--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always said the toughest thing about…" description: "\"I've always said the toughest thing about learning to feel your feelings is that then you have to feel your feelings.\" — Pam Houston" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/pam-houston-11232_feel_i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-abou_2497478.jpg" --- # I've always said the toughest thing about learning to feel… ![“I've always said the toughest thing about learning to feel your feelings is that then you have to feel your feelings.” quote by Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/pam-houston-11232_feel_i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-abou_2497478.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/pam-houston-11232_feel_i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-abou_2497478.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/pam-houston-11232_feel_i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-abou_2497478.jpg) > “I've always said the toughest thing about learning to feel your feelings is that then you have to feel your feelings.” [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling emotions is challenging because it requires confronting them directly after recognizing them. **In simple terms:** Feeling emotions demands confronting them. Key Takeaway Accept and process emotions fully. Themes emotions self‑awareness growth vulnerability Mood empathetic thoughtful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - artistic creation - relationship building - stress management Key Concepts psychology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - Why do you resist feeling? - What steps help you sit with discomfort? A Different Perspective Avoiding feelings can lead to repression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Feel Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-feelings-428270/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Feelings Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings-feel-1027232/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Learning Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-feel-1027231/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Toughest Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toughest-thing-252883/) ## Related quotes > [Do the things you used to do, and you'll feel the feelings you used to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macdonald/do-the-things-you-used-to-do-and-you-ll-feel-the-feelings-you-used-to/) [James MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macdonald/) > [To be a director, you have to think you're the best. Ever since I went to film school, I imagined that you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/to-be-a-director-you-have-to-think-you-re-the-best-ever-since-i-went/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [When I was a girl, my life was music that was always getting louder. Everything moved me. A dog following a stranger. That made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/when-i-was-a-girl-my-life-was-music-that-was-always-getting-louder/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [I spent my life learning to feel less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-spent-my-life-learning-to-feel-less/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“Trust is learning how you feel about yourself, not how others feel about you. Do you trust how you feel. If not, why.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-w-rathbun/trust-is-learning-how-you-feel-about-yourself-not-how-others-feel/) [Ron W. Rathbun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-w-rathbun/) > [We must be learning if we are to feel fully alive, and when life, or love, becomes too predictable and it seems like there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-doidge/we-must-be-learning-if-we-are-to-feel-fully-alive-and-when-life-or/) [Norman Doidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-doidge/) > [I'm a shy, nervous person, and I don't like teaching with "terms." I didn't teach them, like, "This is first person, this is second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-lin/i-m-a-shy-nervous-person-and-i-don-t-like-teaching-with-terms-i-didn/) [Tao Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-lin/) > [There are many ways to meditate. When you meditate, you are learning how to feel again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-many-ways-to-meditate-when-you-meditate-you-are-learning/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You want to be with someone who you are constantly learning from, but you also feel like you give back to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelina-vega/you-want-to-be-with-someone-who-you-are-constantly-learning-from-but/) [Zelina Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelina-vega/) > [To teach virtue we must educate the emotions, and this means learning "what to feel" in the various circumstances that prompt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/to-teach-virtue-we-must-educate-the-emotions-and-this-means-learning/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [You only get one life, so you might as well feel all the feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/you-only-get-one-life-so-you-might-as-well-feel-all-the-feelings/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [The toughest thing for me is doing on-camera stuff as a comedian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynne-champlin/the-toughest-thing-for-me-is-doing-on-camera-stuff-as-a-comedian/) [Donna Lynne Champlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynne-champlin/) > [Any director, if you really ask them, will tell you that the toughest thing to do is like a dinner table or a dialogue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ross/any-director-if-you-really-ask-them-will-tell-you-that-the-toughest/) [Gary Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ross/) > [“Toughest thing in the world is being urself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amar/toughest-thing-in-the-world-is-being-urself/) [amar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amar/) > [I lost my parents, which is the toughest thing to overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imran-tahir/i-lost-my-parents-which-is-the-toughest-thing-to-overcome/) [Imran Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imran-tahir/) ## More by Pam Houston > [Give me a labyrinth to walk and I can usually free my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/give-me-a-labyrinth-to-walk-and-i-can-usually-free-my-mind/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [When a book is in its final stages, I've just got to be home, looking at it seventeen hours a day, and that's fine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/when-a-book-is-in-its-final-stages-i-ve-just-got-to-be-home-looking/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I've