---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sabina was now by herself. She went back…"
description: "\"“Sabina was now by herself. She went back to the mirror, still in her underwear. She put the bowler hat back on her head and had a long look at herself..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/milan-kundera-120_mirror_sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back_2867779.jpg"
---

#  Sabina was now by herself. She went back to the mirror…

![“Sabina was now by herself. She went back to the mirror, still in her underwear. She put the bowler hat back on her head and had a long look at herself. She was amazed at the number of years she had spent pursuing one lost moment.” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/milan-kundera-120_mirror_sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back_2867779.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/milan-kundera-120_mirror_sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back_2867779.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/milan-kundera-120_mirror_sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back_2867779.jpg)

> ““Sabina was now by herself. She went back to the mirror, still in her underwear. She put the bowler hat back on her head and had a long look at herself. She was amazed at the number of years she had spent pursuing one lost moment.””

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Sabina reflects on her life while alone, realizing she spent years chasing a lost moment.

**In simple terms:** She sees wasted years chasing an unattainable memory.

Key Takeaway

Recognize when pursuits become futile.

Themes

memory regret self‑reflection

Mood

melancholic thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- career choices
- creative projects

Key Concepts

nostalgia existential longing

Questions to Reflect On

- What moments do you chase that may be unreachable?
- How can you redirect energy toward present fulfillment?

A Different Perspective

May romanticize loss over growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Lost Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-mom/) [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/)

## Related quotes

> [“We had pale yellow tile in our bathroom rimmed with thin tiles of white. I’d dumped Tack’s old, mismatched towels and added new, thick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/we-had-pale-yellow-tile-in-our-bathroom-rimmed-with-thin-tiles-of/)

[Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/)

> [“Life pushes on, but I’ve lost momentum and observe rather than participate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia-peele/life-pushes-on-but-i-ve-lost-momentum-and-observe-rather-than/)

[Lia Peele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lia-peele/)

> [When you've managed to stumble directly into the heart of the unknown - either through the misdirection of others, or better yet, through your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cahill/when-you-ve-managed-to-stumble-directly-into-the-heart-of-the-unknown/)

[Tim Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cahill/)

> [I've just had some things to deal with, like family stuff, you know, lost my mom. Which is the most difficult stuff I've gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dorff/i-ve-just-had-some-things-to-deal-with-like-family-stuff-you-know/)

[Stephen Dorff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dorff/)

> [Illness, Injury, love, lost moments of true nreatgess, or sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yaseeno/illness-injury-love-lost-moments-of-true-nreatgess-or-sheer-stupidity/)

Yaseeno

> [“Time, my elusive friend, just for once can you turn back the clock, Play back some of my lost moments and some events can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-s-khatana/time-my-elusive-friend-just-for-once-can-you-turn-back-the-clock-play/)

K S Khatana

> [I lost my mom when I was young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ad-rock/i-lost-my-mom-when-i-was-young/)

[Ad-Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ad-rock/)

> [“It will never be okay,” a friend who lost her mom in her teens said to me a couple years ago. “It will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/it-will-never-be-okay-a-friend-who-lost-her-mom-in-her-teens-said-to/)

[Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/)

> [“Why shall I speak of the damage of love? When it rejuvenates me just as much In love, people happen to say too much,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zubair-ahsan/why-shall-i-speak-of-the-damage-of-love-when-it-rejuvenates-me-just/)

[Zubair Ahsan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zubair-ahsan/)

> [My mom lost her mom at a very early age, and she was so excited to be a mother. Sometimes that can translate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-gordon/my-mom-lost-her-mom-at-a-very-early-age-and-she-was-so-excited-to-be/)

[Molly Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-gordon/)

> [“Was it possible to feel nostalgic about something that had never happened to him, possible for nostalgia to be taken in by the body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/was-it-possible-to-feel-nostalgic-about-something-that-had-never/)

[Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/)

> [In history as in human life, regret does not bring back a lost moment and a thousand years will not recover something lost in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/in-history-as-in-human-life-regret-does-not-bring-back-a-lost-moment/)

[Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/)

