--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fern's never had very good luck with…" description: "\"“Fern's never had very good luck with animals. She smothers them with affection and care and they thank her by croaking. Fern hasn't figured out how to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/amy-harmon-1093_animal_fern-s-never-had-very-good-luck-with-ani_2297556.png" --- # Fern's never had very good luck with animals. She smothers… ![“Fern's never had very good luck with animals. She smothers them with affection and care and they thank her by croaking. Fern hasn't figured out how to play hard to get.” quote by Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/amy-harmon-1093_animal_fern-s-never-had-very-good-luck-with-ani_2297556.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/amy-harmon-1093_animal_fern-s-never-had-very-good-luck-with-ani_2297556.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d69/amy-harmon-1093_animal_fern-s-never-had-very-good-luck-with-ani_2297556.png) > ““Fern's never had very good luck with animals. She smothers them with affection and care and they thank her by croaking. Fern hasn't figured out how to play hard to get.”” [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fern's affection overwhelms animals, causing them to react negatively; she hasn't learned to be less eager. **In simple terms:** Being overly caring can push people away. Key Takeaway Balance affection with space. Themes relationships empathy boundaries Mood reflective empathetic Type advice observation When to use this quote - dating - friendship - pet care - workplace interactions Key Concepts attachment style social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you show care without overwhelming? - What signals indicate someone needs space? A Different Perspective Too much affection can feel smothering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals Smothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals-smothers-5421985/) [Fern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fern/) [Fern Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fern-good-5421987/) [Fern Hasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fern-hasn-5421986/) [Good luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-luck/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Play hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-hard/) [Smothers Affection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smothers-affection-5421988/) ## Related quotes > [“Give me your mouth, Fern. Please. Make it all go away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/give-me-your-mouth-fern-please-make-it-all-go-away/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“News flash, Fern Taylor! Everything has changed! You are beautiful, I am hideous, you don’t need me anymore, but I sure as hell need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/news-flash-fern-taylor-everything-has-changed-you-are-beautiful-i-am/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“Fern has Ugly Girl Syndrome.” Bailey said, out of the blue. “Also known as UGS … She grew up thinking she was ugly. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/fern-has-ugly-girl-syndrome-bailey-said-out-of-the-blue-also-known-as/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I'm sure the red fern has grown and has completely covered the two little mounds. I know it is still there, hiding its secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-rawls/i-m-sure-the-red-fern-has-grown-and-has-completely-covered-the-two/) [Wilson Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-rawls/) > [I have always believed it is not enough just to wear the silver fern and I do not regret pushing myself to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-hubbard/i-have-always-believed-it-is-not-enough-just-to-wear-the-silver-fern/) [Laurel Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-hubbard/) > [“What makes you different, makes you exceptional, Fern.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-swanson/what-makes-you-different-makes-you-exceptional-fern/) [Kara Swanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-swanson/) > [In neglected fields the fern grows, which must be cleared out by fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/in-neglected-fields-the-fern-grows-which-must-be-cleared-out-by-fire/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“She knelt on the walkway, and the plants bunched around her, each of them calling out their name: the philodendron was Dendy (he), the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beth-durst/she-knelt-on-the-walkway-and-the-plants-bunched-around-her-each-of/) [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) > [Andy: Look at our love fern! It's dead! Ben: No it's only sleeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-hudson/andy-look-at-our-love-fern-it-s-dead-ben-no-it-s-only-sleeping/) [Kate Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-hudson/) > [I had heard the old Indian legend about the red fern. How a little Indian boy and girl were lost in a blizzard and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-rawls/i-had-heard-the-old-indian-legend-about-the-red-fern-how-a-little/) [Wilson Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-rawls/) > [“Alles nahe werde fern.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/alles-nahe-werde-fern/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Schon ist alle Nähe fern”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/schon-ist-alle-n-he-fern/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Being on Twitter is like having a fern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/being-on-twitter-is-like-having-a-fern/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [“The road climbs curving out of wet ground thick with cedars, and up onto a plateau meadow where Jersey cows, beautiful as deer, watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner-crossing-to-safety/the-road-climbs-curving-out-of-wet-ground-thick-with-cedars-and-up/) [Wallace Stegner Crossing To Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner-crossing-to-safety/) ## More by Amy Harmon > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“I love the way you smile at me... knocks me on my arse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/i-love-the-way-you-smile-at-me-knocks-me-on-my-arse/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“When the ancient Romans would conquer a new place or a new people, they would leave the language and the customs in tact –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/when-the-ancient-romans-would-conquer-a-new-place-or-a-new-people/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“Maybe it was just Mr. Wilson's obvious love of the subject he taught. Maybe it was simply his cool accent and his youth. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/maybe-it-was-just-mr-wilson-s-obvious-love-of-the-subject-he-taught/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“It wasn't nothing. It was something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/it-wasn-t-nothing-it-was-something/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“Once upon a time there was a little blackbird, pushed out of the nest, unwanted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-little-blackbird-pushed-out-of-the-nest/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“Do you think about how I look when you kiss me?" "Yes." His voice was raspy. 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He looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/i-keep-wishing-you-had-had-a-better-life-a-different-life-but-a/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“You can’t find the end of infinity. There is no end. So if you can’t tack space onto the end of infinity, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-find-the-end-of-infinity-there-is-no-end-so-if-you-can-t/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“News flash, Fern Taylor! Everything has changed! You are beautiful, I am hideous, you don’t need me anymore, but I sure as hell need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/news-flash-fern-taylor-everything-has-changed-you-are-beautiful-i-am/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [“No. It can’t happen because I’m a Jew. And it’s now against the law for Catholics to marry Jews. 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He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. 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It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Fern's never had very good luck with animals. She smothers them with affection and care and they thank her by croaking. 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