--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've learned that hurting you feels…" description: "\"I've learned that hurting you feels infinitely worse than being hurt myself.\" — Emma McLaughlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/emma-mclaughlin-19027_being-hurt_i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infi_1103936.jpg" --- # I've learned that hurting you feels infinitely worse than… ![“I've learned that hurting you feels infinitely worse than being hurt myself.” quote by Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/emma-mclaughlin-19027_being-hurt_i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infi_1103936.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/emma-mclaughlin-19027_being-hurt_i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infi_1103936.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/emma-mclaughlin-19027_being-hurt_i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infi_1103936.jpg) > “I've learned that hurting you feels infinitely worse than being hurt myself.” [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empathy is highlighted as she feels more pain from hurting others than from being hurt herself. **In simple terms:** Hurting others hurts you more. Key Takeaway Practice kindness. Themes empathy self‑awareness relationships Mood thoughtful empathetic Type observation lesson When to use this quote - friendships - family dynamics - workplace interactions Key Concepts moral psychology emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt this? - How can you protect yourself while being kind? A Different Perspective Self‑compassion may be overlooked when focusing on others' feelings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-hurt/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [For anyone who right now is hurting, for anyone who feels beneath a baseline, feels so isolated and lonely, know that you are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/for-anyone-who-right-now-is-hurting-for-anyone-who-feels-beneath-a/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [“Hurting someone you loved was even worse than being hurt. That stayed with you longer, and weighted you down all through the night into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/hurting-someone-you-loved-was-even-worse-than-being-hurt-that-stayed/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [A wounded heart can't be healed all at once, its even worse it that hurt came from someone you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-wounded-heart-can-t-be-healed-all-at-once-its-even-worse-it-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes I think of how much you hurt me and I wish I could hurt you back. But then I realize I'd just be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-think-of-how-much-you-hurt-me-and-i-wish-i-could-hurt-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When you give up, it’s not yourself you hurt the worst. It’s everybody who cares about you. I would’ve hurt her worse than anyone’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-methos/when-you-give-up-it-s-not-yourself-you-hurt-the-worst-it-s-everybody/) [Victor Methos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-methos/) > [The only thing worse than being hurt is everyone knowing that you're hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/the-only-thing-worse-than-being-hurt-is-everyone-knowing-that-you-re/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) > [“He said, 'Life has hurt us again.' A worse hurt than those hurts we have already endured?' No,' he said, 'I suppose not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-mccaig/he-said-life-has-hurt-us-again-a-worse-hurt-than-those-hurts-we-have/) [Donald McCaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-mccaig/) > [So hard to breathe this air that we call love. Ain't nothing worse than the hurt we receive from love. When you get hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dirty-money/so-hard-to-breathe-this-air-that-we-call-love-ain-t-nothing-worse/) [Dirty Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dirty-money/) > [“Things hurt worse before they hurt better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-caldwell/things-hurt-worse-before-they-hurt-better/) [Chloe Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-caldwell/) > [I didn't want anyone getting close to me. I pushed people away. Built a wall around my heart to keep them out. I let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-kelly/i-didn-t-want-anyone-getting-close-to-me-i-pushed-people-away-built-a/) [Jacqueline Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-kelly/) > [What I've learned from running is that the time to push hard is when you're hurting like crazy and you want to give up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dyson/what-i-ve-learned-from-running-is-that-the-time-to-push-hard-is-when/) [James Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dyson/) > [Letting Go Doesn't Mean You Stopped Caring, It Just Mean You Can't Keep Holding On To Someone Who Will Just Keep On Hurting You.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narissa-demery/letting-go-doesn-t-mean-you-stopped-caring-it-just-mean-you-can-t/) [NaRissa Demery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narissa-demery/) > [The thing about addiction is that it never ends well. Because eventually, whatever it is that was getting us high, stops feeling good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-thing-about-addiction-is-that-it-never-ends-well-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Imperfection is simply not a good enough excuse to have someone keep hurting you just because they feel like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pandora-poikilos/imperfection-is-simply-not-a-good-enough-excuse-to-have-someone-keep/) [Pandora Poikilos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pandora-poikilos/) > [I wish that one day you would finally realize that the person that is willing to love you forever is the person you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khat-leen/i-wish-that-one-day-you-would-finally-realize-that-the-person-that-is/) [Khat Leen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khat-leen/) ## More by Emma McLaughlin > [Valentine's Day: Rubbing singles' noses in their lack of a mate and the noses of couples in their lack of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/valentine-s-day-rubbing-singles-noses-in-their-lack-of-a-mate-and-the/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [My writing partner, Nicki, and I became obsessed with a monologist who performs unscripted shows equipped with nothing more than scribbled bullet points and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/my-writing-partner-nicki-and-i-became-obsessed-with-a-monologist-who/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [It must be so hard for guys in relationships - to have just one girlfriend completely devoted to taking care of all your whole-grain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/it-must-be-so-hard-for-guys-in-relationships-to-have-just-one/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [You should totally get implants," she said admiringly in the mirror. I shake my head. "I don't yet know what I'm going to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/you-should-totally-get-implants-she-said-admiringly-in-the-mirror-i/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [if you'e going to do something, darling, then do it all the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/if-you-e-going-to-do-something-darling-then-do-it-all-the-way/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [If I could give a shout-out to anything in the childhood world, I have to say 'Daniel Tiger.' I want to write a love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/if-i-could-give-a-shout-out-to-anything-in-the-childhood-world-i-have/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [We really set out in all our books to say