--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I stared so long that I got to seeing…" description: "\"“I stared so long that I got to seeing them as being dark, ugly sins in my body, smelling and dirty, but my touch face showed that I didn't give a damn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/ian-cross-17679_whole-world_i-stared-so-long-that-i-got-to-seeing-th_131024.jpg" --- # I stared so long that I got to seeing them as being dark… ![“I stared so long that I got to seeing them as being dark, ugly sins in my body, smelling and dirty, but my touch face showed that I didn't give a damn. I was the toughest person in the whole world. And then inside the outline of my body a devil's face slowly took shape. It came to my chest, a…” quote by Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/ian-cross-17679_whole-world_i-stared-so-long-that-i-got-to-seeing-th_131024.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/ian-cross-17679_whole-world_i-stared-so-long-that-i-got-to-seeing-th_131024.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/ian-cross-17679_whole-world_i-stared-so-long-that-i-got-to-seeing-th_131024.jpg) > ““I stared so long that I got to seeing them as being dark, ugly sins in my body, smelling and dirty, but my touch face showed that I didn't give a damn. I was the toughest person in the whole world. And then inside the outline of my body a devil's face slowly took shape. It came to my chest, a dark, ugly thing with big lips that looked hot around yellow pointed teeth, eyeing me in a friednly way, as though it had been feeding on what was inside me and was trying to show how pleased it was.”” [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) ## 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 an inner darkness manifesting as a grotesque devil that reflects self‑destruction and denial. **In simple terms:** Inner darkness appears as a devil, showing denial. Key Takeaway Recognize and confront inner demons. Themes self‑destruction denial inner darkness psychological conflict Mood disturbing intense Type literary psychological When to use this quote - personal crisis - mental health struggles - nightmares - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology identity shadow self Questions to Reflect On - What does the devil symbolize for you? - How can you face inner darkness? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex mental health issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [“god made our body and the devil made our face”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gonzalez/god-made-our-body-and-the-devil-made-our-face/) Anna Gonzalez > [“There is a saying that, according to what a person's mentality is, even an angel may seem to him to have a devil's face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/there-is-a-saying-that-according-to-what-a-person-s-mentality-is-even/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/we-came-to-this-earth-that-we-might-have-a-body-and-present-it-pure/) [Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/) > [I got a thing for a smart girl with a gorgeous body...some describe it as the devil in disguise but to me I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-got-a-thing-for-a-smart-girl-with-a-gorgeous-body-some-describe-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [She felt like a chess player who, by the clever handling of his pieces, sees the game taking the course intended. Her eyes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/she-felt-like-a-chess-player-who-by-the-clever-handling-of-his-pieces/) [Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/) > [“No one, she tought as the breath trembled through her lips, no one had ever looked at her as he did. In a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/no-one-she-tought-as-the-breath-trembled-through-her-lips-no-one-had/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [“I bit my lip. 'Come on then, you dirty old man.' I stepped forward and smacked a kiss on Baz's lips. He looked petrified.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-john/i-bit-my-lip-come-on-then-you-dirty-old-man-i-stepped-forward-and/) [Antony John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-john/) > [“Remember how I woke you up? If you could have seen me during the 15 minutes before your wake-up call, you would have seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shapiro/remember-how-i-woke-you-up-if-you-could-have-seen-me-during-the-15/) [Bill Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shapiro/) > [A girl told me my lips looked like somebody had pressed strawberry yogurt against my face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-heigl/a-girl-told-me-my-lips-looked-like-somebody-had-pressed-strawberry/) [Katherine Heigl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-heigl/) > [“He gazed down at her. “Thank God you were not hurt.” Had she never noticed how inviting his lips looked? What would it feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-dickerson/he-gazed-down-at-her-thank-god-you-were-not-hurt-had-she-never/) [Melanie Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-dickerson/) > [“Seth joined the group of very stern-looking men, and they immediately started talking, their voices too low for me to hear, but it didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/seth-joined-the-group-of-very-stern-looking-men-and-they-immediately/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [Those lips looked tasty, especially when they said things like ' i jumped up every time someone