--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I punished myself and avoided my…" description: "\"I punished myself and avoided my reflection in mirrors and any windows. I would see myself reflected back, and I would look away, trying to pretend I d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/margaret-cho-1136_avoided_i-punished-myself-and-avoided-my-reflect_2493815.png" --- # I punished myself and avoided my reflection in mirrors and… ![“I punished myself and avoided my reflection in mirrors and any windows. I would see myself reflected back, and I would look away, trying to pretend I didn't exist, because I hated myself so much.” quote by Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/margaret-cho-1136_avoided_i-punished-myself-and-avoided-my-reflect_2493815.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/margaret-cho-1136_avoided_i-punished-myself-and-avoided-my-reflect_2493815.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/margaret-cho-1136_avoided_i-punished-myself-and-avoided-my-reflect_2493815.png) > “I punished myself and avoided my reflection in mirrors and any windows. I would see myself reflected back, and I would look away, trying to pretend I didn't exist, because I hated myself so much.” [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑avoidance reflects deep self‑hatred; confronting one's image is key to healing. **In simple terms:** Avoiding self‑image shows self‑hatred. Key Takeaway Face yourself to heal. Themes self‑esteem mental health self‑image Mood vulnerable hopeful Type personal therapeutic When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal journaling Key Concepts psychology self‑acceptance healing Questions to Reflect On - What steps help you accept your reflection? - How can humor aid self‑acceptance? A Different Perspective Self‑reflection can be painful and trigger anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoided/) [Avoided Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoided-reflection-992855/) [Hated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hated/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Punished Avoided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punished-avoided-992856/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Reflection Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection-mirrors-992857/) [Self-Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-awareness-2/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Window](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/window/) ## Related quotes > [For it is only in accepting death that one can truly live, and for the human animal, death has always been the great black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-one-can-truly-live-and-for-the/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [I think sex is really about the self, and really a self-reflection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-think-sex-is-really-about-the-self-and-really-a-self-reflection/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [Against specious appearances we must set clear convictions, bright and ready for use. When death appears as an evil, we ought immediately to remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/against-specious-appearances-we-must-set-clear-convictions-bright-and/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [I've created a narrative of the world. I live in the world - tenuously, most times. I've avoided the digital world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-ve-created-a-narrative-of-the-world-i-live-in-the-world-tenuously/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [If in the words which the Secretary of State has just used, the use of a nuclear weapon is to be avoided 'at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/if-in-the-words-which-the-secretary-of-state-has-just-used-the-use-of/) [Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/) > [“Adversity Isn’t to Be Avoided”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-anthony-smith/adversity-isn-t-to-be-avoided/) [Miles Anthony Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-anthony-smith/) > [I've always avoided publicity. I've never been good copy at any stage of my life. I don't strive for it, because I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/i-ve-always-avoided-publicity-i-ve-never-been-good-copy-at-any-stage/) [Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/) > [Specialness as a primary mode of death transcendence takes a number of other maladaptive forms. The drive for power is not uncommonly motivated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/specialness-as-a-primary-mode-of-death-transcendence-takes-a-number/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [Usually I avoided college students, whom I considered brutal, wrapped up in themselves, particularly in their youth, in which they found material for drama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/usually-i-avoided-college-students-whom-i-considered-brutal-wrapped/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I read actual physical books and have thus far avoided the electronic lure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-read-actual-physical-books-and-have-thus-far-avoided-the-electronic/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [“war is not so to be avoided, but is only deferred to your disadvantage”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/war-is-not-so-to-be-avoided-but-is-only-deferred-to-your-disadvantage/) [Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Naive optimism and pervasive pessimism are both to be avoided, therefore. It's not an easy balance to maintain, to be asked to work away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/naive-optimism-and-pervasive-pessimism-are-both-to-be-avoided/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [Poetry in love is no more to be avoided than jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/poetry-in-love-is-no-more-to-be-avoided-than-jealousy/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Among many other weighty objections to the Measure, it has been suggested, that it has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/among-many-other-weighty-objections-to-the-measure-it-has-been/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [I avoided nudity unless a film couldn't be