something. Every one is an effort to bring the reader over and show them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/we-really-set-out-in-all-our-books-to-say-something-every-one-is-an/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [“Sure, equal pay, maternity leaves, and pro sports are important. But a girl can't make a free throw from the foul line if her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/sure-equal-pay-maternity-leaves-and-pro-sports-are-important-but-a/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [“He's entitled not to love me, but he's not entitled to mess with my happy place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/he-s-entitled-not-to-love-me-but-he-s-not-entitled-to-mess-with-my/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [... keeping her wild-honey-and-chamomile-soaked hair from falling into her oatmeal-and-yogurt face mask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/keeping-her-wild-honey-and-chamomile-soaked-hair-from-falling-into/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [I think just because you're a mom, it doesn't negate - if anything, you're probably more enhanced - that you're a woman trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/i-think-just-because-you-re-a-mom-it-doesn-t-negate-if-anything-you/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [We "chicks" have munched our popcorn while romantic comedies became just comedies, and then each female protagonist got recast for Mathew McConaughey or Seth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/we-chicks-have-munched-our-popcorn-while-romantic-comedies-became/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [“Being back here—I'm suddenly confronting the enormity of that kind of commitment. And just how much you can fuck someone up if you half-ass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/being-back-here-i-m-suddenly-confronting-the-enormity-of-that-kind-of/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [For a blink of an eye, there was so much media glare. It was unexpected, and I don't think we realized the magnitude of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/for-a-blink-of-an-eye-there-was-so-much-media-glare-it-was-unexpected/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [To all the guys who broke our hearts - we wouldn't appreciate what we have today without you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/to-all-the-guys-who-broke-our-hearts-we-wouldn-t-appreciate-what-we/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) [Explore all 33 Emma McLaughlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) ## More Being hurt quotes > [Just because you treat someone like royalty , doesn't mean they won't treat you like crap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-young/just-because-you-treat-someone-like-royalty-doesn-t-mean-they-won-t/) Tyler Young > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [Scars by Papa Roach. <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophielianne/scars-by-papa-roach-3/) Sophielianne > [In life, grief was a journey through a forest of razor blades. I walked through every painful inch of it no shortcuts and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-life-grief-was-a-journey-through-a-forest-of-razor-blades-i-walked/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you are not there in my life its like: Shoes without shoe laces A letter without a stamp A flower with no roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-not-there-in-my-life-its-like-shoes-without-shoe-laces-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You're trying too HARD to convince me that you're a TRUE friend & DEEP Down Inside you know you're not but you stick around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nisha-marie/you-re-trying-too-hard-to-convince-me-that-you-re-a-true-friend-deep/) [Ta'Nisha Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nisha-marie/) > [You took my happiness with you and left this horrible sadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-took-my-happiness-with-you-and-left-this-horrible-sadness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Break up was not made for you to cry.. But to take you away from the wrong man who you thought was the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/break-up-was-not-made-for-you-to-cry-but-to-take-you-away-from-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im afraid of being forgotten. Because, it seems everyone I get close to, ends up forgetting me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arcine-arciniegas/im-afraid-of-being-forgotten-because-it-seems-everyone-i-get-close-to/) [Arcine Arciniegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arcine-arciniegas/) > [The only calibration that counts is how much heart people invest, how much they ignore their fears of being hurt or caught out or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-hughes/the-only-calibration-that-counts-is-how-much-heart-people-invest-how/) [Ted Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-hughes/) > [It isn't easy being strong, especially when its the only choice you really have!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mislali/it-isn-t-easy-being-strong-especially-when-its-the-only-choice-you/) [MisLali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mislali/) > [I wish that one day you would finally realize that the person that is willing to love you forever is the person you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khat-leen/i-wish-that-one-day-you-would-finally-realize-that-the-person-that-is/) [Khat Leen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khat-leen/) > [When love has been wounded; trust, reassurance, honesty, and intimacy, in abundance, are the only known cures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-love-has-been-wounded-trust-reassurance-honesty-and-intimacy-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Stop blaming others, whatever happens to you is nobody's fault if you get hurt because of disappointment is not the end of your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/stop-blaming-others-whatever-happens-to-you-is-nobody-s-fault-if-you/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [I dont feel right when youre gone away. We must have had something real strong, Im tossing and turning all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dont-feel-right-when-youre-gone-away-we-must-have-had-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 1,882 Being hurt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-hurt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've learned that hurting you feels infinitely worse than being hurt myself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emma McLaughlin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infinitely-worse-than-being-hurt/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being hurt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infinitely-worse-than-being-hurt/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/emma-mclaughlin-19027_being-hurt_i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infi_1103936.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/emma-mclaughlin-19027_being-hurt_i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infi_1103936.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/emma-mclaughlin-19027_being-hurt_i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infi_1103936.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've learned that hurting you feels infinitely worse than being hurt myself.” — Emma McLaughlin", "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": "Emma McLaughlin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've learned that hurting you feels...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infinitely-worse-than-being-hurt/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/i-ve-learned-that-hurting-you-feels-infinitely-worse-than-being-hurt/#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 } } ] } ```