--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I'd see him I'd look at him, then…" description: "\"“When I'd see him I'd look at him, then look away, then look at him again. I never got closer than twenty feet, which is about how far out my anti-flir..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/katie-heaney-15920_life_when-i-d-see-him-i-d-look-at-him-then-lo_963145.jpg" --- # When I'd see him I'd look at him, then look away, then… ![“When I'd see him I'd look at him, then look away, then look at him again. I never got closer than twenty feet, which is about how far out my anti-flirtation force field has extended since the beginning of my life.” quote by Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/katie-heaney-15920_life_when-i-d-see-him-i-d-look-at-him-then-lo_963145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/katie-heaney-15920_life_when-i-d-see-him-i-d-look-at-him-then-lo_963145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a5/katie-heaney-15920_life_when-i-d-see-him-i-d-look-at-him-then-lo_963145.jpg) > ““When I'd see him I'd look at him, then look away, then look at him again. I never got closer than twenty feet, which is about how far out my anti-flirtation force field has extended since the beginning of my life.”” [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator maintains a self-imposed emotional distance, using humor to describe a lifelong habit of avoiding romantic intimacy. **In simple terms:** She keeps people far away to avoid romance. Key Takeaway Recognize and question self‑protective patterns. Themes loneliness self‑protection humor Mood reflective wry thoughtful Type personal humorous When to use this quote - first dates - online dating - social gatherings - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology boundaries defense mechanisms Questions to Reflect On - What fears keep you at a distance? - How might vulnerability change your relationships? A Different Perspective May limit genuine connections and personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti Flirtation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-flirtation-1795745/) [Away Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-look-1042546/) [Feet Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet-far-1795747/) [Flirtation Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flirtation-force-1795746/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Look Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-away/) ## Related quotes > [His eyes are so intense I want to look away . . . or never look away, I cant decide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/his-eyes-are-so-intense-i-want-to-look-away-or-never-look-away-i-cant/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The well of your incompleteness runs deep, but make the effort to look away from yourself and to look toward Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-well-of-your-incompleteness-runs-deep-but-make-the-effort-to-look/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“Look away, look away, look away …”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-everett/look-away-look-away-look-away/) [Percival Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-everett/) > [“a person must sometimes choose what he will see and what he will not; look away, look away from there now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/a-person-must-sometimes-choose-what-he-will-see-and-what-he-will-not/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Every time you look at me, I look away Every time you look away, I look at you ^^](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan/every-time-you-look-at-me-i-look-away-every-time-you-look-away-i-look/) [Karan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan/) > [“My amazing feat features shoes (and feet)—it’s how far I’d walk for love. Guess how far? However far it is from the point I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-amazing-feat-features-shoes-and-feet-it-s-how-far-i-d-walk-for/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [When I finish a film, I put it away and I never look at it again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/when-i-finish-a-film-i-put-it-away-and-i-never-look-at-it-again/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) > [Once you get away from where you're from, you look at it in a different way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deana-carter/once-you-get-away-from-where-you-re-from-you-look-at-it-in-a/) [Deana Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deana-carter/) > [I don't know why you're being shy. You turn away when I look into your eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-direction/i-don-t-know-why-you-re-being-shy-you-turn-away-when-i-look-into-your/) [One Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-direction/) > [The world tips away when we look into our children's faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/the-world-tips-away-when-we-look-into-our-children-s-faces/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Let's run away together and never look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-s-run-away-together-and-never-look-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyday is a new beginning, stay away from what might have been and look at what can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wzdm/everyday-is-a-new-beginning-stay-away-from-what-might-have-been-and/) [WZDM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wzdm/) > [“You cannot shy away from yourself. Look the world in the eye, and it can do nothing to hurt you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-legrand/you-cannot-shy-away-from-yourself-look-the-world-in-the-eye-and-it/) [Claire Legrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-legrand/) > [For me, acting is about getting away from myself. So to look at myself is the last thing I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/for-me-acting-is-about-getting-away-from-myself-so-to-look-at-myself/) [Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/) > [I want to see gay couples stuck with their significant other at Home Depot with that far away look in their eye, get me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-alan-grier/i-want-to-see-gay-couples-stuck-with-their-significant-other-at-home/) [David Alan Grier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-alan-grier/) ## More by Katie Heaney > [“I wanted to inspire fear and fearful admiration.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/i-wanted-to-inspire-fear-and-fearful-admiration/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“Before we get started, do you have any questions or concerns you want to go over?" I asked. Joanna had always said it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/before-we-get-started-do-you-have-any-questions-or-concerns-you-want/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“I just had never occured to me to think that anything inherent to me was to blame for the things that went wrong (or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/i-just-had-never-occured-to-me-to-think-that-anything-inherent-to-me/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“I keep myself to myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/i-keep-myself-to-myself/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“The problem with being, as I was then, and on some days continue to be, neither adventurous nor reclusive is that you want friends,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/the-problem-with-being-as-i-was-then-and-on-some-days-continue-to-be/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“I'm not trying to be self-righteous about that, but I am literally the best friend a person could ask for and I am a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/i-m-not-trying-to-be-self-righteous-about-that-but-i-am-literally-the/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“She was saying she was sorry that she couldn’t always hang out when I wanted to, but that “when you get a boyfriend,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/she-was-saying-she-was-sorry-that-she-couldn-t-always-hang-out-when-i/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“Advice and support are hard things to give. It can be particularly difficult thing to do when you know (or not "know," but strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/advice-and-support-are-hard-things-to-give-it-can-be-particularly/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“Girls are nothing to be afraid of, no matter the kind. Boys, on the other hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/girls-are-nothing-to-be-afraid-of-no-matter-the-kind-boys-on-the/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“Everybody who works in a coffee shop is at least a little bit hot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/everybody-who-works-in-a-coffee-shop-is-at-least-a-little-bit-hot/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“Guys who would make fun of girls for sexual inexperience are terrible people, and when girls do it to other girls it feels even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/guys-who-would-make-fun-of-girls-for-sexual-inexperience-are-terrible/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“All I give are fucks. And it seems to me that it might be nice, on occasion, to get rid of some of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/all-i-give-are-fucks-and-it-seems-to-me-that-it-might-be-nice-on/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“Sex is not a wizard, whatever magical-seeming properties it might possess in its better forms. If your friend says to you, "You're being mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/sex-is-not-a-wizard-whatever-magical-seeming-properties-it-might/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“Apparently she didn't know about that abomination of the senses in which cute boys can hear you speak their names from literally any distance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/apparently-she-didn-t-know-about-that-abomination-of-the-senses-in/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) > [“I am often wrong about the good of humanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-heaney/i-am-often-wrong-about-the-good-of-humanity/) [Katie Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) [Explore all 41 Katie Heaney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-heaney/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) [Deanna L. Lawlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-l-lawlis/) > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I'd see him I'd look at him, then look away, then look at him again. 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