--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I closed my eyes and let my enemy win." description: "\"“I closed my eyes and let my enemy win.”\" — Laurie Halse Anderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/laurie-halse-anderson-623_closed-eyes_i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win-31_3182846.png" --- # I closed my eyes and let my enemy win. ![“I closed my eyes and let my enemy win.” quote by Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/laurie-halse-anderson-623_closed-eyes_i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win-31_3182846.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/laurie-halse-anderson-623_closed-eyes_i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win-31_3182846.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/laurie-halse-anderson-623_closed-eyes_i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win-31_3182846.png) > ““I closed my eyes and let my enemy win.”” [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Surrendering to conflict without resistance can lead to personal defeat. **In simple terms:** Letting the enemy win hurts you. Key Takeaway Stand up and protect your boundaries. Themes conflict self‑defense agency resilience psychology Mood determined cautious Type self‑help psychological When to use this quote - bullying - relationships - workplace - inner dialogue - mental health Key Concepts Power dynamics personal autonomy emotional health Questions to Reflect On - What fears keep you passive? - How can you assert yourself safely? A Different Perspective Avoiding confrontation may reinforce harmful patterns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Closed eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closed-eyes/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Enemy Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-win-1355620/) [Eyes Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-let-795408/) [Let Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-enemy-480750/) ## Related quotes > [“He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, his visage a portrait of sex. (A description of Dante).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marita-a-hansen/he-closed-his-eyes-and-let-his-head-fall-back-his-visage-a-portrait/) [Marita A. Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marita-a-hansen/) > [“I didn't want to wake up either. We both held onto each other. We looked at each other before we closed our eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kimball/i-didn-t-want-to-wake-up-either-we-both-held-onto-each-other-we/) [Michael Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kimball/) > [If you know both yourself and your enemy, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/if-you-know-both-yourself-and-your-enemy-you-can-win-a-hundred/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [I am my own worst enemy and I can never win the fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-my-own-worst-enemy-and-i-can-never-win-the-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes youll have to become the enemy to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-youll-have-to-become-the-enemy-to-win/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In the darkest times of your life, your praise to God should be the loudest. 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Let your enemy lift you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/a-footstool-is-only-needed-when-you-need-to-get-higher-let-your-enemy/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [The vermin explain their sin with sanctimonious language like, "We've prayed about it and sought counsel, and we feel it's the right thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/the-vermin-explain-their-sin-with-sanctimonious-language-like-we-ve/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [“Don’t let the enemy try to keep you bound with fear. The devil is a liar. Stay in faith and trust the process. 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Let yourself be the enemy of complacency always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-oliveri/let-yourself-be-the-enemy-of-comfort-let-yourself-be-the-enemy-of/) [Nick Oliveri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-oliveri/) > [“Whatever your problem is, let that problem clearly understand this: You will never stop till you solve it! Let your enemy know how decisive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/whatever-your-problem-is-let-that-problem-clearly-understand-this-you/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [ “Let the enemy try conclusions with me and the vultures shall gorge themselves with his flesh and the ants shall fatten on his blood. \[137\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-t-plaatje/let-the-enemy-try-conclusions-with-me-and-the-vultures-shall-gorge/) [Sol T. Plaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-t-plaatje/) ## More by Laurie Halse Anderson > [“The word ghost sounds like memory. The word therapy means exorcism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/the-word-ghost-sounds-like-memory-the-word-therapy-means-exorcism/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/censorship-is-the-child-of-fear-and-the-father-of-ignorance/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [“I have this halfway place, a rest stop on the road to sleep, where I can stay for hours. I don't even need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-have-this-halfway-place-a-rest-stop-on-the-road-to-sleep-where-i/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [I can see us, living in the woods, her wearing that A, me with a S maybe, S for silent, S for stupid, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-can-see-us-living-in-the-woods-her-wearing-that-a-me-with-a-s-maybe/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [Eating plain toast will detonate her. "I'll have some honey." When the bread is done I scrape on a microscopic layer of it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/eating-plain-toast-will-detonate-her-i-ll-have-some-honey-when-the/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [Cutting pain was a different flavor of hurt. It made it easier not to think about having my body and my family and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/cutting-pain-was-a-different-flavor-of-hurt-it-made-it-easier-not-to/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [I am learning how to be angry and sad and lonely and joyful and excited and afraid and happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-am-learning-how-to-be-angry-and-sad-and-lonely-and-joyful-and/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [“Leaning against my father, the sadness finally broke open inside me, hollowing out my heart and leaving me bleeding. My feet felt rooted in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/leaning-against-my-father-the-sadness-finally-broke-open-inside-me/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [I like cheeseburgers too much to be a model.