--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever the internal mechanism that…" description: "\"“Whatever the internal mechanism that moderated the human capacity for joy, mine had long been broken beyond repair. And I knew this was a poor substit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/alexis-hall-3236_alexis-hall_whatever-the-internal-mechanism-that-mod_2398862.jpg" --- # Whatever the internal mechanism that moderated the human… ![“Whatever the internal mechanism that moderated the human capacity for joy, mine had long been broken beyond repair. And I knew this was a poor substitute, a base shadow cast on the cave wall, a reflection in a tarnished mirror of ordinary things like happiness, love, and hope. But there were…” quote by Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/alexis-hall-3236_alexis-hall_whatever-the-internal-mechanism-that-mod_2398862.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/alexis-hall-3236_alexis-hall_whatever-the-internal-mechanism-that-mod_2398862.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/alexis-hall-3236_alexis-hall_whatever-the-internal-mechanism-that-mod_2398862.jpg) > ““Whatever the internal mechanism that moderated the human capacity for joy, mine had long been broken beyond repair. And I knew this was a poor substitute, a base shadow cast on the cave wall, a reflection in a tarnished mirror of ordinary things like happiness, love, and hope. But there were moments, fleeting moments, lost in the responses of my body to his, when it was almost enough. And, God, I wanted, I wanted. These crumbs of bliss.”” [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Joy can feel broken, but fleeting moments of bliss still appear, revealing a yearning for deeper fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Joy feels broken, but brief bliss appears. Key Takeaway Seek moments of joy despite brokenness. Themes joy longing human experience spiritual yearning hope Mood melancholic hopeful Type reflective poetic When to use this quote - therapy sessions - creative writing - meditation retreats - support groups Key Concepts Existential longing psychological repair spiritual yearning Questions to Reflect On - What small joys can you cultivate daily? - How do you reconcile fleeting bliss with lasting happiness? A Different Perspective Bliss may be fleeting and not resolve underlying pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alexis-hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alexis-hall-5927/) [Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bliss/) [Fleeting moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fleeting-moments/) [Glitterland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glitterland-72826/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happiness love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness-love/) [Hope Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-moments-3050215/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Like Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-happiness-326212/) [Moments Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments-lost-617096/) [Ordinary things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-things/) ## Related quotes > [“In the past, I walk between green lawns, surrounded by golden stone. 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Life has a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-hart/there-are-few-times-when-we-know-with-absolute-certainty-we-are-going/) [Megan Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-hart/) > [“The rain began to fall harder, and it distracted him, but he tried to pull himself back because he felt on the verge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-boswell/the-rain-began-to-fall-harder-and-it-distracted-him-but-he-tried-to/) [Robert Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-boswell/) > [“A thousand moments lost because you took them for granted, just because you expected a thousand more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saleem-sharma/a-thousand-moments-lost-because-you-took-them-for-granted-just/) [Saleem Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saleem-sharma/) > [All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/all-those-moments-will-be-lost-in-time-like-tears-in-rain-time-to-die/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) > [All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-batty-blade-runner/all-those-moments-will-be-lost-in-time-like-tears-in-the-rain/) [Roy Batty Blade Runner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-batty-blade-runner/) > [“If you do not write the thoughts of the moments, it is lost forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/if-you-do-not-write-the-thoughts-of-the-moments-it-is-lost-forever/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) ## More by Alexis Hall > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [“He kissed me. 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