--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...often a thing that is ugly is ugly in…" description: "\"“...often a thing that is ugly is ugly in itself, and often a thing that is ugly is only a thing that is forgotten, kept from view and kept from memory..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jamaica-kincaid-1540_beauty_often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-it_1315601.png" --- # ...often a thing that is ugly is ugly in itself, and often… ![“...often a thing that is ugly is ugly in itself, and often a thing that is ugly is only a thing that is forgotten, kept from view and kept from memory, and often a thing that is ugly is not only a definition of beauty itself but also renders beauty as something beyond words or beyond any kind of…” quote by Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jamaica-kincaid-1540_beauty_often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-it_1315601.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jamaica-kincaid-1540_beauty_often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-it_1315601.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jamaica-kincaid-1540_beauty_often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-it_1315601.png) > ““...often a thing that is ugly is ugly in itself, and often a thing that is ugly is only a thing that is forgotten, kept from view and kept from memory, and often a thing that is ugly is not only a definition of beauty itself but also renders beauty as something beyond words or beyond any kind of description.”” [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that ugliness can be a result of neglect and forgottenness, and that it can highlight beauty that transcends description. **In simple terms:** Ugly things may be forgotten, revealing deeper beauty. Key Takeaway Recognize overlooked things as potential sources of profound beauty. Themes neglect memory beauty perception definition Mood contemplative melancholic inquisitive Type philosophical reflective inspirational When to use this quote - art criticism - personal reflection - historical preservation - mental health - cultural heritage Key Concepts existentialism aesthetics psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does society choose to forget and why? - How can we reframe forgotten objects as beautiful? A Different Perspective Ugly may be subjective and context‑dependent, limiting universal conclusions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Definition Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-beauty-873382/) [Definition of beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-of-beauty/) [Thing Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-ugly-292681/) [Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugly/) [Ugly Definition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugly-definition-4366643/) [Ugly Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugly-thing-302855/) ## Related quotes > [Fashion: a beautiful thing that becomes ugly. Art: an ugly thing that becomes beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-chanel/fashion-a-beautiful-thing-that-becomes-ugly-art-an-ugly-thing-that/) [Coco Chanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-chanel/) > [My definition of beauty is simplicity, elegance, and sensuality. I think that when a woman is in harmony with herself and remains true to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/my-definition-of-beauty-is-simplicity-elegance-and-sensuality-i-think/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [My definition of beauty is a good heart filled with love and respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-elijah-jack/my-definition-of-beauty-is-a-good-heart-filled-with-love-and-respect/) [Jerry Elijah Jack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-elijah-jack/) > [For me, there has never been one definition of beauty. I think we all have something to offer and when beauty shines from within,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alek-wek/for-me-there-has-never-been-one-definition-of-beauty-i-think-we-all/) [Alek Wek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alek-wek/) > [“true beauty has nothing to do with outward appearances. The more we focus on what we look like on the outside, the more insecure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-bisutti/true-beauty-has-nothing-to-do-with-outward-appearances-the-more-we/) [Kylie Bisutti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-bisutti/) > [“Beauty is merely defined by the very core of one's soul, which then and only then outlines one's outside features, reflecting beyond the body.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-abu-bakr/beauty-is-merely-defined-by-the-very-core-of-one-s-soul-which-then/) [Lisa Abu-Bakr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-abu-bakr/) > [What is important, then, is not that the critic should possess a correct abstract definition of beauty for the intellect, but a certain kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-pater/what-is-important-then-is-not-that-the-critic-should-possess-a/) [Walter Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-pater/) > [She's emo? You'd cut too if you've gone through what she has. She's Anorexic? You would be too if you were called fat everyday.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-s-emo-you-d-cut-too-if-you-ve-gone-through-what-she-has-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more we narrow the definition of beauty, the more beauty we shut out of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/the-more-we-narrow-the-definition-of-beauty-the-more-beauty-we-shut/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [Everyone's definition of beauty is different, and it's best to concern yourself with living up to your definition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ego-nwodim/everyone-s-definition-of-beauty-is-different-and-it-s-best-to-concern/) [Ego Nwodim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ego-nwodim/) > [My definition of beauty is something between extremely ugly and extremely fantastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riccardo-tisci/my-definition-of-beauty-is-something-between-extremely-ugly-and/) [Riccardo Tisci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riccardo-tisci/) > [“True beauty express itself automatically. It's not only visible in the material, but around one's being, and within their aura. I once met a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/true-beauty-express-itself-automatically-it-s-not-only-visible-in-the/) [Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/) > [The most general definition of beauty ... Multeity in Unity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-most-general-definition-of-beauty-multeity-in-unity/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [My definition of beauty is without rules. It can be the face of a beautiful 90-year-old woman that is full of stories and emotion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/my-definition-of-beauty-is-without-rules-it-can-be-the-face-of-a/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [No one gets to define your definition of beauty, but you, so make it loving & gentle. Make it count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/no-one-gets-to-define-your-definition-of-beauty-but-you-so-make-it/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) ## More by Jamaica Kincaid > [I'm always telling my students go to law school or become a doctor, do something, and then write. First of all you should have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-m-always-telling-my-students-go-to-law-school-or-become-a-doctor-do/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [The slave trade was globalism. Why people insist that globalism, after its hideous history, is a good thing, I do not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/the-slave-trade-was-globalism-why-people-insist-that-globalism-after/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I have no credentials. I have no money. I literally come from a poor place. I was a servant. I dropped out of college.