---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everyone wanted me to feed them that…"
description: "\"“Everyone wanted me to feed them that story—darkness to light, weakness to strength, broken to whole. I wanted it, too.”\" — John Green"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/john-green-12_darkness_everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-sto_703010.jpg"
---

#  Everyone wanted me to feed them that story—darkness to…

![“Everyone wanted me to feed them that story—darkness to light, weakness to strength, broken to whole. I wanted it, too.” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/john-green-12_darkness_everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-sto_703010.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/john-green-12_darkness_everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-sto_703010.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/john-green-12_darkness_everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-sto_703010.jpg)

> ““Everyone wanted me to feed them that story—darkness to light, weakness to strength, broken to whole. I wanted it, too.””

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A desire to transform suffering into redemption, yet also a personal longing for that transformation.

**In simple terms:** Seeking to turn pain into growth while craving it yourself.

Key Takeaway

Recognize your own need for healing.

Themes

redemption growth desire

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

- writing
- therapy
- artistic expression

Key Concepts

transformation personal narrative

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you seek to heal others to heal yourself?
- How does sharing pain affect you?

A Different Perspective

The story may not satisfy personal needs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Feed Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feed-story-4004199/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Story Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-darkness-2223453/) [Strength Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-broken-1003449/) [Wanted Feed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-feed-5026006/)

## Related quotes

> [Storytelling is how we survive, when there's no feed, the story feeds something, it feeds the spirit, the imagination. I can't imagine life without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/storytelling-is-how-we-survive-when-there-s-no-feed-the-story-feeds/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [“Because I wanted to do, I did. Where I wanted to feed, I fed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/because-i-wanted-to-do-i-did-where-i-wanted-to-feed-i-fed/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [“The power of evil was nothing more than a tangible thing, something that given the strength of will, could be broken as easily as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-robinson/the-power-of-evil-was-nothing-more-than-a-tangible-thing-something/)

[Nathan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-robinson/)

> [A Tongue Has No Bones But It Can Also Break A Heart And It Can Also He A Nillar Can Also Be A Pillar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unk/a-tongue-has-no-bones-but-it-can-also-break-a-heart-and-it-can-also/)

[Unk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unk/)

> [“She made herself look. To face down that place of pain and despair. It would always leave a mark, a stain on her, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/she-made-herself-look-to-face-down-that-place-of-pain-and-despair-it/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [“Because hers was not a story of darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/because-hers-was-not-a-story-of-darkness/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [War stories deal in death. War illuminates love, while love is the greatest expression of hope, without which any story rings untrue to life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/war-stories-deal-in-death-war-illuminates-love-while-love-is-the/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [Sophisticated readers understand that writers work out their anger, their conflicts, their endless grief and rolling list of loss, through their stories. That however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/sophisticated-readers-understand-that-writers-work-out-their-anger/)

[Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/)

> [I think all tragedies are best told with some humor. You have to relieve the darkness to let the reader get through it. Also,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/i-think-all-tragedies-are-best-told-with-some-humor-you-have-to/)

[Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/)

> [“Thoughts are only thoughts.They are not you, you belong to yourself even when your thoughts don't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/thoughts-are-only-thoughts-they-are-not-you-you-belong-to-yourself/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“Thoughts are just a different kind of bacteria, colonizing you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/thoughts-are-just-a-different-kind-of-bacteria-colonizing-you/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“SAMHSA treatment referral helpline: 1-877- SAMHSA7. It can be a long and difficult road, but mental illness is treatable. There is hope, even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/samhsa-treatment-referral-helpline-1-877-samhsa7-it-can-be-a-long-and/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-is-hope-even-when-your-brain-tells-you-there-isn-t/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [It's just that most really good-looking people are stupid, so I exceed expectations.' 'Right, it's primarily his hotness,' I said. 'It can be sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-s-just-that-most-really-good-looking-people-are-stupid-so-i-exceed/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“I swear that I will never cause trouble for anybody, as long as I live!! So please! Nobody cause any trouble for me, either!!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minoru-furuya/i-swear-that-i-will-never-cause-trouble-for-anybody-as-long-as-i-live/)

[Minoru Furuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minoru-furuya/)

## More by John Green

> [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

[Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

## More Darkness quotes

> [“Narrative cannot sustain formlessness any more than light can sustain darkness - it is the antithesis of formlessness, and so it can never truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/narrative-cannot-sustain-formlessness-any-more-than-light-can-sustain/)

[Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/)

> [“Wait here, wait here!" he cried and jumped up and began to run for help toward a cluster of lights he saw in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/wait-here-wait-here-he-cried-and-jumped-up-and-began-to-run-for-help/)

[Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/)

> [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [Clear moments are so short. There is much more darkness. More ocean than terra firma. More shadow than form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-zagajewski/clear-moments-are-so-short-there-is-much-more-darkness-more-ocean/)

[Adam Zagajewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-zagajewski/)

> [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/)

[Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/)

> [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“I promise to respect and protect your aloneness, knowing that everything created must have its period of darkness: child and bulb, poem and personality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/i-promise-to-respect-and-protect-your-aloneness-knowing-that/)

[anne morrow lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/)

> [The beauty of darkness is how it lets you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-beauty-of-darkness-is-how-it-lets-you-see/)

[Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/)

> [“Even in darkness your lips taste of sunshine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/even-in-darkness-your-lips-taste-of-sunshine/)

[Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/)

> [“Defy me not for gleam can only shine in my existence" said Darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defy-me-not-for-gleam-can-only-shine-in-my-existence-said-darkness/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“What does he look like? The question was soft- tentative. I knew who he meant. I interlaced my fingers through Rhysand's and squeezed tightly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/what-does-he-look-like-the-question-was-soft-tentative-i-knew-who-he/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/)

[Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/)

> [“Life is like coffee, the darker it gets, the more it energizes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankita-singhal/life-is-like-coffee-the-darker-it-gets-the-more-it-energizes/)

[Ankita Singhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankita-singhal/)

> [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/)

[Nicole Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-gentile/)

[Browse all 8,219 Darkness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Everyone wanted me to feed them that story—darkness to light, weakness to strength, broken to whole. I wanted it, too.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Green"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-story-darkness-to-light-weakness/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Darkness"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-story-darkness-to-light-weakness/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/john-green-12_darkness_everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-sto_703010.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/john-green-12_darkness_everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-sto_703010.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/942/john-green-12_darkness_everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-sto_703010.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Everyone wanted me to feed them that story—darkness to light, weakness to strength, broken to whole. I…” — John Green",
                "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 Green",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Everyone wanted me to feed them...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-story-darkness-to-light-weakness/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/everyone-wanted-me-to-feed-them-that-story-darkness-to-light-weakness/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
