--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you read enough stories about people…" description: "\"When you read enough stories about people who have been through different levels of trauma, and it doesn't matter what the history is, trauma is trauma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/matana-roberts-36250_different_when-you-read-enough-stories-about-peopl_2844923.jpg" --- # When you read enough stories about people who have been… ![“When you read enough stories about people who have been through different levels of trauma, and it doesn't matter what the history is, trauma is trauma, there's always this freeing of the spirit.” quote by Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/matana-roberts-36250_different_when-you-read-enough-stories-about-peopl_2844923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/matana-roberts-36250_different_when-you-read-enough-stories-about-peopl_2844923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/matana-roberts-36250_different_when-you-read-enough-stories-about-peopl_2844923.jpg) > “When you read enough stories about people who have been through different levels of trauma, and it doesn't matter what the history is, trauma is trauma, there's always this freeing of the spirit.” [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading diverse trauma stories shows that acknowledging pain can liberate the spirit, regardless of specific backgrounds. **In simple terms:** Acknowledging trauma frees the spirit. Key Takeaway Recognize trauma to find liberation. Themes trauma healing storytelling Mood hopeful reflective Type inspirational therapeutic When to use this quote - therapy sessions - support groups - creative writing Key Concepts narrative therapy empathic listening cultural context Questions to Reflect On - How does storytelling aid personal healing? - What limits exist in using narrative for trauma recovery? A Different Perspective Healing narratives may not address systemic causes of trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-level/) [Different levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-levels/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freeing Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freeing-spirit-3752162/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Trauma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-trauma-2238122/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Trauma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trauma/) [Trauma Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trauma-doesn-743223/) [Trauma Freeing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trauma-freeing-3752161/) ## Related quotes > [I'm very connected to the story, the history, and the trauma people experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chath-piersath/i-m-very-connected-to-the-story-the-history-and-the-trauma-people/) [Chath Piersath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chath-piersath/) > [“Trauma doesn't occur in a vacuum. You don't outgrow it with time. It grows with you, even if the growing goes all wrong. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sung-yim/trauma-doesn-t-occur-in-a-vacuum-you-don-t-outgrow-it-with-time-it/) [Sung Yim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sung-yim/) > [I come from a world where the word 'trauma' doesn't exist, because we are too poor. I didn't have an easy life compared to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-come-from-a-world-where-the-word-trauma-doesn-t-exist-because-we/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [“A trauma doesn't stop just because you've been rescued.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dot-hutchison/a-trauma-doesn-t-stop-just-because-you-ve-been-rescued/) [Dot Hutchison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dot-hutchison/) > [“Trauma. It doesn't eke itself out over time. It doesn't split itself manageably into bite-sized chunks and distribute itself equally throughout your life. Trauma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-bourne/trauma-it-doesn-t-eke-itself-out-over-time-it-doesn-t-split-itself/) [Holly Bourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-bourne/) > [He just explained that he just wanted to help people and that was his way of helping people of, you know, being someone that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manti-te-o/he-just-explained-that-he-just-wanted-to-help-people-and-that-was-his/) [Manti Te'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manti-te-o/) > [There was certainly nothing really sexual about my youth growing up, simply because the fact remains if you're the fat kid in a school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-amaechi/there-was-certainly-nothing-really-sexual-about-my-youth-growing-up/) [John Amaechi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-amaechi/) > ['StarCraft II' is a really great game. It appeals to players on multiple different levels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/starcraft-ii-is-a-really-great-game-it-appeals-to-players-on-multiple/) [Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/) > [Artwork operates on two different levels: On one level there's artwork as a mode of expressivity, and then there's the other side, where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/artwork-operates-on-two-different-levels-on-one-level-there-s-artwork/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [We need to be open minded to understand that there are lots of different levels of things going on and we shouldn't be so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/we-need-to-be-open-minded-to-understand-that-there-are-lots-of/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [You want success on different levels. I wouldn't be honest if I said I don't look over there in the pop world and say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hamilton/you-want-success-on-different-levels-i-wouldn-t-be-honest-if-i-said-i/) [Anthony Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hamilton/) > [When you are younger, you pretend to believe, but you are proving it to everyone and to yourself. The change comes when you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-mencia/when-you-are-younger-you-pretend-to-believe-but-you-are-proving-it-to/) [Carlos Mencia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-mencia/) > [Even in Heaven, the most perfect City in the World, there are going to be different levels, different classes, different stages, some very high,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/even-in-heaven-the-most-perfect-city-in-the-world-there-are-going-to/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [You have to make that stand out from the rest of the three hours. There are times when I'm having fun and being loose,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/you-have-to-make-that-stand-out-from-the-rest-of-the-three-hours/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) ## More by Matana Roberts > [It's nice that people can call me an artist and it's nice that I can refer to myself as such, but it also kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/it-s-nice-that-people-can-call-me-an-artist-and-it-s-nice-that-i-can/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [Leading a band is fun, but it's not always something I want to continually focus on. I have my toes in a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/leading-a-band-is-fun-but-it-s-not-always-something-i-want-to/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [Someone can do anything they want to you on the outside, but whatever they do to me they cannot destroy what's on my inside.