--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ethan tries not to look back on that…" description: "\"“Ethan tries not to look back on that night. At least, as much as human nature allows. But it’s a funny thing about your darkest moments. They have a l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/catherine-ryan-hyde-2597_human-nature_ethan-tries-not-to-look-back-on-that-nig_338363.png" --- # Ethan tries not to look back on that night. At least, as… ![“Ethan tries not to look back on that night. At least, as much as human nature allows. But it’s a funny thing about your darkest moments. They have a life of their own. They come around because they’ve got you pinned. Because they can. The harder you try to push them back into the shadows, the…” quote by Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/catherine-ryan-hyde-2597_human-nature_ethan-tries-not-to-look-back-on-that-nig_338363.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/catherine-ryan-hyde-2597_human-nature_ethan-tries-not-to-look-back-on-that-nig_338363.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/catherine-ryan-hyde-2597_human-nature_ethan-tries-not-to-look-back-on-that-nig_338363.png) > ““Ethan tries not to look back on that night. At least, as much as human nature allows. But it’s a funny thing about your darkest moments. They have a life of their own. They come around because they’ve got you pinned. Because they can. The harder you try to push them back into the shadows, the stronger they grow. They draw power from your resistance.”” [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dark memories persist when we resist them, gaining strength from our struggle. **In simple terms:** Resisting pain makes it stronger. Key Takeaway Accept and process painful memories. Themes psychology resilience memory pain growth Mood reflective somber Type advice motivational When to use this quote - grief counseling - therapy - personal reflection - writing - mindfulness Key Concepts shadow work acceptance emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - What emotions arise when you confront a dark memory? - How can acceptance reduce its power? A Different Perspective Ignoring pain can prolong suffering and hinder healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [There are always lessons to be found in the darkest moments. 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Otherwise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durand/i-feel-the-freedom-of-being-able-to-find-comedy-in-the-darkest/) [Kevin Durand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durand/) > [My highest achievement: never shutting my heart down. Even in my darkest moments - through sexual abuse, a pregnancy at 14, lies and betrayals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/my-highest-achievement-never-shutting-my-heart-down-even-in-my/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [It is during over darkest moments that we must focus to see light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/it-is-during-over-darkest-moments-that-we-must-focus-to-see-light/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [“The most amazing thing is that all my sorrows, all of my darkest moments, are becoming my gifts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-white/the-most-amazing-thing-is-that-all-my-sorrows-all-of-my-darkest/) [Anna White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-white/) > [When everything else falls down around us, just knowing that there's another person who will miss us when we're gone is enough to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/when-everything-else-falls-down-around-us-just-knowing-that-there-s/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“Sometimes we don’t discover our purpose until the darkest moments strip us of everything and all we are left with is brokenness and heartache.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-gokey/sometimes-we-don-t-discover-our-purpose-until-the-darkest-moments/) [Danny Gokey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-gokey/) > [“some of life’s most beautiful things grow out of the darkest moments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jio/some-of-life-s-most-beautiful-things-grow-out-of-the-darkest-moments/) [Sarah Jio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jio/) > [There's been times when I've been standing in a line at a movie and someone's hit me with something really heavy about someone really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/there-s-been-times-when-i-ve-been-standing-in-a-line-at-a-movie-and/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [The darkest moments of our lives are not to be buried and forgotten, rather they are a memory to be called upon for inspiration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/the-darkest-moments-of-our-lives-are-not-to-be-buried-and-forgotten/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) ## More by Catherine Ryan Hyde > [“That’s all addiction really is. It’s trading away the future so you can feel OK right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/that-s-all-addiction-really-is-it-s-trading-away-the-future-so-you/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“He knew then why his voice had abandoned him. Because it takes courage to talk to people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/he-knew-then-why-his-voice-had-abandoned-him-because-it-takes-courage/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“Besides, they looked like brothers. They looked like two examples of the same theme.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/besides-they-looked-like-brothers-they-looked-like-two-examples-of/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“he was upset. Though hopefully not at her. But upset is a funny thing. It looks for places to direct itself. 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In spite of what your emotions tell you to do?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/when-are-you-going-to-learn-to-act-in-your-own-best-interests-in/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“Until you get it that’s he’s only what his experience has shaped him to be, you’re seeing him as subhuman. As ‘other’ somehow. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/until-you-get-it-that-s-he-s-only-what-his-experience-has-shaped-him/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“I find it touching, almost enviable, that a person with so little feels she has all she needs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/i-find-it-touching-almost-enviable-that-a-person-with-so-little-feels/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [Because it proves that you don't need much to change the entire world for the better. 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They”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/everything-grows-best-in-oxygen-and-sunlight-except-secrets-and-guilt/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“No happy marriage was, in his estimation, ever based on thoughtless, automatic untruths and exclusions. And the best way to make someone unhappy, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/no-happy-marriage-was-in-his-estimation-ever-based-on-thoughtless/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“But mostly I just kept reminding myself to burn every moment into my memory. I just tried to be sure I was always there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/but-mostly-i-just-kept-reminding-myself-to-burn-every-moment-into-my/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) > [“So, I guess people figure it's not as hard to lose your mother when you never got along anyway. But they're wrong. They're dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-ryan-hyde/so-i-guess-people-figure-it-s-not-as-hard-to-lose-your-mother-when/) [Catherine Ryan Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) [Explore all 154 Catherine Ryan Hyde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-ryan-hyde/) ## More Human nature quotes > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. 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