--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hugh and I have been together for so long…" description: "\"Hugh and I have been together for so long that in order to arouse extraordinary passion, we need to engage in physical combat. Once, he hit me on the b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/david-sedaris-333_body_hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-lon_2206252.jpg" --- # Hugh and I have been together for so long that in order to… ![“Hugh and I have been together for so long that in order to arouse extraordinary passion, we need to engage in physical combat. Once, he hit me on the back of the head with a broken wineglass, and I fell to the floor pretending to be unconscious. That was romantic, or would have been had he rushed…” quote by David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/david-sedaris-333_body_hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-lon_2206252.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/david-sedaris-333_body_hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-lon_2206252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/david-sedaris-333_body_hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-lon_2206252.jpg) > “Hugh and I have been together for so long that in order to arouse extraordinary passion, we need to engage in physical combat. Once, he hit me on the back of the head with a broken wineglass, and I fell to the floor pretending to be unconscious. That was romantic, or would have been had he rushed to my side rather than stepping over my body to fetch the dustpan.” [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator describes a violent, absurd episode framed as romance, highlighting how twisted dynamics can masquerade as affection. **In simple terms:** Violence mistaken for romance. Key Takeaway Question unhealthy relationship patterns. Themes relationships violence absurdity romance Mood cynical dark thoughtful Type satirical narrative When to use this quote - dating - conflict resolution - personal boundaries Key Concepts power dynamics masochism dark humor Questions to Reflect On - What defines healthy affection? - How does humor affect perception of violence? A Different Perspective Romanticizing aggression can normalize abuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Combat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combat/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) ## Related quotes > [We Deveauxs preferred to talk you to death, rather than face you in physical combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/we-deveauxs-preferred-to-talk-you-to-death-rather-than-face-you-in/) [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) > [“What you need to drive out an old passion, is a new passion, a greater passion. What you need is an over-mastering positive passion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/what-you-need-to-drive-out-an-old-passion-is-a-new-passion-a-greater/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The victims of injustice in our world do not need our spasms of passion; they need our long obedience in the same direction -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/the-victims-of-injustice-in-our-world-do-not-need-our-spasms-of/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [You have to really want to be a Navy SEAL. The passion you need to endure the rigors of training, to become the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-brockmann/you-have-to-really-want-to-be-a-navy-seal-the-passion-you-need-to/) [Suzanne Brockmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-brockmann/) > [I honestly believe that my best work is in front, not behind me. I am driven by a deep passion and need to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hansen/i-honestly-believe-that-my-best-work-is-in-front-not-behind-me-i-am/) [Rick Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hansen/) > [I hope she saw the passion, and no need to tell Mark Anthony about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjaya-malakar/i-hope-she-saw-the-passion-and-no-need-to-tell-mark-anthony-about-it/) [Sanjaya Malakar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjaya-malakar/) > [I never yelled at my players much. That would have been artificial stimulation, which doesn't last very long. I think it's like love and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/i-never-yelled-at-my-players-much-that-would-have-been-artificial/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [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 mere presence of PASSION within you is all you need to fulfill your DREAMS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/the-mere-presence-of-passion-within-you-is-all-you-need-to-fulfill/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [We don't do things we aren't good at by nature. I wouldn't play basketball because I'm only 5' 1". Find what you enjoy -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danica-patrick/we-don-t-do-things-we-aren-t-good-at-by-nature-i-wouldn-t-play/) [Danica Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danica-patrick/) > [Victims of oppression & injustice don't need our spasm of passion…they need our legs & lungs of endurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-haugen/victims-of-oppression-injustice-don-t-need-our-spasm-of-passion-they/) [Gary Haugen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-haugen/) > [“We fetch fire and water, run about all day among the shops and markets, and get our clothes and shoes made and mended, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-fetch-fire-and-water-run-about-all-day-among-the-shops-and-markets/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Satan would seem to be mannerly and reasonable; making as if he would be content with one-half of the heart, whereas God challengeth all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hall/satan-would-seem-to-be-mannerly-and-reasonable-making-as-if-he-would/) [Joseph Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hall/) > [Time will run back and fetch the Age of Gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/time-will-run-back-and-fetch-the-age-of-gold/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [If you don't believe your salmon is wild, ask it to fetch your newspaper and see what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-don-t-believe-your-salmon-is-wild-ask-it-to-fetch-your/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) ## More by David Sedaris > [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“never fall asleep in a Dumpster, never underestimate a bee, never drive a convertible behind a flatbed truck, never get old, never get drunk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/never-fall-asleep-in-a-dumpster-never-underestimate-a-bee-never-drive/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“It was a father, one hand resting teapot-style on his hip, and the other - what would be the spout - formed into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/it-was-a-father-one-hand-resting-teapot-style-on-his-hip-and-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“A Japanese woman we’d met in Paris came to the apartment yesterday and spent several hours explaining our appliances. The microwave, the water kettle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/a-japanese-woman-we-d-met-in-paris-came-to-the-apartment-yesterday/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [One thing I like about the United States, and I kind of miss about the United States, is there's an election coming up here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/one-thing-i-like-about-the-united-states-and-i-kind-of-miss-about-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [When you read comic material and people aren't laughing how do you know they're listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/when-you-read-comic-material-and-people-aren-t-laughing-how-do-you/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“You have how many children in your family?" the teacher would ask. "I'm guessing you must be Catholic, am I right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/you-have-how-many-children-in-your-family-the-teacher-would-ask-i-m/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“Like most seasoned phonies, I roundly suspect that everyone is as disingenuous as I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/like-most-seasoned-phonies-i-roundly-suspect-that-everyone-is-as/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [As a child I assumed that when I reached adulthood, I would have grown-up thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/as-a-child-i-assumed-that-when-i-reached-adulthood-i-would-have-grown/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“You just take and take don´t you? Out there with your thumb in the air—not a care in the world, just grabbing whatever you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/you-just-take-and-take-don-t-you-out-there-with-your-thumb-in-the-air/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [In other parts of the country people tried to stay together for the sake of the children. In New York they tried to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/in-other-parts-of-the-country-people-tried-to-stay-together-for-the/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [My boyfriend got me a computer three years ago. I'll admit it does make things a lot easier. When I was working on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/my-boyfriend-got-me-a-computer-three-years-ago-i-ll-admit-it-does/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I spent months searching for some secret code before I realized that common sense has nothing to do with it. Hysteria, psychosis, torture, depression:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-spent-months-searching-for-some-secret-code-before-i-realized-that/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I hated leaving a hole in the smoking world, and so I recruited someone to take my place. People have given me a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-hated-leaving-a-hole-in-the-smoking-world-and-so-i-recruited/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [Write relentlessly, until you find your voice. Then, use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/write-relentlessly-until-you-find-your-voice-then-use-it/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) [Explore all 667 David Sedaris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hugh and I have been together for so long that in order to arouse extraordinary passion, we need to engage in physical combat. Once, he hit me on the back of the head with a broken wineglass, and I fell to the floor pretending to be unconscious. That was romantic, or would have been had he rushed to my side rather than stepping over my body to fetch the dustpan.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Sedaris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-long-that-in-order-to-arouse/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Body" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-long-that-in-order-to-arouse/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/david-sedaris-333_body_hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-lon_2206252.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/david-sedaris-333_body_hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-lon_2206252.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e2/david-sedaris-333_body_hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-lon_2206252.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Hugh and I have been together for so long that in order to arouse extraordinary passion, we need to engage…” — David Sedaris", "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": "David Sedaris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Hugh and I have been together...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-long-that-in-order-to-arouse/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/hugh-and-i-have-been-together-for-so-long-that-in-order-to-arouse/#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 } } ] } ```