--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I sat back and looked at it. It was ugly…" description: "\"“I sat back and looked at it. It was ugly, dark, uncontrolled. Like a monster's face. Or maybe what I saw there was my own face. I couldn't quite tell...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/jennifer-brown-10248_evil_i-sat-back-and-looked-at-it-it-was-ugly_2583113.jpg" --- # I sat back and looked at it. It was ugly, dark… ![“I sat back and looked at it. It was ugly, dark, uncontrolled. Like a monster's face. Or maybe what I saw there was my own face. I couldn't quite tell. Was the face the image of something evil or the image of myself? "Both," Bea muttered, as if I'd spoken my question out loud. "Of course, it's…” quote by Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/jennifer-brown-10248_evil_i-sat-back-and-looked-at-it-it-was-ugly_2583113.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/jennifer-brown-10248_evil_i-sat-back-and-looked-at-it-it-was-ugly_2583113.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/jennifer-brown-10248_evil_i-sat-back-and-looked-at-it-it-was-ugly_2583113.jpg) > ““I sat back and looked at it. It was ugly, dark, uncontrolled. Like a monster's face. Or maybe what I saw there was my own face. I couldn't quite tell. Was the face the image of something evil or the image of myself? "Both," Bea muttered, as if I'd spoken my question out loud. "Of course, it's both. But it shouldn't be. Goodness, no.”” [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing ugliness in oneself can be confronting; recognizing both evil and self in an image leads to inner conflict. **In simple terms:** Seeing yourself as ugly and evil creates conflict. Key Takeaway Reflect on self‑perception and growth. Themes self‑image duality conflict Mood introspective poetic Type philosophical emotional When to use this quote - therapy - art critique - personal growth Key Concepts psychology identity Questions to Reflect On - What does the “monster’s face” symbolize for you? - How can you reconcile inner good and bad? A Different Perspective May be overly abstract for some readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bea Muttered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bea-muttered-1795000/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-image-1795002/) [Image Bea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/image-bea-1795004/) [Looked Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looked-ugly-1795001/) [Monster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monster/) [Monster Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monster-face-1795003/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Self hatred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-hatred/) [Self portrait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-portrait/) ## Related quotes > [“The men poured gasoline on them and burned them alive, having no remedy for evil but only for the image of it as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-men-poured-gasoline-on-them-and-burned-them-alive-having-no/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [The image my work invokes is the image of good - not evil; the image of order - not chaos; the image of life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naum-gabo/the-image-my-work-invokes-is-the-image-of-good-not-evil-the-image-of/) [Naum Gabo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naum-gabo/) > [Her face looked ugly in the attempt to avoid tears; it was an ugliness which bound him to her more than any beauty could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/her-face-looked-ugly-in-the-attempt-to-avoid-tears-it-was-an-ugliness/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [Ah, mother! 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Autograph your work with excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-job-is-a-self-portrait-of-a-person-who-does-it-autograph-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. Every job is a self portrait of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/unless-you-try-to-do-something-beyond-what-you-have-already-mastered/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [You will regret that cell-phone self-portrait in the bathroom mirror one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-regret-that-cell-phone-self-portrait-in-the-bathroom-mirror/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love how the most insecure people on Facebook are the ones who post a new self portrait every 6 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-how-the-most-insecure-people-on-facebook-are-the-ones-who-post/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jennifer Brown > [“I've been thinking a lot about the word "everything." Whenever something horrible happens, you hear people say they "lost everything." They lost their house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/i-ve-been-thinking-a-lot-about-the-word-everything-whenever-something/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) > [“People hate. That's our reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/people-hate-that-s-our-reality/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) > [“I couldn't make myself imagine Dad holding some creamy-faced baby, cooing at it, telling it he loved it. Taking it to baseball games. 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See what’s really there ok?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/just-concentrate-on-being-in-the-moment-he-said-don-t-read-into/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) > [“I understand that it would be easier for you to think of him as a hero. But, Valerie, he did kill a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/i-understand-that-it-would-be-easier-for-you-to-think-of-him-as-a/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) > [“It was one of the constants of life. You are born, you die, you stand up when the bus doors open.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/it-was-one-of-the-constants-of-life-you-are-born-you-die-you-stand-up/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) > [“Sometimes even stuff you expect to happen can still hurt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/sometimes-even-stuff-you-expect-to-happen-can-still-hurt/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) > [“...we didn't know...the reality of who those people were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/we-didn-t-know-the-reality-of-who-those-people-were/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) > [“Will you ever forgive me? " I shot back, leveling my gaze directly into his eyes. He stared into them for a few moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/will-you-ever-forgive-me-i-shot-back-leveling-my-gaze-directly-into/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) > [“Just like there's always time for pain, there's always time for healing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/just-like-there-s-always-time-for-pain-there-s-always-time-for-healing/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) [Explore all 67 Jennifer Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. 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Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) [Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I sat back and looked at it. It was ugly, dark, uncontrolled. Like a monster's face. Or maybe what I saw there was my own face. I couldn't quite tell. Was the face the image of something evil or the image of myself? \"Both,\" Bea muttered, as if I'd spoken my question out loud. \"Of course, it's both. But it shouldn't be. 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