--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had never wanted attention, and now I…" description: "\"“I had never wanted attention, and now I was purposely inviting it. As I had told Dr Duverger, I had little vanity, and yet one recent morning I realiz..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/linda-holeman-65667_quote_i-had-never-wanted-attention-and-now-i-w_2111828.jpg" --- # I had never wanted attention, and now I was purposely… ![“I had never wanted attention, and now I was purposely inviting it. As I had told Dr Duverger, I had little vanity, and yet one recent morning I realized that I was avoiding looking at my own reflection, because it was disturbing. Did I wish to go through life like this? Yes, the scar was a…” quote by Linda Holeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/linda-holeman-65667_quote_i-had-never-wanted-attention-and-now-i-w_2111828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/linda-holeman-65667_quote_i-had-never-wanted-attention-and-now-i-w_2111828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/linda-holeman-65667_quote_i-had-never-wanted-attention-and-now-i-w_2111828.jpg) > ““I had never wanted attention, and now I was purposely inviting it. As I had told Dr Duverger, I had little vanity, and yet one recent morning I realized that I was avoiding looking at my own reflection, because it was disturbing. Did I wish to go through life like this? Yes, the scar was a horrible memento of what I had done to my father, but now I questioned whether I needed it to be so obvious. The actual weight was within me. I carried it as though it were a heavy earthenware pot of water. I had to walk through my days carefully, so as not to let it spill over. It was my own personal burden, not necessary to be shared with all who looked at me.”” [Linda Holeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-holeman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A personal struggle with guilt and self‑image, feeling burdened by past actions toward a father **In simple terms:** Guilt feels like a heavy, hidden load Key Takeaway Acknowledge and process inner burdens Themes psychology guilt self‑reflection Mood introspective somber Type literary emotional When to use this quote - therapy - journaling - support groups Key Concepts burden identity healing Questions to Reflect On - What does the scar symbolize for you? - How can you safely share personal pain? A Different Perspective Self‑confrontation may be painful and resisted ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Personal Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-burden-800297/) [Reflection Disturbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection-disturbing-3379054/) [Scar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scar/) [Scar Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scar-horrible-4267493/) [Wanted Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-attention-337052/) ## Related quotes > [“His green eyes blazed with desire; such a different look than I'd known before. Chase had studied me, reading my feelings. Tucker was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-simmons/his-green-eyes-blazed-with-desire-such-a-different-look-than-i-d/) [Kristen Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-simmons/) > [Whatever our personal burden or cross to bear might be, we are here. We live! We Learn! 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I gesture, holding a wrist turned up to the ceiling, then pretending to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/you-and-your-scars-please-you-don-t-kill-youself-like-this-i-gesture/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [I was always making my friends laugh, but I never wanted the attention of the whole classroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-was-always-making-my-friends-laugh-but-i-never-wanted-the-attention/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I spent a long time in the shadows. I always had this feeling that I was the only one going through stuff, because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/i-spent-a-long-time-in-the-shadows-i-always-had-this-feeling-that-i/) [Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/) > [I always wanted praise, and I always wanted attention; I won't lie to you. I was a jazz critic, and that wasn't good enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/i-always-wanted-praise-and-i-always-wanted-attention-i-won-t-lie-to/) [Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/) > [I'm the youngest of five kids, and I wanted attention. And in Santa Barbara, there was lots of theater going on, so for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/i-m-the-youngest-of-five-kids-and-i-wanted-attention-and-in-santa/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [I really wanted attention. I really liked attention. But now that I got all the attention I find myself just, like, chilling by myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nav/i-really-wanted-attention-i-really-liked-attention-but-now-that-i-got/) [Nav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nav/) > [“I wanted all of his attention. I wished I could fill it into a bottle and carry it around with me. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-b-hme/i-wanted-all-of-his-attention-i-wished-i-could-fill-it-into-a-bottle/) [J.C. Böhme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-b-hme/) > [I was a WASP kid going to a high school that was 99 percent Jewish and I wanted attention and I wanted to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-was-a-wasp-kid-going-to-a-high-school-that-was-99-percent-jewish/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [The last thing I wanted was to be with someone who's the same age as me and wanted the limelight, wanted the attention. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-gates/the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-be-with-someone-who-s-the-same-age-as/) [Gareth Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-gates/) > [Treat a woman right and you'll never have to worry about loosing her. All they wont is for you to make them feel wanted.