--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The part of his mind that considered odds…" description: "\"“The part of his mind that considered odds and consequences had shut down entirely, snuffed by the sheer adrenal rush of holding her, falling together ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/748/jerry-stahl-4491_gaze_the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odd_1804573.jpg" --- # The part of his mind that considered odds and consequences… ![“The part of his mind that considered odds and consequences had shut down entirely, snuffed by the sheer adrenal rush of holding her, falling together into the Impala's sunken upholstery. He took her face in his hands as he kissed her, wanting to just get it right, to stamp the moment, to blunt the…” quote by Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/748/jerry-stahl-4491_gaze_the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odd_1804573.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/748/jerry-stahl-4491_gaze_the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odd_1804573.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/748/jerry-stahl-4491_gaze_the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odd_1804573.jpg) > ““The part of his mind that considered odds and consequences had shut down entirely, snuffed by the sheer adrenal rush of holding her, falling together into the Impala's sunken upholstery. He took her face in his hands as he kissed her, wanting to just get it right, to stamp the moment, to blunt the thunder of fear pounding in his skull as the rest of him succumbed to a sensation beyond pleasure, a kind of twisted relief that he'd macheted all his moorings, that whatever happened now would happen because he'd said 'Fuck It!' to everything that had rendered him, for more years than he could count, a soul-dead, heart-numbed misfit staggering from pill to pill just to get through the dull risk of his own existence.”” [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character abandons rational fear, surrendering to raw, reckless passion as a means of escaping numbness and self‑destruction. **In simple terms:** He chooses wild passion over fear. Key Takeaway Embrace intense moments to break numbness. Themes recklessness passion escape identity addiction Mood intense conflicted desperate Type narrative emotional When to use this quote - intimate encounter - personal crisis - addiction recovery Key Concepts existentialism psychology self‑destruction Questions to Reflect On - What does surrendering to passion reveal about his true needs? - Can reckless abandon ever be healthy? A Different Perspective Risk of losing control and deeper harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“Then his lips were on mine and I lost myself, overwhelmed by the surge of Trey’s emotions as they flooded through me. I kissed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-jensen/then-his-lips-were-on-mine-and-i-lost-myself-overwhelmed-by-the-surge/) Heather Jensen > [“The fine wall of leaden crystal that had protected her heart - somehow numbed her into disbelief - shattered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/the-fine-wall-of-leaden-crystal-that-had-protected-her-heart-somehow/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“Something felt different between them as she led him to the bed. Instead of the impatient need to have her naked that he’d always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/something-felt-different-between-them-as-she-led-him-to-the-bed/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) > [I felt that thread that had come between us, tugging, tugging at my heart - so hard, it hurt me. A hundred times I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/i-felt-that-thread-that-had-come-between-us-tugging-tugging-at-my/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [I knew that I couldn't lie beside her, without wanting to touch her. I couldn't have felt her breath come upon my mouth, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/i-knew-that-i-couldn-t-lie-beside-her-without-wanting-to-touch-her-i/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [“He leaned in and kissed her, because now that he knew he could, he planned on kissing her every chance he got.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-myracle/he-leaned-in-and-kissed-her-because-now-that-he-knew-he-could-he/) [Lauren Myracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-myracle/) > [He kissed me, though not in a sexy way. Gentle. Tender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-kissed-me-though-not-in-a-sexy-way-gentle-tender/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“He dipped his head and kissed along my jaw. 'I promise, nothing about being inside you will disappoint me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-r-martin/he-dipped-his-head-and-kissed-along-my-jaw-i-promise-nothing-about/) [Kelley R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-r-martin/) > [“Taking Mike home is a great idea," Donny said. "See you tomorrow. Thanks for your help." Gabe kissed her hand. "I'll be back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-hayes/taking-mike-home-is-a-great-idea-donny-said-see-you-tomorrow-thanks/) [Gwen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-hayes/) > [“Best surprise ever.” I whispered in his face. Then I leaned in and kissed him hard and deep like it was the last kiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-larsen/best-surprise-ever-i-whispered-in-his-face-then-i-leaned-in-and/) [K. Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-larsen/) > [“How can you love me if you don’t even know me?” He lifted my arms around his neck and placed his hands on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denyse-cohen/how-can-you-love-me-if-you-don-t-even-know-me-he-lifted-my-arms/) Denyse Cohen > [He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her full on the mouth. His skin was wet with rain. When she didn't pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/he-put-his-hands-on-her-shoulders-and-kissed-her-full-on-the-mouth/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“While Emma pressed the unlock button on her key fob, Aidan started walking away, but then he stopped. He turned back and shook his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ashley/while-emma-pressed-the-unlock-button-on-her-key-fob-aidan-started/) [Katie Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ashley/) > [“Being held by him, kissed and mastered, taken under and swept away, enthralled her in a way she—an independent woman if nothing else in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-sumner/being-held-by-him-kissed-and-mastered-taken-under-and-swept-away/) [Tracy Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-sumner/) > [“Rodrigo tried to draw a deep breath, but his chest was too filled with anguish, rage and guilt. He kissed his ash-coated fingers. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-valdez/rodrigo-tried-to-draw-a-deep-breath-but-his-chest-was-too-filled-with/) [Lisa Valdez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-valdez/) ## More by Jerry Stahl > [“This was, I sometimes thought, the last gift my father gave me. And the best: His death stood out as the supreme-o excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/this-was-i-sometimes-thought-the-last-gift-my-father-gave-me-and-the/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [I think there's a phenomenon of people who want to be around something that seems "dangerous." It makes them feel more real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/i-think-there-s-a-phenomenon-of-people-who-want-to-be-around/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [I always figured I myself would never be lucky enough to die, I'd just live on and on in this increasingly dreary spiral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/i-always-figured-i-myself-would-never-be-lucky-enough-to-die-i-d-just/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [“Not until I stopped doing drugs altogether did I feel like a man. Not until I walked out of that fire did I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/not-until-i-stopped-doing-drugs-altogether-did-i-feel-like-a-man-not/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [“This book, for me, is less an exercise in recall than exorcism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/this-book-for-me-is-less-an-exercise-in-recall-than-exorcism/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [“Not doing something crude right off is about as close as a guy like me ever gets to class.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/not-doing-something-crude-right-off-is-about-as-close-as-a-guy-like/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [A waft of sweet hash drifted by, and I wanted to float after it like Wimpy levitating at the scent of a hamburger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/a-waft-of-sweet-hash-drifted-by-and-i-wanted-to-float-after-it-like/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [I always tell myself, when I remember the non-stop self-generated hell party that used to be my life, I wouldn't be here if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/i-always-tell-myself-when-i-remember-the-non-stop-self-generated-hell/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [My own theory is that people are just so desperate for somebody they can feel better than, in America. Now that everyone's going broke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/my-own-theory-is-that-people-are-just-so-desperate-for-somebody-they/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [“...with enough rock in your system, you could hear every noise in the universe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/with-enough-rock-in-your-system-you-could-hear-every-noise-in-the/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [I think that a lot of people are in love with stress. It's the dirty little secret of Western civilization. People often mistake stress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/i-think-that-a-lot-of-people-are-in-love-with-stress-it-s-the-dirty/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [“There are stories you don't want to tell, and there are stories that scald your brainpan right down to the tongue at the mere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/there-are-stories-you-don-t-want-to-tell-and-there-are-stories-that/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [Heroin spread that soft blanket over everything. But once the blanket was ripped off, it took a layer of skin with it, leaving nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/heroin-spread-that-soft-blanket-over-everything-but-once-the-blanket/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [“In some odd gush of patriotism, my mother had once vomited on the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty, and a bust of Benjamin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/in-some-odd-gush-of-patriotism-my-mother-had-once-vomited-on-the/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) > [“Being a junkie, when you broke it down, was nothing more than a crazed day job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/being-a-junkie-when-you-broke-it-down-was-nothing-more-than-a-crazed/) [Jerry Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) [Explore all 110 Jerry Stahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/) ## More Gaze quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Taylor said a prayer for the man, and apologized out loud. Knowing there was nothing left to do, she turned to leave. As she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-ellison/taylor-said-a-prayer-for-the-man-and-apologized-out-loud-knowing/) [J.T. Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-ellison/) > [“If it makes you feel any better, he’s been all sad doll lately too.” “What are you talking about, Chels?” Chelsea stopped walking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-derting/if-it-makes-you-feel-any-better-he-s-been-all-sad-doll-lately-too/) [Kimberly Derting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-derting/) > [“Rodrigo tried to draw a deep breath, but his chest was too filled with anguish, rage and guilt. He kissed his ash-coated fingers. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-valdez/rodrigo-tried-to-draw-a-deep-breath-but-his-chest-was-too-filled-with/) [Lisa Valdez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-valdez/) > [“still feel the same way? Could he have changed this much on the inside too? Struggling for the right words, I opened my mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-wild/still-feel-the-same-way-could-he-have-changed-this-much-on-the-inside/) [Meredith Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-wild/) > [“Being held by him, kissed and mastered, taken under and swept away, enthralled her in a way she—an independent woman if nothing else in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-sumner/being-held-by-him-kissed-and-mastered-taken-under-and-swept-away/) [Tracy Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-sumner/) > [“Don’t you remember how hot we were together, Lane? God.” He takes a quick breath through clenched teeth and runs his hand down my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-a-valentine/don-t-you-remember-how-hot-we-were-together-lane-god-he-takes-a-quick/) [Michelle A. Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-a-valentine/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [“Damn.” Phineas turned the Big Boy off, then noticed he’d left the box on the bed. Damn, had Zoltan seen it? He stuffed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerrelyn-sparks/damn-phineas-turned-the-big-boy-off-then-noticed-he-d-left-the-box-on/) [Kerrelyn Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerrelyn-sparks/) > [“Now you," Grandma barks at him. "Yes, you, the invisible truck driver," she added, giving me a wicked grin. "Go stand next to Rose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/now-you-grandma-barks-at-him-yes-you-the-invisible-truck-driver-she/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) > [“You know when I said I didn't need you?" I asked. He lifted one brow. "I was so wrong.I can't find words to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/you-know-when-i-said-i-didn-t-need-you-i-asked-he-lifted-one-brow-i/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [“I didn’t say it just to get you to jump. I’m in love with you, Zane,” he admitted in a calm, clear voice. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-urban/i-didn-t-say-it-just-to-get-you-to-jump-i-m-in-love-with-you-zane-he/) [Madeleine Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-urban/) > [“This explains so much," she said, clucking her tongue in mother-hen fashion. "You're compensating for this withered appendage." Withered appendage? What the devil was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/this-explains-so-much-she-said-clucking-her-tongue-in-mother-hen/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) Browse all 15,087 Gaze quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The part of his mind that considered odds and consequences had shut down entirely, snuffed by the sheer adrenal rush of holding her, falling together into the Impala's sunken upholstery. He took her face in his hands as he kissed her, wanting to just get it right, to stamp the moment, to blunt the thunder of fear pounding in his skull as the rest of him succumbed to a sensation beyond pleasure, a kind of twisted relief that he'd macheted all his moorings, that whatever happened now would happen because he'd said 'Fuck It!' to everything that had rendered him, for more years than he could count, a soul-dead, heart-numbed misfit staggering from pill to pill just to get through the dull risk of his own existence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jerry Stahl" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odds-and-consequences-had-shut/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gaze" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odds-and-consequences-had-shut/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/748/jerry-stahl-4491_gaze_the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odd_1804573.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/748/jerry-stahl-4491_gaze_the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odd_1804573.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/748/jerry-stahl-4491_gaze_the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odd_1804573.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The part of his mind that considered odds and consequences had shut down entirely, snuffed by the sheer…” — Jerry Stahl", "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": "Jerry Stahl", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-stahl/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The part of his mind that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odds-and-consequences-had-shut/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-stahl/the-part-of-his-mind-that-considered-odds-and-consequences-had-shut/#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 } } ] } ```