--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life's harder, the deeper you feel…" description: "\"Life's harder, the deeper you feel things, was all I could think as I put the books away. Feelings, who needs them? Sometimes they're like a gift, when..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/john-marsden-3782_book_life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things_1594726.png" --- # Life's harder, the deeper you feel things, was all I could… ![“Life's harder, the deeper you feel things, was all I could think as I put the books away. Feelings, who needs them? Sometimes they're like a gift, when you feel love or happiness. Sometimes they're a curse.” quote by John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/john-marsden-3782_book_life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things_1594726.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/john-marsden-3782_book_life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things_1594726.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/john-marsden-3782_book_life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things_1594726.png) > “Life's harder, the deeper you feel things, was all I could think as I put the books away. Feelings, who needs them? Sometimes they're like a gift, when you feel love or happiness. Sometimes they're a curse.” [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deep emotions intensify experiences, making both joy and pain more profound, yet they can feel burdensome. **In simple terms:** Strong feelings amplify life, both good and bad. Key Takeaway Embrace emotions, but balance them. Themes emotion intensity balance growth Mood reflective melancholic hopeful Type literary personal When to use this quote - grief - love - creative work - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology human experience literature Questions to Reflect On - How do you channel intense feelings productively? - When do you let go of emotional weight? A Different Perspective Emotions can overwhelm rational decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Curse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curse/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“Feelings, who needs them? Sometimes they're like a gift, when you feel love or happiness. Sometimes they're a curse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/feelings-who-needs-them-sometimes-they-re-like-a-gift-when-you-feel/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [When we are in contact with our feelings and needs, we humans no longer make good slaves and underlings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings-and-needs-we-humans-no/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Life's harder, the deeper you feel things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [No matter how beautiful the outside may be, the inside still has feelings and needs that just words don't fulfill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/no-matter-how-beautiful-the-outside-may-be-the-inside-still-has/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [I recommend allowing others the opportunity to fully express themselves before turning our attention to solutions or requests for relief. When we proceed too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/i-recommend-allowing-others-the-opportunity-to-fully-express/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Never connect yourself with the other person's pain. Just hear their need. Leave yourself out of the other person's feelings and needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/never-connect-yourself-with-the-other-person-s-pain-just-hear-their/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [I discovered that resolution of conflict comes from people being able to express their own feelings and their own needs in the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-block/i-discovered-that-resolution-of-conflict-comes-from-people-being-able/) [Peter Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-block/) > [If he's choosing not to make a simple effort that would put you at ease and bring harmony to a recurring fight, then he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-behrendt/if-he-s-choosing-not-to-make-a-simple-effort-that-would-put-you-at/) [Greg Behrendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-behrendt/) > [What did you do with memories, feelings, needs, that didn’t belong anywhere?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/what-did-you-do-with-memories-feelings-needs-that-didn-t-belong/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [When we listen for their feelings and needs, we no longer see people as monsters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-we-listen-for-their-feelings-and-needs-we-no-longer-see-people/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [In NVC, no matter what words others may use to express themselves, we simply listen for their observations, feelings, needs, and requests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/in-nvc-no-matter-what-words-others-may-use-to-express-themselves-we/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [To be able to hear our own feelings and needs and to empathize with them can free us from depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/to-be-able-to-hear-our-own-feelings-and-needs-and-to-empathize-with/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [“To develop empathy, we must care about the experiences, feelings, needs, and wants of the people around us. We must care enough to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-wall/to-develop-empathy-we-must-care-about-the-experiences-feelings-needs/) [Bob Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-wall/) > [An amazing observation: it is precisely for feelings that one needs time, not for thought. ... Feelings, obviously, are more demanding than thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-tsvetaeva/an-amazing-observation-it-is-precisely-for-feelings-that-one-needs/) [Marina Tsvetaeva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-tsvetaeva/) > [You be greater than your feelings. I don't demand this of you - life does. Otherwise you'll be washed away by feelings. You'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/you-be-greater-than-your-feelings-i-don-t-demand-this-of-you-life/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) ## More by John Marsden > [“I make people uncomfortable. The kind ones get angry because their kindness doesn't work. The unkind ones get angry because they think I'm attacking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/i-make-people-uncomfortable-the-kind-ones-get-angry-because-their/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [So, that was Nature's way. The mosquito felt pain and panic but the dragonfly knew nothing of cruelty. Humans would call it evil, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/so-that-was-nature-s-way-the-mosquito-felt-pain-and-panic-but-the/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“We'll never feel safe again, and so it's bye-bye innocence. It's been nice knowing you, but you're gone now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/we-ll-never-feel-safe-again-and-so-it-s-bye-bye-innocence-it-s-been/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [My pen.’ Funny, I wrote that without noticing. ‘The torch’, ‘the paper’, but ‘my pen’. That shows what writing means to me, I guess.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/my-pen-funny-i-wrote-that-without-noticing-the-torch-the-paper-but-my/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“Life’s about a hell of a lot more than being happy. It’s about feeling the full range of stuff: happiness, sadness, anger, grief, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-about-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-than-being-happy-it-s-about-feeling/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/ask-for-forgiveness-not-permission/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“I lay there with my mind running amuck, on the brink of madness. And somehow, gradually, early Sunday morning, I became calm. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/i-lay-there-with-my-mind-running-amuck-on-the-brink-of-madness-and/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“In this life of froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/in-this-life-of-froth-and-bubble-two-things-stand-like-stone-kindness/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“There’s life in his face again. It occurs to me that this is the best thing I could have done, it’s actually a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/there-s-life-in-his-face-again-it-occurs-to-me-that-this-is-the-best/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [Life's about a hell of a lot more than being happy. It's about feeling the full range of stuff: happiness, sadness, anger, grief, love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-about-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-than-being-happy-it-s-about-feeling-2/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“It'd be funny if one of them was called Gavin. Funny but irrelevant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/it-d-be-funny-if-one-of-them-was-called-gavin-funny-but-irrelevant/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [When you're scared you can either give in to the panic and let your mind fall apart, or you can take charge of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/when-you-re-scared-you-can-either-give-in-to-the-panic-and-let-your/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“Cynicism is like gastro: it goes through your whole system and makes you shitty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/cynicism-is-like-gastro-it-goes-through-your-whole-system-and-makes/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [It seems like suffering's the only time we can see what's essential. If peace ever comes back I'm making a vow: I'll design myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/it-seems-like-suffering-s-the-only-time-we-can-see-what-s-essential/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“But somehow, standing in the clear night air, under a sky that glowed like a shower of sparks, none of that stuff mattered. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/but-somehow-standing-in-the-clear-night-air-under-a-sky-that-glowed/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) [Explore all 121 John Marsden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life's harder, the deeper you feel things, was all I could think as I put the books away. Feelings, who needs them? Sometimes they're like a gift, when you feel love or happiness. Sometimes they're a curse.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Marsden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things-was-all-i-could-think-as-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things-was-all-i-could-think-as-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/john-marsden-3782_book_life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things_1594726.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/john-marsden-3782_book_life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things_1594726.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/708/john-marsden-3782_book_life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things_1594726.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life's harder, the deeper you feel things, was all I could think as I put the books away. Feelings, who…” — John Marsden", "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 Marsden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Life's harder, the deeper you feel...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things-was-all-i-could-think-as-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/life-s-harder-the-deeper-you-feel-things-was-all-i-could-think-as-i/#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 } } ] } ```