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-like-cheeseburgers-too-much-to-be-a-model/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [I am getting better at smiling when people expect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-am-getting-better-at-smiling-when-people-expect-it/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [“All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/all-that-crap-you-hear-on-tv-about-communication-and-expressing/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [I doubt trees are ever told to 'be the screwed-up ninth-grader.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-doubt-trees-are-ever-told-to-be-the-screwed-up-ninth-grader/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [“It was the most eloquent silence I ever heard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/it-was-the-most-eloquent-silence-i-ever-heard/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [I've dealt with depression my entire life, on and off, which makes me the perfect author for teenage readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-ve-dealt-with-depression-my-entire-life-on-and-off-which-makes-me/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [“What did it feel like to die? Was it a peaceful sleep? Some thought it was full of either trumpet-blowing angels or angry devils.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/what-did-it-feel-like-to-die-was-it-a-peaceful-sleep-some-thought-it/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) [Explore all 437 Laurie Halse Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) ## More Closed eyes quotes > [You were the oníly one I saw when I closed my eyes..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhiess-krieg/you-were-the-on-ly-one-i-saw-when-i-closed-my-eyes/) [Jhiess Krieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhiess-krieg/) > [In my room I'd barely closed my eyes when the blonde from the movie house came along and sang her whole song of sorrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/in-my-room-i-d-barely-closed-my-eyes-when-the-blonde-from-the-movie/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [Jesus Christ does not teach us a spirituality “of closed eyes”, but one of “alertness”, one which entails an absolute duty to take notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/jesus-christ-does-not-teach-us-a-spirituality-of-closed-eyes-but-one/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [True beauty is seen through closed eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-beauty-is-seen-through-closed-eyes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I closed my eyes and my body settled.Without thinking my body knew it'd do anything,anything, for Holden Maxwell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/i-closed-my-eyes-and-my-body-settled-without-thinking-my-body-knew-it/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [And the last thought he had that morning as he closed his eyes was: I hope the tornado hit the moose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-paulsen/and-the-last-thought-he-had-that-morning-as-he-closed-his-eyes-was-i/) [Gary Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-paulsen/) > [“She closed her eyes and prayed to whichever small ineffectual god protects the hearts of women.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-wright/she-closed-her-eyes-and-prayed-to-whichever-small-ineffectual-god/) [Kim Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-wright/) > [If a dream affords the dreamer some light on himself, it is not the person with closed eyes who makes the discovery but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-leiris/if-a-dream-affords-the-dreamer-some-light-on-himself-it-is-not-the/) [Michel Leiris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-leiris/) > [Keep your head high,legs closed,eyes open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/y-bluntst0ner/keep-your-head-high-legs-closed-eyes-open/) [Y!bluntSt0ner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/y-bluntst0ner/) > [Nearly unable to bear the thought of how much he needed her quiet strength, he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/nearly-unable-to-bear-the-thought-of-how-much-he-needed-her-quiet/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [You said you dint wanna see me get hurt , so does that mean you closed your eyes when I cried ???](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-said-you-dint-wanna-see-me-get-hurt-so-does-that-mean-you-closed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Study your subject through half-closed eyes before starting to draw - you'll find that the lights and darks are exaggerated and easier to identify.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-smith/study-your-subject-through-half-closed-eyes-before-starting-to-draw/) [Stan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-smith/) > [“No.” Valentina closed her eyes. Of course not. “It’ll be great, Mouse. We’ll have our own apartment, we won’t have to work,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/no-valentina-closed-her-eyes-of-course-not-it-ll-be-great-mouse-we-ll/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [Few times ago I closed my eyes. Than I saw a dream that u r the happiest person in this world. If it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/few-times-ago-i-closed-my-eyes-than-i-saw-a-dream-that-u-r-the/) [Unknow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow/) > [He fell in love with the way she closed her eyes, long before he fell in love with her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/he-fell-in-love-with-the-way-she-closed-her-eyes-long-before-he-fell/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) [Browse all 210 Closed eyes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closed-eyes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I closed my eyes and let my enemy win.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurie Halse Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Closed eyes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/laurie-halse-anderson-623_closed-eyes_i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win-31_3182846.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/laurie-halse-anderson-623_closed-eyes_i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win-31_3182846.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/laurie-halse-anderson-623_closed-eyes_i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win-31_3182846.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I closed my eyes and let my enemy win.” — Laurie Halse Anderson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Laurie Halse Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I closed my eyes and let...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-closed-my-eyes-and-let-my-enemy-win/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```