---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I constantly have a devil on my shoulder…"
description: "\"I constantly have a devil on my shoulder telling me that what I'm doing is really horrible, and then somehow the lightning strike happens and everythin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/965/karen-elson-26167_devil_i-constantly-have-a-devil-on-my-shoulder_1794371.jpg"
---

#  I constantly have a devil on my shoulder telling me that…

![“I constantly have a devil on my shoulder telling me that what I'm doing is really horrible, and then somehow the lightning strike happens and everything comes together. I've just realized I have to live with that devil on my shoulder a little bit more.” quote by Karen Elson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/965/karen-elson-26167_devil_i-constantly-have-a-devil-on-my-shoulder_1794371.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/965/karen-elson-26167_devil_i-constantly-have-a-devil-on-my-shoulder_1794371.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/965/karen-elson-26167_devil_i-constantly-have-a-devil-on-my-shoulder_1794371.jpg)

> “I constantly have a devil on my shoulder telling me that what I'm doing is really horrible, and then somehow the lightning strike happens and everything comes together. I've just realized I have to live with that devil on my shoulder a little bit more.”

[Karen Elson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elson/)

## About This Quote

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

Inner doubts can feel like a devil, yet confronting them may spark breakthroughs.

**In simple terms:** Facing inner criticism can lead to growth.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the inner critic.

Themes

self‑doubt creativity growth

Mood

introspective determined

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- artistic work
- personal development
- stress management

Key Concepts

psychological struggle creative process acceptance

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance critique and creation?
- What fuels your creative spark?

A Different Perspective

The devil may also hinder progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Constantly Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constantly-devil-1975000/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Devil Shoulder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-shoulder-1096368/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [Horrible Lightning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible-lightning-1975001/) [Just realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-realized/) [Lightning Strike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lightning-strike-305311/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/)

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> [Devil on my shoulder, the lord as my witness. So on my Libra scale, Im weighing sins and forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/devil-on-my-shoulder-the-lord-as-my-witness-so-on-my-libra-scale-im/)

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> [There's no theme, no moral to be learned, except for the knowledge that lightning can strike from a clear blue sky one morning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-galgut/there-s-no-theme-no-moral-to-be-learned-except-for-the-knowledge-that/)

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> [“Oh, my dear, love isn't always the coup de foudre --the lightning strike. Sometimes it happens quietly, so quitely you may not even notice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-justiss/oh-my-dear-love-isn-t-always-the-coup-de-foudre-the-lightning-strike/)

[Julia Justiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-justiss/)

> [Hard to believe lightning can strike twice, but it surely did. The moment Caitriona Balfe came on screen, I sat up straight and said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/hard-to-believe-lightning-can-strike-twice-but-it-surely-did-the/)

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> [People will complain that they don't want to wait around for lightning to strike, but why not? If you invest yourself in chance, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/people-will-complain-that-they-don-t-want-to-wait-around-for/)

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> [You realize how many times lightning has to strike in order for you to be sitting here?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matusow/you-realize-how-many-times-lightning-has-to-strike-in-order-for-you/)

[Mike Matusow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-matusow/)

> [“And, like a lightning strike, there is his example. His mother before him. The lesson that she passed down for him to pass on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/and-like-a-lightning-strike-there-is-his-example-his-mother-before/)

[Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/)

> [“In every rainstorm it’s your scream that I hear after every lightning strike. Reminding me of better days and the days of tomorrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-v-songer/in-every-rainstorm-it-s-your-scream-that-i-hear-after-every-lightning/)

[Austin V. Songer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-v-songer/)

## More by Karen Elson

> [There comes a point where certain things are becoming my Achilles heel; you know when you start repeating yourself and saying the same anecdotes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elson/there-comes-a-point-where-certain-things-are-becoming-my-achilles/)

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> [I'm surrounded by freaks. Am I weirder than the rest of them? Ultimately I've learned to pride myself on being quirky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elson/i-m-surrounded-by-freaks-am-i-weirder-than-the-rest-of-them/)

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> [I've not met one person, even if they are not creative, who isn't dysfunctional. I guess artists are just a bit more aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elson/i-ve-not-met-one-person-even-if-they-are-not-creative-who-isn-t/)

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> [We all know people who are ridiculously famous, and it's a scary thing because all of the sudden people - even the people you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elson/we-all-know-people-who-are-ridiculously-famous-and-it-s-a-scary-thing/)

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> [I was afraid of being judged too harshly. But I'd let those fears overwhelm me for far too long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elson/i-was-afraid-of-being-judged-too-harshly-but-i-d-let-those-fears/)

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> [I just love vintage. I have far too many vintage dresses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elson/i-just-love-vintage-i-have-far-too-many-vintage-dresses/)

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[Karen Elson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elson/)

[Explore all 22 Karen Elson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elson/)

## More Devil quotes

> [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/)

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> [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

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[Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/)

> [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/)

[Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/)

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[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

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[Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/)

> [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

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> [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/)

[St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/)

> [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/)

[Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/)

> [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

> [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/)

[Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/)

> [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/)

[William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/)

> [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/)

[Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/)

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