--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was really sad, I would be like a…" description: "\"When I was really sad, I would be like a little kid wiggling a loose tooth or touching a sore spot - there were things that I did to make myself sadder..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/claire-dederer-28751_kids_when-i-was-really-sad-i-would-be-like-a_1619269.jpg" --- # When I was really sad, I would be like a little kid… ![“When I was really sad, I would be like a little kid wiggling a loose tooth or touching a sore spot - there were things that I did to make myself sadder. It was almost as if I were luxuriant in my own melancholy. Looking at the diaries and thinking about my old self, thinking about my lost youth…” quote by Claire Dederer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/claire-dederer-28751_kids_when-i-was-really-sad-i-would-be-like-a_1619269.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/claire-dederer-28751_kids_when-i-was-really-sad-i-would-be-like-a_1619269.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/claire-dederer-28751_kids_when-i-was-really-sad-i-would-be-like-a_1619269.jpg) > “When I was really sad, I would be like a little kid wiggling a loose tooth or touching a sore spot - there were things that I did to make myself sadder. It was almost as if I were luxuriant in my own melancholy. Looking at the diaries and thinking about my old self, thinking about my lost youth - that was part of that project of making myself totally miserable.” [Claire Dederer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-dederer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author describes deliberately intensifying her sadness, treating melancholy as a self‑inflicted project. **In simple terms:** She made herself more miserable on purpose. Key Takeaway Recognize when you’re feeding negative emotions. Themes melancholy self‑reflection emotional self‑control Mood reflective somber Type personal psychological When to use this quote - grief therapy - journaling - mindfulness practice - creative writing Key Concepts psychology self‑sabotage nostalgia Questions to Reflect On - Why do you sometimes seek out pain? - How can you redirect that energy? A Different Perspective Self‑induced sadness can hinder healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Little kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-kid/) [Lost youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-youth/) [Melancholy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melancholy/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) [Old self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-self/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Touching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touching/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [When your sad--like really sad--you only want to be with other people who are sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/when-your-sad-like-really-sad-you-only-want-to-be-with-other-people/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [A melancholy-looking man, he had the appearance of one who has searched for the leak in life's gas-pipe with a lighted candle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-melancholy-looking-man-he-had-the-appearance-of-one-who-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He was a Frenchman, a melancholy-looking man. 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Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“You looked in the mirror, years had passed, you had aged, you remembered your youthful image and felt a little demoralized, but then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-looked-in-the-mirror-years-had-passed-you-had-aged-you-remembered/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [What will it matter to him if he notices that he is growing old? Has he any reason to envy the young people whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/what-will-it-matter-to-him-if-he-notices-that-he-is-growing-old-has/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“Then as Anna listened another sound began to rise within the first. 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