--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But in that moment I understood what they…" description: "\"“But in that moment I understood what they say about nostalgia, that no matter if you're thinking of something good or bad, it always leaves you a litt..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-corey-whaley-10361_empty_but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-the_2209402.png" --- # But in that moment I understood what they say about… ![“But in that moment I understood what they say about nostalgia, that no matter if you're thinking of something good or bad, it always leaves you a little emptier afterward.” quote by John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-corey-whaley-10361_empty_but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-the_2209402.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-corey-whaley-10361_empty_but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-the_2209402.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-corey-whaley-10361_empty_but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-the_2209402.png) > ““But in that moment I understood what they say about nostalgia, that no matter if you're thinking of something good or bad, it always leaves you a little emptier afterward.”” [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nostalgia leaves a lingering emptiness regardless of the memory’s tone. **In simple terms:** Nostalgia creates a sense of loss. Key Takeaway Embrace the feeling but stay present. Themes nostalgia emptiness memory Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical emotional When to use this quote - reflection - creative writing Key Concepts psychology of longing temporal perception Questions to Reflect On - How does nostalgia affect your decisions? - Can you find fullness now? A Different Perspective May hinder moving forward. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nostalgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgia/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“In that moment, I understood what love was. It was blind. It was deep. It was magical. Love protected, preserved, intensified, and was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priya-kanaparti/in-that-moment-i-understood-what-love-was-it-was-blind-it-was-deep-it/) [Priya Kanaparti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priya-kanaparti/) > [“Issie realised at that moment how well they understood each other, her and Alfie, even though their lives were so different”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-gregg/issie-realised-at-that-moment-how-well-they-understood-each-other-her/) [Stacy Gregg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-gregg/) > [In that moment I understood that the cruelest words in the universe are if only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/in-that-moment-i-understood-that-the-cruelest-words-in-the-universe/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“This is what love does, he realized, and in that moment he understood why Artemis had kidnapped a fairy to get the money to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/this-is-what-love-does-he-realized-and-in-that-moment-he-understood/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [And he knew that at that moment, they understood each other perfectly, and when he told her what he was going to do now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-he-knew-that-at-that-moment-they-understood-each-other-perfectly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know some people who never have any difficulties to speak of. The moment I understood your premisses, I felt sure you had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-gray/i-know-some-people-who-never-have-any-difficulties-to-speak-of-the/) [Asa Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-gray/) > [“I felt the taste of mortality in my mouth, and at that moment I understood that I was not going to live forever. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/i-felt-the-taste-of-mortality-in-my-mouth-and-at-that-moment-i/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“Suddenly, I couldn't turn away from his piecing, infectious gaze. He was wrong and tragic and gorgeous all at the same time. At that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-lee/suddenly-i-couldn-t-turn-away-from-his-piecing-infectious-gaze-he-was/) [Melody Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-lee/) > [Until this moment, I never understood how hard it was to lose something you never had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/until-this-moment-i-never-understood-how-hard-it-was-to-lose/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Yeah, there were regrets - but mostly there was an understanding - it had all brought her to here. To now. To who she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yeah-there-were-regrets-but-mostly-there-was-an-understanding-it-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“At that moment he understood, far better than he had before when he studied their histories and their political structures before he arrived, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-delauder/at-that-moment-he-understood-far-better-than-he-had-before-when-he/) [Sean DeLauder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-delauder/) > [“It was a moment when I understood that all of us have to be more considerate of the realities of the bodies of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/it-was-a-moment-when-i-understood-that-all-of-us-have-to-be-more/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [“Haunted by the longing to feel something real, deep and magical; I searched for a shared ecstasy... that's when you came along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/haunted-by-the-longing-to-feel-something-real-deep-and-magical-i/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [“When I was alive, I aimed to be a student not of longing but of light.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-nelson/when-i-was-alive-i-aimed-to-be-a-student-not-of-longing-but-of-light/) [Maggie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-nelson/) > [Nostalgia keeps dissolving the ironic narratives in which I have contained my past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/nostalgia-keeps-dissolving-the-ironic-narratives-in-which-i-have/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## More by John Corey Whaley > [“But in the parent department, he had won the lottery. So, he'd always known that when he finally told them, they'd make him feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/but-in-the-parent-department-he-had-won-the-lottery-so-he-d-always/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [I often found myself in situations where I had, without thinking, said too much to too many with too little caution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/i-often-found-myself-in-situations-where-i-had-without-thinking-said/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“You're like Lady MacBeth without the murder." "Thank you. You have no idea how much of a compliment that is to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/you-re-like-lady-macbeth-without-the-murder-thank-you-you-have-no/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“It was a great laugh - that kind where you can actually hear the 'ha-ha-ha's' if you listen closely enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/it-was-a-great-laugh-that-kind-where-you-can-actually-hear-the-ha-ha/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“We have this way of putting certain ideas out of our minds...we do