--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know if I can be with someone who…" description: "\"“I don't know if I can be with someone who doesn't understand.' Her young face rests on her knee, looking away. 'Then you will be alone, and that will ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/katherena-vermette-91848_quote_i-don-t-know-if-i-can-be-with-someone-wh_1854495.jpg" --- # I don't know if I can be with someone who doesn't… ![“I don't know if I can be with someone who doesn't understand.' Her young face rests on her knee, looking away. 'Then you will be alone, and that will be fine.” quote by Katherena Vermette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/katherena-vermette-91848_quote_i-don-t-know-if-i-can-be-with-someone-wh_1854495.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/katherena-vermette-91848_quote_i-don-t-know-if-i-can-be-with-someone-wh_1854495.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0d/katherena-vermette-91848_quote_i-don-t-know-if-i-can-be-with-someone-wh_1854495.jpg) > ““I don't know if I can be with someone who doesn't understand.' Her young face rests on her knee, looking away. 'Then you will be alone, and that will be fine.”” [Katherena Vermette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherena-vermette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lack of understanding can lead to isolation, but acceptance of solitude can be liberating. **In simple terms:** Not being understood may cause loneliness, yet being alone can be okay. Key Takeaway Embrace solitude when mutual understanding fails. Themes relationships communication loneliness self‑acceptance solitude Mood melancholic contemplative hopeful Type Looking away:0 Understand:0 Doesn Understand:0 Rests Knee:0 Knee Looking:0 When to use this quote - dating - friendship - therapy - personal journaling Key Concepts emotional conflict personal growth boundary setting self‑reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does understanding mean to you? - Can you find fulfillment without being understood? A Different Perspective Assumes solitude is always fine, ignoring human need for connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doesn Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doesn-understand/) [Knee Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knee-looking-2455791/) [Looking away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-away/) [Rests Knee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rests-knee-2455790/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) ## Related quotes > [No, no, football doesn't understand about 'deserving' something. You have to grab it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodri/no-no-football-doesn-t-understand-about-deserving-something-you-have/) [Rodri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodri/) > [I always hope ur looking at me when I'm looking away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal/i-always-hope-ur-looking-at-me-when-i-m-looking-away/) [Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal/) > [God is to be found not by stepping aside from the flow of daily life into religious moments and environments, or by looking away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-philip-newell/god-is-to-be-found-not-by-stepping-aside-from-the-flow-of-daily-life/) [John Philip Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-philip-newell/) > [If you're in a situation where something horrible is happening, you're closing your eyes. You're looking away. You're doing things to try to not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/if-you-re-in-a-situation-where-something-horrible-is-happening-you-re/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [My eyes are vague blue, like the sky, and change all the time; they are indiscriminate but fleeting, entirely specific and disloyal, so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-o-hara/my-eyes-are-vague-blue-like-the-sky-and-change-all-the-time-they-are/) [Frank O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-o-hara/) > [There were many ways of not burdening one's conscience, of shunning responsibility, looking away, keeping mum. When the unspeakable truth of the Holocaust then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-von-weizsaecker/there-were-many-ways-of-not-burdening-one-s-conscience-of-shunning/) [Richard von Weizsaecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-von-weizsaecker/) > [If enough of us stop looking away and decide that climate change is a crisis worthy of Marshall Plan levels of response, then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/if-enough-of-us-stop-looking-away-and-decide-that-climate-change-is-a/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [“Do you believe there's hope at the end?" I ask. "No," she says simply, looking away. "No, I don't, but I'm still going.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/do-you-believe-there-s-hope-at-the-end-i-ask-no-she-says-simply/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [“And yes, there was such a luster in his eyes that I had to look away, and when I looked back at him, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/and-yes-there-was-such-a-luster-in-his-eyes-that-i-had-to-look-away/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“Examination was the only solace. Instead of looking away from heartache, you needed to crawl inside of it, wear it like a warm coat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/examination-was-the-only-solace-instead-of-looking-away-from/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [ Looking away is submissive. Looking \[..\] in the eye is a challenge. