--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Loving someone who doesn't love you back…" description: "\"Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus, the tighter you hold on, the more you get hurt...\" — Madison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/madison-34117_hugging_loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back_523923.jpg" --- # Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a… ![“Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus, the tighter you hold on, the more you get hurt...” quote by Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/madison-34117_hugging_loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back_523923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/madison-34117_hugging_loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back_523923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/madison-34117_hugging_loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back_523923.jpg) > “Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus, the tighter you hold on, the more you get hurt...” [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unrequited love feels painful, especially when you cling tightly, causing deeper emotional wounds. **In simple terms:** Holding onto love that isn’t returned hurts. Key Takeaway Let go to heal. Themes love pain attachment self‑care Mood sad hopeful Type advice emotional When to use this quote - breakup recovery - friendship dynamics - personal growth - mental health - relationship counseling Key Concepts unrequited affection emotional boundaries self‑worth Questions to Reflect On - What would you gain by releasing this attachment? - How can you protect yourself from future hurt? A Different Perspective Clinging may protect ego but prolongs suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doesn Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doesn-love/) [Hold Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-hurt-810134/) [Hugging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hugging/) [Hugging Cactus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hugging-cactus-701507/) [Like Hugging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-hugging-447747/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus. The tighter you hold on, the more its going to hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Loving someone who is loving another one is like hugging a cactus.the more u hug,the more it hurts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loving-someone-who-is-loving-another-one-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus. The tighter you hold the more it hurts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus, the tighter you hug it the more it hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-merrow/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the-4/) [James Merrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-merrow/) > [Loving someone who doesnt love you back is like hugging a cactus. The tighter you hold on, the more it hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loving-someone-who-doesnt-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Having fake friends is like hugging cactus. The tighter you hug, the more pain you get.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riza-prasetyaningsih/having-fake-friends-is-like-hugging-cactus-the-tighter-you-hug-the/) [Riza Prasetyaningsih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riza-prasetyaningsih/) > [Kissing is like hugging with your lips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentin-chmerkovskiy/kissing-is-like-hugging-with-your-lips/) [Valentin Chmerkovskiy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentin-chmerkovskiy/) > [Loving someone who doesnt love you back, is like hugging a cacus; the more you hold on, the more it hurts;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loving-someone-who-doesnt-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cacus-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm more the sort of person who doesn't like hugging strangers because we don't know each other, so we shouldn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-mulligan/i-m-more-the-sort-of-person-who-doesn-t-like-hugging-strangers/) [Carey Mulligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-mulligan/) > [I like hugging, holding hands or monkeying around with the people I like. That's my way of letting them know I like the them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tejaswi-madivada/i-like-hugging-holding-hands-or-monkeying-around-with-the-people-i/) [Tejaswi Madivada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tejaswi-madivada/) > [Im a contact whore. I like hugging and cuddling and all those other touchy feely things. Sue me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-a-contact-whore-i-like-hugging-and-cuddling-and-all-those-other/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I walked into her arms and we hugged like hugging was breathing and we'd been holding our breath for a long, long time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-genevieve-tucholke/i-walked-into-her-arms-and-we-hugged-like-hugging-was-breathing-and/) [April Genevieve Tucholke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-genevieve-tucholke/) > [Loving someone who doesn't love you is like hugging a pillow... Gives you comfort, but could never hug u back :(](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-is-like-hugging-a-pillow-gives/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [“Pain was my tie to a past that a part of me wanted to hold on to. The more I hurt, the more I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daria-snadowsky/pain-was-my-tie-to-a-past-that-a-part-of-me-wanted-to-hold-on-to-the/) [Daria Snadowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daria-snadowsky/) > [Letting go of the past and beginning again, isn't forgetting the pain that was caused. It simply forgiving, moving on, living and loving again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/letting-go-of-the-past-and-beginning-again-isn-t-forgetting-the-pain/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) ## More by Madison > [OMG YOUR UGLINESS... ITS TOO MUCH!!!! where's the bathroom??? I'm going to vomit!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/omg-your-ugliness-its-too-much-where-s-the-bathroom-i-m-going-to-vomit/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [I hate retards all they have to do is say their alphabet and they pass the ninth grade!