--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The worst thoughts usually strike in the…" description: "\"The worst thoughts usually strike in the dead of the night.\" — Haruki Murakami" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b0/haruki-murakami-21_night_the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the_2203948.jpg" --- # The worst thoughts usually strike in the dead of the night. ![“The worst thoughts usually strike in the dead of the night.” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b0/haruki-murakami-21_night_the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the_2203948.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b0/haruki-murakami-21_night_the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the_2203948.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b0/haruki-murakami-21_night_the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the_2203948.jpg) > “The worst thoughts usually strike in the dead of the night.” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dark thoughts often appear at night, a time when the mind is most vulnerable **In simple terms:** Nighttime can trigger unsettling thoughts Key Takeaway Acknowledge nighttime anxiety and practice calming routines Themes mental health night thoughts Mood somber introspective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - journaling - therapy - mindfulness Key Concepts rumination vulnerability sleep hygiene Questions to Reflect On - How can you create a calming bedtime routine? - What strategies reduce intrusive night thoughts? A Different Perspective Nighttime thoughts may be unavoidable ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-night-3496997/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Strikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strikes/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) [Thoughts Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-usually-1642440/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Worst Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-thoughts-1887000/) ## Related quotes > [“Phone calls in the dead of the night never brought good news.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/phone-calls-in-the-dead-of-the-night-never-brought-good-news/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Lifes greatest thoughts usually come to you when you forget youre thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/lifes-greatest-thoughts-usually-come-to-you-when-you-forget-youre/) [Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/) > [Go with your first thoughts; they're usually your best thoughts. Pay attention, stick to your goals and follow those guidelines. It's all right there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-danko/go-with-your-first-thoughts-they-re-usually-your-best-thoughts-pay/) [Rick Danko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-danko/) > [“She had still been learning how to live with the hard truth that the most interesting parts of her thoughts usually got left behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/she-had-still-been-learning-how-to-live-with-the-hard-truth-that-the/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [To live thy better, let thy worst thoughts die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/to-live-thy-better-let-thy-worst-thoughts-die/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [Speak to me as to thy thinking's, as thou dost ruminate, and give thy worst of thoughts The worst of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/speak-to-me-as-to-thy-thinking-s-as-thou-dost-ruminate-and-give-thy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Speak to me as to thy thinkings, As thou dost ruminate, and give thy worst of thoughts The worst of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/speak-to-me-as-to-thy-thinkings-as-thou-dost-ruminate-and-give-thy/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Second thoughts oftentimes are the very worst of all thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/second-thoughts-oftentimes-are-the-very-worst-of-all-thoughts/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Get me some division, I called the dead by night to the god! Allay the chaos! Chains to my last victim!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/children-of-bodom/get-me-some-division-i-called-the-dead-by-night-to-the-god-allay-the/) [Children Of Bodom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/children-of-bodom/) > [“It had been devilish awkward, as the young men say, to be found by Juliana in the dead of night examining the attachment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-had-been-devilish-awkward-as-the-young-men-say-to-be-found-by/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“I went home feeling so unbearably alone I actually thought there was a possibility I could drop dead before the night was over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/i-went-home-feeling-so-unbearably-alone-i-actually-thought-there-was/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [“The way everything seems to be working out right now, I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up dead before the night is over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-ann-beard/the-way-everything-seems-to-be-working-out-right-now-i-wouldn-t-be/) [Jo Ann Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-ann-beard/) > [You're the guard of the dead ones in the night. I'll find you to drink your blood. Still the deadnight's screaming in my heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/children-of-bodom/you-re-the-guard-of-the-dead-ones-in-the-night-i-ll-find-you-to-drink/) [Children Of Bodom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/children-of-bodom/) > [I will not tolerate killing of trees in the dead of the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uddhav-thackeray/i-will-not-tolerate-killing-of-trees-in-the-dead-of-the-night/) [Uddhav Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uddhav-thackeray/) > [When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should - so hard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/when-we-are-struck-at-without-a-reason-we-should-strike-back-again/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Night quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [Laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing! It is the jester! A voice from the Void, to cheer poor Cicero! I accept your gift, dearest Night Mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/laughing-laughing-laughing-laughing-it-is-the-jester-a-voice-from-the/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [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/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/) [Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/) > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't like working all hours of the night and having an unreliable working pattern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-giacchino/i-don-t-like-working-all-hours-of-the-night-and-having-an-unreliable/) [Michael Giacchino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-giacchino/) > [When man of slender visits you / Nothing on earth that one can do / In well he’ll hide, or watery hole / And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-goldstein/when-man-of-slender-visits-you-nothing-on-earth-that-one-can-do-in/) [Jack Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-goldstein/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“After nine nights must come ten and every desperate meeting only leaves you desperate for another. There is never enough to eat, never enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/after-nine-nights-must-come-ten-and-every-desperate-meeting-only/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“We drive west the rest of the night, away from where the sun will come up, trying to outrace it, trying not to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-drive-west-the-rest-of-the-night-away-from-where-the-sun-will-come/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) [Browse all 17,282 Night quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The worst thoughts usually strike in the dead of the night.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Haruki Murakami" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the-dead-of-the-night/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Night" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the-dead-of-the-night/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b0/haruki-murakami-21_night_the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the_2203948.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b0/haruki-murakami-21_night_the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the_2203948.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b0/haruki-murakami-21_night_the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the_2203948.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The worst thoughts usually strike in the dead of the night.” — Haruki Murakami", "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": "Haruki Murakami", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The worst thoughts usually strike in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the-dead-of-the-night/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-worst-thoughts-usually-strike-in-the-dead-of-the-night/#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 } } ] } ```