been to a lot of school and read a lot of thick books, but at my very core there's a made-for-TV-movie mentality I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-ve-been-to-a-lot-of-school-and-read-a-lot-of-thick-books-but-at-my/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Life gives us what we need when we need it; receiving what it gives us is a whole other thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/life-gives-us-what-we-need-when-we-need-it-receiving-what-it-gives-us/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Cheryl Strayed is a courageous, gritty, and deceptively elegant writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/cheryl-strayed-is-a-courageous-gritty-and-deceptively-elegant-writer/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Sometimes no matter how well you prepare, no matter how conservative your decision making, no matter how few Y chromosomes are along on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/sometimes-no-matter-how-well-you-prepare-no-matter-how-conservative/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Stillness is a harder concept for me than ecstasy, but I can imagine it best when I am fully present and paying strict attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/stillness-is-a-harder-concept-for-me-than-ecstasy-but-i-can-imagine/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [“I still don't see how it would make me feel any better to think of the pain in my hip and spine as anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-still-don-t-see-how-it-would-make-me-feel-any-better-to-think-of/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [My parents were travelers. Every time my parents got ten dollars ahead they went somewhere. That's what they did. So I got the bug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/my-parents-were-travelers-every-time-my-parents-got-ten-dollars-ahead/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [“Find yourself a place in the universe,' she said, 'a place where the dirt feels like goodness under your feet. Take the right picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/find-yourself-a-place-in-the-universe-she-said-a-place-where-the-dirt/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I'm always out looking for weird, beautiful things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-m-always-out-looking-for-weird-beautiful-things/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I always think, when I'm in motion, writing seems like the most natural thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-always-think-when-i-m-in-motion-writing-seems-like-the-most-natural/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I'm about going out in the world and noticing stuff, and going home and writing it down, and putting it next to other stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-m-about-going-out-in-the-world-and-noticing-stuff-and-going-home/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [“And even though I knew in my head there’s nothing a man can do that a woman can’t, I also knew in my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/and-even-though-i-knew-in-my-head-there-s-nothing-a-man-can-do-that-a/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Traveling is my priority, because it drives the writing, so I teach around the travel, and sometimes the travel is the teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/traveling-is-my-priority-because-it-drives-the-writing-so-i-teach/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) [Explore all 61 Pam Houston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) ## More Feel quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [I feel I handle the pressure situations well, and that's why I want to be there at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ab-de-villiers/i-feel-i-handle-the-pressure-situations-well-and-that-s-why-i-want-to/) [AB de Villiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ab-de-villiers/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I feel as though I've fooled the world into thinking I'm an adult and now they're letting me procreate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-feel-as-though-i-ve-fooled-the-world-into-thinking-i-m-an-adult-and/) [George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/) > [I feel like I could eat the world raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-feel-like-i-could-eat-the-world-raw/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) > [I like to wear bodysuits and things that make me feel really active and athletic and also really sensual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hawley-weld/i-like-to-wear-bodysuits-and-things-that-make-me-feel-really-active/) [Sophie Hawley-Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hawley-weld/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [You make me feel brand new today. Even my day is full of trials and pain…Thanks for everything...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lantapi/you-make-me-feel-brand-new-today-even-my-day-is-full-of-trials-and/) [Richard Lantapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lantapi/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I don't know how people feel,that's the beauty of TV, is they can see us, but we can't see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-don-t-know-how-people-feel-that-s-the-beauty-of-tv-is-they-can-see/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) [Browse all 26,675 Feel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always said the toughest thing about learning to feel your feelings is that then you have to feel your feelings.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pam Houston" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-about-learning-to-feel-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feel" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-about-learning-to-feel-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/pam-houston-11232_feel_i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-abou_2497478.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/pam-houston-11232_feel_i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-abou_2497478.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa5/pam-houston-11232_feel_i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-abou_2497478.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always said the toughest thing about learning to feel your feelings is that then you have to feel your…” — Pam Houston", "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": "Pam Houston", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've always said the toughest thing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-about-learning-to-feel-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-ve-always-said-the-toughest-thing-about-learning-to-feel-your/#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 } } ] } ```