---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He’d been so neglected as a child that…"
description: "\"“He’d been so neglected as a child that the withdrawal of love pulled all his emotional triggers, exploding the carapace of narcissism built by his chi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4b/neil-strauss-3035_children_he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-t_2947178.png"
---

#  He’d been so neglected as a child that the withdrawal of…

![“He’d been so neglected as a child that the withdrawal of love pulled all his emotional triggers, exploding the carapace of narcissism built by his childhood escapism. As” quote by Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4b/neil-strauss-3035_children_he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-t_2947178.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4b/neil-strauss-3035_children_he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-t_2947178.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4b/neil-strauss-3035_children_he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-t_2947178.png)

> ““He’d been so neglected as a child that the withdrawal of love pulled all his emotional triggers, exploding the carapace of narcissism built by his childhood escapism. As””

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

## About This Quote

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

Early neglect leads to love withdrawal triggering emotional triggers, exposing narcissistic defenses built from escapism.

**In simple terms:** Neglect fuels narcissism via emotional triggers.

Key Takeaway

Address childhood wounds to heal narcissism.

Themes

psychology trauma narcissism

Mood

introspective serious

Type

self‑help psychological

When to use this quote

- therapy
- self‑help
- relationship counseling
- personal growth

Key Concepts

attachment emotional regulation self‑awareness

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps heal early neglect?
- How to recognize narcissistic patterns?

A Different Perspective

May simplify complex personality development.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Child Withdrawal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-withdrawal-4424032/) [Childhood Escapism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood-escapism-4424030/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Narcissism Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narcissism-built-4424031/) [Neglected child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neglected-child-129958/) [Pulled Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulled-emotional-734179/)

## Related quotes

> [At every point in 'Broadchurch' you're continually told and pulled back into the emotional cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/at-every-point-in-broadchurch-you-re-continually-told-and-pulled-back/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I am positive I was not a neglected child. I remember reading 'The Jungle Book' and 'The Sleeping Beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-russell/i-am-positive-i-was-not-a-neglected-child-i-remember-reading-the/)

[Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-russell/)

> [The rules of parenting have changed. By the modern definition, we were a generation of neglected children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-linklater/the-rules-of-parenting-have-changed-by-the-modern-definition-we-were/)

[Richard Linklater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-linklater/)

> [If the semicolon is one of the neglected children in the family of punctuation marks these days, told to stay in its room and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-humphrys/if-the-semicolon-is-one-of-the-neglected-children-in-the-family-of/)

[John Humphrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-humphrys/)

> [I needed to purge myself of all the attention my parents had given me - I wasn't neglected enough as a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-needed-to-purge-myself-of-all-the-attention-my-parents-had-given-me/)

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

> [Abused And neglected children have paid the price for liberalism's tendency to sentimentalize the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-charen/abused-and-neglected-children-have-paid-the-price-for-liberalism-s/)

[Mona Charen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-charen/)

> [What is a neglected child? He is a child not planned for, not wanted. Neglect begins, therefore, before he is born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/what-is-a-neglected-child-he-is-a-child-not-planned-for-not-wanted/)

[Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/)

> [By not paying attention to your body, you are putting it in the same predicament as a neglected child. How can a child be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-not-paying-attention-to-your-body-you-are-putting-it-in-the-same/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

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

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

## More by Neil Strauss

> [“Never underestimate your own capacity to care. “I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/never-underestimate-your-own-capacity-to-care-i/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [Rapport equals trust plus comfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/rapport-equals-trust-plus-comfort/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [A good organizer is key to anyone with a busy social life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-good-organizer-is-key-to-anyone-with-a-busy-social-life/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“NONVERSATION—noun: a conversation in which one person isn’t paying attention to what the other person is saying, generally due to lack of interest or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/nonversation-noun-a-conversation-in-which-one-person-isn-t-paying/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [You need to be careful with a Bluetooth headset. Because some guys look crazy with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/you-need-to-be-careful-with-a-bluetooth-headset-because-some-guys/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [In life, people tend to wait for good things to come to them. And by waiting, they miss out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/in-life-people-tend-to-wait-for-good-things-to-come-to-them-and-by/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [A lot of guys are very intimidated by an attractive woman, and they dehumanise her because our culture perceives beautiful women as commodities. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-lot-of-guys-are-very-intimidated-by-an-attractive-woman-and-they/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“That's when I started to leave it behind. I realized that I got my entire validation from women. Women became like gods to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/that-s-when-i-started-to-leave-it-behind-i-realized-that-i-got-my/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [Life is more fun when you open your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/life-is-more-fun-when-you-open-your-mouth/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [Growing up, I was watched by my parents and strongly critiqued. Instead of saying they loved me or showing physical attention, they would joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/growing-up-i-was-watched-by-my-parents-and-strongly-critiqued-instead/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“We never had conversations; we had nonversations, where we just filled empty space with words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/we-never-had-conversations-we-had-nonversations-where-we-just-filled/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“A man has two primary drives in early adulthood: one toward power, success, and accomplishment; the other toward love, companionship, and sex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/a-man-has-two-primary-drives-in-early-adulthood-one-toward-power/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“Among the required reading for all PUAs were books on evolutionary theory: The Red Queen by Matt Ridley, The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/among-the-required-reading-for-all-puas-were-books-on-evolutionary/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [Instead of putting others down, try improving yourself instead. The only person you have a right to compete with is you. In the meantime,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/instead-of-putting-others-down-try-improving-yourself-instead-the/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

> [“We were all searching outside ourselves for our missing pieces, and we were all looking in the wrong direction. Instead of finding ourselves, we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/we-were-all-searching-outside-ourselves-for-our-missing-pieces-and-we/)

[Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

[Explore all 139 Neil Strauss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

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

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [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/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“He’d been so neglected as a child that the withdrawal of love pulled all his emotional triggers, exploding the carapace of narcissism built by his childhood escapism. As”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil Strauss"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-the-withdrawal-of-love-pulled/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-the-withdrawal-of-love-pulled/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4b/neil-strauss-3035_children_he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-t_2947178.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4b/neil-strauss-3035_children_he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-t_2947178.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4b/neil-strauss-3035_children_he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-t_2947178.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He’d been so neglected as a child that the withdrawal of love pulled all his emotional triggers, exploding…” — Neil Strauss",
                "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": "Neil Strauss",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“He’d been so neglected as a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-the-withdrawal-of-love-pulled/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/he-d-been-so-neglected-as-a-child-that-the-withdrawal-of-love-pulled/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
