--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I stared at his face, looking into his…" description: "\"“I stared at his face, looking into his eyes, feeling the full force of his loathing; his entire demeanour and tone emanated disgust, disgust at me and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/lois-pryce-40031_right-now_i-stared-at-his-face-looking-into-his-ey_1198906.jpg" --- # I stared at his face, looking into his eyes, feeling the… ![“I stared at his face, looking into his eyes, feeling the full force of his loathing; his entire demeanour and tone emanated disgust, disgust at me and everything I represented. He despised me. It occurred to me that I felt exactly the same about him. If this trip was supposed to be an exercise in…” quote by Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/lois-pryce-40031_right-now_i-stared-at-his-face-looking-into-his-ey_1198906.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/lois-pryce-40031_right-now_i-stared-at-his-face-looking-into-his-ey_1198906.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/lois-pryce-40031_right-now_i-stared-at-his-face-looking-into-his-ey_1198906.jpg) > ““I stared at his face, looking into his eyes, feeling the full force of his loathing; his entire demeanour and tone emanated disgust, disgust at me and everything I represented. He despised me. It occurred to me that I felt exactly the same about him. If this trip was supposed to be an exercise in cultural understanding, of open-mindedness and trying to see the world from another’s viewpoint, then right now I was failing. But I didn’t care. Until now I had kept quiet, remained calm and purposely not engaged with the situation. But now I felt a shift inside me, a physical sensation of something rising up, boiling over. Ha! Mr Basiji, I didn’t grow up in 1980s anarcho Bristol for nothing! My anti-establishment blood runs deep. An ingrained, lifelong mistrust of authority and hatred of bullies in uniform found its way to the surface right there on the baking streets of Tehran. I could not have stopped myself if I tried. And I didn’t want to. So I looked him in the eye and told him to fuck off.”” [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) ## 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 confronts a hostile authority figure, revealing deep mistrust and a desire to rebel, ending with a direct, defiant refusal. **In simple terms:** Defiant confrontation with authority. Key Takeaway Stand up for your values. Themes rebellion authority culture conflict Mood angry defiant Type narrative reflective When to use this quote - political protest - personal boundaries - cultural exchange Key Concepts identity power dynamics social critique Questions to Reflect On - When is defiance justified? - How can you express dissent peacefully? A Different Perspective Violence may escalate conflict and harm relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority Hatred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority-hatred-3587285/) [Despised Occurred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despised-occurred-3587284/) [Disgust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgust/) [Emanated Disgust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emanated-disgust-3587283/) [Loathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loathing/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) ## Related quotes > [“And he wallowed in disgust and loathing, and his hair stood on end at the delicious horror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/and-he-wallowed-in-disgust-and-loathing-and-his-hair-stood-on-end-at/) [patrick suskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“I love that girl, Bertie," he went on, when he'd finished coughing. "Yes. Nice girl, of course." He eyed me with deep loathing. "Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/i-love-that-girl-bertie-he-went-on-when-he-d-finished-coughing-yes/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [Institutionalized rejection of differences is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people. As members of such an economy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/institutionalized-rejection-of-differences-is-an-absolute-necessity/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“Lankester’s mistake didn’t stem simply from a loathing for all parasites;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lankester-s-mistake-didn-t-stem-simply-from-a-loathing-for-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It was a very excellent day over there at HBO/Cinemax when they bought 'Powers' . I felt like I graduated television college, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-michael-bendis/it-was-a-very-excellent-day-over-there-at-hbo-cinemax-when-they/) [Brian Michael Bendis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-michael-bendis/) > [When you work at home, fellow alums, discipline is the supreme virtue. Suicidal self-loathing lurks behind every coffee break. Activities must be expertly scheduled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-lipsyte/when-you-work-at-home-fellow-alums-discipline-is-the-supreme-virtue/) [Sam Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lipsyte/) > [I don't trust anyone who hasn't been self-destructiv e in some way, and who hasn't gone through some sort of bout of self-loathing. You've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/i-don-t-trust-anyone-who-hasn-t-been-self-destructiv-e-in-some-way/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) > [“I left that church with rich and royal hatred of the priest as a person, and a loathing for the church as an institution,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/i-left-that-church-with-rich-and-royal-hatred-of-the-priest-as-a/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [I think loathing begets fanaticism, and in the end, loathing begets hatred and violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/i-think-loathing-begets-fanaticism-and-in-the-end-loathing-begets/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [I want to confess as best I can, but my heart is void. The void is a mirror. I see my face and feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingmar-bergman/i-want-to-confess-as-best-i-can-but-my-heart-is-void-the-void-is-a/) [Ingmar Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingmar-bergman/) > [Change your thoughts, change your life. —LAO TZU When I was fighting depression, I remember hearing this expression and not understanding it at first.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/change-your-thoughts-change-your-life-lao-tzu-when-i-was-fighting/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Listen, young people, I understand narcissism - clearly. But at least I have the decency to hate myself. And that's what's missing from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/listen-young-people-i-understand-narcissism-clearly-but-at-least-i/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [“Don't worry, nothing speaks louder than a lifetime of regret and self-loathing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/don-t-worry-nothing-speaks-louder-than-a-lifetime-of-regret-and-self/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is perfect in the same way that The Great Gatsby is perfect. Take a pencil and read these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mckeen/fear-and-loathing-in-las-vegas-is-perfect-in-the-same-way-that-the/) [William McKeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mckeen/) > [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) ## More by Lois Pryce > [“The two of us with our scrappy motor and no idea what was going to happen next, a Persian version of the Blues Brothers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/the-two-of-us-with-our-scrappy-motor-and-no-idea-what-was-going-to/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) > [“Hafez seemed to have the effect of unifying the Iranian people. His poems epitomised the Iranian mindset; passionate and opinionated but laced with