---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He believes in bad choices; he believes…"
description: "\"“He believes in bad choices; he believes in bad luck. And yet the memory of the woman on Hester Street is like a miniscule needle in his stomach, somet..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/chloe-benjamin-15855_bad-choices_he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-i_741513.jpg"
---

#  He believes in bad choices; he believes in bad luck. And…

![“He believes in bad choices; he believes in bad luck. And yet the memory of the woman on Hester Street is like a miniscule needle in his stomach, something he swallowed long ago and which floats, undetectable, except for moments when he moves a certain way and feels a prick.” quote by Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/chloe-benjamin-15855_bad-choices_he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-i_741513.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/chloe-benjamin-15855_bad-choices_he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-i_741513.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/chloe-benjamin-15855_bad-choices_he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-i_741513.jpg)

> ““He believes in bad choices; he believes in bad luck. And yet the memory of the woman on Hester Street is like a miniscule needle in his stomach, something he swallowed long ago and which floats, undetectable, except for moments when he moves a certain way and feels a prick.””

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

## About This Quote

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

A character’s lingering trauma is triggered by subtle physical sensations, linking past pain to present bodily awareness.

**In simple terms:** Past trauma resurfaces through bodily cues.

Key Takeaway

Notice how physical sensations can reveal hidden memories.

Themes

trauma memory body psychology

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- intimate relationships
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

psychosomatic repressed grief

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you notice past pain in your body?
- Can subtle sensations guide emotional insight?

A Different Perspective

Physical triggers may not fully explain emotional depth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-choices/) [Bad luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/)

## Related quotes

> [No one believes that they're a bad person at the end of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-joseph/no-one-believes-that-they-re-a-bad-person-at-the-end-of-the-day/)

[Max Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-joseph/)

> [I like the one where he believes everything bad you do comes back to you which is true. and oh my god tupac is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/i-like-the-one-where-he-believes-everything-bad-you-do-comes-back-to/)

[Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/)

> [Finding bad reasons for what one believes for other bad reasons - that's philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/finding-bad-reasons-for-what-one-believes-for-other-bad-reasons-that/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [You are never as amazing as you're your biggest fan believes and you are never as bad as your biggest critic thinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-never-as-amazing-as-you-re-your-biggest-fan-believes-and-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Every actor in his heart believes everything bad that's printed about him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-welles/every-actor-in-his-heart-believes-everything-bad-that-s-printed-about/)

[Orson Welles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-welles/)

> [You can choose to blame your circumstances on fate or bad luck or bad choices. Or you can fight back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kevin/you-can-choose-to-blame-your-circumstances-on-fate-or-bad-luck-or-bad/)

Paul Kevin

> [Everyone makes mistakes in life, but that doesnt mean they have to pay for them the rest of their life sometimes good people make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vvn/everyone-makes-mistakes-in-life-but-that-doesnt-mean-they-have-to-pay/)

VVN

> [“I love painting. I love drawing. I’m never let down, even when the picture isn’t exactly what I want. I can keep working on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayla-cagan/i-love-painting-i-love-drawing-i-m-never-let-down-even-when-the/)

Kayla Cagan

> [Your life is like credit. If you make bad choices and decisions its gonna effect everything in your life as well as yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-life-is-like-credit-if-you-make-bad-choices-and-decisions-its/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ Britney and I wore matching denim outfits \[to the 2001 American Music Awards\]. Yeah, another bad choice. I’d probably pay good money to get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-timberlake/britney-and-i-wore-matching-denim-outfits-to-the-2001-american-music/)

[Justin Timberlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-timberlake/)

> [In Lullabies, I wanted to capture what I remembered of the drunken babbling of unfortunate twelve-year-olds: their illusions, their ludicrously bad choices, their lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/in-lullabies-i-wanted-to-capture-what-i-remembered-of-the-drunken/)

[Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/)

