--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He was an example of what I could become…" description: "\"“He was an example of what I could become if I let myself become hard, unforgiving, consumed with rage and vengeance. I couldn’t be like that. I didn’t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/c-j-roberts-1400_unforgiving_he-was-an-example-of-what-i-could-become_2523565.jpg" --- # He was an example of what I could become if I let myself… ![“He was an example of what I could become if I let myself become hard, unforgiving, consumed with rage and vengeance. I couldn’t be like that. I didn’t want to be like him” quote by C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/c-j-roberts-1400_unforgiving_he-was-an-example-of-what-i-could-become_2523565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/c-j-roberts-1400_unforgiving_he-was-an-example-of-what-i-could-become_2523565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7c/c-j-roberts-1400_unforgiving_he-was-an-example-of-what-i-could-become_2523565.jpg) > ““He was an example of what I could become if I let myself become hard, unforgiving, consumed with rage and vengeance. I couldn’t be like that. I didn’t want to be like him”” [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑awareness prevents becoming hardened by anger and vengeance. **In simple terms:** Recognize and reject a hard self. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy and self‑control. Themes self‑growth empathy anger management Mood introspective motivational Type personal psychological When to use this quote - conflict resolution - mental health - relationship building Key Concepts psychology personal development Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your inner hardness? - How can you transform anger positively? A Different Perspective Hardness can be a coping mechanism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Vengeance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vengeance/) ## Related quotes > [Nature is cold, wet, hard and unforgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/nature-is-cold-wet-hard-and-unforgiving/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [“This was a hard, unforgiving world. The only way to survive was to beat it at its own game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-archer/this-was-a-hard-unforgiving-world-the-only-way-to-survive-was-to-beat/) [Zoe Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-archer/) > [“So, in the end, what did it matter? He could never have the girl, so why not his vengeance? Didn't he deserve it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/so-in-the-end-what-did-it-matter-he-could-never-have-the-girl-so-why/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [In the coming days and weeks, Laila would scramble frantically to commit it all to memory, what happened next. Like an art lover running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/in-the-coming-days-and-weeks-laila-would-scramble-frantically-to/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [The sky was different, without color, taut and unforgiving. But the water was the most unforgiving thing, nearly black at times, cold enough, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhumpa-lahiri/the-sky-was-different-without-color-taut-and-unforgiving-but-the/) [Jhumpa Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhumpa-lahiri/) > [God will never direct us to be prideful, arrogant and unforgiving, immoral or slothful or full of fear. We step into these things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/god-will-never-direct-us-to-be-prideful-arrogant-and-unforgiving/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [Hatred, jealousy, and fear hinder peace of mind. When you're angry or unforgiving, for example, your mental suffering is constant. It is better to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/hatred-jealousy-and-fear-hinder-peace-of-mind-when-you-re-angry-or/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“We know summer is the height of of being alive. We don't believe in God or the prospect of an afterlife mostly, so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/we-know-summer-is-the-height-of-of-being-alive-we-don-t-believe-in/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [“If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-talk-with-crowds-and-keep-your-virtue-or-walk-with-kings/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [I would say just the weather in Vancouver in the winter can be kind of unforgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-jay-mclaren/i-would-say-just-the-weather-in-vancouver-in-the-winter-can-be-kind/) [Brandon Jay McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-jay-mclaren/) > [“Conception is not some genteel, quiet pastime; it’s a fierce and unforgiving team sport.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-natterson-horowitz/conception-is-not-some-genteel-quiet-pastime-it-s-a-fierce-and/) [Barbara Natterson-Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-natterson-horowitz/) > [We are in a time, because of the proliferation of online media and a hundred channels on cable, where teenagers and young adults and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-grayer/we-are-in-a-time-because-of-the-proliferation-of-online-media-and-a/) [Jonathan Grayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-grayer/) > [Holding on to expectations is often the source of unforgiving feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-h-pearce/holding-on-to-expectations-is-often-the-source-of-unforgiving-feelings/) [Virginia H. Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-h-pearce/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) ## More by C.J. Roberts > [“I wanted a fight. I needed a fight. I was sick and tired of playing nice. I AM NOT NICE. - Caleb”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/i-wanted-a-fight-i-needed-a-fight-i-was-sick-and-tired-of-playing/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“Caleb fed me better food during my kidnapping than these people. I laugh at my own joke”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/caleb-fed-me-better-food-during-my-kidnapping-than-these-people-i/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“I can’t take it anymore, Caleb. I’ve tried, but I can’t,” she sobbed. “Every time I think you’re coming around, every time I let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/i-can-t-take-it-anymore-caleb-i-ve-tried-but-i-can-t-she-sobbed-every/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“All of the tears i made her made her shed, these were his favorite. "If happy tears taste the same as the sad ones,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/all-of-the-tears-i-made-her-made-her-shed-these-were-his-favorite-if/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“I've seen you handle your stick, Caleb. You're much better at it than I