told without those scenes. If you look at my films, few of them have that element,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-scacchi/i-avoided-nudity-unless-a-film-couldn-t-be-told-without-those-scenes/) [Greta Scacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-scacchi/) ## More by Margaret Cho > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I'm super-obsessed with 'Intervention.' I wrote a song about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-m-super-obsessed-with-intervention-i-wrote-a-song-about-it/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I have 3 dogs myself - I actually have a kennel license in order to do so. I love them so much I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-have-3-dogs-myself-i-actually-have-a-kennel-license-in-order-to-do/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I think self-deprecation is such a disease, and I want to cure everybody of it and so that's my contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-think-self-deprecation-is-such-a-disease-and-i-want-to-cure/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I don't like pot anymore -- I forget why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-don-t-like-pot-anymore-i-forget-why/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I'm not a mom, but I think the word 'mother' is about wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-m-not-a-mom-but-i-think-the-word-mother-is-about-wisdom/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [That we are selfish gives us the opportunity to gain the power so that, in time, we might be selfless. To give back what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/that-we-are-selfish-gives-us-the-opportunity-to-gain-the-power-so/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [Why can't all different types of women be considered beautiful? Why can't we can't we all be considered possible love interests?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/why-can-t-all-different-types-of-women-be-considered-beautiful-why/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I think that failure is just as important as success. In a way, failure is a kind of success if you can look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-think-that-failure-is-just-as-important-as-success-in-a-way-failure/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I could never make a joke about somebody unless I could say it to their face and they'd laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-could-never-make-a-joke-about-somebody-unless-i-could-say-it-to/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/sometimes-when-we-are-generous-in-small-barely-detectable-ways-it-can/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [ Something as important as marriage equality, which is now a constitutional right \[in the USA\], is something that cannot be denied. It's also very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/something-as-important-as-marriage-equality-which-is-now-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [It's not the best between my family and me. There are so many crimes left unpunished, debts unpaid, white elephants in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/it-s-not-the-best-between-my-family-and-me-there-are-so-many-crimes/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [It's okay for you to have relationships, but it's not okay to talk about them. It's not okay to be out or to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/it-s-okay-for-you-to-have-relationships-but-it-s-not-okay-to-talk/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [My attitude toward peace does not depend on which war we are discussing. I think that words should do the work of bombs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/my-attitude-toward-peace-does-not-depend-on-which-war-we-are/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) [Explore all 285 Margaret Cho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) ## More Avoided quotes > [I avoided nudity unless a film couldn't be told without those scenes. If you look at my films, few of them have that element,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-scacchi/i-avoided-nudity-unless-a-film-couldn-t-be-told-without-those-scenes/) [Greta Scacchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-scacchi/) > [Among many other weighty objections to the Measure, it has been suggested, that it has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/among-many-other-weighty-objections-to-the-measure-it-has-been/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Poetry in love is no more to be avoided than jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/poetry-in-love-is-no-more-to-be-avoided-than-jealousy/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Naive optimism and pervasive pessimism are both to be avoided, therefore. It's not an easy balance to maintain, to be asked to work away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/naive-optimism-and-pervasive-pessimism-are-both-to-be-avoided/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [“war is not so to be avoided, but is only deferred to your disadvantage”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/war-is-not-so-to-be-avoided-but-is-only-deferred-to-your-disadvantage/) [Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [I read actual physical books and have thus far avoided the electronic lure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-read-actual-physical-books-and-have-thus-far-avoided-the-electronic/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [Usually I avoided college students, whom I considered brutal, wrapped up in themselves, particularly in their youth, in which they found material for drama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/usually-i-avoided-college-students-whom-i-considered-brutal-wrapped/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Specialness as a primary mode of death transcendence takes a number of other maladaptive forms. The drive for power is not uncommonly motivated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/specialness-as-a-primary-mode-of-death-transcendence-takes-a-number/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [I've always avoided publicity. I've never been good copy at any stage of my life. 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