--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As much as he loathed himself for it, he…" description: "\"“As much as he loathed himself for it, he couldn't stop thinking about Abigail. If he hadn't met her, he might be married to someone else. Some nice wo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/j-s-bailey-58146_dreamed_as-much-as-he-loathed-himself-for-it-he_2838027.jpg" --- # As much as he loathed himself for it, he couldn't stop… ![“As much as he loathed himself for it, he couldn't stop thinking about Abigail. If he hadn't met her, he might be married to someone else. Some nice woman who didn't throw dishes at him. He'd be asleep right now, lying on his side with her warm body snuggled up against his chest, and their…” quote by J.S. Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/j-s-bailey-58146_dreamed_as-much-as-he-loathed-himself-for-it-he_2838027.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/j-s-bailey-58146_dreamed_as-much-as-he-loathed-himself-for-it-he_2838027.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4f/j-s-bailey-58146_dreamed_as-much-as-he-loathed-himself-for-it-he_2838027.jpg) > ““As much as he loathed himself for it, he couldn't stop thinking about Abigail. If he hadn't met her, he might be married to someone else. Some nice woman who didn't throw dishes at him. He'd be asleep right now, lying on his side with her warm body snuggled up against his chest, and their children--yes, he was quite sure there would have been two or three of them--would be sound asleep in the next room dreaming of sugarplums or whatever kids dreamed about. If he hadn't met Abigail, he certainly wouldn't be stuffed like a slab of meat in the back of a car with his own executioners.”” [J.S. Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-bailey/) ## 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 reflects on how a single relationship shapes life trajectory, contrasting imagined normalcy with tragic fate. **In simple terms:** A relationship defines life path. Key Takeaway Consider choices. Themes relationships fate counterfactuals Mood melancholic contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal reflection - storytelling - therapy - creative writing Key Concepts determinism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do relationships define identity? - What if choices differ? A Different Perspective Speculation can obscure present agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dreamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamed/) [Dreamed Hadn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamed-hadn-3705285/) [Dreaming Sugarplums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreaming-sugarplums-3705286/) [Loathed Couldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loathed-couldn-3705287/) [Regrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regrets/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [Thinking Abigail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-abigail-3705284/) ## Related quotes > [I dreamed for a lover, I dreamed for a friend, and in the end I got a lover and a friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dreamed-for-a-lover-i-dreamed-for-a-friend-and-in-the-end-i-got-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Worse than not realizing the dreams of your youth, would be to have been young and never dreamed at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-genet/worse-than-not-realizing-the-dreams-of-your-youth-would-be-to-have/) [Jean Genet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-genet/) > [I always dreamed of making it in baseball, but life has moved pretty quickly for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-trout/i-always-dreamed-of-making-it-in-baseball-but-life-has-moved-pretty/) [Mike Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-trout/) > [I never dreamed I would one day work at it White House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hughes/i-never-dreamed-i-would-one-day-work-at-it-white-house/) [Karen Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hughes/) > [“I woke myself in the darkness, and I knew only that a dream had scared me so badly that I had to wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-woke-myself-in-the-darkness-and-i-knew-only-that-a-dream-had-scared/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Since my childhood, I dreamed of wearing the Black and Yellow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-reus/since-my-childhood-i-dreamed-of-wearing-the-black-and-yellow/) [Marco Reus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-reus/) > [I dreamed big. So it's so great to be living my own dream. I'm working in an industry that I want to work in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-strahovski/i-dreamed-big-so-it-s-so-great-to-be-living-my-own-dream-i-m-working/) [Yvonne Strahovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-strahovski/) > [“It was a world that most fans never saw. One that many dreamed of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-mensch/it-was-a-world-that-most-fans-never-saw-one-that-many-dreamed-of/) [Louise Mensch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-mensch/) > [My mother dreamed dreams for Joaquin and for me long before we could dream them for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-castro/my-mother-dreamed-dreams-for-joaquin-and-for-me-long-before-we-could/) [Julian Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-castro/) > [As a precocious teen I dreamed of being Graham Greene. Well, as it turned out, I never wrote a great novel, sadly, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-burchill/as-a-precocious-teen-i-dreamed-of-being-graham-greene-well-as-it/) [Julie Burchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-burchill/) > [I've always dreamed big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-collins/i-ve-always-dreamed-big/) [Gemma Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-collins/) > [A long time ago when I was very little, I dreamed about being on stage. Some people told me I would never be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-potter/a-long-time-ago-when-i-was-very-little-i-dreamed-about-being-on-stage/) [Lauren Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-potter/) > [“My mom believed that you make your own luck. Over the stove she had hung these old, maroon painted letters that spell out, “MANIFEST.