not-a-noun-but-a/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [I learned to swing on monkey bars over asphalt. I learned that if you fall, it hurts, so you try not to fall. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cordes/i-learned-to-swing-on-monkey-bars-over-asphalt-i-learned-that-if-you/) Tim Cordes > [One way or another we all work for our vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-maddow/one-way-or-another-we-all-work-for-our-vice/) [Ben Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-maddow/) > [I was the first home-grown sex symbol, rather like Britain's naughty seaside postcards. When Marilyn Monroe's first film was shown here \[The Asphalt Jungle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-dors/i-was-the-first-home-grown-sex-symbol-rather-like-britain-s-naughty/) Diana Dors > [Marilyn was one step from oblivion when I directed her in The Asphalt Jungle. I remember she impressed me more off the screen than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-huston/marilyn-was-one-step-from-oblivion-when-i-directed-her-in-the-asphalt/) [John Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-huston/) > [At the Tour, you always have some fantastic days and some days where you hit the asphalt. Today was an asphalt day for me,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-voigt/at-the-tour-you-always-have-some-fantastic-days-and-some-days-where/) [Jens Voigt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-voigt/) > [Big 35's whinin' on the asphalt. Grabbin' mud, and slingin' up some red dirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-jackson/big-35-s-whinin-on-the-asphalt-grabbin-mud-and-slingin-up-some-red/) [Alan Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-jackson/) > [The street curves in and out, up and down in great waves of asphalt; at night the granite tomb is noisy with starlings like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-reznikoff/the-street-curves-in-and-out-up-and-down-in-great-waves-of-asphalt-at/) [Charles Reznikoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-reznikoff/) > [In a future that portends stronger and more-frequent hurricanes striking North America's Atlantic coast, ferocious winds will pummel tall, unsteady structures. Some will topple,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-weisman/in-a-future-that-portends-stronger-and-more-frequent-hurricanes/) [Alan Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-weisman/) Browse all 47 Asphalt quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Asphalt hurts. 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