Feelings Quote by Michelle Tea
““Andrea worked to harden herself to the onslaught of feelings. The problem with feelings was, first you had one, which was generally bad enough. But then you had a feeling about your feeling, and then a feeling about how you were feeling about your feeling, and then another feeling would pop up at the sight of it all, this teetering pyramid of emotion, and all of it would look wrong to Andrea, all her feeling somehow incorrect, too much or too little, too soft or too hard, and another feeling would emerge at the thought of that . It was endless, having feelings. And god forbid someone noticed you having them, as Sophie just had. Then you had feelings about that , about having been seen, and more feelings still about the other person's feelings. Oh, it was awful.””
About This Quote
The passage describes how emotional self‑scrutiny creates a cascade of meta‑feelings, making the original feeling feel wrong and overwhelming.
In simple terms: Emotional over‑analysis leads to endless self‑criticism.
Key Takeaway
Self‑awareness can become self‑sabotage.
Themes
self‑awareness
meta‑cognition
emotional regulation
anxiety
self‑criticism
Mood
overwhelmed
frustrated
vulnerable
Type
personal anecdote
reflective observation
When to use this quote
- therapy session
- confiding in a friend
- journaling about feelings
- mindfulness practice
Key Concepts
meta‑emotion
self‑judgment
psychological spiral
Practical Applications
- cognitive‑behavioral techniques
- compassionate self‑talk
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we notice when we’re over‑analyzing emotions?
- What practices help break the feeling‑within‑feeling loop?