> [Nothing is really lost until your mom can't find it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-is-really-lost-until-your-mom-can-t-find-it/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [That awkward moment when you're at the supermarket, you look at a text , reply it in 5 seconds... And BAAAAAM you lost your mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-awkward-moment-when-you-re-at-the-supermarket-you-look-at-a-text/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't have time to write a mom blog, but I'm not against it. I think it's great when women talk about things. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-cutrone/i-don-t-have-time-to-write-a-mom-blog-but-i-m-not-against-it-i-think/)

[Kelly Cutrone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-cutrone/)

## More by Milan Kundera

> [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/our-lives-may-be-separate-but-they-run-in-the-same-direction-like/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-we-ignore-the-body-we-are-more-easily-victimized-by-it/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

[Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

## More Mirror quotes

> [Hate nothing in another human being because your eyes is made looking at others but never at your own self except in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/hate-nothing-in-another-human-being-because-your-eyes-is-made-looking/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

> [I always look in the mirror to see somthing beautiful but all I see is me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/13-yearold/i-always-look-in-the-mirror-to-see-somthing-beautiful-but-all-i-see/)

 13 Yearold

> [I fell upon Jenny Saville's work and loved these great big pieces she was painting, celebrating all things flesh and woman, and with great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-fell-upon-jenny-saville-s-work-and-loved-these-great-big-pieces-she/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [I wasn't happy with my body and I knew I had to do something to make myself feel better. I was looking at myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-pivarnick/i-wasn-t-happy-with-my-body-and-i-knew-i-had-to-do-something-to-make/)

[Angelina Pivarnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-pivarnick/)

> [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Our fashion for us, it's an expression; first of all of life, I put all of myself in my fashion. Sometimes it's good, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefano-gabbana/our-fashion-for-us-it-s-an-expression-first-of-all-of-life-i-put-all/)

[Stefano Gabbana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefano-gabbana/)

> [Think of me as a mirror. How you treat me is how I will treat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/think-of-me-as-a-mirror-how-you-treat-me-is-how-i-will-treat-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Even If I Don’t See it Again Even if I don’t see it again.–nor ever feel it I know it is–and that if once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-howe/even-if-i-don-t-see-it-again-even-if-i-don-t-see-it-again-nor-ever/)

[Marie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-howe/)

> [“nations never see themselves clearly in the mirror, much less when war preys on their minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/nations-never-see-themselves-clearly-in-the-mirror-much-less-when-war/)

[Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/)

> [When people look in the mirror, sometimes they see are their shells in the mirror, nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-look-in-the-mirror-sometimes-they-see-are-their-shells-in/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Mirror, mirror, here I stand. Who is the fairest in the land?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mirror-mirror-here-i-stand-who-is-the-fairest-in-the-land/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Maybe it begins the day you pledge allegiance, face the flag and suddenly clutch your left clavicle because you find a tender puff of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-johnson/maybe-it-begins-the-day-you-pledge-allegiance-face-the-flag-and/)

[Marilyn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-johnson/)

> [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/)

[Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/)

> [I turned back to the mirror, seeing that there were no lines on it. It was empty. "What happened to my mirror?" I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/i-turned-back-to-the-mirror-seeing-that-there-were-no-lines-on-it-it/)

[Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/)

> [If you long for peace, act in peace and harmony. If you want the world to change, start with the person in the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-long-for-peace-act-in-peace-and-harmony-if-you-want-the-world/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Browse all 2,876 Mirror quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Sabina was now by herself. She went back to the mirror, still in her underwear. She put the bowler hat back on her head and had a long look at herself. She was amazed at the number of years she had spent pursuing one lost moment.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Milan Kundera"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back-to-the-mirror-still-in-her/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Mirror"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back-to-the-mirror-still-in-her/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/milan-kundera-120_mirror_sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back_2867779.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/milan-kundera-120_mirror_sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back_2867779.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6f/milan-kundera-120_mirror_sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back_2867779.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sabina was now by herself. She went back to the mirror, still in her underwear. She put the bowler hat back…” — Milan Kundera",
                "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": "Milan Kundera",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Sabina was now by herself. She...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back-to-the-mirror-still-in-her/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/sabina-was-now-by-herself-she-went-back-to-the-mirror-still-in-her/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
