--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Despite my best efforts, I smiled. He…" description: "\"“Despite my best efforts, I smiled. He wasn't perfect, or even remotely close, for that matter, but, hey, neither was I. We were both pretty fucked up...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/kody-keplinger-3834_escape_despite-my-best-efforts-i-smiled-he-wasn_2403164.jpg" --- # Despite my best efforts, I smiled. He wasn't perfect, or… ![“Despite my best efforts, I smiled. He wasn't perfect, or even remotely close, for that matter, but, hey, neither was I. We were both pretty fucked up. Somehow, thought, that made everything more exciting. Yeah, it was sick and twisted, but that's reality, right? Escape is impossible, so why not…” quote by Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/kody-keplinger-3834_escape_despite-my-best-efforts-i-smiled-he-wasn_2403164.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/kody-keplinger-3834_escape_despite-my-best-efforts-i-smiled-he-wasn_2403164.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/kody-keplinger-3834_escape_despite-my-best-efforts-i-smiled-he-wasn_2403164.jpg) > ““Despite my best efforts, I smiled. He wasn't perfect, or even remotely close, for that matter, but, hey, neither was I. We were both pretty fucked up. Somehow, thought, that made everything more exciting. Yeah, it was sick and twisted, but that's reality, right? Escape is impossible, so why not embrace it?”” [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Embracing flaws and chaotic relationships can be exhilarating, despite imperfection. **In simple terms:** Accept imperfection, find excitement. Key Takeaway Find value in imperfect, intense connections. Themes imperfection relationships acceptance Mood raw intense Type literary reflective When to use this quote - friendships - romantic relationships - self‑acceptance Key Concepts psychology of attachment human complexity Questions to Reflect On - What attracts you to flawed partners? - How can you seek healthier excitement? A Different Perspective Romanticizing dysfunction may cause harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Efforts Smiled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efforts-smiled-6025840/) [Escape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escape/) [Fucked Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fucked-thought-2414804/) [Smiled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smiled/) [Smiled Wasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smiled-wasn-2389898/) ## Related quotes > [Cassandra's grandmother smiled then, only it wasn't a happy smile. Cassandra thought she knew how it felt to smile like that. She often did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/cassandra-s-grandmother-smiled-then-only-it-wasn-t-a-happy-smile/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [I laughed and it almost felt good. "Is that a dig at my liquor cabinet?" Cam smiled. "That wasn't liquor, it was swill. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/i-laughed-and-it-almost-felt-good-is-that-a-dig-at-my-liquor-cabinet/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [The moon had risen behind him, the color of a shark's underbelly. It lit the ruined walls, and the skin of his arms and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/the-moon-had-risen-behind-him-the-color-of-a-shark-s-underbelly-it/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [“Jesus Christ, I've fucked to the thought of her with him!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-torre/jesus-christ-i-ve-fucked-to-the-thought-of-her-with-him/) [Alessandra Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-torre/) > [“You're fucked. You thought you were going to be someone, but now it's obvious you're nobody. You haven't got as much talent as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/you-re-fucked-you-thought-you-were-going-to-be-someone-but-now-it-s/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“I added a fucked-up thought to another fucked-up thought and I created a pile of shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/i-added-a-fucked-up-thought-to-another-fucked-up-thought-and-i/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [Akon heard the title of it he was like, Hey, theres this nigga in Atlanta got a song called Fucked Up. He thought it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-pain/akon-heard-the-title-of-it-he-was-like-hey-theres-this-nigga-in/) [T-Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-pain/) > [“Hey Kid-- so proud of you. so is emily. we wish we could be there, but here's a fat check to make up for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/hey-kid-so-proud-of-you-so-is-emily-we-wish-we-could-be-there-but/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“He wasn't perfect, or even remotely close, for that matter, but, hey, neither was I. We were both pretty fucked up. Somehow, though, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/he-wasn-t-perfect-or-even-remotely-close-for-that-matter-but-hey/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Inej frowned. “I thought you and Nina chose four outbreak sites on the Staves.” Kaz straightened his cuffs. “I also had her stop at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/inej-frowned-i-thought-you-and-nina-chose-four-outbreak-sites-on-the/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“They didn't understand, it not being directed at them, what that smile could do. The power of it. It was like every time he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/they-didn-t-understand-it-not-being-directed-at-them-what-that-smile/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [When they took me to do the camera test for the vampire make up, after they put the prosthetic on, I went though the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-benz/when-they-took-me-to-do-the-camera-test-for-the-vampire-make-up-after/) [Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-benz/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So," I said. "Seems you're going to be stuck with me for a while." He smiled. A real smile that lit up his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/so-i-said-seems-you-re-going-to-be-stuck-with-me-for-a-while-he/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [“She smiled at and spoke to each person. It was as though she couldn't come into contact with anyone or anything without imparting some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-leighton/she-smiled-at-and-spoke-to-each-person-it-was-as-though-she-couldn-t/) [M. Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-leighton/) ## More by Kody Keplinger > [“Screw nightmares. I was waking up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/screw-nightmares-i-was-waking-up/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Shave that Moses beard and you might have better luck. Women don’t want to kiss carpet, you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/shave-that-moses-beard-and-you-might-have-better-luck-women-don-t/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“The thing that really got me, though, was that no one, not even Jake Gaither, had ever called me sexy. Wesley was the first.