--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I told myself – as I’ve told myself…" description: "\"I told myself – as I’ve told myself before – that the body shuts down when the pain gets too bad, that consciousness is temporary, that this will pass...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/john-green-12_body_i-told-myself-as-i-ve-told-myself-before_628587.jpg" --- # I told myself – as I’ve told myself before – that the body… ![“I told myself – as I’ve told myself before – that the body shuts down when the pain gets too bad, that consciousness is temporary, that this will pass. But just like always, I didn’t slip away. I was left on the shore with the waves washing over me, unable to drown.” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/john-green-12_body_i-told-myself-as-i-ve-told-myself-before_628587.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/john-green-12_body_i-told-myself-as-i-ve-told-myself-before_628587.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da6/john-green-12_body_i-told-myself-as-i-ve-told-myself-before_628587.jpg) > “I told myself – as I’ve told myself before – that the body shuts down when the pain gets too bad, that consciousness is temporary, that this will pass. But just like always, I didn’t slip away. I was left on the shore with the waves washing over me, unable to drown.” [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. The speaker acknowledges pain and mortality yet affirms survival, emphasizing inner strength despite hardship. **In simple terms:** Even in pain, I survived. Key Takeaway Recognize inner resilience during crises. Themes resilience mortality mindfulness Mood hopeful determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - overcoming illness - grieving loss - mental health coping Key Concepts psychology existentialism survival strategies Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain hope in suffering? - What practices strengthen your mental endurance? A Different Perspective Pain can overwhelm and hinder clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Body Shuts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-shuts-2165969/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Consciousness Temporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness-temporary-2548658/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pain Gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain-gets-560126/) [Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shore/) [Shuts Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shuts-pain-5070517/) [Temporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temporary/) [Unable Drown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unable-drown-4342704/) [Wave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wave/) ## Related quotes > [“I was left on the shore with the waves washing over me, unable to drown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-was-left-on-the-shore-with-the-waves-washing-over-me-unable-to-drown/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“But just like always, I didn’t slip away. I was left on the shore with the waves washing over me, unable to drown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/but-just-like-always-i-didn-t-slip-away-i-was-left-on-the-shore-with/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Hypnotism is trespass into the territory of another's consciousness. Its temporary phenomena have nothing in common with the miracles performed by men of divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/hypnotism-is-trespass-into-the-territory-of-another-s-consciousness/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The body shuts down when it has too much to bear; goes its own way quietly inside, waiting for a better time, leaving you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-body-shuts-down-when-it-has-too-much-to-bear-goes-its-own-way/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [When I think of you, my whole body shuts down...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-think-of-you-my-whole-body-shuts-down/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pain, you just have to ride it out, hope it goes away on its own, hope the wound that caused it heals. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-grey/pain-you-just-have-to-ride-it-out-hope-it-goes-away-on-its-own-hope/) [Meredith Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-grey/) > [“But shit, I've never been that complicated. Physical pain gets a physical response. Everything else is nobody's fucking business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-henry/but-shit-i-ve-never-been-that-complicated-physical-pain-gets-a/) [Lisa Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-henry/) > [When ur loosing the people u love and lifes getting hard , there is a pain it is a pain that no one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-ur-loosing-the-people-u-love-and-lifes-getting-hard-there-is-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I starve myself to please my eyes in the mirror, but as the hurt goes on the pain gets clearer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-starve-myself-to-please-my-eyes-in-the-mirror-but-as-the-hurt-goes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have seen pain. I can feel the pain of those who undergo it. Pain gets transferred to those who see someone suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-have-seen-pain-i-can-feel-the-pain-of-those-who-undergo-it-pain/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [As much as I do love real-life stories they can often make you hurt in a way I'd rather not hurt. . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cavill/as-much-as-i-do-love-real-life-stories-they-can-often-make-you-hurt/) [Henry Cavill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cavill/) > [If there's one thing that we're very good at as humans, it's remembering the bad stuff. For some reason, it's always the pain that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cavill/if-there-s-one-thing-that-we-re-very-good-at-as-humans-it-s/) [Henry Cavill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cavill/) > [“The more you get past pain, the more it gets from coal to diamond.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/the-more-you-get-past-pain-the-more-it-gets-from-coal-to-diamond/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Only the right pain gets the right gain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/only-the-right-pain-gets-the-right-gain/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [Ventilation, thoughts on a page/ what's the indication? I'm lost in a rage/ Caught in the hate, grippin mics til my grave comes/ Emotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tactics/ventilation-thoughts-on-a-page-what-s-the-indication-i-m-lost-in-a/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tactics/) ## 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. 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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 Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. 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