that. Humans, I mean. We have to bury things, hopes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/we-have-this-way-of-putting-certain-ideas-out-of-our-minds-we-do-that/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“Life, he says, doesn’t have to be so bad all the time. We don’t have to be anxious about everything. We can just be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/life-he-says-doesn-t-have-to-be-so-bad-all-the-time-we-don-t-have-to/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“Okay, so first we get you a new computer and then a Facebook page. Priorities, you know," he said, typing in Kyle's password. "What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/okay-so-first-we-get-you-a-new-computer-and-then-a-facebook-page/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“I actually didn't mind too much that Gabriel had spent the past four nights in my room. He was relatively quiet, didn't go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/i-actually-didn-t-mind-too-much-that-gabriel-had-spent-the-past-four/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“He accepted him for what he was. And that Data concluded, was true friendship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/he-accepted-him-for-what-he-was-and-that-data-concluded-was-true/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“People didn't like having to come up with something smart or helpful or sensitive to say, and they weren't intelligent enough to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/people-didn-t-like-having-to-come-up-with-something-smart-or-helpful/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [Not only had my brother disappeared, but--and bear with me here--a part of my very being had gone with him. Stories about us could,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/not-only-had-my-brother-disappeared-but-and-bear-with-me-here-a-part/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“When one of us is dying, they say a part of all of us is. I think that's why it hurts. We go our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/when-one-of-us-is-dying-they-say-a-part-of-all-of-us-is-i-think-that/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“Most people would rather do nothing than risk doing the wrong thing-that's something Solomon learned a long time before shutting them all out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/most-people-would-rather-do-nothing-than-risk-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“She did something instead of nothing. And suddenly destiny didn't seem all that far-fetched an idea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/she-did-something-instead-of-nothing-and-suddenly-destiny-didn-t-seem/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [“Secrets...will boil under your skin until it feels like every time you speak, every time you look in the mirror, every time you hug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/secrets-will-boil-under-your-skin-until-it-feels-like-every-time-you/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) [Explore all 65 John Corey Whaley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) ## More Empty quotes > [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [No sane local official who has hung up an empty stocking over the municipal fireplace is going to shoot Santa Claus just before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-smith/no-sane-local-official-who-has-hung-up-an-empty-stocking-over-the/) [Al Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-smith/) > [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [“Joe!” he groaned, attempting to speak clearly. “Joe! Good ol’ Joe!” “Captain, you’re drunk!” Lofflin said, stating the obvious while trying to keep his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/joe-he-groaned-attempting-to-speak-clearly-joe-good-ol-joe-captain/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [Why chase after thoughts, which are superficial ripples of present awareness? Rather look directly into the naked, empty nature of thoughts; then there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamgon-kongtrul/why-chase-after-thoughts-which-are-superficial-ripples-of-present/) Jamgon Kongtrul > [Education turns an empty mind into an open mind. It turns information into behavioural transformation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiv-khera/education-turns-an-empty-mind-into-an-open-mind-it-turns-information/) [Shiv Khera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiv-khera/) > [He that humbles himself shall be preserved entire. He that bends shall be made straight. He that is empty shall be filled. He that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/he-that-humbles-himself-shall-be-preserved-entire-he-that-bends-shall/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Our real nature is not our imaginary, limited ego. Our true nature is vast, all-comprehensive, and intangible as empty space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anagarika-govinda/our-real-nature-is-not-our-imaginary-limited-ego-our-true-nature-is/) [Anagarika Govinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anagarika-govinda/) > [Adults look upon a child as something empty that is to be filled through their own efforts, as something inert and helpless for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/adults-look-upon-a-child-as-something-empty-that-is-to-be-filled/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [I don't see the future as bright, language-wise. I see it as a glass half empty - and evaporating quickly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/i-don-t-see-the-future-as-bright-language-wise-i-see-it-as-a-glass/) [Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/) > [I get letters every year from women who think Valentine's Day is an empty exercise, but are ironically pretty exercised when their boyfriends neglect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-get-letters-every-year-from-women-who-think-valentine-s-day-is-an/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) Browse all 3,081 Empty quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But in that moment I understood what they say about nostalgia, that no matter if you're thinking of something good or bad, it always leaves you a little emptier afterward.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Corey Whaley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-they-say-about-nostalgia-that-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Empty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-they-say-about-nostalgia-that-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-corey-whaley-10361_empty_but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-the_2209402.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-corey-whaley-10361_empty_but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-the_2209402.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/424/john-corey-whaley-10361_empty_but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-the_2209402.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But in that moment I understood what they say about nostalgia, that no matter if you're thinking of…” — John Corey Whaley", "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 Corey Whaley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But in that moment I understood...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-they-say-about-nostalgia-that-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/but-in-that-moment-i-understood-what-they-say-about-nostalgia-that-no/#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 } } ] } ```