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-laybourne/my-mom-believed-that-you-make-your-own-luck-over-the-stove-she-had/) [Emmy Laybourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-laybourne/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [I was never a girl who dreamed about what her wedding day would be like, but I've always dreamed about decorating my baby's nursery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-romijn/i-was-never-a-girl-who-dreamed-about-what-her-wedding-day-would-be/) [Rebecca Romijn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-romijn/) ## More by J.S. Bailey > [“The world is one unending chess match, my dear, and I am the one playing it how I please. I poke and prod to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-bailey/the-world-is-one-unending-chess-match-my-dear-and-i-am-the-one/) [J.S. Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-bailey/) > [“We work our whole lives trying to get rich so we can impress the world with our fancy houses and cars, but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-bailey/we-work-our-whole-lives-trying-to-get-rich-so-we-can-impress-the/) [J.S. Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-bailey/) > [“There are people who hate the truth. It is a poison to them. The only way to protect themselves from the poison is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-bailey/there-are-people-who-hate-the-truth-it-is-a-poison-to-them-the-only/) [J.S. Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-bailey/) > [“Only the flesh dies, Kerry. The flesh is vapor. When the vapor drifts away and is gone, only we remain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-bailey/only-the-flesh-dies-kerry-the-flesh-is-vapor-when-the-vapor-drifts/) [J.S. Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-bailey/) > [“Oh, fine.' Rochelle sprinkled some water over one of the glowstones and laid the object down in the center of their tiny camp. 'I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-bailey/oh-fine-rochelle-sprinkled-some-water-over-one-of-the-glowstones-and/) [J.S. Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-bailey/) [Explore all 6 J.S. Bailey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-bailey/) ## More Dreamed quotes > [I dreamed for a lover, I dreamed for a friend, and in the end I got a lover and a friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dreamed-for-a-lover-i-dreamed-for-a-friend-and-in-the-end-i-got-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [“My mom believed that you make your own luck. Over the stove she had hung these old, maroon painted letters that spell out, “MANIFEST.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-laybourne/my-mom-believed-that-you-make-your-own-luck-over-the-stove-she-had/) [Emmy Laybourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-laybourne/) > [A long time ago when I was very little, I dreamed about being on stage. Some people told me I would never be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-potter/a-long-time-ago-when-i-was-very-little-i-dreamed-about-being-on-stage/) [Lauren Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-potter/) > [I've always dreamed big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-collins/i-ve-always-dreamed-big/) [Gemma Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-collins/) > [As a precocious teen I dreamed of being Graham Greene. Well, as it turned out, I never wrote a great novel, sadly, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-burchill/as-a-precocious-teen-i-dreamed-of-being-graham-greene-well-as-it/) [Julie Burchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-burchill/) > [My mother dreamed dreams for Joaquin and for me long before we could dream them for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-castro/my-mother-dreamed-dreams-for-joaquin-and-for-me-long-before-we-could/) [Julian Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-castro/) > [“It was a world that most fans never saw. One that many dreamed of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-mensch/it-was-a-world-that-most-fans-never-saw-one-that-many-dreamed-of/) [Louise Mensch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-mensch/) > [I dreamed big. So it's so great to be living my own dream. I'm working in an industry that I want to work in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-strahovski/i-dreamed-big-so-it-s-so-great-to-be-living-my-own-dream-i-m-working/) [Yvonne Strahovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-strahovski/) > [Since my childhood, I dreamed of wearing the Black and Yellow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-reus/since-my-childhood-i-dreamed-of-wearing-the-black-and-yellow/) [Marco Reus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-reus/) > [“I woke myself in the darkness, and I knew only that a dream had scared me so badly that I had to wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-woke-myself-in-the-darkness-and-i-knew-only-that-a-dream-had-scared/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I never dreamed I would one day work at it White House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hughes/i-never-dreamed-i-would-one-day-work-at-it-white-house/) [Karen Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hughes/) > [I always dreamed of making it in baseball, but life has moved pretty quickly for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-trout/i-always-dreamed-of-making-it-in-baseball-but-life-has-moved-pretty/) [Mike Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-trout/) > [Worse than not realizing the dreams of your youth, would be to have been young and never dreamed at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-genet/worse-than-not-realizing-the-dreams-of-your-youth-would-be-to-have/) [Jean Genet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-genet/) > [I was never a girl who dreamed about what her wedding day would be like, but I've always dreamed about decorating my baby's nursery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-romijn/i-was-never-a-girl-who-dreamed-about-what-her-wedding-day-would-be/) [Rebecca Romijn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-romijn/) [Browse all 957 Dreamed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreamed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As much as he loathed himself for it, he couldn't stop thinking about Abigail. 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