Young man Quote by Jess Walter
““And Pasquale forced himself to look away from her then. It was like prying a magnet off steel, but he did it: he turned forward in the boat, closed his eyes, still seeing her standing there in his memory. He shook with the strain of not looking back until they rounded the breakwater into the open sea and Pasquale exhaled, his head falling to his chest. "You are a strange young man," Tomasso the Communist said.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Zeroes by Jess Walter, 2015
A man struggles to ignore a painful memory, feeling the effort like pulling a magnet from steel, until he finally releases it.
In simple terms: He fights to forget a painful image, finally letting go.
Key Takeaway
Allow yourself to release painful memories.
Themes
memory
pain
release
inner conflict
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
emotional
When to use this quote
- relationship breakup
- traumatic memory
- personal growth
- mindfulness
Key Concepts
psychology
attachment
grief
Questions to Reflect On
- What memory are you holding onto?
- How can you gently let go?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may over‑dramatically simplify complex emotional processing.
![“The young man [Turgot] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his studies, his reading, his professors, his associates, all were combined to keep from him any results of observation or reflection save those…” quote by Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5d4/andrew-dickson-white-24254_associates_the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecc_3146.jpg)
![“[D]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without a conscience a man may never be said to grow old. This is an age of very old young men.” quote by Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/076/hesketh-pearson-35291_age_d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-w_14010.jpg)