humour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/hafez-seemed-to-have-the-effect-of-unifying-the-iranian-people-his/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) > [“She smiled a lot, laughed easily and listened intently when others spoke. She had been battling the system her whole life, but it had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/she-smiled-a-lot-laughed-easily-and-listened-intently-when-others/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) > [“As two former empires, both with distinct identities and a strong sense of national pride, there is an island mentality in Iran that feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/as-two-former-empires-both-with-distinct-identities-and-a-strong/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) > [“it wasn’t the only aspect of Iran that reminded me of America. The two countries had far more similarities than either would care to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/it-wasn-t-the-only-aspect-of-iran-that-reminded-me-of-america-the-two/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) > [“It wasn’t about being brave, or toughing it out, or any of that air-punching motivational language; all that was required in these moments was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/it-wasn-t-about-being-brave-or-toughing-it-out-or-any-of-that-air/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) > [“I was ashamed to find myself contemplating that for the traveller, Iran’s charms lay in its isolation. This was not a mindset I liked,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/i-was-ashamed-to-find-myself-contemplating-that-for-the-traveller/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) > [“I am ashamed to say that despite my conscious mind taking an open-minded approach to this journey, my subconscious had prepared for the worst.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/i-am-ashamed-to-say-that-despite-my-conscious-mind-taking-an-open/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) > [“I wondered if we could ever truly understand each other, and if not, did it matter? Maybe that was where we had been going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/i-wondered-if-we-could-ever-truly-understand-each-other-and-if-not/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) > [“I loved that the Iranians never quite did what you thought they were going to do, or even, what you wanted them to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-pryce/i-loved-that-the-iranians-never-quite-did-what-you-thought-they-were/) [Lois Pryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) [Explore all 11 Lois Pryce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-pryce/) ## More Disgust quotes > [“Joe!” he groaned, attempting to speak clearly. “Joe! Good ol’ Joe!” “Captain, you’re drunk!” Lofflin said, stating the obvious while trying to keep his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/joe-he-groaned-attempting-to-speak-clearly-joe-good-ol-joe-captain/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [“but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/but-now-that-i-had-finished-the-beauty-of-the-dream-vanished-and/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“in my afterword, which discusses the ugliest of all ugly feelings: disgust. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sianne-ngai/in-my-afterword-which-discusses-the-ugliest-of-all-ugly-feelings/) [Sianne Ngai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sianne-ngai/) > [Unless an entire row of people got up in the middle of a performance and left the theater in disgust, I felt as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-piven/unless-an-entire-row-of-people-got-up-in-the-middle-of-a-performance/) [Jeremy Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-piven/) > [Good God, man, what is that smell?" He eyed with disgust the doctor's filthy cloak. "Life," answered the doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/good-god-man-what-is-that-smell-he-eyed-with-disgust-the-doctor-s/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [Of all facial expressions, which is the worst to have aimed at you? Wouldn't you agree it's disgust?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-enger/of-all-facial-expressions-which-is-the-worst-to-have-aimed-at-you/) [Leif Enger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-enger/) > [“He has the look of someone whose soul got up and walked away in disgust a long time ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-kidd/he-has-the-look-of-someone-whose-soul-got-up-and-walked-away-in/) [Jess Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-kidd/) > [Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust; hatred alone is immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/love-turns-with-a-little-indulgence-to-indifference-or-disgust-hatred/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [He made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat. "Oh thank you so much. That's what every man wants to hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/he-made-a-sound-of-disgust-in-the-back-of-his-throat-oh-thank-you-so/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The reason that last-ditch political maneuvering has become business as usual in Washington is that the actors involved are drunk on blame and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/the-reason-that-last-ditch-political-maneuvering-has-become-business/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [“His excuse made the corners of my mouth turn up. “You think I’m beautiful?” He frowned with disgust. “You’re gorgeous and you know it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/his-excuse-made-the-corners-of-my-mouth-turn-up-you-think-i-m/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“I don't like animals. It's a strange thing, I don't like men and I don't like animals. As for God, he is beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-don-t-like-animals-it-s-a-strange-thing-i-don-t-like-men-and-i-don/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Because of the size of this body, I must concentrate much harder than I usually do. Even the small things -- my foot on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-of-the-size-of-this-body-i-must-concentrate-much-harder-than/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“…in that moment, as he saw and smelled how irresistible its effect was and how with lightning speed it spread and made captives of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/in-that-moment-as-he-saw-and-smelled-how-irresistible-its-effect-was/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [That man has missed something who has never left a brothel at sunrise feeling like throwing himself into the river out of pure disgust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/that-man-has-missed-something-who-has-never-left-a-brothel-at-sunrise/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) [Browse all 274 Disgust quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgust/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I stared at his face, looking into his eyes, feeling the full force of his loathing; his entire demeanour and tone emanated disgust, disgust at me and everything I represented. He despised me. It occurred to me that I felt exactly the same about him. If this trip was supposed to be an exercise in cultural understanding, of open-mindedness and trying to see the world from another’s viewpoint, then right now I was failing. But I didn’t care. Until now I had kept quiet, remained calm and purposely not engaged with the situation. But now I felt a shift inside me, a physical sensation of something rising up, boiling over. Ha! Mr Basiji, I didn’t grow up in 1980s anarcho Bristol for nothing! My anti-establishment blood runs deep. An ingrained, lifelong mistrust of authority and hatred of bullies in uniform found its way to the surface right there on the baking streets of Tehran. I could not have stopped myself if I tried. And I didn’t want to. 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