---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Angels are not complete, they need their…"
description: "\"Angels are not complete, they need their counterparts, the dark needs the bright, the hidden needs the open, and vice versa. Sometimes they meet and re..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/barry-unsworth-13297_angel_angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their_1817060.jpg"
---

#  Angels are not complete, they need their counterparts, the…

![“Angels are not complete, they need their counterparts, the dark needs the bright, the hidden needs the open, and vice versa. Sometimes they meet and recognise each other. Sometimes, as with Horatio and me, the pairing occurs over spaces of time and distance.” quote by Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/barry-unsworth-13297_angel_angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their_1817060.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/barry-unsworth-13297_angel_angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their_1817060.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/barry-unsworth-13297_angel_angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their_1817060.jpg)

> “Angels are not complete, they need their counterparts, the dark needs the bright, the hidden needs the open, and vice versa. Sometimes they meet and recognise each other. Sometimes, as with Horatio and me, the pairing occurs over spaces of time and distance.”

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Balance arises when opposing forces complement each other, creating harmony through contrast.

**In simple terms:** Opposites need each other to be whole.

Key Takeaway

Seek balance between light and dark.

Themes

balance duality complementarity

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- relationships
- teamwork
- personal growth
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology literature

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you integrate opposing aspects in your life?
- What happens when balance is ignored?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on one side can cause imbalance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) [Angels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angels/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time and distance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-and-distance/) [Vice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/)

## Related quotes

> [Even a room which must be dark needs at least a crack of light to know how dark it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kahn/even-a-room-which-must-be-dark-needs-at-least-a-crack-of-light-to/)

[Louis Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kahn/)

> [It was an odd coincidence that my career took off the same decade as having babies. I often wished it had been different, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-kaczmarek/it-was-an-odd-coincidence-that-my-career-took-off-the-same-decade-as/)

[Jane Kaczmarek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-kaczmarek/)

> [People are always telling me that boys won't go to girls' movies and vice versa. It's not true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/people-are-always-telling-me-that-boys-won-t-go-to-girls-movies-and/)

[Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/)

> [I want to use things I learn about writing in my acting, and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-chang/i-want-to-use-things-i-learn-about-writing-in-my-acting-and-vice-versa/)

[Katie Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-chang/)

> [It depends, because sometimes an action role can be very demanding, and sometimes a dialogue-driven character can be very demanding, and vice versa. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benicio-del-toro/it-depends-because-sometimes-an-action-role-can-be-very-demanding-and/)

[Benicio Del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benicio-del-toro/)

> [As an actor, you don't often get a chance to know exactly the impact of what the audience is seeing, even though you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hawkes/as-an-actor-you-don-t-often-get-a-chance-to-know-exactly-the-impact/)

[John Hawkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hawkes/)

> [When judging a horoscope, it is of prime importance that we take into consideration the social and racial standing of the individual, for configurations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-heindel/when-judging-a-horoscope-it-is-of-prime-importance-that-we-take-into/)

[Max Heindel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-heindel/)

> [You have to be careful when you use beauty as a guide. There are many theories people didn't think were beautiful at the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-randall/you-have-to-be-careful-when-you-use-beauty-as-a-guide-there-are-many-2/)

[Lisa Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-randall/)

> [To me, makeup is fashion and vice versa. What I dress and what I wear always needs to work with my makeup, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/to-me-makeup-is-fashion-and-vice-versa-what-i-dress-and-what-i-wear/)

[Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/)

> [Just because someone uses Twitter doesn't mean they shouldn't use WordPress, and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/just-because-someone-uses-twitter-doesn-t-mean-they-shouldn-t-use/)

[Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/)

> [It's the beauty of WWE. We use all our platforms to cross-promote each other and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/triple-h/it-s-the-beauty-of-wwe-we-use-all-our-platforms-to-cross-promote-each/)

[Triple H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/triple-h/)

> [Reading is an exercise for learning how to write and vice versa. I have read myself into being a Christian, but I have also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/reading-is-an-exercise-for-learning-how-to-write-and-vice-versa-i/)

[Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/)

> [Of the many horrors of divorce, the most egregious is that it robs a kid of the best of both worlds. Dads can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/of-the-many-horrors-of-divorce-the-most-egregious-is-that-it-robs-a/)

[Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/)

> [For years I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors and vice versa. The difference did not exist. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-erwin-wilson/for-years-i-thought-what-was-good-for-our-country-was-good-for/)

Charles Erwin Wilson

> [I'm obviously always interested in the dancer who's an athlete and vice versa. I expect dancers to be in condition like an athlete is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/i-m-obviously-always-interested-in-the-dancer-who-s-an-athlete-and/)

[Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/)