> [“Do More. Be More. You were made for more! Take all the chances and leaps. Every single step of the journey is a maze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinonye-j-chidolue/do-more-be-more-you-were-made-for-more-take-all-the-chances-and-leaps/)

[Chinonye J. Chidolue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinonye-j-chidolue/)

> [ Loneliness is something we \[all people\] go through. We go through mourning and longing. We make some bad choices sometimes because we're desperate for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/loneliness-is-something-we-all-people-go-through-we-go-through/)

[Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/)

> [“What would you think if I told you that, yes, your bad choices and decisions have had a part in your ending up under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-andrews/what-would-you-think-if-i-told-you-that-yes-your-bad-choices-and/)

[Andy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-andrews/)

> [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/)

[Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/)

## More by Chloe Benjamin

> [I've always been interested in the tension between knowledge and mystery, between science and religion, and the various ways we cope with the unknown.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-the-tension-between-knowledge-and/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [“Klara has always known she’s meant to be a bridge: between reality and illusion, the present and the past, this world and the next.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/klara-has-always-known-she-s-meant-to-be-a-bridge-between-reality-and/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [“So, this is how it started: as a secret, a challenge, a fire escape they used to dodge the hulking mass of their mother,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/so-this-is-how-it-started-as-a-secret-a-challenge-a-fire-escape-they/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [I did invent the idea of using lucid dreaming to treat sleep disorders, but I was influenced by many real-life researchers - from forefathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/i-did-invent-the-idea-of-using-lucid-dreaming-to-treat-sleep/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [I think much of my own quest in life is to figure out how best to cope with my own uncertainties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/i-think-much-of-my-own-quest-in-life-is-to-figure-out-how-best-to/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [I think readers either love or hate nonlinear storytelling, and it's true that it can be more difficult, both to write and to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/i-think-readers-either-love-or-hate-nonlinear-storytelling-and-it-s/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [“In New York, he would live for them, but in San Francisco, he could live for himself. And though he does not like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/in-new-york-he-would-live-for-them-but-in-san-francisco-he-could-live/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [“Is there such a thing as too much pleasure? When Simon imagines the bathhouses, he thinks of a carnival of gluttony, an underworld so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/is-there-such-a-thing-as-too-much-pleasure-when-simon-imagines-the/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [“No vices?’ ‘No vices.’ ‘Except men,’ Simon says. A tree branch waves in front of the living room window, blocking the sun, and Robert’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/no-vices-no-vices-except-men-simon-says-a-tree-branch-waves-in-front/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [My mom is Episcopalian; my dad is ancestrally Jewish but personally atheist. After their divorce, however, my dad married a Jewish spiritual director, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/my-mom-is-episcopalian-my-dad-is-ancestrally-jewish-but-personally/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [I've always been fascinated by dreams - they seem like such intriguing evidence of the brain's obsession with narrative as a form of sense-making.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-dreams-they-seem-like-such-intriguing/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [“Simon still feels high, remembering how it felt to dance with those beautiful, sculpted men, how it felt to be adored. For a moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/simon-still-feels-high-remembering-how-it-felt-to-dance-with-those/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [My favorite writer is Alice Munro. It's simply amazing how well she captures entire lifetimes in a single short story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/my-favorite-writer-is-alice-munro-it-s-simply-amazing-how-well-she/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [“Even Eden – especially Eden – didn’t last forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/even-eden-especially-eden-didn-t-last-forever/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [None of us know what comes after death. All of us, to some extent, are probably mystified or maybe a little bit frightened of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/none-of-us-know-what-comes-after-death-all-of-us-to-some-extent-are/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

[Explore all 41 Chloe Benjamin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

## More Bad choices quotes

> [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/)

[Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/)

> [“What would you think if I told you that, yes, your bad choices and decisions have had a part in your ending up under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-andrews/what-would-you-think-if-i-told-you-that-yes-your-bad-choices-and/)

[Andy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-andrews/)

