--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Truth can be awful and even excruciating…" description: "\"“Truth can be awful and even excruciating, but once it's released, it's like a bird that's been caged too long who finally flies to freedom. I felt a l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/ilsa-madden-mills-12757_freedom_truth-can-be-awful-and-even-excruciating_951812.jpg" --- # Truth can be awful and even excruciating, but once it's… ![“Truth can be awful and even excruciating, but once it's released, it's like a bird that's been caged too long who finally flies to freedom. I felt a little like that. Free” quote by Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/ilsa-madden-mills-12757_freedom_truth-can-be-awful-and-even-excruciating_951812.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/ilsa-madden-mills-12757_freedom_truth-can-be-awful-and-even-excruciating_951812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/868/ilsa-madden-mills-12757_freedom_truth-can-be-awful-and-even-excruciating_951812.jpg) > ““Truth can be awful and even excruciating, but once it's released, it's like a bird that's been caged too long who finally flies to freedom. I felt a little like that. Free”” [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Releasing painful truths can be liberating, akin to a caged bird finally flying, offering a sense of freedom and relief. **In simple terms:** Truth can be painful but freeing when released. Key Takeaway Embrace honesty to achieve personal freedom. Themes self‑discovery emotional release personal growth Mood cathartic empowering Type introspective inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - conflict resolution - creative writing - public speaking Key Concepts psychology truth‑telling healing processes Questions to Reflect On - What truths are you holding back? - How can you share them safely? A Different Perspective Truth may cause conflict or backlash if not handled sensitively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caged/) [Excruciating Released](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excruciating-released-1701471/) [Flies Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flies-freedom-1701470/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-felt-650762/) [Nora-blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nora-blakely-132983/) [Too long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-long/) ## Related quotes > [I will fly in the greatness of God as the marsh-hen flies, In the freedom that fills all the space 'twixt the marsh and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lanier/i-will-fly-in-the-greatness-of-god-as-the-marsh-hen-flies-in-the/) [Sidney Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lanier/) > [“Is it true that soulmates always end up together? I didn't think so, but I hoped that if there was such a thing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/is-it-true-that-soulmates-always-end-up-together-i-didn-t-think-so/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“It's the small moments that take your breath away and make you truly happy, like the first time you see your newborn's face or...or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/it-s-the-small-moments-that-take-your-breath-away-and-make-you-truly/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“I fucking hated pity. It was a wasted emotion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/i-fucking-hated-pity-it-was-a-wasted-emotion/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“And like the missing chips in this china, pieces of my spirit were also gone, destroyed by people who claimed to love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/and-like-the-missing-chips-in-this-china-pieces-of-my-spirit-were/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“Sometimes I wish I had a lower IQ so I could enjoy your company.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/sometimes-i-wish-i-had-a-lower-iq-so-i-could-enjoy-your-company/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“Behind every beautiful thing is a world of pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/behind-every-beautiful-thing-is-a-world-of-pain/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“Making something out of nothing made me feel like I was important, like I had value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/making-something-out-of-nothing-made-me-feel-like-i-was-important/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“Happiness. I believed few people ever achieved it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/happiness-i-believed-few-people-ever-achieved-it/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [What I discovered in Berlin was this immense freedom because it felt like you could start any kind of project and nobody would care...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-obel/what-i-discovered-in-berlin-was-this-immense-freedom-because-it-felt/) [Agnes Obel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-obel/) > [“I wanted to find my voice, so I sat in silence. I wanted joy, so I cried my heart open. I wanted wisdom, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-scott/i-wanted-to-find-my-voice-so-i-sat-in-silence-i-wanted-joy-so-i-cried/) [Catherine Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-scott/) > [I remember the absolute, joyous freedom I felt when I first went to college: I had no bedtime, no curfew, no rules - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-finerman/i-remember-the-absolute-joyous-freedom-i-felt-when-i-first-went-to/) [Karen Finerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-finerman/) > [“Jan had friends who like him had left their old homeland and who devoted all their time to the struggle for its lost freedom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/jan-had-friends-who-like-him-had-left-their-old-homeland-and-who/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“I couldn’t make sense of the freedom I felt when I let go and let him control me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-couldn-t-make-sense-of-the-freedom-i-felt-when-i-let-go-and-let-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Slow Heat in Heaven' was my 'breakout' or 'crossover' book, and I loved the freedom I felt writing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-brown/slow-heat-in-heaven-was-my-breakout-or-crossover-book-and-i-loved-the/) [Sandra Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-brown/) ## More by Ilsa Madden-Mills > [“Fuck Briarcrest Academy, and fuck you all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/fuck-briarcrest-academy-and-fuck-you-all/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“It’s now or never, Dax. Tell her how you feel. Own it. Embrace it. “Never have I ever loved someone so much that I’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/it-s-now-or-never-dax-tell-her-how-you-feel-own-it-embrace-it-never/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“He was my Prince Charming, but I wasn't his Cinderella.