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/looking-away-is-submissive-looking-in-the-eye-is-a-challenge/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [He stares at me, and I don't look away. He isn't a dog, but the same rules apply. Looking away is submissive. Looking him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-stares-at-me-and-i-don-t-look-away-he-isn-t-a-dog-but-the-same/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [There was the man who seemed to be attempting to decieve his ball and lull it into a false sense of security by looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/there-was-the-man-who-seemed-to-be-attempting-to-decieve-his-ball-and/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [“It was not boring, said Majnoun, but it was strange. The people were always looking away to where you couldn't see. The whole time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-alexis/it-was-not-boring-said-majnoun-but-it-was-strange-the-people-were/) [André Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-alexis/) > [“I had examined him that day, too, looking away when his eyes met mine, for signs of difference, of godlessness. I didn't see any,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-had-examined-him-that-day-too-looking-away-when-his-eyes-met-mine/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) ## More by Katherena Vermette > [“He wants the simplicity of finality, but it’s never like it is in the movies. It always lingers on. Like a song that ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherena-vermette/he-wants-the-simplicity-of-finality-but-it-s-never-like-it-is-in-the/) [Katherena Vermette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherena-vermette/) [Explore all 2 Katherena Vermette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherena-vermette/) ## More Looking away quotes > [“It was not boring, said Majnoun, but it was strange. The people were always looking away to where you couldn't see. The whole time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-alexis/it-was-not-boring-said-majnoun-but-it-was-strange-the-people-were/) [André Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-alexis/) > [There was the man who seemed to be attempting to decieve his ball and lull it into a false sense of security by looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/there-was-the-man-who-seemed-to-be-attempting-to-decieve-his-ball-and/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [He stares at me, and I don't look away. He isn't a dog, but the same rules apply. Looking away is submissive. Looking him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-stares-at-me-and-i-don-t-look-away-he-isn-t-a-dog-but-the-same/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [ Looking away is submissive. Looking \[..\] in the eye is a challenge. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/looking-away-is-submissive-looking-in-the-eye-is-a-challenge/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Examination was the only solace. Instead of looking away from heartache, you needed to crawl inside of it, wear it like a warm coat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/examination-was-the-only-solace-instead-of-looking-away-from/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) > [“And yes, there was such a luster in his eyes that I had to look away, and when I looked back at him, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/and-yes-there-was-such-a-luster-in-his-eyes-that-i-had-to-look-away/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“Do you believe there's hope at the end?" I ask. "No," she says simply, looking away. "No, I don't, but I'm still going.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/do-you-believe-there-s-hope-at-the-end-i-ask-no-she-says-simply/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [If enough of us stop looking away and decide that climate change is a crisis worthy of Marshall Plan levels of response, then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/if-enough-of-us-stop-looking-away-and-decide-that-climate-change-is-a/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [There were many ways of not burdening one's conscience, of shunning responsibility, looking away, keeping mum. When the unspeakable truth of the Holocaust then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-von-weizsaecker/there-were-many-ways-of-not-burdening-one-s-conscience-of-shunning/) [Richard von Weizsaecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-von-weizsaecker/) > [My eyes are vague blue, like the sky, and change all the time; they are indiscriminate but fleeting, entirely specific and disloyal, so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-o-hara/my-eyes-are-vague-blue-like-the-sky-and-change-all-the-time-they-are/) [Frank O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-o-hara/) > [If you're in a situation where something horrible is happening, you're closing your eyes. You're looking away. You're doing things to try to not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/if-you-re-in-a-situation-where-something-horrible-is-happening-you-re/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [God is to be found not by stepping aside from the flow of daily life into religious moments and environments, or by looking away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-philip-newell/god-is-to-be-found-not-by-stepping-aside-from-the-flow-of-daily-life/) [John Philip Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-philip-newell/) > [I always hope ur looking at me when I'm looking away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal/i-always-hope-ur-looking-at-me-when-i-m-looking-away/) [Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal/) > [“I had examined him that day, too, looking away when his eyes met mine, for signs of difference, of godlessness. I didn't see any,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/i-had-examined-him-that-day-too-looking-away-when-his-eyes-met-mine/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [“And Edward was staring at me curiously, that same, familiar edge of frustation even more distinct now in his black eyes. I stared back,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/and-edward-was-staring-at-me-curiously-that-same-familiar-edge-of/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) [Browse all 20 Looking away quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-away/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I don't know if I can be with someone who doesn't understand.' Her young face rests on her knee, looking away. 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