am”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/i-ve-seen-you-handle-your-stick-caleb-you-re-much-better-at-it-than-i/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“No one had ever looked at him that way, as if life were insignificant without him and he’d never valued anyone more than he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/no-one-had-ever-looked-at-him-that-way-as-if-life-were-insignificant/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“No more movie references. No more fictional characters to relate to. This was real. It was destiny. I was…a thing, a commodity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/no-more-movie-references-no-more-fictional-characters-to-relate-to/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“It wasn't the forgetting Caleb didn't like, it was the remembering”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/it-wasn-t-the-forgetting-caleb-didn-t-like-it-was-the-remembering/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“Somehow I'd still managed to go all retarded at the sight of some handsome asshole with a nice smile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/somehow-i-d-still-managed-to-go-all-retarded-at-the-sight-of-some/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“If the first lesson every slave had to learn was to accept that their wishes did not matter, then the first lesson every master…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/if-the-first-lesson-every-slave-had-to-learn-was-to-accept-that-their/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“We’d come so far, and I was oddly desperate to see where we could go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/we-d-come-so-far-and-i-was-oddly-desperate-to-see-where-we-could-go/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“I can’t keep you, Livvie. Stop trying to make me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/i-can-t-keep-you-livvie-stop-trying-to-make-me/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“Live for me, Kitten. Be all those things you’d never be with me. Go to school. Meet a normal boy and fall in love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/live-for-me-kitten-be-all-those-things-you-d-never-be-with-me-go-to/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“I was insanely jealous." "I know. It should make me happy, but it doesn't." "Why ?" "I'd rather make you happy, Caleb. I'd rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/i-was-insanely-jealous-i-know-it-should-make-me-happy-but-it-doesn-t/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [“Where is all your bravery now, Pet? No clawing, no hissing? Where's my though girl? - Caleb”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/where-is-all-your-bravery-now-pet-no-clawing-no-hissing-where-s-my/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) [Explore all 240 C.J. Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) ## More Unforgiving quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Holding on to expectations is often the source of unforgiving feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-h-pearce/holding-on-to-expectations-is-often-the-source-of-unforgiving-feelings/) [Virginia H. Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-h-pearce/) > [We are in a time, because of the proliferation of online media and a hundred channels on cable, where teenagers and young adults and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-grayer/we-are-in-a-time-because-of-the-proliferation-of-online-media-and-a/) [Jonathan Grayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-grayer/) > [“Conception is not some genteel, quiet pastime; it’s a fierce and unforgiving team sport.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-natterson-horowitz/conception-is-not-some-genteel-quiet-pastime-it-s-a-fierce-and/) [Barbara Natterson-Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-natterson-horowitz/) > [I would say just the weather in Vancouver in the winter can be kind of unforgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-jay-mclaren/i-would-say-just-the-weather-in-vancouver-in-the-winter-can-be-kind/) [Brandon Jay McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-jay-mclaren/) > [“If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/if-you-can-talk-with-crowds-and-keep-your-virtue-or-walk-with-kings/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“We know summer is the height of of being alive. We don't believe in God or the prospect of an afterlife mostly, so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/we-know-summer-is-the-height-of-of-being-alive-we-don-t-believe-in/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Hatred, jealousy, and fear hinder peace of mind. When you're angry or unforgiving, for example, your mental suffering is constant. It is better to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/hatred-jealousy-and-fear-hinder-peace-of-mind-when-you-re-angry-or/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [God will never direct us to be prideful, arrogant and unforgiving, immoral or slothful or full of fear. We step into these things because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/god-will-never-direct-us-to-be-prideful-arrogant-and-unforgiving/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [The sky was different, without color, taut and unforgiving. But the water was the most unforgiving thing, nearly black at times, cold enough, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhumpa-lahiri/the-sky-was-different-without-color-taut-and-unforgiving-but-the/) [Jhumpa Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhumpa-lahiri/) > [In the coming days and weeks, Laila would scramble frantically to commit it all to memory, what happened next. Like an art lover running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/in-the-coming-days-and-weeks-laila-would-scramble-frantically-to/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [The Australian Outback can be quite unforgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-o-mara/the-australian-outback-can-be-quite-unforgiving/) [Jason O'Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-o-mara/) > [“This is the unforgiving light of the morning, time to drop the illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/this-is-the-unforgiving-light-of-the-morning-time-to-drop-the-illusion/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes we can. It was whispered by slaves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-was-a-creed-written-into-the-founding-documents-that-declared-the-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) Browse all 134 Unforgiving quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He was an example of what I could become if I let myself become hard, unforgiving, consumed with rage and vengeance. I couldn’t be like that. I didn’t want to be like him”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.J. 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