--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After all, let a man take what pains he…" description: "\"After all, let a man take what pains he may to hush it down, a human soul is an awful, ghostly, unquiet possession for a bad man to have. Who knows the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_awful_after-all-let-a-man-take-what-pains-he-m_645818.jpg" --- # After all, let a man take what pains he may to hush it… ![“After all, let a man take what pains he may to hush it down, a human soul is an awful, ghostly, unquiet possession for a bad man to have. Who knows the metes and bounds of it? Who knows all its awful perhapses,--those shudderings and tremblings, which it can no more live down than it can outlive…” quote by Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_awful_after-all-let-a-man-take-what-pains-he-m_645818.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_awful_after-all-let-a-man-take-what-pains-he-m_645818.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6eb/harriet-beecher-stowe-1149_awful_after-all-let-a-man-take-what-pains-he-m_645818.jpg) > “After all, let a man take what pains he may to hush it down, a human soul is an awful, ghostly, unquiet possession for a bad man to have. Who knows the metes and bounds of it? Who knows all its awful perhapses,--those shudderings and tremblings, which it can no more live down than it can outlive its own eternity?” [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A corrupt soul is haunted by its own darkness, unable to escape its inner torment and inevitable decay. **In simple terms:** Bad hearts are haunted by themselves. Key Takeaway Beware inner corruption. Themes morality inner conflict spirituality Mood somber introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - therapy - spiritual counseling - literary analysis - personal reflection Key Concepts existential dread psychic burden Questions to Reflect On - What inner demons do you ignore? - Can one ever truly escape inner darkness? A Different Perspective Might overlook external factors influencing behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Human soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-soul/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Possession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possession/) [Shuddering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shuddering/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [“I suppose we were merely on loan in each other's lives; these last years have already broken their secrets, have already gone out ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-boully/i-suppose-we-were-merely-on-loan-in-each-other-s-lives-these-last/) [Jenny Boully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-boully/) > [“It is absurd, Barthes says, to try to flee from language's assertive nature 'adding to each sentence some little phrase of uncertainty, as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-nelson/it-is-absurd-barthes-says-to-try-to-flee-from-language-s-assertive/) [Maggie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-nelson/) > [“After all, let a man take what pains he may to hush it down, a human soul is an awful ghostly, unquiet possession, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/after-all-let-a-man-take-what-pains-he-may-to-hush-it-down-a-human/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [Every morning I take out my bankbook, stare at it, shudder - and turn quickly to my typewriter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/every-morning-i-take-out-my-bankbook-stare-at-it-shudder-and-turn/) [Sydney J. 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Because now is the only time there ever is to do a thing in," said Miss Ophelia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/what-s-your-hurry-because-now-is-the-only-time-there-ever-is-to-do-a/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) [Explore all 280 Harriet Beecher Stowe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) ## More Awful quotes > [It must be that I am dreaming, and that I shall awaken in a moment to see that awful knife descending toward my heart-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/it-must-be-that-i-am-dreaming-and-that-i-shall-awaken-in-a-moment-to/) [Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/) > [I spent two years in Palo Alto - what an awful, suffocating place for those of us who don't care about yoga, yogurts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/i-spent-two-years-in-palo-alto-what-an-awful-suffocating-place-for/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [Layla brought her arms around herself, no doubt because she was remembering the feel of another, stronger set. 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