--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Attacking me was like pushing open a…" description: "\"“Attacking me was like pushing open a forbidden door. What waited on the other side was his problem.”\" — Lee Child" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c2/lee-child-980_quote_attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-for_1441034.jpg" --- # Attacking me was like pushing open a forbidden door. What… ![“Attacking me was like pushing open a forbidden door. What waited on the other side was his problem.” quote by Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c2/lee-child-980_quote_attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-for_1441034.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c2/lee-child-980_quote_attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-for_1441034.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c2/lee-child-980_quote_attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-for_1441034.jpg) > ““Attacking me was like pushing open a forbidden door. What waited on the other side was his problem.”” [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Confronting aggression reveals hidden dangers that become the aggressor’s burden. **In simple terms:** Facing attacks shows the attacker’s own problems. Key Takeaway Recognize when conflict reflects the other’s issues. Themes conflict self‑awareness danger Mood tense cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - workplace disputes - personal safety - online harassment Key Concepts psychology boundaries responsibility Questions to Reflect On - When is it appropriate to confront aggression? - How do you protect yourself without escalating? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex power dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [You’re attacking that one like a wolverine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/you-re-attacking-that-one-like-a-wolverine/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I shut the door and waited to see what she would do. To my surprise she lowered the gun but kept it in her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cambria-hebert/i-shut-the-door-and-waited-to-see-what-she-would-do-to-my-surprise/) [Cambria Hebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cambria-hebert/) > [Perhaps we go to the forbidden door or window willingly because we understand that a time comes when we must go whether we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/perhaps-we-go-to-the-forbidden-door-or-window-willingly-because-we/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [This was like July 13th, 1943, the pivotal day of the Battle of the Kursk. We were like Alexander Vasilevsky, the Soviet general. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/this-was-like-july-13th-1943-the-pivotal-day-of-the-battle-of-the/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“It's different now, like pushing the stop lever on my camera until nothing except the war can squeeze through the lens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-miller/it-s-different-now-like-pushing-the-stop-lever-on-my-camera-until/) [Sarah Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-miller/) > [My uncle is just, like, always pushing me to be better, be a man, and showing me the ropes of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mustard/my-uncle-is-just-like-always-pushing-me-to-be-better-be-a-man-and/) Mustard > [People are used to seeing me in make-up and blow-dried hair but after a point I felt like pushing myself. As an actor, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tisca-chopra/people-are-used-to-seeing-me-in-make-up-and-blow-dried-hair-but-after/) [Tisca Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tisca-chopra/) > [I like pushing the envelope. I like pushing myself and the audience, whether it's a TV show or live. I like to throw people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/i-like-pushing-the-envelope-i-like-pushing-myself-and-the-audience/) [Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/) > [I just like to keep pushing myself and the sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-chen/i-just-like-to-keep-pushing-myself-and-the-sport/) [Nathan Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-chen/) > [Pushing anyone down is like pushing your self to no where.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-poblacion/pushing-anyone-down-is-like-pushing-your-self-to-no-where/) [Sheila Poblacion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-poblacion/) > [It often feels like a tremendous amount of work is required to get an idea moving forward, like pushing a train uphill. But at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-elfman/it-often-feels-like-a-tremendous-amount-of-work-is-required-to-get-an/) [Danny Elfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-elfman/) > [I like challenges. I like pushing my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-lewis/i-like-challenges-i-like-pushing-my-body/) [Denise Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-lewis/) > [Why does any kind of cynicism appeal to people? Because it seems like a mark of maturity, of sophistication, like you’ve seen everything and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/why-does-any-kind-of-cynicism-appeal-to-people-because-it-seems-like/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [I like pushing the envelope. But I don't like to do it just for the sake of doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-like-pushing-the-envelope-but-i-don-t-like-to-do-it-just-for-the/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [Sorry if it seems like in pushing away that's only because I got my reasons to...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-if-it-seems-like-in-pushing-away-that-s-only-because-i-got-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Lee Child > [“Reacher got to them on the plane. He put them out of action and stole their wallets.” “On the plane?” “He broke Lozano’s fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/reacher-got-to-them-on-the-plane-he-put-them-out-of-action-and-stole/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“A maintenance dose. It would keep her asleep all night. It would keep her warm, and gentle, and relaxed, and at peace, and cradled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/a-maintenance-dose-it-would-keep-her-asleep-all-night-it-would-keep/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“It had maroon paint and exposed brick and scarred wood, and a chalkboard menu about ninety percent full of things that don’t really belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/it-had-maroon-paint-and-exposed-brick-and-scarred-wood-and-a/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Spread love and understanding,” Reacher said. “Use force if necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/spread-love-and-understanding-reacher-said-use-force-if-necessary/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“or especially fragile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/or-especially-fragile/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Now