--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: … just to break the silence. He always…" description: "\"“… just to break the silence. He always imagined that silence was somehow directed against him. Or that it was his fault.”\" — Amos Oz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/amos-oz-1478_silence_just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imag_2606370.png" --- # … just to break the silence. He always imagined that… ![“… just to break the silence. He always imagined that silence was somehow directed against him. Or that it was his fault.” quote by Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/amos-oz-1478_silence_just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imag_2606370.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/amos-oz-1478_silence_just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imag_2606370.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/amos-oz-1478_silence_just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imag_2606370.png) > ““… just to break the silence. He always imagined that silence was somehow directed against him. Or that it was his fault.”” [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Silence feels oppressive, as if it targets the individual personally. **In simple terms:** Silence can feel personally hostile. Key Takeaway Recognize silence as a feeling, not an accusation. Themes psychology loneliness perception Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - therapy sessions - creative writing - meditation Key Concepts silence self-esteem social anxiety Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your perception of silence? - How can silence be used constructively? A Different Perspective Silence may also offer space for reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) ## Related quotes > [“I do not think that hour there told me anything I could not have imagined myself, but being there, in that silence, gave me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lynch/i-do-not-think-that-hour-there-told-me-anything-i-could-not-have/) [Jennifer Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lynch/) > [Strong efforts may be made to deny the place, to silence the authentic, but the spirit of things will break through that silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-haynes/strong-efforts-may-be-made-to-deny-the-place-to-silence-the-authentic/) John Haynes > [“My silences he mistook for a lack of wit rather than a lack of any need to speak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/my-silences-he-mistook-for-a-lack-of-wit-rather-than-a-lack-of-any/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [Stories break silence and nourish those who work, feel, and dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-naranjo/stories-break-silence-and-nourish-those-who-work-feel-and-dream/) Carmen Naranjo > [“Destroy the Spineless. Show me it's real. Wasting our last chance to come away. Just break the silence 'cos I'm drifting away, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bellamy/destroy-the-spineless-show-me-it-s-real-wasting-our-last-chance-to/) [Matthew Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bellamy/) > [The fact that we are here and that I speak these words is an attempt to break that silence and bridge some of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/the-fact-that-we-are-here-and-that-i-speak-these-words-is-an-attempt/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Am trying to find the right words to break the silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/am-trying-to-find-the-right-words-to-break-the-silence/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The best way to break the silence is with a kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-way-to-break-the-silence-is-with-a-kiss/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We want to make certain that every American who stood in silent tribute to Rosa Parks hopes that the Sepreme Court Judge will break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-durbin/we-want-to-make-certain-that-every-american-who-stood-in-silent/) [Dick Durbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-durbin/) > [“To break the silence the old man said the first thing that came to his mind: "Loneliness is a type of violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-messinger/to-break-the-silence-the-old-man-said-the-first-thing-that-came-to/) [Jonathan Messinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-messinger/) > [Usually they are quick to discover that I cannot see or hear… It is not training but love which impels them to break their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/usually-they-are-quick-to-discover-that-i-cannot-see-or-hear-it-is/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [When I break My Silence, the impact of My Love will be universal and all life in creation will know, feel and receive of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meher-baba/when-i-break-my-silence-the-impact-of-my-love-will-be-universal-and/) [Meher Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meher-baba/) > [Often, when I later listened to the tapes of the interview I would hear that I would rush in to break the silence. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-rosenbaum/often-when-i-later-listened-to-the-tapes-of-the-interview-i-would/) [Ron Rosenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-rosenbaum/) > [“Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/some-of-us-who-have-already-begun-to-break-the-silence-of-the-night/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) > [The time comes when silence is betrayal. That time has come for us today... ...some of us who have already begun to break the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-time-comes-when-silence-is-betrayal-that-time-has-come-for-us/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Amos Oz > [I find the family the most mysterious and fascinating institution in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/i-find-the-family-the-most-mysterious-and-fascinating-institution-in/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [“All the profits that Papa made by the sweat of his brow from his mill she extorted from him and spent the lot on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/all-the-profits-that-papa-made-by-the-sweat-of-his-brow-from-his-mill/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [Nobody ever predicted, a week before President Sadat came to Jerusalem in 1977, that his arrival would be the beginning of a peace process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/nobody-ever-predicted-a-week-before-president-sadat-came-to-jerusalem/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [Every country in the world should follow the example of President Trump and move the embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. But simultaneously, there should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/every-country-in-the-world-should-follow-the-example-of-president/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [Actually, who hasn't been through the ghastly experience of sitting in front of a blank page, with its toothless mouth grinning at you: Go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/actually-who-hasn-t-been-through-the-ghastly-experience-of-sitting-in/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [I think loathing begets fanaticism, and in the end, loathing begets hatred and violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/i-think-loathing-begets-fanaticism-and-in-the-end-loathing-begets/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [Literature is about telling stories. Now, the gift of literature is that, in