--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hide myself behind, a cloud of smoke…" description: "\"“I hide myself behind, a cloud of smoke; the smoke screen varies, dependent on the variable. The variable consists of: stress, anguish, boredom, madnes..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/emily-sturgill-83308_metaphors_i-hide-myself-behind-a-cloud-of-smoke-th_1464659.jpg" --- # I hide myself behind, a cloud of smoke; the smoke screen… ![“I hide myself behind, a cloud of smoke; the smoke screen varies, dependent on the variable. The variable consists of: stress, anguish, boredom, madness, anger, depression, apathy, negativity, sex, violence & a little chunk of chaos.” quote by Emily Sturgill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/emily-sturgill-83308_metaphors_i-hide-myself-behind-a-cloud-of-smoke-th_1464659.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/emily-sturgill-83308_metaphors_i-hide-myself-behind-a-cloud-of-smoke-th_1464659.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/emily-sturgill-83308_metaphors_i-hide-myself-behind-a-cloud-of-smoke-th_1464659.jpg) > ““I hide myself behind, a cloud of smoke; the smoke screen varies, dependent on the variable. The variable consists of: stress, anguish, boredom, madness, anger, depression, apathy, negativity, sex, violence & a little chunk of chaos.”” Emily Sturgill ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People mask their emotions with varied “smoke screens” driven by many negative states. **In simple terms:** We hide feelings behind different excuses. Key Takeaway Recognize and address your true feelings. Themes psychology emotions coping Mood introspective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - mental health counseling - creative writing Key Concepts defense mechanisms stressors Questions to Reflect On - Which stressor most often triggers your smoke screen? - How can you replace the mask with authenticity? A Different Perspective Over‑identifying with the mask can prevent healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Metaphors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphors/) [Poems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poems/) [Poetess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetess/) [Smoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoke/) [Variable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variable/) ## Related quotes > [Before something great happens, everything falls apart. Just hold on long enough to get through the smoke screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-sweat/before-something-great-happens-everything-falls-apart-just-hold-on/) [Keith Sweat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-sweat/) > [I don't want to smoke on screen, as I will be sending a wrong message to my fans, and I appeal to my costars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-babu/i-don-t-want-to-smoke-on-screen-as-i-will-be-sending-a-wrong-message/) [Mahesh Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-babu/) > [“friendship is a smoke screen. The people you think are solid turn out to be mirrors and light; and then you look down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/friendship-is-a-smoke-screen-the-people-you-think-are-solid-turn-out/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The English language on her tongue became a smoke-screen, without her eyes changing expression in the least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/the-english-language-on-her-tongue-became-a-smoke-screen-without-her/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [Scrape the grey sky clean. Realize every grey cloud is a smoke screen to blind us from the truth, and the truth is whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-koyczan/scrape-the-grey-sky-clean-realize-every-grey-cloud-is-a-smoke-screen/) [Shane Koyczan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-koyczan/) > [The only thing I have behind this smoke screen is more smoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/higher-grounds/the-only-thing-i-have-behind-this-smoke-screen-is-more-smoke/) [Higher Grounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/higher-grounds/) > [No one is going to tell a movie star to smoke or not smoke because they can do whatever they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-eszterhas/no-one-is-going-to-tell-a-movie-star-to-smoke-or-not-smoke-because/) [Joe Eszterhas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-eszterhas/) > [I'm not a malicious person. When you get past the tattoos and leather, I give people a fair shake. There are periods when I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-jourgensen/i-m-not-a-malicious-person-when-you-get-past-the-tattoos-and-leather/) [Al Jourgensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-jourgensen/) > [To smoke or not to smoke: I can make of either a life-work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/to-smoke-or-not-to-smoke-i-can-make-of-either-a-life-work/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Surely where there's smoke there's fire? No, where there's so much smoke there's smoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-archibald-wheeler/surely-where-there-s-smoke-there-s-fire-no-where-there-s-so-much/) [John Archibald Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-archibald-wheeler/) > [“You smoke?” “Smoke? Do I look like a fucking idiot?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-k-morgan/you-smoke-smoke-do-i-look-like-a-fucking-idiot/) [Richard K. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-k-morgan/) > [Smoke. Smoke. Smoke. Only a pipe distinguishes man from beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honore-daumier/smoke-smoke-smoke-only-a-pipe-distinguishes-man-from-beast/) Honore Daumier > [there is no fire without smoke but there is often smoke without fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-de-pizan/there-is-no-fire-without-smoke-but-there-is-often-smoke-without-fire/) [Christine de Pizan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-de-pizan/) > [I see smoke, smoke means fire, fire means people, people means we get the hell out of here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-teti/i-see-smoke-smoke-means-fire-fire-means-people-people-means-we-get/) [Joe Teti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-teti/) > [I love to smoke. I smoke seven thousand packs a day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/i-love-to-smoke-i-smoke-seven-thousand-packs-a-day/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) ## More by Emily Sturgill > [“ I was born, slipping on a symphony of broken melancholy; created of pencils and crayons; i was not supposed to be this way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-sturgill/i-was-born-slipping-on-a-symphony-of-broken-melancholy-created-of/) Emily Sturgill > [“Poetry distracts me from going deeper over…the edge. it is rough and shiny like black diamonds.it dazzles,it enhances,your everything. Each moment,every memory, you touch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-sturgill/poetry-distracts-me-from-going-deeper-over-the-edge-it-is-rough-and/) Emily Sturgill Explore all 3 Emily Sturgill quotes ## More Metaphors quotes > [“No algorithm exists for the metaphor, nor can a metaphor be produced by means of a computer’s precise instructions, no matter what the volume…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/no-algorithm-exists-for-the-metaphor-nor-can-a-metaphor-be-produced/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Because you continue to inhabit and believe your metaphors, you cannot see what is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-p-young/because-you-continue-to-inhabit-and-believe-your-metaphors-you-cannot/) [William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-p-young/) > [May your spirit soar throughout the vast cathedral of your being. May your mind whirl joyful cartwheels of creativity. may your heart sing sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lockwood-huie/may-your-spirit-soar-throughout-the-vast-cathedral-of-your-being-may/) [Jonathan Lockwood Huie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lockwood-huie/) > [The cure for mixed metaphors, I have always found, is for the patient to be obliged to draw a picture of the result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-levin/the-cure-for-mixed-metaphors-i-have-always-found-is-for-the-patient/) [Bernard Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-levin/) > [Cheating is like eating fast food. You do it, you enjoy it, and then you end up feeling like shit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/cheating-is-like-eating-fast-food-you-do-it-you-enjoy-it-and-then-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Time, space, and causality are only metaphors of knowledge, with which we explain things to ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/time-space-and-causality-are-only-metaphors-of-knowledge-with-which/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Sure, zombies can “be a metaphor.” They can represent the oppressed, as in Land of the Dead, or humanity’s feral nature, as in 28…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/sure-zombies-can-be-a-metaphor-they-can-represent-the-oppressed-as-in/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [Heart and Brain are the two lords of life. In the metaphors of ordinary speech and in the stricter language of science, we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-lewes/heart-and-brain-are-the-two-lords-of-life-in-the-metaphors-of/) [George Henry Lewes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-lewes/) > [If you don't take the time to sharpen your axe, you'll spend your whole life hacking away at missed opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-toth/if-you-don-t-take-the-time-to-sharpen-your-axe-you-ll-spend-your/) [Blake Toth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-toth/) > [Life is like driving a car. You have to look left or right before you turn to your path, however you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simphiwe-ntuli/life-is-like-driving-a-car-you-have-to-look-left-or-right-before-you/) [Simphiwe Ntuli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simphiwe-ntuli/) > [I'm a product of a military dictatorship. Under a dictatorship, you cannot trust information or dispense it freely because of censorship. So Brazilians become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vik-muniz/i-m-a-product-of-a-military-dictatorship-under-a-dictatorship-you/) [Vik Muniz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vik-muniz/) > [Behold the lost. Behold a Band-Aid. These shameful metaphors fought it through the teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chevelle/behold-the-lost-behold-a-band-aid-these-shameful-metaphors-fought-it/) Chevelle > [Life is similar to Boxing game.. Defeat is NOT declared when you fall down; It is declared when you refuse to Get Up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/life-is-similar-to-boxing-game-defeat-is-not-declared-when-you-fall/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [She does not love you. Your metaphors thrill her you are her poet. But that's all there's to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-darwish/she-does-not-love-you-your-metaphors-thrill-her-you-are-her-poet-but/) [Mahmoud Darwish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-darwish/) > [Friends are like petals on a flower; together they're beautiful and make people smile but eventually some petals fall off and drift off in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/superman/friends-are-like-petals-on-a-flower-together-they-re-beautiful-and/) Superman [Browse all 445 Metaphors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I hide myself behind, a cloud of smoke; the smoke screen varies, dependent on the variable. 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