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/he-was-my-prince-charming-but-i-wasn-t-his-cinderella/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“Italian food trumps ex-boyfriends every time,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/italian-food-trumps-ex-boyfriends-every-time/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“Happiness. I believed few people ever achieved it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/happiness-i-believed-few-people-ever-achieved-it/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“As if she sensed me, her eyes opened and when her green ones found mine, I swear, it felt like someone hit the pause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/as-if-she-sensed-me-her-eyes-opened-and-when-her-green-ones-found/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“What’s been bugging you, Remi?” My chest rose and I took a deep breath. “I—I have a theory about London on why you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/what-s-been-bugging-you-remi-my-chest-rose-and-i-took-a-deep-breath-i/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“Forget those stupid MasterCard commercials. Watching two chicks duke it out in high heels...now, that's priceless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/forget-those-stupid-mastercard-commercials-watching-two-chicks-duke/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“I was just a simple, young girl whose love for a boy would last until the end of time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/i-was-just-a-simple-young-girl-whose-love-for-a-boy-would-last-until/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“If I want to fuck Cuba, then I’ll enjoy every dirty moment. I’m not afraid of getting my heart broken Leo. There’s not one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/if-i-want-to-fuck-cuba-then-i-ll-enjoy-every-dirty-moment-i-m-not/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“I'd like to sleep for a hundred years, wake up and try again. -Nora Blakely”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/i-d-like-to-sleep-for-a-hundred-years-wake-up-and-try-again-nora/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“Falling for someone can be a lot like playing roulette. You don't know what will happen when you place that bet, but you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/falling-for-someone-can-be-a-lot-like-playing-roulette-you-don-t-know/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“...Happiness is simply collecting and remembering all the good moments in your life...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/happiness-is-simply-collecting-and-remembering-all-the-good-moments/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“Why did I want her so fucking much? Why couldn't I push her away like I did everyone else? Why couldn't I breathe when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/why-did-i-want-her-so-fucking-much-why-couldn-t-i-push-her-away-like/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [“It felt good to be bad-nora”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/it-felt-good-to-be-bad-nora/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) [Explore all 52 Ilsa Madden-Mills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) ## More Caged quotes > [“But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/but-a-caged-bird-stands-on-the-grave-of-dreams-his-shadow-shouts-on-a/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I don't want food that comes from animals that are caged up and fed antibiotics. I am really suspicious of that kind of production…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-waters/i-don-t-want-food-that-comes-from-animals-that-are-caged-up-and-fed/) [Alice Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-waters/) > [“I was caged in our body and caged in his arms and, somehow, the former was the real prison.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-zhang/i-was-caged-in-our-body-and-caged-in-his-arms-and-somehow-the-former/) [Kat Zhang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-zhang/) > [Learn the principle, abide by the principle, and dissolve the principle. In short, enter a mold without being caged in it. Obey the principle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/learn-the-principle-abide-by-the-principle-and-dissolve-the-principle/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [The Gospel is like a caged lion; you don't have to defend it - just let it out of the cage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-gospel-is-like-a-caged-lion-you-don-t-have-to-defend-it-just-let/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [The greater the mental charlatan, the more definite his insistence on the wickedness and weaknesses of human nature. Yet how can anyone speak of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/the-greater-the-mental-charlatan-the-more-definite-his-insistence-on/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [My heart is in chains,though still beating. My spirit is caged, though still flaming. My mind has been captured, though is still telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-heart-is-in-chains-though-still-beating-my-spirit-is-caged-though/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I was reading about animals a while back and there was this motherfucking scientist in France back in the thirties or forties or whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/i-was-reading-about-animals-a-while-back-and-there-was-this/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Caged birds accept each other, but flight is what they long for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/caged-birds-accept-each-other-but-flight-is-what-they-long-for/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“His gaze, blunted by the unnumbered procession of iron bars, uncounted as his softly padded steps. Smooth motion of blood and sinew turning in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rilke-rainer-maria-2/his-gaze-blunted-by-the-unnumbered-procession-of-iron-bars-uncounted/) [Rilke Rainer Maria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rilke-rainer-maria-2/) > [My devil had been long caged, he came out roaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/my-devil-had-been-long-caged-he-came-out-roaring/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“She breathed slowly, searching for words. "You've set me free, and I can't be caged again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bacchi/she-breathed-slowly-searching-for-words-you-ve-set-me-free-and-i-can/) [Laura Bacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bacchi/) > [“The walls that caged me were not of this world, but were within my mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-stroube/the-walls-that-caged-me-were-not-of-this-world-but-were-within-my-mind/) [J.D. 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