--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even if I had expected it, even if I had…" description: "\"Even if I had expected it, even if I had known what I was going to do with my life, it would have knocked the wind out of me. When something that viole..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/amy-tan-730_balance_even-if-i-had-expected-it-even-if-i-had_859424.jpg" --- # Even if I had expected it, even if I had known what I was… ![“Even if I had expected it, even if I had known what I was going to do with my life, it would have knocked the wind out of me. When something that violent hits you, you can't help but lose your balance and fall. And after you pick yourself up, you realize you can't trust anybody to save you- not…” quote by Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/amy-tan-730_balance_even-if-i-had-expected-it-even-if-i-had_859424.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/amy-tan-730_balance_even-if-i-had-expected-it-even-if-i-had_859424.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/amy-tan-730_balance_even-if-i-had-expected-it-even-if-i-had_859424.jpg) > “Even if I had expected it, even if I had known what I was going to do with my life, it would have knocked the wind out of me. When something that violent hits you, you can't help but lose your balance and fall. And after you pick yourself up, you realize you can't trust anybody to save you- not your husband, not your mother, not God. So what can you do to stop yourself from tilting and falling all over again?” [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing unexpected trauma can shatter confidence, making self‑reliance essential for recovery. **In simple terms:** Trauma shakes trust; you must rely on yourself. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner resilience. Themes trust resilience self‑reliance trauma Mood reflective determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - recovering from loss - building self‑confidence - seeking support - healing after betrayal Key Concepts psychology personal growth survival Questions to Reflect On - How can you rebuild trust in yourself? - What steps help prevent repeated emotional collapse? A Different Perspective Recovery may still be hindered by lingering fear of dependence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Balance Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance-fall-836938/) [Expected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expected/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Falling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lose Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose-balance-776482/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Pick yourself up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pick-yourself-up/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Stop Tilting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-tilting-836937/) [Tilting Falling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tilting-falling-836936/) [Violent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violent/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) [Your husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-husband/) ## Related quotes > [If you lose your balance and fall, that is not as important as how quickly you regain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-lose-your-balance-and-fall-that-is-not-as-important-as-how/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Somewhere between sanity and madness lays a fine line, for some it is a tightrope walked daily, a fight for balance to be won…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zo-heller/somewhere-between-sanity-and-madness-lays-a-fine-line-for-some-it-is/) [Zoë Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zo-heller/) > [“I see a world on the edge of a blade. Without balance, it will fall.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/i-see-a-world-on-the-edge-of-a-blade-without-balance-it-will-fall/) [Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/) > [There was a cute girl on the crew that I was trying to impress during a very elaborate stunt. I winked at her and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/there-was-a-cute-girl-on-the-crew-that-i-was-trying-to-impress-during/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [Try too keep my balance but I still fall but how I fell so hard right into your arms baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/try-too-keep-my-balance-but-i-still-fall-but-how-i-fell-so-hard-right/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's incredibly touching when someone who seems so hopeless finds a few inches of light to stand in and makes everything work as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-s-incredibly-touching-when-someone-who-seems-so-hopeless-finds-a/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [If a man lose his balance, and immerse himself in any trades or pleasures for their own sake, he may be a good wheel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-a-man-lose-his-balance-and-immerse-himself-in-any-trades-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“You ever put your arms out and spin really, really fast ? Well, that's what loves like. It makes your heart race. It turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/you-ever-put-your-arms-out-and-spin-really-really-fast-well-that-s/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [You must not fall. / When you lose your balance, resist for a long time before turning yourself toward the earth. Then jump. /…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/you-must-not-fall-when-you-lose-your-balance-resist-for-a-long-time/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [“You would not believe what skill, power and ability your total intelligence possesses until you lose your balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/you-would-not-believe-what-skill-power-and-ability-your-total/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [“Lose your balance for a moment and there you go, the world flings you off its spinning surface and its not so easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-sunley/lose-your-balance-for-a-moment-and-there-you-go-the-world-flings-you/) [Christina Sunley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-sunley/) > [To walk, we have to lean forward, lose our balance and begin to fall. We let go constantly of the previous stability, falling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-skynner/to-walk-we-have-to-lean-forward-lose-our-balance-and-begin-to-fall-we/) [Robin Skynner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-skynner/) > [“You can’t be criticized for what you don’t try. You can’t lose your balance if you never climb. Give it, Give it all, Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-jed/you-can-t-be-criticized-for-what-you-don-t-try-you-can-t-lose-your/) [Milan Jed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-jed/) > [“The first thing I did was run. Okay, actually the first thing I did was scream, lose my balance, flail my arms in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-halliday/the-first-thing-i-did-was-run-okay-actually-the-first-thing-i-did-was/) [Gemma Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-halliday/) > [I would warn my brethren and sisters to never flatter persons because of their ability; for they cannot bear it. Self is easily exalted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-g-white/i-would-warn-my-brethren-and-sisters-to-never-flatter-persons-because/) [Ellen G. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-g-white/) ## More by Amy Tan > [So sad! This is the saddest part when you lose someone you love- that person keeps changing. And later you wonder, Is this the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/so-sad-this-is-the-saddest-part-when-you-lose-someone-you-love-that/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [Too many good things all seem the same after a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/too-many-good-things-all-seem-the-same-after-a-while/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [“bad, how likely is it to come”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/bad-how-likely-is-it-to-come/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [“A mother is always the beginning. She is how things begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/a-mother-is-always-the-beginning-she-is-how-things-begin/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [Shanghainese people are good negotiators, they're very persistent, and you grow up in an atmosphere like that - very competitive. That becomes part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/shanghainese-people-are-good-negotiators-they-re-very-persistent-and/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [But now that I am old, moving every year closer to the end of my life, I also feel closer to the beginning. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/but-now-that-i-am-old-moving-every-year-closer-to-the-end-of-my-life/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [You should think about your character. Know where you are changing, how you will be changed, what cannot be changed back again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/you-should-think-about-your-character-know-where-you-are-changing-how/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [Now you see,' said the turtle, drifting back into the pond, 'why it is useless to cry. Your tears do not wash away your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/now-you-see-said-the-turtle-drifting-back-into-the-pond-why-it-is/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [I hid my deepest feelings so well I forgot where I placed them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/i-hid-my-deepest-feelings-so-well-i-forgot-where-i-placed-them/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [“Lebih baik jadi orang yang TIDAK TERLUPAKAN daripada orang yang MEMBOSANKAN -”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/lebih-baik-jadi-orang-yang-tidak-terlupakan-daripada-orang-yang/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [After all, Bao Bomu says, what is the past but what we choose to remember?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/after-all-bao-bomu-says-what-is-the-past-but-what-we-choose-to/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [We all become different readers in how we respond to books, why we need them, what we take from them. We become different in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/we-all-become-different-readers-in-how-we-respond-to-books-why-we/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [“I was no longer scared. I could see what was inside me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/i-was-no-longer-scared-i-could-see-what-was-inside-me/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [When I go back and read my journals or fiction, I am always surprised. I may not remember having those thoughts, but they still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/when-i-go-back-and-read-my-journals-or-fiction-i-am-always-surprised/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [“I am ashamed she is ashamed. Because she is my daughter and I am proud of her, and I am her mother but she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/i-am-ashamed-she-is-ashamed-because-she-is-my-daughter-and-i-am-proud/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) [Explore all 383 Amy Tan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Even if I had expected it, even if I had known what I was going to do with my life, it would have knocked the wind out of me. When something that violent hits you, you can't help but lose your balance and fall. And after you pick yourself up, you realize you can't trust anybody to save you- not your husband, not your mother, not God. 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