--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having experienced both, I am not sure…" description: "\"“Having experienced both, I am not sure which is worse: intense feeling, or the absence of it.”\" — Margaret Atwood" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/margaret-atwood-40_feeling_having-experienced-both-i-am-not-sure-wh_2619171.jpg" --- # Having experienced both, I am not sure which is worse… ![“Having experienced both, I am not sure which is worse: intense feeling, or the absence of it.” quote by Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/margaret-atwood-40_feeling_having-experienced-both-i-am-not-sure-wh_2619171.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/margaret-atwood-40_feeling_having-experienced-both-i-am-not-sure-wh_2619171.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/margaret-atwood-40_feeling_having-experienced-both-i-am-not-sure-wh_2619171.jpg) > ““Having experienced both, I am not sure which is worse: intense feeling, or the absence of it.”” [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intense emotions and emotional numbness are both distressing, each with its own pain. **In simple terms:** Both strong feeling and lack of feeling can be painful. Key Takeaway Recognize and balance emotional experiences. Themes emotion psychology well‑being Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - therapy sessions - creative writing - personal reflection - mental health care Key Concepts affect theory emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt more harmed by feeling or by its absence? - Can numbness be a protective mechanism? A Different Perspective The quote overlooks that some may prefer numbness to avoid suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling/) [Feeling Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-absence-2095137/) [Having Experienced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-experienced-322471/) [Intense Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense-feeling-277420/) [Worse Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse-intense-2095136/) ## Related quotes > [I’m not sure which is worse: intense feeling, or the absence of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-m-not-sure-which-is-worse-intense-feeling-or-the-absence-of-it/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Children have a more restricted and yet a more intense feeling for nature than grown-ups.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-broch/children-have-a-more-restricted-and-yet-a-more-intense-feeling-for/) [Hermann Broch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-broch/) > [Intense feeling too often obscures the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/intense-feeling-too-often-obscures-the-truth/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [“Unlike any other creature on this planet, human beings can learn and understand without having experienced. They can think themselves into other peoples’ places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jk-rowling/unlike-any-other-creature-on-this-planet-human-beings-can-learn-and/) [JK Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jk-rowling/) > [Absolutely not mean that, having experienced you can not make mistakes,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/absolutely-not-mean-that-having-experienced-you-can-not-make-mistakes/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Having experienced everything one time already made it easier the second time around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/speech-debelle/having-experienced-everything-one-time-already-made-it-easier-the/) [Speech Debelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/speech-debelle/) > [Discover that we are capable of solitary joy and having experienced it, know that we have touched the core of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ascher/discover-that-we-are-capable-of-solitary-joy-and-having-experienced/) [Barbara Ascher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ascher/) > [We know a thing by its opposite corollary; hot by having experienced cold; good by having decided what is bad; love by hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/we-know-a-thing-by-its-opposite-corollary-hot-by-having-experienced/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [The act of not discussing or confiding the event with another may be more damaging than having experienced the event per se.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-pennebaker/the-act-of-not-discussing-or-confiding-the-event-with-another-may-be/) [James W. 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I wasn't sad, not at all. It was just so beautiful to have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/then-i-went-to-bed-and-cried-into-my-pillow-i-wasn-t-sad-not-at-all/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) ## More by Margaret Atwood > [“I'm fine," said Pilar, "for the moment. And the moment is the only time we can be fine in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-m-fine-said-pilar-for-the-moment-and-the-moment-is-the-only-time-we/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [And yet it disturbs me to learn I have hurt someone unintentionally. I want all my hurts to be intentional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/and-yet-it-disturbs-me-to-learn-i-have-hurt-someone-unintentionally-i/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Mary: Some call this "Eve's curse," but I think that is stupid because the real curse of Eve was having to put up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/mary-some-call-this-eve-s-curse-but-i-think-that-is-stupid-because/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“The birds were singing around me, but I reflected that the very birds were strangers to me, for I did not even know their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-birds-were-singing-around-me-but-i-reflected-that-the-very-birds/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Strange how we decorate pain. These ribbons, for instance, and the small hard teardrops of blood. Who are they for? Do we think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/strange-how-we-decorate-pain-these-ribbons-for-instance-and-the-small/) [margaret atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [I wanted to forget the past, but it refused to forget me; it waited for sleep, then cornered me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-wanted-to-forget-the-past-but-it-refused-to-forget-me-it-waited-for/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Back at home they drew the curtains and read, with disapproval, with relish, with avidity and glee - even the ones who'd never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/back-at-home-they-drew-the-curtains-and-read-with-disapproval-with/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“It's my fault. I am forgetting too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/it-s-my-fault-i-am-forgetting-too-much/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [All fiction is about people, unless it's about rabbits pretending to be people. It's all essentially characters in action, which means characters moving through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/all-fiction-is-about-people-unless-it-s-about-rabbits-pretending-to/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Simon walks back to the house alone. The night is clear and warm, with a moon, almost full, enclosed in a nimbus of mist;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/simon-walks-back-to-the-house-alone-the-night-is-clear-and-warm-with/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“There is indeed something delightful about being able to combine obedience and disobedience in the same act.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/there-is-indeed-something-delightful-about-being-able-to-combine/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“Every time the women appear, Snowman is astonished all over again. They're every known colour from the deepest black to whitest white, they're various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/every-time-the-women-appear-snowman-is-astonished-all-over-again-they/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Once you publish a book, it is out of your control. You cannot dictate how people read it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/once-you-publish-a-book-it-is-out-of-your-control-you-cannot-dictate/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“The more difficult it was to love the particular man beside us, the more we believed in Love, abstract and total. We were waiting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/the-more-difficult-it-was-to-love-the-particular-man-beside-us-the/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“She knows she's deceiving herself about that, but she prefers to deceive herself. She desperately needs to believe such pure joy is still possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/she-knows-she-s-deceiving-herself-about-that-but-she-prefers-to/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) [Explore all 2,072 Margaret Atwood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) ## More Feeling quotes > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My feeling has always been that 'Good Eats' would have never happened had it been left to a committee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/my-feeling-has-always-been-that-good-eats-would-have-never-happened/) [Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [Tryna hide this pain with these pain killers, she said the storms only will last a little while but shit it got me feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/tryna-hide-this-pain-with-these-pain-killers-she-said-the-storms-only/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myself/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [Hate not knowing when things are going to happen feeling different every single day. 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I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [What I do miss that I don't get anymore? You're going to think I'm crazy, but you want the truth, so here it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mandrell/what-i-do-miss-that-i-don-t-get-anymore-you-re-going-to-think-i-m/) [Barbara Mandrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mandrell/) > [I think kids growing up, if they were picked on and feeling inferior at 12, they're going to feel that way at 72. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-think-kids-growing-up-if-they-were-picked-on-and-feeling-inferior/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [I don't think Alfonso was a big expert on Potter either. 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