--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Though I knew I shouldn’t have cared, the…" description: "\"Though I knew I shouldn’t have cared, the words still hurt like pinches, and pinches can be very painful when done in the same place many times in a ro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/nnedi-okorafor-9058_done_though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the_1539940.jpg" --- # Though I knew I shouldn’t have cared, the words still hurt… ![“Though I knew I shouldn’t have cared, the words still hurt like pinches, and pinches can be very painful when done in the same place many times in a row.” quote by Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/nnedi-okorafor-9058_done_though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the_1539940.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/nnedi-okorafor-9058_done_though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the_1539940.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/nnedi-okorafor-9058_done_though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the_1539940.jpg) > “Though I knew I shouldn’t have cared, the words still hurt like pinches, and pinches can be very painful when done in the same place many times in a row.” [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Repeated emotional wounds linger when the same hurtful remark is repeated, intensifying pain despite rational knowledge it shouldn't matter. **In simple terms:** Repeated hurt feels worse. Key Takeaway Recognize patterns of repeated pain and set boundaries. Themes emotional pain repetition self‑awareness Mood sad reflective Type advice reflective psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - online harassment - family dynamics - workplace feedback Key Concepts psychology trauma resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can you protect yourself from repeated hurt? - What strategies help break the cycle of painful repetition? A Different Perspective Even if you know it shouldn't affect you, repeated exposure can erode emotional defenses. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Words hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-hurt/) ## Related quotes > [Stick and Stones may break your bones But words can Hurt like Hell..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/stick-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-but-words-can-hurt-like-hell/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can hurt like hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/sticks-and-stones-may-break-your-bones-but-words-can-hurt-like-hell/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Nothing ever hurt like you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-ever-hurt-like-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [See The Thing About Love Is It Comes When It Comes...But When It Leaves It Will Hurt Like A Cut In The Gums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tory-lanez/see-the-thing-about-love-is-it-comes-when-it-comes-but-when-it-leaves/) [Tory Lanez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tory-lanez/) > [Colin thought about the dork mantra: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. What a dirty lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/colin-thought-about-the-dork-mantra-sticks-and-stones-may-break-my/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“You can see when someone's been hurt like I was. It's obvious. Something changes in their eyes; pain becomes their center, even when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-rainfield/you-can-see-when-someone-s-been-hurt-like-i-was-it-s-obvious/) [Cheryl Rainfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-rainfield/) > [“How much did it hurt? It was like a million paper cuts on my heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-mathieu/how-much-did-it-hurt-it-was-like-a-million-paper-cuts-on-my-heart/) [Jennifer Mathieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-mathieu/) > [An injury might hurt like hell, but my threshold for pain was pretty high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-bettis/an-injury-might-hurt-like-hell-but-my-threshold-for-pain-was-pretty/) [Jerome Bettis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-bettis/) > [“Did Ellis hurt like I did my first time? I hoped not. I tried desperately to prep him as best I could, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wade-kelly/did-ellis-hurt-like-i-did-my-first-time-i-hoped-not-i-tried/) [Wade Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wade-kelly/) > [If it felt good, you didn't push hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-karnazes/if-it-felt-good-you-didn-t-push-hard-enough-it-s-supposed-to-hurt/) [Dean Karnazes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-karnazes/) > [It hurt, and that is not a euphemism. It hurt like a beating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-hurt-and-that-is-not-a-euphemism-it-hurt-like-a-beating/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [People who hurt you are like sandpaper: they may cause you pain but when it's all over, you'll be polished and they'll be useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/people-who-hurt-you-are-like-sandpaper-they-may-cause-you-pain-but/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Good thing he's dead," Lula said, "or that would have hurt like the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/good-thing-he-s-dead-lula-said-or-that-would-have-hurt-like-the-devil/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Sometimes the connection you made with other people sneak-up on you, you share experience, you have a history, you share a bond. And when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/igwe-daniel-kelechi/sometimes-the-connection-you-made-with-other-people-sneak-up-on-you/) [Igwe Daniel Kelechi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/igwe-daniel-kelechi/) > [Think, think, think. It will hurt like hell at first, but you'll get used to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-castle-baroness-castle-of-blackburn/think-think-think-it-will-hurt-like-hell-at-first-but-you-ll-get-used/) [Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-castle-baroness-castle-of-blackburn/) ## More by Nnedi Okorafor > [Funny how all things people don’t understand seem to be ‘cursed’.