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-have-no-credentials-i-have-no-money-i-literally-come-from-a-poor/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [In my writing I'm trying to explore the violations people commit upon each other. And the important thing isn't whether I'm angry. The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/in-my-writing-i-m-trying-to-explore-the-violations-people-commit-upon/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > ["Race." I really can't understand it as anything other than something people say. The people who have said that you and I are both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/race-i-really-can-t-understand-it-as-anything-other-than-something/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [Race as a subject only comes about because of what I look like. If I say something truthfully, people say "Oh, she's so angry."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/race-as-a-subject-only-comes-about-because-of-what-i-look-like-if-i/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [in the place I am from ... a grave is topped off with a huge mound of loose earth - carelessly, as if piled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/in-the-place-i-am-from-a-grave-is-topped-off-with-a-huge-mound-of/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I like melancholy. I like to pretend that I'm alone in the world and I'm just sort of abandoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-like-melancholy-i-like-to-pretend-that-i-m-alone-in-the-world-and-i/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I come from the small island of Antigua and I always wanted to write; I just didn't know that it was possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-come-from-the-small-island-of-antigua-and-i-always-wanted-to-write/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [“Have you ever wondered to yourself why it is that all people like me seem to have learned from you is how to imprison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/have-you-ever-wondered-to-yourself-why-it-is-that-all-people-like-me/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [Love and hatred don't take turns; they exist side by side at the same time. And one's duty, one's obligation every day, is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/love-and-hatred-don-t-take-turns-they-exist-side-by-side-at-the-same/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [“Do you see the queer thing about people like me? Sometimes we hold your retribution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/do-you-see-the-queer-thing-about-people-like-me-sometimes-we-hold/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [I didn't really understand racism because I grew up in an all-black society, so I didn't see how it was possible not to like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-didn-t-really-understand-racism-because-i-grew-up-in-an-all-black/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [A great piece of literature encompasses all that is and all that will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/a-great-piece-of-literature-encompasses-all-that-is-and-all-that-will/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [The people who invented race, who grouped us together as "black," were inventing and categorizing their ability to do something vicious and wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/the-people-who-invented-race-who-grouped-us-together-as-black-were/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) [Explore all 228 Jamaica Kincaid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) ## More Beauty quotes > [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [To fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity, and still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tool/to-fathom-the-power-to-witness-the-beauty-to-bathe-in-the-fountain-to/) [Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tool/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [“We've all met people who are beautiful on the outside, however, when they open their mouths to speak, they have nothing of substance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-ve-all-met-people-who-are-beautiful-on-the-outside-however-when/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) [Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/) > [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [“What about you? What do you do?” I needed to ask questions, draw him out. I needed to find out all the information I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-avery-ellison/what-about-you-what-do-you-do-i-needed-to-ask-questions-draw-him-out/) [Kate Avery Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-avery-ellison/) [Browse all 24,662 Beauty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...often a thing that is ugly is ugly in itself, and often a thing that is ugly is only a thing that is forgotten, kept from view and kept from memory, and often a thing that is ugly is not only a definition of beauty itself but also renders beauty as something beyond words or beyond any kind of description.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jamaica Kincaid" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-itself-and-often-a-thing-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beauty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-itself-and-often-a-thing-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jamaica-kincaid-1540_beauty_often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-it_1315601.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jamaica-kincaid-1540_beauty_often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-it_1315601.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d9/jamaica-kincaid-1540_beauty_often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-it_1315601.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...often a thing that is ugly is ugly in itself, and often a thing that is ugly is only a thing that is…” — Jamaica Kincaid", "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": "Jamaica Kincaid", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...often a thing that is ugly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-itself-and-often-a-thing-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/often-a-thing-that-is-ugly-is-ugly-in-itself-and-often-a-thing-that/#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 } } ] } ```