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/the-thing-that-really-got-me-though-was-that-no-one-not-even-jake/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“While I'm sure this is going to be a fascinating story,' I interrupted. 'I don't care. I'm having a major parental crisis that sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/while-i-m-sure-this-is-going-to-be-a-fascinating-story-i-interrupted/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“ I think about you much more than any self-respecting man would like to admit, and I'm insanely jealous of Tucker - something I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/i-think-about-you-much-more-than-any-self-respecting-man-would-like/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Love is rare and hard to find and takes years upon years to develop. Teenagers don't fall in love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/love-is-rare-and-hard-to-find-and-takes-years-upon-years-to-develop/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“No matter where you go or what you do to distract yourself, reality catches up with you eventually.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/no-matter-where-you-go-or-what-you-do-to-distract-yourself-reality/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Nathan had to park his Honda a whole block from the party, which was a good thing for two reasons. First, it gave Bailey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/nathan-had-to-park-his-honda-a-whole-block-from-the-party-which-was-a/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Just remember to do what makes you happy, okay? Don’t lie to yourself because you think it’s safer. Reality doesn’t work like that…. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/just-remember-to-do-what-makes-you-happy-okay-don-t-lie-to-yourself/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Joe!' he called. 'Hey, honey, can you get the pretty girl a Coke?' 'Only if you stop calling me \*honey\*,' the bartender, a bearded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/joe-he-called-hey-honey-can-you-get-the-pretty-girl-a-coke-only-if/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“By the time we reached the front door of the party house—a total mansion, like Harrison had said—Nathan was far behind us. Well, he’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/by-the-time-we-reached-the-front-door-of-the-party-house-a-total/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Amy and I needed each other. Neither of us really had other close friends. We were the type who were friendly with everyone... I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/amy-and-i-needed-each-other-neither-of-us-really-had-other-close/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Graduation night was my last party,' he said. 'Or at least my last drink. After that night, I decided I was done with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/graduation-night-was-my-last-party-he-said-or-at-least-my-last-drink/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“What did one do after having a one-night stand (or, in my case, one-afternoon stand) with the school's biggest man-whore?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/what-did-one-do-after-having-a-one-night-stand-or-in-my-case-one/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) > [“Are you guys getting to know each other pretty well? I'm sure it's a little bit awkward at first.' 'Yeah,' I said. 'I'd say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kody-keplinger/are-you-guys-getting-to-know-each-other-pretty-well-i-m-sure-it-s-a/) [Kody Keplinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) [Explore all 110 Kody Keplinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kody-keplinger/) ## More Escape quotes > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [“Those who contemplate never escape the doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/those-who-contemplate-never-escape-the-doubt/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“Then from those profound slumbers we awake in a dawn, not knowing who we are, being nobody, newly born, ready for anything, the brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/then-from-those-profound-slumbers-we-awake-in-a-dawn-not-knowing-who/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [I think my attitudes about the past are very traditional. You can't ignore history; you can't escape it even if you want to. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-think-my-attitudes-about-the-past-are-very-traditional-you-can-t/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [Music and sleep are two of the greatest ways to escape from everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/music-and-sleep-are-two-of-the-greatest-ways-to-escape-from-everything/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Music is my escape from all the problems in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailin-cui/music-is-my-escape-from-all-the-problems-in-life/) [Kailin Cui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailin-cui/) > [Wherever you escape, the truth will find you! Always be prepared to meet with it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/wherever-you-escape-the-truth-will-find-you-always-be-prepared-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I think the best way to escape your head isn’t to think about things that aren’t real, it’s to think about things that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-brooks/i-think-the-best-way-to-escape-your-head-isn-t-to-think-about-things/) [Ben Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-brooks/) > [“You could say she hid there, in the words, an escape within an escape...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurelie-sheehan/you-could-say-she-hid-there-in-the-words-an-escape-within-an-escape/) [Aurelie Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aurelie-sheehan/) > [Life will drag us kicking and screaming to our destiny if we try to escape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/life-will-drag-us-kicking-and-screaming-to-our-destiny-if-we-try-to/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [How did you escape? (Syd) I fought my way out in a manner that would have made Rambo proud. And when I got home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/how-did-you-escape-syd-i-fought-my-way-out-in-a-manner-that-would/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [There are reasons people seek escape in books, and one of those reasons is that the boundary of what can happen is beyond what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/there-are-reasons-people-seek-escape-in-books-and-one-of-those/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“Well, I like to know where I'm going before I try to get there. 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