--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing is loathsomer than the…" description: "\"Nothing is loathsomer than the self-loathing of a self one loathes.\" — John Barth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/john-barth-5311_loathe_nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loat_338926.jpg" --- # Nothing is loathsomer than the self-loathing of a self one… ![“Nothing is loathsomer than the self-loathing of a self one loathes.” quote by John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/john-barth-5311_loathe_nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loat_338926.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/john-barth-5311_loathe_nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loat_338926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/john-barth-5311_loathe_nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loat_338926.jpg) > “Nothing is loathsomer than the self-loathing of a self one loathes.” [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self-loathing is worse when it targets a part of yourself you already despise, creating a painful feedback loop. **In simple terms:** Hating yourself is especially painful. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge self‑criticism. Themes self‑esteem psychology identity Mood reflective somber Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - personal reflection - therapy - journaling - self‑help Key Concepts cognitive dissonance self‑acceptance Questions to Reflect On - What part of yourself do you judge harshest? - How can you reframe that judgment? A Different Perspective Self‑criticism can become entrenched without external perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self loathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-loathing/) ## Related quotes > [I think many people expend a tremendous amount of energy on self-loathing and self-flagellation as well as getting caught in a vicious cycle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marti-noxon/i-think-many-people-expend-a-tremendous-amount-of-energy-on-self/) [Marti Noxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marti-noxon/) > [Self-loathing and self-worship can easily be the same thing. You hate the small sack of fluids and resentments that you are, and you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/self-loathing-and-self-worship-can-easily-be-the-same-thing-you-hate/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [Love will not be spurred to what it loathes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-will-not-be-spurred-to-what-it-loathes/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I'm pretty sure that Murdoch loathes the Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-linehan/i-m-pretty-sure-that-murdoch-loathes-the-internet/) [Graham Linehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-linehan/) > [There are so many musicians, friends of mine, who play shows for ten people a night, or always desperately wanted a record contract. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/there-are-so-many-musicians-friends-of-mine-who-play-shows-for-ten/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [But he who loveliness within Hath found, all outward loathes, For he who color loves, and skin, Loves but their oldest clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/but-he-who-loveliness-within-hath-found-all-outward-loathes-for-he/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [“ Why are you lying awake, thinking that you’re a terrible person? To keep my mind occupied when I can’t sleep. Some people count…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/why-are-you-lying-awake-thinking-that-you-re-a-terrible-person-to/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“What white middle America loathes these days are poor and poorish people, especially the kind who look and sound like they just might live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/what-white-middle-america-loathes-these-days-are-poor-and-poorish/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [You don't like Liverpool: you either loathe it or you love it. And I don't know anyone who loathes it and comes from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/you-don-t-like-liverpool-you-either-loathe-it-or-you-love-it-and-i/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [“That man truly loathes you," Herbert says when he's sure Rourke isn't coming back. "I don't think so," I smile. "I just give his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-man-truly-loathes-you-herbert-says-when-he-s-sure-rourke-isn-t/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [She loves you, loathes you, treats you well, then ill. Like a leech or a surgeon's knife, she's double-edged: sometimes she'll cure, but sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arturo-p-rez-reverte/she-loves-you-loathes-you-treats-you-well-then-ill-like-a-leech-or-a/) [Arturo Pérez-Reverte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arturo-p-rez-reverte/) > [“he who loveliness within Hath found, all outward loathes, For he who colour loves, and skin, Loves but their oldest clothes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-who-loveliness-within-hath-found-all-outward-loathes-for-he-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“That really is the worst revenge you can take, for there’s nothing he loathes more than magnanimity. KURT”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/that-really-is-the-worst-revenge-you-can-take-for-there-s-nothing-he/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Everyone loathes his own country and countrymen if he is any sort of artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/everyone-loathes-his-own-country-and-countrymen-if-he-is-any-sort-of/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [Travel is very subjective. What one person loves, another loathes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/travel-is-very-subjective-what-one-person-loves-another-loathes/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) ## More by John Barth > [Tis e'er the wont of simple folk to prize the deed and o'erlook the motive, and of learned folk to discount the deed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/tis-e-er-the-wont-of-simple-folk-to-prize-the-deed-and-o-erlook-the/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“So, I begin each day with a gesture of cynicism, and close it with a gesture of faith; or, if you prefer, begin it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/so-i-begin-each-day-with-a-gesture-of-cynicism-and-close-it-with-a/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [I admire writers who can make complicated things simple, but my own talent has been to make simple things complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/i-admire-writers-who-can-make-complicated-things-simple-but-my-own/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“That clever folk care less for what ye think than why ye think it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/that-clever-folk-care-less-for-what-ye-think-than-why-ye-think-it/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [Printed prose is historically a most peculiar, almost an aberrant way of telling stories, and by far the most inherently anesthetic: It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/printed-prose-is-historically-a-most-peculiar-almost-an-aberrant-way/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“There's a great difficulty in making choices if you have any imagination at all. Faced with such a multitude of desireable choices, no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/there-s-a-great-difficulty-in-making-choices-if-you-have-any/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [Self knowledge is always bad news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/self-knowledge-is-always-bad-news/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [The first obligation of the writer is to be interesting. To be interesting; not to change the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/the-first-obligation-of-the-writer-is-to-be-interesting-to-be/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [Yet everyone begins in the same place; how is it that most go along without difficulty but a few lose their way?