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/someone-can-do-anything-they-want-to-you-on-the-outside-but-whatever/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [The saxophone was created to mimic the human voice and I think that's why I gravitated toward the saxophone eventually. I'd loved the clarinet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/the-saxophone-was-created-to-mimic-the-human-voice-and-i-think-that-s/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [I love making people sing. I love group singing, sacred harp singing, choral singing, recordings of people singing sea shanties, work songs, prison songs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/i-love-making-people-sing-i-love-group-singing-sacred-harp-singing/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [I love working with my hands. The computer has taken over my life in a way that makes me really uncomfortable. I'm trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/i-love-working-with-my-hands-the-computer-has-taken-over-my-life-in-a/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [ New York is beautiful, but \[the South\] makes it look like a wasteland. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/new-york-is-beautiful-but-the-south-makes-it-look-like-a-wasteland/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [Listening to the birds tells you different things about a place. I heard bird sounds I'd never heard before. I heard street sounds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/listening-to-the-birds-tells-you-different-things-about-a-place-i/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [I have a really big interest in the spirit world: spooks and the things we can't necessarily see but feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/i-have-a-really-big-interest-in-the-spirit-world-spooks-and-the/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [It's important to interrogate history, it's important to document history, because as a society we need constant reminders of the things that we've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/it-s-important-to-interrogate-history-it-s-important-to-document/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [I'm a history geek and I love American history. It's so bizarre and so problematic and I love the many conundrums that it represents.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/i-m-a-history-geek-and-i-love-american-history-it-s-so-bizarre-and-so/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) > [A lot of my video work is super lo-fi on purpose. I'm not trying to become technically super proficient. The only thing I'm interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/a-lot-of-my-video-work-is-super-lo-fi-on-purpose-i-m-not-trying-to/) [Matana Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) [Explore all 13 Matana Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/) ## More Different quotes > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/one-of-the-reasons-that-i-do-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of-pictures-is/) [Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/) > [I painted the words "GREAT ADVENTURE" in Beijing, Dallas, San Francisco, Copenhagen, and Japan. What it means to me is completely different to everybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-eine/i-painted-the-words-great-adventure-in-beijing-dallas-san-francisco/) [Ben Eine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-eine/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Suffering did different things to different people...Some souls became tempered, unshakable in their faith, while others became twisted and mis-shapen, throwing off all connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ragen/suffering-did-different-things-to-different-people-some-souls-became/) [Naomi Ragen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ragen/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I always aspired to do something different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayushmann-khurrana/i-always-aspired-to-do-something-different/) [Ayushmann Khurrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayushmann-khurrana/) > [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) [Browse all 28,697 Different quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you read enough stories about people who have been through different levels of trauma, and it doesn't matter what the history is, trauma is trauma, there's always this freeing of the spirit.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matana Roberts" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/when-you-read-enough-stories-about-people-who-have-been-through/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Different" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/when-you-read-enough-stories-about-people-who-have-been-through/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/matana-roberts-36250_different_when-you-read-enough-stories-about-peopl_2844923.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/matana-roberts-36250_different_when-you-read-enough-stories-about-peopl_2844923.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/matana-roberts-36250_different_when-you-read-enough-stories-about-peopl_2844923.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you read enough stories about people who have been through different levels of trauma, and it doesn't…” — Matana Roberts", "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": "Matana Roberts", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matana-roberts/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you read enough stories about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/when-you-read-enough-stories-about-people-who-have-been-through/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matana-roberts/when-you-read-enough-stories-about-people-who-have-been-through/#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 } } ] } ```