--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When her arousal level was manageable…" description: "\"“When her arousal level was manageable again, she looked at Zach and said, \"The line between pleasure and pain is so narrow, sometimes you can't tell t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/803/candace-blevins-58572_pain_when-her-arousal-level-was-manageable-ag_1444258.jpg" --- # When her arousal level was manageable again, she looked at… ![“When her arousal level was manageable again, she looked at Zach and said, "The line between pleasure and pain is so narrow, sometimes you can't tell them apart." He shook his head, smiling. "I'll have to take your word for it; I've never had that particular problem." "Maybe you haven't taken…” quote by Candace Blevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/803/candace-blevins-58572_pain_when-her-arousal-level-was-manageable-ag_1444258.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/803/candace-blevins-58572_pain_when-her-arousal-level-was-manageable-ag_1444258.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/803/candace-blevins-58572_pain_when-her-arousal-level-was-manageable-ag_1444258.jpg) > ““When her arousal level was manageable again, she looked at Zach and said, "The line between pleasure and pain is so narrow, sometimes you can't tell them apart." He shook his head, smiling. "I'll have to take your word for it; I've never had that particular problem." "Maybe you haven't taken either to extreme? Think of it as the face of a clock. Imagine the six, pointing down, is no feeling at all. A three is what most people consider intensely pleasurable, and a nine is what the majority would deem exceptionally painful." She paused, letting it sink in, and he said, "So what's twelve?" Smiling, pleased he saw where she was heading, she said. "Let's go back to three and nine — if you can power past either of them, the closer you get to twelve the more bleed-over there is from the other side. So when you're at five minutes after the top of the hour, which is way beyond normal pleasure, there's a touch of pain involved. When you're at five minutes till, it's agony beyond comprehension, with a little bliss mixed in. If you can power past pleasure you get to pain, and if you can endeavor beyond pain you eventually get to nirvana. At twelve exactly, it's merely sensation, you can't tell which you're feeling. It’s both, but neither. If you’re played just right you can hover between pleasure and pain... No, on top of them, or maybe swimming in both. Yeah, awash in them — feeling every extreme of bliss and agony at the same time.”” [Candace Blevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-blevins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote explores how pleasure and pain are intertwined, suggesting that extreme experiences can blend, making it hard to distinguish them, and that transcending both may lead to a neutral, pure sensation. **In simple terms:** Pleasure and pain can merge; pushing beyond both may bring a balanced state. Key Takeaway Seek experiences that expand awareness beyond simple pleasure or pain. Themes sensory perception extremes transcendence psychology Mood curious introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - intimate relationships - self‑exploration - mind‑body practices - creative writing - therapy sessions Key Concepts dualism threshold theory hedonic adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize when pleasure turns into pain? - Can one intentionally balance both states? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex neurobiological processes and ignore individual differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agony Comprehension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agony-comprehension-5176136/) [Bliss Agony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bliss-agony-1788100/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pleasure And Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-and-pain/) [Pleasure Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-pain/) [Sensation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensation/) [Sensation Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensation-tell-3254161/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [Sensation tell us a thing is. Thinking tell us what it is this thing is. 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Every situation is neutral.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levin/pleasure-and-pain-are-merely-states-of-mind-rather-than-situations/) [Daniel Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levin/) > [Life is both pleasure and pain, is it not? But why should we cling to pleasure and avoid pain? Why not merely live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/life-is-both-pleasure-and-pain-is-it-not-but-why-should-we-cling-to/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [LOVE: We think about it, Sing about it, Dream about it &Loose sleep worrying about it. When we dont know we have it, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-we-think-about-it-sing-about-it-dream-about-it-loose-sleep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My prize, my pleasure and pain, my endless desire. I've never know anyone like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/my-prize-my-pleasure-and-pain-my-endless-desire-i-ve-never-know/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“Going through a dead parent's memorabilia is a hazardous undertaking; there is a fine line between pleasure and pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fadiman/going-through-a-dead-parent-s-memorabilia-is-a-hazardous-undertaking/) [Anne Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fadiman/) > [Love? we