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/funny-how-all-things-people-don-t-understand-seem-to-be-cursed/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“Are they a secret part of the American government or a powerful private corporation? Is there a difference? To me, it doesn’t matter. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/are-they-a-secret-part-of-the-american-government-or-a-powerful/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“When you face your deepest fears, when you are ready,” she’d said. “Don’t turn away. Stand tall, endure, face them. If you get through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/when-you-face-your-deepest-fears-when-you-are-ready-she-d-said-don-t/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“Some of our old ways are better forgotten, but not all of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/some-of-our-old-ways-are-better-forgotten-but-not-all-of-them/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [Flawed, imperfect creatures! That's what we both are, oga! That's what we ALL are!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/flawed-imperfect-creatures-that-s-what-we-both-are-oga-that-s-what-we/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“But deep down inside me, I wanted . . . I needed it. I couldn’t help but act on it. The urge was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/but-deep-down-inside-me-i-wanted-i-needed-it-i-couldn-t-help-but-act/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [Science fiction is the only genre that enables African writers to envision a future from our African perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/science-fiction-is-the-only-genre-that-enables-african-writers-to/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“Sunny nodded. But her mind was not on the problems of the black African diaspora. She was thinking about what it was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/sunny-nodded-but-her-mind-was-not-on-the-problems-of-the-black/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [You are not crazy. You are just ready to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/you-are-not-crazy-you-are-just-ready-to-change/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“Neither (brother) even glaced at the counter. She smiled. Her dumb brothers never cooked. She didn’t think they even knew how! A human being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/neither-brother-even-glaced-at-the-counter-she-smiled-her-dumb/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“I have this obsession with destruction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/i-have-this-obsession-with-destruction/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“Do you want to do this?” she asked. “Do I need to?” “Hmm. You’re still ashamed of what you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/do-you-want-to-do-this-she-asked-do-i-need-to-hmm-you-re-still/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“But I hoped he couldn’t read my mind. No one needed to know that. Not even him. He chuckled, again. “That is to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/but-i-hoped-he-couldn-t-read-my-mind-no-one-needed-to-know-that-not/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“The way people on Oomza Uni were so diverse and everyone handled that as if it were normal continued to surprise me. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/the-way-people-on-oomza-uni-were-so-diverse-and-everyone-handled-that/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) > [“You Himba are so inward-looking,” she said. “Cocooned around that pink lake, growing your technology from knowledge harvested from deep within your genius, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/you-himba-are-so-inward-looking-she-said-cocooned-around-that-pink/) [Nnedi Okorafor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) [Explore all 75 Nnedi Okorafor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Though I knew I shouldn’t have cared, the words still hurt like pinches, and pinches can be very painful when done in the same place many times in a row.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nnedi Okorafor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the-words-still-hurt-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Done" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the-words-still-hurt-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/nnedi-okorafor-9058_done_though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the_1539940.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/nnedi-okorafor-9058_done_though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the_1539940.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/nnedi-okorafor-9058_done_though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the_1539940.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Though I knew I shouldn’t have cared, the words still hurt like pinches, and pinches can be very painful…” — Nnedi Okorafor", "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": "Nnedi Okorafor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nnedi-okorafor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Though I knew I shouldn’t have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the-words-still-hurt-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nnedi-okorafor/though-i-knew-i-shouldn-t-have-cared-the-words-still-hurt-like/#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 } } ] } ```