--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is a series of pulls back and forth…" description: "\"“Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shoul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mitch-albom-187_crooked-teeth_life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth_265892.png" --- # Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do… ![“Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn’t. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted. “A tension of opposites, like a pull on a…” quote by Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mitch-albom-187_crooked-teeth_life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth_265892.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mitch-albom-187_crooked-teeth_life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth_265892.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mitch-albom-187_crooked-teeth_life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth_265892.png) > ““Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn’t. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted. “A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. And most of us live somewhere in the middle. “ Sounds like a wrestling match, I say. “A wrestling match.” He laughs. “Yes, you could describe life that way.” So which side wins, I ask? “Which side wins?” He smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth. “Love wins. Love always wins.”” [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is a constant tension between opposing forces, requiring balance and choice. **In simple terms:** Life pulls you in opposite directions. Key Takeaway Embrace love over conflict. Themes balance conflict choice love tension Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - career decisions - personal growth - health challenges - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts Existentialism psychology human experience Questions to Reflect On - How do you navigate opposing desires? - When does love become a practical solution? A Different Perspective Love may not resolve practical problems; it coexists with struggle. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crooked teeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crooked-teeth/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Always Wins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-always-wins/) [Love Wins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-wins-2/) [Mitch-albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mitch-albom/) [Tuesdays with morrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tuesdays-with-morrie/) ## Related quotes > [“Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Somethings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth-you-want-to-do-one-thing-but-4/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Have I told you about the tension of opposites? he says. The tension of opposites? Life is a series of pulls back and forth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/have-i-told-you-about-the-tension-of-opposites-he-says-the-tension-of/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Life is a series of pulls back and forth... A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. Most of us live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth-a-tension-of-opposites-like/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [The tension of opposites: Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/the-tension-of-opposites-life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth-you/) [Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/) > [“One afternoon, I am complaining about the confusion of my age, what is expected of me versus what I want for myself. "Have I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/one-afternoon-i-am-complaining-about-the-confusion-of-my-age-what-is/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Love wins, love always wins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/love-wins-love-always-wins/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“A wrestling match.. Yes, you could describe life that way." So which side wins, I ask? He smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/a-wrestling-match-yes-you-could-describe-life-that-way-so-which-side/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Life is a series of back and forth...' 'So which side wins, I ask?' 'Love wins. Love always wins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-is-a-series-of-back-and-forth-so-which-side-wins-i-ask-love-wins/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Tears are okay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/tears-are-okay/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Tension of opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/tension-of-opposites/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“If the only thing wrong with mosques, Lent, chanting, ?Mecca, confession, or reincarnation is that they're not yours- well maybe the problem is "YOU”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/if-the-only-thing-wrong-with-mosques-lent-chanting-mecca-confession/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“You need someone to probe you in that direction. It won't just happen automatically." I knew what he was saying. We all need teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/you-need-someone-to-probe-you-in-that-direction-it-won-t-just-happen/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Time flies with you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/time-flies-with-you/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“We really don't experience the world fully, because we're half-asleep, doing things we automatically think we have to do.” And facing death changes that?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/we-really-don-t-experience-the-world-fully-because-we-re-half-asleep/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Things that happen before you are born still affect you... And people who come before your time affect you as well. We move through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/things-that-happen-before-you-are-born-still-affect-you-and-people/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## More by Mitch Albom > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [the words people do not speak are louder than the ones they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/the-words-people-do-not-speak-are-louder-than-the-ones-they-do/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Once, lovers on faraway shores sat by candlelight and dipped ink to parchment, writing words that could not be erased. They took an evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/once-lovers-on-faraway-shores-sat-by-candlelight-and-dipped-ink-to/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Giving to other people makes me feel alive. Not my car or my house. Not what I look like in the mirror. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/giving-to-other-people-makes-me-feel-alive-not-my-car-or-my-house-not/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Life goes quickly, doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-goes-quickly-doesn-t-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [As children grow, they gravitate to their fates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/as-children-grow-they-gravitate-to-their-fates/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“If the only thing wrong with Moses is that he's not yours; if the only thing wrong with Jesus is that he's not yours;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/if-the-only-thing-wrong-with-moses-is-that-he-s-not-yours-if-the-only/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Sometimes your kids will say the nastiest things, won't they, Rose? You want to ask,'Whose child is this?'" Rose chuckled. "But usually, they're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sometimes-your-kids-will-say-the-nastiest-things-won-t-they-rose-you/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“whisper their good-byes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/whisper-their-good-byes/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“I had also developed my own culture. Work. Over the years, I had taken labor as my companion and had moved everything else to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-had-also-developed-my-own-culture-work-over-the-years-i-had-taken/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [When we are most alone is when we embrace another's loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/when-we-are-most-alone-is-when-we-embrace-another-s-loneliness/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“You didn’t get it. Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/you-didn-t-get-it-sacrifice-is-a-part-of-life-it-s-supposed-to-be-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on the good things still in my life. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-give-myself-a-good-cry-if-i-need-it-but-then-i-concentrate-on-the/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [It was sad, the imbalance of it all. Why do kids assume so much from one parent and hold the other to a lower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/it-was-sad-the-imbalance-of-it-all-why-do-kids-assume-so-much-from/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) [Explore all 962 Mitch Albom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## More Crooked teeth quotes > [When I meet a new person, something has to be a little off for me to consider them beautiful. It could be crooked teeth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/when-i-meet-a-new-person-something-has-to-be-a-little-off-for-me-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [Richard opened his hand, and the key stared up at him from his palm. "By my crooked teeth," asked Richard, remembering, "who am I?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/richard-opened-his-hand-and-the-key-stared-up-at-him-from-his-palm-by/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“I turn my head, and you may go where you want. I turn it again, you will stay till you rot. I have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-turn-my-head-and-you-may-go-where-you-want-i-turn-it-again-you-will/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [This was middle school, the age of miracles, the time when kids shot up three inches over the summer, when breasts bloomed from nothing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/this-was-middle-school-the-age-of-miracles-the-time-when-kids-shot-up/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [“My lawyer’s name is Mr. Dentist. I have him on retainer. The police may think I’m crooked, but my teeth sure are straight!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-lawyer-s-name-is-mr-dentist-i-have-him-on-retainer-the-police-may/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I'm not handsome in the classical sense. The eyes droop, the mouth is crooked, the teeth aren't straight, the voice sounds like a Mafioso…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-m-not-handsome-in-the-classical-sense-the-eyes-droop-the-mouth-is/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [“Have I told you about the tension of opposites? he says. The tension of opposites? Life is a series of pulls back and forth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/have-i-told-you-about-the-tension-of-opposites-he-says-the-tension-of/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I'm a character actor. Nobody's ever seemed to think of me as a leading man. I'm 6'6''. I've got a big nose. I'm gangly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cromwell/i-m-a-character-actor-nobody-s-ever-seemed-to-think-of-me-as-a/) [James Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cromwell/) > [“The punter sweated on top of Marina, his lips all over her young body, his tongue slipping out from rows of crooked teeth, pushing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-conrad/the-punter-sweated-on-top-of-marina-his-lips-all-over-her-young-body/) [Tom Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-conrad/) > [“Just above Tommy’s face were the Maiden and the Troll, two of his oldest wall people. The troll lived in a cave deep in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kanuckel/just-above-tommy-s-face-were-the-maiden-and-the-troll-two-of-his/) [Michael Kanuckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kanuckel/) > [I always thought I had crooked eyebrows and crooked teeth. That's why I never understood why people called me a beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-always-thought-i-had-crooked-eyebrows-and-crooked-teeth-that-s-why/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [“There are certain children who are told they are too sensitive, and there are certain adults who believe sensitivity is a problem that can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/there-are-certain-children-who-are-told-they-are-too-sensitive-and/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [“The man standing in the booth placing the tickets into her hands for the fun-house loomed largely in front of her with arms comprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-allison-parker/the-man-standing-in-the-booth-placing-the-tickets-into-her-hands-for/) [Jaime Allison Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-allison-parker/) > [“Perhaps you should consider your difficulty in getting past Wendlyn's naval defences to be a sign that you should stop playing at being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/perhaps-you-should-consider-your-difficulty-in-getting-past-wendlyn-s/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [With great difficulty, I persuaded my dentist to saw one of my teeth level with the others. He thought it might kill the tooth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/with-great-difficulty-i-persuaded-my-dentist-to-saw-one-of-my-teeth/) [Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/) [Browse all 28 Crooked teeth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crooked-teeth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn’t. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted. “A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. And most of us live somewhere in the middle. “ Sounds like a wrestling match, I say. “A wrestling match.” He laughs. “Yes, you could describe life that way.” So which side wins, I ask? “Which side wins?” He smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth. “Love wins. Love always wins.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mitch Albom" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth-you-want-to-do-one-thing-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crooked teeth" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth-you-want-to-do-one-thing-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mitch-albom-187_crooked-teeth_life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth_265892.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mitch-albom-187_crooked-teeth_life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth_265892.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mitch-albom-187_crooked-teeth_life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth_265892.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else…” — Mitch Albom", "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": "Mitch Albom", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Life is a series of pulls...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth-you-want-to-do-one-thing-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-is-a-series-of-pulls-back-and-forth-you-want-to-do-one-thing-but/#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 } } ] } ```