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dionta-long/treat-a-woman-right-and-you-ll-never-have-to-worry-about-loosing-her/) [Dionta Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dionta-long/) > [“Popularity was an attractive snare. Only fools wanted attention at the expense of peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bremer-acosta/popularity-was-an-attractive-snare-only-fools-wanted-attention-at-the/) [Bremer Acosta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bremer-acosta/) > [There's no judgment on bands that continue on who aren't popular; some people get enjoyment out of it. I'm just not one of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-armisen/there-s-no-judgment-on-bands-that-continue-on-who-aren-t-popular-some/) [Fred Armisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-armisen/) ## More by Linda Holeman > [“But it wasn't just the distance. It was what had happened to me since these days, those endless, quiet days when I thought my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-holeman/but-it-wasn-t-just-the-distance-it-was-what-had-happened-to-me-since/) [Linda Holeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-holeman/) > [“I knew my box of paints, stored away on the bedroom shelf of my small house across the ocean, could never create such colors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-holeman/i-knew-my-box-of-paints-stored-away-on-the-bedroom-shelf-of-my-small/) [Linda Holeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-holeman/) > [“And now the thought came to me that I lived much of my life through the pages of books as well. That perhaps I,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-holeman/and-now-the-thought-came-to-me-that-i-lived-much-of-my-life-through/) [Linda Holeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-holeman/) [Explore all 4 Linda Holeman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-holeman/) ## More Scar quotes > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [During the last 17 years... I have been working at the restoration of a once exhausted hillside. Its scars are now healed over, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/during-the-last-17-years-i-have-been-working-at-the-restoration-of-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [The beauty's in the scars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-homme/the-beauty-s-in-the-scars/) [Joshua Homme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-homme/) > [Funny how internal scars never healed. They were the souvenirs of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/funny-how-internal-scars-never-healed-they-were-the-souvenirs-of-the/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [My God", he whispered. What have I done to her? He thought, humbled. The spell was broken, but it wasn't sealed, and her soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/my-god-he-whispered-what-have-i-done-to-her-he-thought-humbled-the/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [“When I swim now, I step into the water as though absentmindedly touching a scar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leanne-shapton/when-i-swim-now-i-step-into-the-water-as-though-absentmindedly/) [Leanne Shapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leanne-shapton/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) [Chris Kirubi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kirubi/) > [We all have scars. Just because mine are hidden doesnt make them any less painful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknon/we-all-have-scars-just-because-mine-are-hidden-doesnt-make-them-any/) [Unknon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknon/) > [“Being stitched was evidence of a mending, an overcoming of pain. Our scars were proof that we were strong enough to keep living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-monk/being-stitched-was-evidence-of-a-mending-an-overcoming-of-pain-our/) [Devon Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-monk/) > [Well, forgive me for not leaping for joy...bad back, you know... -Scar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-lion-king/well-forgive-me-for-not-leaping-for-joy-bad-back-you-know-scar/) [The Lion King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-lion-king/) > [Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of bruises and scars. It is devastating to be abused by someone that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-feinstein/domestic-violence-causes-far-more-pain-than-the-visible-marks-of/) [Dianne Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-feinstein/) > [Our scars make us know that our past was for real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/our-scars-make-us-know-that-our-past-was-for-real/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Even if I am broken into many pieces, I know you can still make me a piece of art in another form; every scar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-hussain-raja/even-if-i-am-broken-into-many-pieces-i-know-you-can-still-make-me-a/) [Shahid Hussain Raja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-hussain-raja/) > [“Scars are your body's way of healing, making that damaged part stronger than it ever wad before the pain”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/scars-are-your-body-s-way-of-healing-making-that-damaged-part/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [“THAT SCAR. SHE DREW HER EYES FROM IT BUT THEY DESCENDED AGAIN AND YET AGAIN UNTIL SHE FELT PECULIARLY DROWNED IN THE GUILTY MARK.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-heffington/that-scar-she-drew-her-eyes-from-it-but-they-descended-again-and-yet/) [Rachel Heffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-heffington/) [Browse all 1,265 Scar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I had never wanted attention, and now I was purposely inviting it. As I had told Dr Duverger, I had little vanity, and yet one recent morning I realized that I was avoiding looking at my own reflection, because it was disturbing. Did I wish to go through life like this? Yes, the scar was a horrible memento of what I had done to my father, but now I questioned whether I needed it to be so obvious. The actual weight was within me. I carried it as though it were a heavy earthenware pot of water. 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