knocked, hoping it's be you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/those-lips-looked-tasty-especially-when-they-said-things-like-i/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [“His dark eyes were wide and beautiful, and his lips looked soft and very pink. It was irritating. Everything about the boy irritated him:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-hazard/his-dark-eyes-were-wide-and-beautiful-and-his-lips-looked-soft-and/) [Alessandra Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-hazard/) > [“Yes, I just…” Should I be honest and sound like a complete loser? Oh why the hell not? “I have not had a kiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-castro/yes-i-just-should-i-be-honest-and-sound-like-a-complete-loser-oh-why/) [Nicole Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-castro/) > [“I didn't think you would be able to find me.I was so frightened..." He took hold of her hand, brought it to his lips.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-martin/i-didn-t-think-you-would-be-able-to-find-me-i-was-so-frightened-he/) [Kat Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-martin/) ## More by Ian Cross > [“ I never could talk to my sister Molly, because she was loopy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/i-never-could-talk-to-my-sister-molly-because-she-was-loopy/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“Like that time I came home and Mum was sick, not letting me upstairs. Later on I heard Dad actually blaming her for being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/like-that-time-i-came-home-and-mum-was-sick-not-letting-me-upstairs/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“And then, believe it or not, it came to me for the first time that all the difference was caused by me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/and-then-believe-it-or-not-it-came-to-me-for-the-first-time-that-all/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“That wallpaper. touching it like that, was one of my protection tricks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/that-wallpaper-touching-it-like-that-was-one-of-my-protection-tricks/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“He was blaming her for being sick, and she kept repeating, 'I'm forty, do you hear? I'm forty and I've been through enough. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/he-was-blaming-her-for-being-sick-and-she-kept-repeating-i-m-forty-do/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“Why isn't everybody the way they were at first? I wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/why-isn-t-everybody-the-way-they-were-at-first-i-wonder/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“I looked back towards them, to see if they were watching me, and saw her pulling her arm from his grip. Her eyes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/i-looked-back-towards-them-to-see-if-they-were-watching-me-and-saw/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“Do you like Mother and Father?" "they're both all right" "they're not Jimmy, and you shouldn't say so. I hate them, and you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/do-you-like-mother-and-father-they-re-both-all-right-they-re-not/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“Somehow this is what I wanted to happen. I was holding my ground under attack from my enemies, lashing out at them until they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/somehow-this-is-what-i-wanted-to-happen-i-was-holding-my-ground-under/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“the air just went cold, as it did those times before, and started sticking to my skin, on my arms and legs and face,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/the-air-just-went-cold-as-it-did-those-times-before-and-started/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“I can't, I can't, I can't help hearing, I can't help seeing. I can't help it unless I run away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/i-can-t-i-can-t-i-can-t-help-hearing-i-can-t-help-seeing-i-can-t-help/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“But I was a fool, the biggest, damnedest, stupidest fool in thee whole world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/but-i-was-a-fool-the-biggest-damnedest-stupidest-fool-in-thee-whole/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“I've got a lot of ideas about God. I pray about as much as anybody, even though i am tough , yet I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/i-ve-got-a-lot-of-ideas-about-god-i-pray-about-as-much-as-anybody/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“I made up my mind to tell Joe about what was going on at home after the funny business about Molly's letter. As I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/i-made-up-my-mind-to-tell-joe-about-what-was-going-on-at-home-after/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) > [“She reminded me of a picture in a history book of the executioner who killed on of the kings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-cross/she-reminded-me-of-a-picture-in-a-history-book-of-the-executioner-who/) [Ian Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) [Explore all 36 Ian Cross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-cross/) ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I stared so long that I got to seeing them as being dark, ugly sins in my body, smelling and dirty, but my touch face showed that I didn't give a damn. 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