some lucky cases, reading a novel or a story makes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/literature-is-about-telling-stories-now-the-gift-of-literature-is/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [Very often, fanaticism begins at home. It begins inside the family. It begins with the urge to change our kin, to change our beloved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/very-often-fanaticism-begins-at-home-it-begins-inside-the-family-it/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [When I need to take a side, I write a newspaper article and I tell my government, "You should not do that, you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/when-i-need-to-take-a-side-i-write-a-newspaper-article-and-i-tell-my/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [We have to carry through to the next day and hope that we will be okay tomorrow as we are today and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/we-have-to-carry-through-to-the-next-day-and-hope-that-we-will-be/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [Trump is many things. He is pampered. He is an immature man. He is a teenager craving unconditional, endless love from everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/trump-is-many-things-he-is-pampered-he-is-an-immature-man-he-is-a/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [The only way to keep a dream, any dream at all, to keep a dream perfect and rosy and intact and unsullied is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/the-only-way-to-keep-a-dream-any-dream-at-all-to-keep-a-dream-perfect/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [“Judaism and Christianity, and Islam too, all drip honeyed words of love and mercy so long as they do not have access to handcuffs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/judaism-and-christianity-and-islam-too-all-drip-honeyed-words-of-love/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [Never cut loose from your longings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/never-cut-loose-from-your-longings/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [If people are pro-Israel, they are pro-Israel one-hundred-and-twenty percent. If they are anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian, they tend to be pro-Palestinian one-hundred-and-twenty percent. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/if-people-are-pro-israel-they-are-pro-israel-one-hundred-and-twenty/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) [Explore all 223 Amos Oz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) ## More Silence quotes > [Let us have the luxury of silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/let-us-have-the-luxury-of-silence/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [I just can’t, Nick, okay? Now, please give me a second to lie here in silence and bleed.” – Caleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/i-just-can-t-nick-okay-now-please-give-me-a-second-to-lie-here-in/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“SILENT LIKE SLEEP You appear by my side, silent like sleep. Soft hair, a little wild. No fear, gentle like a calm river. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/silent-like-sleep-you-appear-by-my-side-silent-like-sleep-soft-hair-a/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [“A word is not filling in the gaps, but the fertilization of silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/a-word-is-not-filling-in-the-gaps-but-the-fertilization-of-silence/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [“I’m not like her. I don’t steal people.” Mr. Tibbalt watched her, saying nothing. The silence made Victoria bristle. “Well, I don’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-legrand/i-m-not-like-her-i-don-t-steal-people-mr-tibbalt-watched-her-saying/) [Claire Legrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-legrand/) > [Silence can be the world's strongest weapon in torturing people's emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/silence-can-be-the-world-s-strongest-weapon-in-torturing-people-s/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“Proverbs from the East: The wind howls, but the mountain remains still. Even though I make no special attempt to observe the discipline of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/proverbs-from-the-east-the-wind-howls-but-the-mountain-remains-still/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“When all are one sentience, Language withers and fades away. Let's sit together and speak in silence, Let's be light to each other's way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/when-all-are-one-sentience-language-withers-and-fades-away-let-s-sit/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [True friendship is sitting together in silence and feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-friendship-is-sitting-together-in-silence-and-feeling-like-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“So what did God say to me in the silence that morning? I’m not sure, but I think God said something like, Don’t try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/so-what-did-god-say-to-me-in-the-silence-that-morning-i-m-not-sure/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-nothing-that-can-be-seen-can-either-be-god-or-represent-him-to-us/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I suppose he'll just have to do," she amended. "You'll have to suffer in silence with your male model...I feel for you." "Oh, stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-adornetto/i-suppose-he-ll-just-have-to-do-she-amended-you-ll-have-to-suffer-in/) [Alexandra Adornetto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-adornetto/) > [The silent majority is silent, and that is best for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-kocher/the-silent-majority-is-silent-and-that-is-best-for-everybody/) [Gerhard Kocher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-kocher/) > [“I once asked you what anxiety felt like, and you told me that most days left you riddled with bullet holes. Every morning came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-s/i-once-asked-you-what-anxiety-felt-like-and-you-told-me-that-most/) d.a.s [Browse all 8,731 Silence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“… just to break the silence. He always imagined that silence was somehow directed against him. Or that it was his fault.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amos Oz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imagined-that-silence-was-somehow/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Silence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imagined-that-silence-was-somehow/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/amos-oz-1478_silence_just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imag_2606370.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/amos-oz-1478_silence_just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imag_2606370.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69c/amos-oz-1478_silence_just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imag_2606370.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“… just to break the silence. He always imagined that silence was somehow directed against him. Or that it…” — Amos Oz", "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": "Amos Oz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“… just to break the silence....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imagined-that-silence-was-somehow/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/just-to-break-the-silence-he-always-imagined-that-silence-was-somehow/#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 } } ] } ```