--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I smiled and I really felt at that moment…" description: "\"“I smiled and I really felt at that moment that Judas and the Savior had met in me. [...] And yet even this was not as real as my despairing sense that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/james-baldwin-995_time_i-smiled-and-i-really-felt-at-that-momen_1529700.jpg" --- # I smiled and I really felt at that moment that Judas and… ![“I smiled and I really felt at that moment that Judas and the Savior had met in me. [...] And yet even this was not as real as my despairing sense that nothing was real for me again—unless, indeed, this sensation of falling was reality.” quote by James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/james-baldwin-995_time_i-smiled-and-i-really-felt-at-that-momen_1529700.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/james-baldwin-995_time_i-smiled-and-i-really-felt-at-that-momen_1529700.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f21/james-baldwin-995_time_i-smiled-and-i-really-felt-at-that-momen_1529700.jpg) > ““I smiled and I really felt at that moment that Judas and the Savior had met in me. \[...\] And yet even this was not as real as my despairing sense that nothing was real for me again—unless, indeed, this sensation of falling was reality.”” [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) ## 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 experiences a fleeting moment of unity between betrayal and redemption, yet it feels less real than his ongoing despair, suggesting that profound emotional states can feel more authentic than ordinary reality. **In simple terms:** A brief feeling of unity feels less real than ongoing despair. Key Takeaway Recognize how intense moments may mask deeper pain. Themes identity despair spirituality duality Mood melancholic introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - artistic creation - spiritual reflection - mental health - relationship turmoil Key Concepts existentialism psychology redemption Questions to Reflect On - What does this fleeting unity reveal about the narrator’s inner conflict? - Can moments of intense feeling become a bridge to authenticity? A Different Perspective The insight may overlook the possibility that such moments can also be catalysts for healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Felt Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-moment-446471/) [Judas Savior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judas-savior-5672877/) [Moment Judas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-judas-5672875/) [Really Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-felt/) [Savior Met](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/savior-met-5672876/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“He felt for the first moment as a man feels when, having suddenly received a violent blow from behind, he turns round, angry and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-felt-for-the-first-moment-as-a-man-feels-when-having-suddenly/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [ “\[...\] and the love he felt at that moment, truer than all subsequent loves because it never had to survive.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/and-the-love-he-felt-at-that-moment-truer-than-all-subsequent-loves/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“felt it. 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