> [ Loneliness is something we \[all people\] go through. We go through mourning and longing. We make some bad choices sometimes because we're desperate for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lee/loneliness-is-something-we-all-people-go-through-we-go-through/)

[Jennifer Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lee/)

> [“Do More. Be More. You were made for more! Take all the chances and leaps. Every single step of the journey is a maze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinonye-j-chidolue/do-more-be-more-you-were-made-for-more-take-all-the-chances-and-leaps/)

[Chinonye J. Chidolue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinonye-j-chidolue/)

> [In Lullabies, I wanted to capture what I remembered of the drunken babbling of unfortunate twelve-year-olds: their illusions, their ludicrously bad choices, their lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-neill/in-lullabies-i-wanted-to-capture-what-i-remembered-of-the-drunken/)

[Heather O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-neill/)

> [ Britney and I wore matching denim outfits \[to the 2001 American Music Awards\]. Yeah, another bad choice. I’d probably pay good money to get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-timberlake/britney-and-i-wore-matching-denim-outfits-to-the-2001-american-music/)

[Justin Timberlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-timberlake/)

> [Your life is like credit. If you make bad choices and decisions its gonna effect everything in your life as well as yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-life-is-like-credit-if-you-make-bad-choices-and-decisions-its/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I love painting. I love drawing. I’m never let down, even when the picture isn’t exactly what I want. I can keep working on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayla-cagan/i-love-painting-i-love-drawing-i-m-never-let-down-even-when-the/)

Kayla Cagan

> [Everyone makes mistakes in life, but that doesnt mean they have to pay for them the rest of their life sometimes good people make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vvn/everyone-makes-mistakes-in-life-but-that-doesnt-mean-they-have-to-pay/)

VVN

> [Sometimes, good people make bad choices. It doesn't mean they're bad…it means they're human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-good-people-make-bad-choices-it-doesn-t-mean-they-re-bad-it/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [For good-intentioned people making decisions, there's no such thing as a bad choice. So it doesn't matter what you choose. Choose something, then deliberately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/for-good-intentioned-people-making-decisions-there-s-no-such-thing-as/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [Love is too strong and life is too short. You have to love with your heart and live with your faith; you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-wainwright/love-is-too-strong-and-life-is-too-short-you-have-to-love-with-your/)

[Abby Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-wainwright/)

> [I am the result of the good choices I've made and the bad choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-am-the-result-of-the-good-choices-i-ve-made-and-the-bad-choices/)

[Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/)

> [“Sometimes, when I read, it's not just fiction while I'm between the pages. It’s real. My heart races when they kiss, and I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-hart/sometimes-when-i-read-it-s-not-just-fiction-while-i-m-between-the/)

[Emma Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-hart/)

> [I've lost a bunch of friends - some of them in jail, some of them made bad choices, some of them aren't where they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trombone-shorty/i-ve-lost-a-bunch-of-friends-some-of-them-in-jail-some-of-them-made/)

[Trombone Shorty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trombone-shorty/)

[Browse all 202 Bad choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-choices/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He believes in bad choices; he believes in bad luck. And yet the memory of the woman on Hester Street is like a miniscule needle in his stomach, something he swallowed long ago and which floats, undetectable, except for moments when he moves a certain way and feels a prick.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Chloe Benjamin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-in-bad-luck-and-yet-the-memory/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad choices"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-in-bad-luck-and-yet-the-memory/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/chloe-benjamin-15855_bad-choices_he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-i_741513.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/chloe-benjamin-15855_bad-choices_he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-i_741513.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/chloe-benjamin-15855_bad-choices_he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-i_741513.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He believes in bad choices; he believes in bad luck. And yet the memory of the woman on Hester Street is…” — Chloe Benjamin",
                "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": "Chloe Benjamin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He believes in bad choices; he...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-in-bad-luck-and-yet-the-memory/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/he-believes-in-bad-choices-he-believes-in-bad-luck-and-yet-the-memory/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