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/yet-everyone-begins-in-the-same-place-how-is-it-that-most-go-along/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [A curious thing about written literature: It is about four thousand years old, but we have no way of knowing whether four thousand years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/a-curious-thing-about-written-literature-it-is-about-four-thousand/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [He wishes he had never entered the funhouse. But he has. Then he wishes he were dead. But he's not. Therefore he will construct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/he-wishes-he-had-never-entered-the-funhouse-but-he-has-then-he-wishes/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“Am I boring you? I don't really care, I suppose, but I'll be more comfortable if I knew all this interested you. No doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/am-i-boring-you-i-don-t-really-care-i-suppose-but-i-ll-be-more/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [Though life's tuition is always ruinous, inexorably we learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/though-life-s-tuition-is-always-ruinous-inexorably-we-learn/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“The difference here 'twixt simple and witty folk, if the truth be known, is that your plain man cares much for what stand ye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/the-difference-here-twixt-simple-and-witty-folk-if-the-truth-be-known/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [To turn experience into speech - that is, to classify, to categorize, to conceptualize, to grammarize, to syntactify it - is always a betrayal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/to-turn-experience-into-speech-that-is-to-classify-to-categorize-to/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) [Explore all 97 John Barth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) ## More Loathe quotes > [Most women loathe limericks, for the same reason that calves hate cookbooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gershon-legman/most-women-loathe-limericks-for-the-same-reason-that-calves-hate/) Gershon Legman > [What people loathe the most is to be orphaned, desolate, unworthy. But this is what princes and kings call themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/what-people-loathe-the-most-is-to-be-orphaned-desolate-unworthy-but/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [What I have absolutely no sympathy with is the legislator, the man who seeks, for his own profit, to exploit the weaknesses of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-lowry/what-i-have-absolutely-no-sympathy-with-is-the-legislator-the-man-who/) [Malcolm Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-lowry/) > [Grammar is to a writer what anatomy is to a sculptor, or the scales to a musician. You may loathe it, it may bore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-chute/grammar-is-to-a-writer-what-anatomy-is-to-a-sculptor-or-the-scales-to/) B. J. Chute > [I grew up at my grandmother's house, and she had a beautiful garden. I used to hate mowing the lawn and weeding, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/i-grew-up-at-my-grandmother-s-house-and-she-had-a-beautiful-garden-i/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [I do try to pay attention to new bands and what's happening within the scene. I try to make sure I give everything a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-mcnerney/i-do-try-to-pay-attention-to-new-bands-and-what-s-happening-within/) [Mat McNerney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-mcnerney/) > [I loathe crowds. I especially don't like cities. A city involves biomass. And biomass gets to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-loathe-crowds-i-especially-don-t-like-cities-a-city-involves/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [I loathe the urchin's cruelty to the cat, but I will not loathe the urchin. I loathe Hitler's mass-torturing, but not Hitler; and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olaf-stapledon/i-loathe-the-urchin-s-cruelty-to-the-cat-but-i-will-not-loathe-the/) [Olaf Stapledon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olaf-stapledon/) > [I loathe cheese, it makes me ill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-baker/i-loathe-cheese-it-makes-me-ill/) [Colin Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-baker/) > [Golf asks something of a man. It makes one loathe mediocrity. It seems to say, "If you are going to keep company with me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-player/golf-asks-something-of-a-man-it-makes-one-loathe-mediocrity-it-seems/) [Gary Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-player/) > [“His character would be blamed, loathed, discussed, and adored – but somewhere there, behind his mask of a hero, Cardew would remain faceless. Anonymous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simona-panova/his-character-would-be-blamed-loathed-discussed-and-adored-but/) [Simona Panova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simona-panova/) > [Corpus Bones! I utterly loathe my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-cushman/corpus-bones-i-utterly-loathe-my-life/) [Karen Cushman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-cushman/) > [Brewing a good cuppa is something not everyone can do, and I loathe bad tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/brewing-a-good-cuppa-is-something-not-everyone-can-do-and-i-loathe/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [“Love it or loathe it, you can never leave it or lose it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/love-it-or-loathe-it-you-can-never-leave-it-or-lose-it/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I absolutely loathe the idea of doing a fragrance simply as a moneymaker. Personal brand to make money? Vomit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levine/i-absolutely-loathe-the-idea-of-doing-a-fragrance-simply-as-a/) [Adam Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levine/) Browse all 209 Loathe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nothing is loathsomer than the self-loathing of a self one loathes.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Barth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loathing-of-a-self-one-loathes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Loathe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loathing-of-a-self-one-loathes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/john-barth-5311_loathe_nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loat_338926.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/john-barth-5311_loathe_nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loat_338926.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f25/john-barth-5311_loathe_nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loat_338926.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nothing is loathsomer than the self-loathing of a self one loathes.” — John Barth", "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": "John Barth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Nothing is loathsomer than the self-loathing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loathing-of-a-self-one-loathes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/nothing-is-loathsomer-than-the-self-loathing-of-a-self-one-loathes/#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 } } ] } ```