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/i-hate-retards-all-they-have-to-do-is-say-their-alphabet-and-they/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [Waiting for my brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/waiting-for-my-brother/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [Old ugly pic of me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/old-ugly-pic-of-me/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [LIFE IS EASY IF YU WANT IT TO BE EASY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/life-is-easy-if-yu-want-it-to-be-easy/) [MADISON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [Im super bored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/im-super-bored/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [Im being weird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/im-being-weird/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [Me and my friends cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/me-and-my-friends-cat/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [C-130 rolling down the strip 64 rangers on a one-way trip mission top secret destination unknown they don't know if there ever coming home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/c-130-rolling-down-the-strip-64-rangers-on-a-one-way-trip-mission-top/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [What kinda gun is this](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/what-kinda-gun-is-this/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [At this new school I'm going to if your caught with you iPod or phone or anything eles you get one day of ISS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/at-this-new-school-i-m-going-to-if-your-caught-with-you-ipod-or-phone/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [“Love a little more each day”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/love-a-little-more-each-day/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) > [Im trying to live my own life so get out of the way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/im-trying-to-live-my-own-life-so-get-out-of-the-way/) [Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) [Explore all 14 Madison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/) ## More Hugging quotes > [Hugging trees has a calming effect on me. I'm talking about enormous trees that will be there when we are all dead and gone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-adams/hugging-trees-has-a-calming-effect-on-me-i-m-talking-about-enormous/) [Gerry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-adams/) > [In Manchester a girl pulled a lock of my hair out once. She hugged me and then tugged my head and just walked away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perrie-edwards/in-manchester-a-girl-pulled-a-lock-of-my-hair-out-once-she-hugged-me/) [Perrie Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perrie-edwards/) > [“Sometimes you think you know what you want, she said, hugging her children, until you see how much more you can have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simon/sometimes-you-think-you-know-what-you-want-she-said-hugging-her/) [Rachel Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simon/) > [“I walked into her arms and we hugged like hugging was breathing and we'd been holding our breath for a long, long time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-genevieve-tucholke/i-walked-into-her-arms-and-we-hugged-like-hugging-was-breathing-and/) [April Genevieve Tucholke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-genevieve-tucholke/) > [Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus. The tighter you hold on, the more its going to hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Thankyou both for loving me, thank you both for hugging me, thankyou both for treating me like me. One as the same the 2of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-long/thankyou-both-for-loving-me-thank-you-both-for-hugging-me-thankyou/) [Travis Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-long/) > [Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus. The tighter you hold the more it hurts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't Want other Guys to be hugging you Cause it's my world they will be Hugging!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemis-khan/i-don-t-want-other-guys-to-be-hugging-you-cause-it-s-my-world-they/) [Kemis Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemis-khan/) > [“Please, understand this: you will always be alone. I don’t mean it as a depressing truth or a cruel mockery, but that’s just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-carey/please-understand-this-you-will-always-be-alone-i-don-t-mean-it-as-a/) [Sophia Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-carey/) > [For once, his vampire expression failed him. His response was right there on his face, in full view and easily read. He went from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-arthur/for-once-his-vampire-expression-failed-him-his-response-was-right/) [Keri Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-arthur/) > [The Hamilton family was a bunch of hugging folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-lynn/the-hamilton-family-was-a-bunch-of-hugging-folks/) [J. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-lynn/) > [The coming years will prove increasingly cynical and cruel. People will definitely not slip into oblivion while hugging each other. The final stages in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pentti-linkola/the-coming-years-will-prove-increasingly-cynical-and-cruel-people/) [Pentti Linkola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pentti-linkola/) > [We can’t forget that I owe you my life.” She gazed at him. “We can’t forget that I belong to you.” “I like that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/we-can-t-forget-that-i-owe-you-my-life-she-gazed-at-him-we-can-t/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) > [Im a contact whore. I like hugging and cuddling and all those other touchy feely things. Sue me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-a-contact-whore-i-like-hugging-and-cuddling-and-all-those-other/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you see them hugging , don't wish it was you , think to yourself you deseve better and one day you'll find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-see-them-hugging-don-t-wish-it-was-you-think-to-yourself-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 180 Hugging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hugging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus, the tighter you hold on, the more you get hurt...", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Madison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the-3/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hugging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the-3/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/madison-34117_hugging_loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back_523923.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/madison-34117_hugging_loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back_523923.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/madison-34117_hugging_loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back_523923.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus, the tighter you hold on, the more you get…” — Madison", "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": "Madison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Loving someone who doesn't love you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the-3/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison/loving-someone-who-doesn-t-love-you-back-is-like-hugging-a-cactus-the-3/#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 } } ] } ```