---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’m not going to stand for it any…"
description: "\"“I’m not going to stand for it any longer,\" said Mr. Flood. \"I’m going to put my foot down. All I want in this world is a little peace and quiet, and h..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79d/joseph-mitchell-30843_christian-women_i-m-not-going-to-stand-for-it-any-longer_72498.jpg"
---

#  I’m not going to stand for it any longer," said Mr. Flood…

![“I’m not going to stand for it any longer,&quot; said Mr. Flood. &quot;I’m going to put my foot down. All I want in this world is a little peace and quiet, and he gets me all raced up. Here a while back I heard a preacher talking on the radio about the peacefulness of the old, and I thought to myself, ‘You…” quote by Joseph Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79d/joseph-mitchell-30843_christian-women_i-m-not-going-to-stand-for-it-any-longer_72498.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79d/joseph-mitchell-30843_christian-women_i-m-not-going-to-stand-for-it-any-longer_72498.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79d/joseph-mitchell-30843_christian-women_i-m-not-going-to-stand-for-it-any-longer_72498.jpg)

> ““I’m not going to stand for it any longer," said Mr. Flood. "I’m going to put my foot down. All I want in this world is a little peace and quiet, and he gets me all raced up. Here a while back I heard a preacher talking on the radio about the peacefulness of the old, and I thought to myself, ‘You ignorant man!’ I’m ninety-four years old and I have never yet had any peace, to speak of. My mind is just a turmoil of regrets. It’s not what I did that I regret, it’s what I didn’t do. Except for the bottle, I always walked the straight and narrow; a family man, a good provider, never cut up, never did ugly, and I regret it. In the summer of 1902 I came real close to getting in serious trouble with a married woman, but I had a fight with my conscience and my conscience won, and what’s the result? I had two wives, good, Christian women, and I can’t hardly remember what either of them looked like, but I can remember the face on that woman so clear it hurts, and there’s never a day passes I don’t think about her, and there’s never a day passes I don’t curse myself. ‘What kind of a timid, dried-up, weevily fellow were you?’ I say to myself. ‘You should’ve said to hell with what’s right and what’s wrong, the devil take the hindmost. You’d have something to remember, you’d be happier now.’ She’s out in Woodlawn, six feet under, and she’s been there twenty-two years, God rest her, and here I am, just an old, old man with nothing but a belly and a brain and a dollar or two." "Life is sad," said Mr. Maggiani.””

[Joseph Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mitchell/)

## About This Quote

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

An elderly man reflects on a life of missed opportunities and lingering regrets, realizing that his adherence to propriety cost him true fulfillment.

**In simple terms:** Regret over unchosen paths

Key Takeaway

Unlived choices haunt more

Themes

regret morality loneliness nostalgia self‑judgment

Mood

melancholy reflective sorrowful

Type

monologue confessional narrative

When to use this quote

- elderly reflecting on life
- confessing past infidelity
- contemplating moral rigidity

Key Concepts

conscience conformity memory

Practical Applications

- counseling for regret
- literary character study

Questions to Reflect On

- What would you have done differently?
- Can peace be found without confronting past choices?

A Different Perspective

Some argue that strict moral codes provide societal stability, outweighing personal regret.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Christian women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-women/) [Life Is Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-sad/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace and quiet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-and-quiet/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Regrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regrets/)

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