## More by Barry Unsworth

> [“A little bit of kindness goes a long way with women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/a-little-bit-of-kindness-goes-a-long-way-with-women/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“Men are moral beings in their untrammelled nature. If constraint and coercion can once be removed they will be happy and if they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/men-are-moral-beings-in-their-untrammelled-nature-if-constraint-and/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“I glimpsed the man's face with the shine of death on it. They laid him down there in the open. They had brought him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/i-glimpsed-the-man-s-face-with-the-shine-of-death-on-it-they-laid-him/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“Numbers of men are getting richer and greater numbers are getting poorer. Alas, both classes have higher expectations these days. In Short, sir, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/numbers-of-men-are-getting-richer-and-greater-numbers-are-getting/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“Grief works its own perversions and betrayals; the shape of what we have lost is as subject to corruption as the mortal body...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/grief-works-its-own-perversions-and-betrayals-the-shape-of-what-we/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“It is everyone's bounden duty to try to get more than they have got already. If you have got two shillin' you try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/it-is-everyone-s-bounden-duty-to-try-to-get-more-than-they-have-got/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“Wickedness is too common in the world for us to think much of why and wherefore. It is more natural to ask about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/wickedness-is-too-common-in-the-world-for-us-to-think-much-of-why-and/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“And this was history now: heroic protest, concerted rebellion, execution of the tyrant, a new social order. It ran like a clear stream--useless to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/and-this-was-history-now-heroic-protest-concerted-rebellion-execution/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [Eudora Welty's 'A Curtain of Green' had an enormous effect on me. But my early attempts to graft stories from the Deep South onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/eudora-welty-s-a-curtain-of-green-had-an-enormous-effect-on-me-but-my/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“Those confiding their pain cannot know at the outset how much they will be required to relive it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/those-confiding-their-pain-cannot-know-at-the-outset-how-much-they/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“The successful cannot be unhappy -- it was a contradiction in terms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/the-successful-cannot-be-unhappy-it-was-a-contradiction-in-terms/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“When you in de right you heart strong you no 'fraid nottin'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/when-you-in-de-right-you-heart-strong-you-no-fraid-nottin/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [I spent most of the '60s, when I was starting to try to write novels, living and working in Greece and Turkey. These are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/i-spent-most-of-the-60s-when-i-was-starting-to-try-to-write-novels/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“Kneading memory makes the dough of fiction; which we know, sometimes never stops rising.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/kneading-memory-makes-the-dough-of-fiction-which-we-know-sometimes/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

> [“Justice is a mighty fine thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/justice-is-a-mighty-fine-thing/)

[Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

[Explore all 51 Barry Unsworth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/)

## More Angel quotes

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [If I wer an angel,i would make all your wishes come true..but I'm only a girl a girl who loves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/if-i-wer-an-angel-i-would-make-all-your-wishes-come-true-but-i-m-only/)

[Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/)

> [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/)

[Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/)

> [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [“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/)

> [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/)

[Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/)

> [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/)

[Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/)

> [I believe in UFOs, I believe in extraterrestrials, and I believe in angels. And maybe they'll protect all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-believe-in-ufos-i-believe-in-extraterrestrials-and-i-believe-in/)

[Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/)

> [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/)

[Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/)

> [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. They are watching with keen interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flower-a-newhouse/you-should-never-feel-lonely-neglected-fearful-or-defeated-when-you/)

[Flower A. Newhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flower-a-newhouse/)

> [Hark the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born king.' Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-glory-to-the-new-born-king-peace-on-earth/)

[Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/)

> [Man was created a little lower than the angels and has been getting a little lower ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/man-was-created-a-little-lower-than-the-angels-and-has-been-getting-a/)

[Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/)

> [Mooner was walking around laying his hands on the cars, divining karma. "this is it", he said, standing by a small khaki-colored jeep."this car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/mooner-was-walking-around-laying-his-hands-on-the-cars-divining-karma/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

[Browse all 4,625 Angel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Angels are not complete, they need their counterparts, the dark needs the bright, the hidden needs the open, and vice versa. Sometimes they meet and recognise each other. Sometimes, as with Horatio and me, the pairing occurs over spaces of time and distance.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barry Unsworth"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their-counterparts-the-dark-needs/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Angel"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their-counterparts-the-dark-needs/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/barry-unsworth-13297_angel_angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their_1817060.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/barry-unsworth-13297_angel_angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their_1817060.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6a/barry-unsworth-13297_angel_angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their_1817060.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Angels are not complete, they need their counterparts, the dark needs the bright, the hidden needs the open…” — Barry Unsworth",
                "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": "Barry Unsworth",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Angels are not complete, they need...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their-counterparts-the-dark-needs/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/angels-are-not-complete-they-need-their-counterparts-the-dark-needs/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