they broke my toothbrush, I don't own anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/now-they-broke-my-toothbrush-i-don-t-own-anything/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“The Zip Code is about the size of Chicago. With five people. But hey, welcome to Wyoming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/the-zip-code-is-about-the-size-of-chicago-with-five-people-but-hey/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“You got to imagine your memory is like an old bucket, you know? Once it’s filled up with old stuff there ain’t no way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/you-got-to-imagine-your-memory-is-like-an-old-bucket-you-know-once-it/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“foreign legal systems. So I made”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/foreign-legal-systems-so-i-made/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [That should be your town motto. It's all I ever hear. Like: New Hampshire, Live Free or Die. It should be: Despair, You Need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/that-should-be-your-town-motto-it-s-all-i-ever-hear-like-new/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Writing is showbusiness for shy people. That's how I see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/writing-is-showbusiness-for-shy-people-that-s-how-i-see-it/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“OK, Finlay, let’s get it done,” I said. “I don’t have an address because I don’t live anywhere. Maybe one day I’ll live somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/ok-finlay-let-s-get-it-done-i-said-i-don-t-have-an-address-because-i/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“He changed his final wad up at the train station. Which was a sad place now. There were homeless people and disturbed people hanging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/he-changed-his-final-wad-up-at-the-train-station-which-was-a-sad/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“They had come for us in the night. Hey had come expecting a lot of blood. They had come with all their gear. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/they-had-come-for-us-in-the-night-hey-had-come-expecting-a-lot-of/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“He hauled the right-hand guy next to the left-hand guy, close together, shoulder to shoulder, and he picked up the heavy box like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/he-hauled-the-right-hand-guy-next-to-the-left-hand-guy-close-together/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) [Explore all 306 Lee Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) ## More Attacking quotes > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [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/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [I've gotten better at calling out coverages, communication, and being vertical when they're attacking me in the paint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivica-zubac/i-ve-gotten-better-at-calling-out-coverages-communication-and-being/) [Ivica Zubac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivica-zubac/) > [Before I signed for Liverpool, I was playing for Newcastle as a No. 10 - basically, I was always attacking. I didn't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georginio-wijnaldum/before-i-signed-for-liverpool-i-was-playing-for-newcastle-as-a-no-10/) [Georginio Wijnaldum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georginio-wijnaldum/) > [It's a big part of my game, attacking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-walker/it-s-a-big-part-of-my-game-attacking/) [Kyle Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-walker/) > [When I was elected governor of my state, I had a legislature 87 percent Democrat. It was not lost on me that to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/when-i-was-elected-governor-of-my-state-i-had-a-legislature-87/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/) [Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/) > [This is really good,” Donovan Caine said, attacking his third strawberry pancake. “You sound surprised,” I said. He shrugged. “I just didn’t think an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/this-is-really-good-donovan-caine-said-attacking-his-third-strawberry/) [Jennifer Estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/) > [Dravid Could play attacking cricket like me but i could never play like him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gayle/dravid-could-play-attacking-cricket-like-me-but-i-could-never-play/) [Chris Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gayle/) > [Islamic fundamentalism is attacking us at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/islamic-fundamentalism-is-attacking-us-at-home/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [“California cat that chased off attacking”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/california-cat-that-chased-off-attacking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I listen to candidates spend all their time attacking Barack Obama, I'm glad they're not driving this bus because they'd be looking through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/when-i-listen-to-candidates-spend-all-their-time-attacking-barack/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [For many years the stakes were clear. There were the Arabs attacking us and us defending ourselves, so basically there were no real problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/for-many-years-the-stakes-were-clear-there-were-the-arabs-attacking/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) Browse all 580 Attacking quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Attacking me was like pushing open a forbidden door. What waited on the other side was his problem.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lee Child" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-forbidden-door-what-waited-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attacking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-forbidden-door-what-waited-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c2/lee-child-980_quote_attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-for_1441034.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c2/lee-child-980_quote_attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-for_1441034.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c2/lee-child-980_quote_attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-for_1441034.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Attacking me was like pushing open a forbidden door. What waited on the other side was his problem.” — Lee Child", "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": "Lee Child", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Attacking me was like pushing open...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-forbidden-door-what-waited-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/attacking-me-was-like-pushing-open-a-forbidden-door-what-waited-on/#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 } } ] } ```