think about it, sing about it, dream about it, lose sleep worring about it, when we dont have it we search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana/love-we-think-about-it-sing-about-it-dream-about-it-lose-sleep/) [Ana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana/) > [“Feeling pleasure and pain, a sweet mixture that left you breathless and begging for more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-culbreth/feeling-pleasure-and-pain-a-sweet-mixture-that-left-you-breathless/) [Jennifer Culbreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-culbreth/) > [“Agony and ecstasy, pleasure and pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/agony-and-ecstasy-pleasure-and-pain/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [Theres a very fine line between pleasure and pain. They are two sides of the same coin, one not existing without the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/50-shdes-of-grey/theres-a-very-fine-line-between-pleasure-and-pain-they-are-two-sides/) [50 Shdes Of Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/50-shdes-of-grey/) ## More by Candace Blevins > [“The latest bugs could be a tiny dot one might not notice on a credit card, and anyone could be placed as a cashier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-blevins/the-latest-bugs-could-be-a-tiny-dot-one-might-not-notice-on-a-credit/) [Candace Blevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-blevins/) > [“I’ll need a few days for the bruises to dissipate before the area takes more damage.” “I didn’t say I’d hit you in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-blevins/i-ll-need-a-few-days-for-the-bruises-to-dissipate-before-the-area/) [Candace Blevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-blevins/) > [“If we could find someone to do it who could make it sexual for you, it’d probably be easier. I understand how to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-blevins/if-we-could-find-someone-to-do-it-who-could-make-it-sexual-for-you-it/) [Candace Blevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-blevins/) > [“Hurt for me, Nickie. Gonna add a little lube before I get goin’. Like hurtin’ you but don’t wanna break my new toy right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-blevins/hurt-for-me-nickie-gonna-add-a-little-lube-before-i-get-goin-like/) [Candace Blevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-blevins/) [Explore all 5 Candace Blevins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-blevins/) ## More Pain quotes > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. 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The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [It hurts wanting the best for someone you love, even if they feel the best isn't you. That's real love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-hurts-wanting-the-best-for-someone-you-love-even-if-they-feel-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tryna hide this pain with these pain killers, she said the storms only will last a little while but shit it got me feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/tryna-hide-this-pain-with-these-pain-killers-she-said-the-storms-only/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myself/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“What is there, in the mention of Time To Come, that is so quick to wrench at the heart, to inflict a pain in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-llewellyn/what-is-there-in-the-mention-of-time-to-come-that-is-so-quick-to/) [Richard Llewellyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-llewellyn/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Stop trying to give me hope ... I have no room left for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-f/stop-trying-to-give-me-hope-i-have-no-room-left-for-it/) [Jenn F](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-f/) > [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/) [Kirsten Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gilchrist/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) [Browse all 17,919 Pain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When her arousal level was manageable again, she looked at Zach and said, \"The line between pleasure and pain is so narrow, sometimes you can't tell them apart.\" He shook his head, smiling. \"I'll have to take your word for it; I've never had that particular problem.\" \"Maybe you haven't taken either to extreme? Think of it as the face of a clock. Imagine the six, pointing down, is no feeling at all. A three is what most people consider intensely pleasurable, and a nine is what the majority would deem exceptionally painful.\" She paused, letting it sink in, and he said, \"So what's twelve?\" Smiling, pleased he saw where she was heading, she said. \"Let's go back to three and nine — if you can power past either of them, the closer you get to twelve the more bleed-over there is from the other side. So when you're at five minutes after the top of the hour, which is way beyond normal pleasure, there's a touch of pain involved. When you're at five minutes till, it's agony beyond comprehension, with a little bliss mixed in. If you can power past pleasure you get to pain, and if you can endeavor beyond pain you eventually get to nirvana. At twelve exactly, it's merely sensation, you can't tell which you're feeling. It’s both, but neither. If you’re played just right you can hover between pleasure and pain... No, on top of them, or maybe swimming in both. 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