--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was the dirty secret associated with…" description: "\"That was the dirty secret associated with her past. Not that she'd been abused but that somehow she felt that she deserved it because she'd let it happ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/nicholas-sparks-93_behinds_that-was-the-dirty-secret-associated-wit_2187233.jpg" --- # That was the dirty secret associated with her past. Not… ![“That was the dirty secret associated with her past. Not that she'd been abused but that somehow she felt that she deserved it because she'd let it happen. Even now, it shamed her, and there were times when she felt hideously ugly, as though the scars that had been left behind were visible to…” quote by Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/nicholas-sparks-93_behinds_that-was-the-dirty-secret-associated-wit_2187233.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/nicholas-sparks-93_behinds_that-was-the-dirty-secret-associated-wit_2187233.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/112/nicholas-sparks-93_behinds_that-was-the-dirty-secret-associated-wit_2187233.jpg) > “That was the dirty secret associated with her past. Not that she'd been abused but that somehow she felt that she deserved it because she'd let it happen. Even now, it shamed her, and there were times when she felt hideously ugly, as though the scars that had been left behind were visible to everyone.” [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She feels shame and self‑blame for past trauma, believing she deserved it, leading to deep insecurity. **In simple terms:** She blames herself for past abuse. Key Takeaway Heal self‑blame. Themes trauma shame self‑worth Mood somber hopeful Type therapeutic inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - support groups - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology trauma recovery self‑compassion Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to self‑compassion? - How can you reframe past events? A Different Perspective Self‑blame can hinder recovery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abused/) [Abused Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abused-felt-1942966/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Dirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirty/) [Dirty secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirty-secrets/) [Left behind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-behind/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Abused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-abused-2332454/) [Scar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scar/) [Scars Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scars-left-775487/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugly/) [Ugly Scars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugly-scars-1013929/) ## Related quotes > [“I was so sure it would happen. 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I'll probably always have these ugly scars but right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmine-sullivan/i-bust-the-windows-out-your-car-and-no-it-didn-t-mend-my-broken-heart/) [Jazmine Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmine-sullivan/) > [“Wounds like that... wounds to the heart... they leave ugly scars that never fade.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-aurora/wounds-like-that-wounds-to-the-heart-they-leave-ugly-scars-that-never/) [Belle Aurora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belle-aurora/) > [“A scar is never ugly. We must see all scars as beauty. A scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, 'I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/a-scar-is-never-ugly-we-must-see-all-scars-as-beauty-a-scar-does-not/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [Cleaning me up is just a preliminary step to determining my new look. 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They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“Nothing is ever lost nor can be lost; the body aged, sluggish,cold… the embers left from earlier fires shall dully flame again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-is-ever-lost-nor-can-be-lost-the-body-aged-sluggish-cold-the/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I'm sure you think that I don't understand what you're going through, but I do. It's just that sometimes, our future is dictated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-m-sure-you-think-that-i-don-t-understand-what-you-re-going-through/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“You weren't out there that long, were you? 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I didn't have the time or energy, and I wasn't sure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/when-we-first-met-i-didn-t-want-to-get-involved-with-anyone-i-didn-t/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“There is something terrible in the moments after waking up, when the subconscious knows that something terrible has happened but before all the memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-is-something-terrible-in-the-moments-after-waking-up-when-the/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [There is nothing like love. You should try it.” Thibault shrugged. “Maybe one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-is-nothing-like-love-you-should-try-it-thibault-shrugged-maybe/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“more time she’d spent with him, the more convinced she became that he was by far the sexiest guy she’d ever met. Who else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/more-time-she-d-spent-with-him-the-more-convinced-she-became-that-he/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Dear John, tell me everything. Write it all down, that way, we’ll be with each other all the time, even if we’re not with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/dear-john-tell-me-everything-write-it-all-down-that-way-we-ll-be-with/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [You were spying on us?" "It was kind of hard not to. You were right there by the workshop with Will. it looked like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-were-spying-on-us-it-was-kind-of-hard-not-to-you-were-right-there/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [There are lots of real men out there - men who could fall in love with you at the drop of a hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-are-lots-of-real-men-out-there-men-who-could-fall-in-love-with/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [...nothing wonderful lasted forever. Joy was as fleeting as a shooting star that crossed the evening sky, ready to blink out at any moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-wonderful-lasted-forever-joy-was-as-fleeting-as-a-shooting/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [He put his arms around her. “Well, in my defense, then, whatever I did seemed to work, didn't it?” She sighed. “I suppose.” “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-put-his-arms-around-her-well-in-my-defense-then-whatever-i-did/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I don't know. I really don't. While I was in the living room, I kept asking myself what I really wanted in life." She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-don-t-know-i-really-don-t-while-i-was-in-the-living-room-i-kept/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) [Explore all 1,309 Nicholas Sparks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) ## More Abused quotes > [One of the most abused country on earth is Mexico. The marketing spills over the border, and people are persuaded to eat food that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj-patel/one-of-the-most-abused-country-on-earth-is-mexico-the-marketing/) [Raj Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj-patel/) > [“Too many cases thrown out of court, too much pop-psycho crap, satanic bullshit... if you FEEL you've been abused, you HAVE been!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kellerman/too-many-cases-thrown-out-of-court-too-much-pop-psycho-crap-satanic/) [Jonathan Kellerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kellerman/) > [“Rather than being incensed by the nature of the bruise, maybe we should be inspired by the possibilities in the bruise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/rather-than-being-incensed-by-the-nature-of-the-bruise-maybe-we/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“I used to teach at an abused children's home. 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That people seemed unwilling to see the abused, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-spears/i-m-80-done-with-the-darker-side-of-trey-it-was-a-pitiful-truth-that/) [Tara Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-spears/) > [Praise makes me humble, but when I am abused, I know that I have touched the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyles-brandreth/praise-makes-me-humble-but-when-i-am-abused-i-know-that-i-have/) [Gyles Brandreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyles-brandreth/) > [I’ve abused myself a lot over the years. But my voice is still intact – really, it’s better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-cliff/i-ve-abused-myself-a-lot-over-the-years-but-my-voice-is-still-intact/) [Jimmy Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-cliff/) > [I've been chased. I've been pushed. I've been screamed at. I've been verbally abused. I've been afraid for my safety. 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I didn't live in a hospital for 10 years so that term could be bastardized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-pinsky/the-term-doctor-has-been-so-abused-lately-i-didn-t-live-in-a-hospital/) [Drew Pinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-pinsky/) > [“Abuse ambushed my life, I could not love myself truly and could never have a healthy relationship, they were either abused or completely impaired.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/abuse-ambushed-my-life-i-could-not-love-myself-truly-and-could-never/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst...They are for nothing but to inspire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/books-are-the-best-of-things-well-used-abused-among-the-worst-they/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Browse all 293 Abused quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abused/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That was the dirty secret associated with her past. 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