--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: i liked feeling strong and was…" description: "\"“i liked feeling strong and was uncomfortable knowing that had vanished whne he left. was my happiness so completely tied to him now that i could only ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/paula-mclain-3064_happiness_i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfort_1883564.jpg" --- # i liked feeling strong and was uncomfortable knowing that… ![“i liked feeling strong and was uncomfortable knowing that had vanished whne he left. was my happiness so completely tied to him now that i could only feel like myself when he was near? i had no idea.” quote by Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/paula-mclain-3064_happiness_i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfort_1883564.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/paula-mclain-3064_happiness_i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfort_1883564.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/paula-mclain-3064_happiness_i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfort_1883564.jpg) > ““i liked feeling strong and was uncomfortable knowing that had vanished whne he left. was my happiness so completely tied to him now that i could only feel like myself when he was near? i had no idea.”” [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator realizes their happiness was overly dependent on another person, leading to discomfort when that person is absent. **In simple terms:** Happiness tied to someone else feels unsafe. Key Takeaway Seek self‑worth independent of others. Themes self‑esteem dependency loss Mood melancholic introspective Type reflective emotional When to use this quote - breakups - loneliness - self‑reflection - therapy Key Concepts emotional independence personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What activities make you feel whole alone? - How can you rebuild confidence without them? A Different Perspective Self‑reliance can be challenging to develop. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ## Related quotes > [“Was my happiness so completely tied to him now that I could only feel like myself when he was near?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/was-my-happiness-so-completely-tied-to-him-now-that-i-could-only-feel/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [My happiness is tied to how I feel about myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/my-happiness-is-tied-to-how-i-feel-about-myself/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I enjoy doing different kinds of things. I just enjoy being not tied too much. I feel that I'm tied to myself as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/i-enjoy-doing-different-kinds-of-things-i-just-enjoy-being-not-tied/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [“Sometimes I feel like we're a knot, too tangled to be taken apart." I nodded. "It's true. So much of me is tied up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/sometimes-i-feel-like-we-re-a-knot-too-tangled-to-be-taken-apart-i/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [I've never liked feeling closed in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yalitza-aparicio/i-ve-never-liked-feeling-closed-in/) [Yalitza Aparicio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yalitza-aparicio/) > [Reading the word in the morn' got me feeling strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/reading-the-word-in-the-morn-got-me-feeling-strong/) [LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [I realized that my righteous indignation was a form of entertainment for me. I loved getting pissed off at injustice. I didn't do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-realized-that-my-righteous-indignation-was-a-form-of-entertainment/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [“Josh’s appearance in my life was making me feel new things. I liked how I was feeling but my feelings scared me, too. Josh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catou-martine/josh-s-appearance-in-my-life-was-making-me-feel-new-things-i-liked/) [Catou Martine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catou-martine/) > [“He liked the feeling of safety here in this warm and quiet room; he liked the expression of trust on the woman's face as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-lowry/he-liked-the-feeling-of-safety-here-in-this-warm-and-quiet-room-he/) Louis Lowry > [Generally, I liked feeling able to connect with millions of women on a very deep level. It felt special that women especially would cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/generally-i-liked-feeling-able-to-connect-with-millions-of-women-on-a/) [Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/) > [She liked him. She liked the feeling of liking him. She felt light and smiley and too full of excitement to think of anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-north/she-liked-him-she-liked-the-feeling-of-liking-him-she-felt-light-and/) [Freya North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-north/) > [People ask me if my shoes were too small when I was a kid and I say it wouldnt matter how fight my shoes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomar-garciaparra/people-ask-me-if-my-shoes-were-too-small-when-i-was-a-kid-and-i-say/) [Nomar Garciaparra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomar-garciaparra/) > [“I liked the feeling of her hand in mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-buxbaum/i-liked-the-feeling-of-her-hand-in-mine/) [Julie Buxbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-buxbaum/) > [Caroline was always moody and miserable, but I liked it. I liked feeling as if she had chosen me as the only person in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/caroline-was-always-moody-and-miserable-but-i-liked-it-i-liked/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [ “\[H\]alf blinded you embraced your own body, and with the warmth still under your jacket, you walked up the pavement along the square, moving… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-petterson/h-alf-blinded-you-embraced-your-own-body-and-with-the-warmth-still/) [Per Petterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-petterson/) ## More by Paula McLain > [“There are some who said I should have fought harder or longer than I did for my marriage, but in the end fighting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/there-are-some-who-said-i-should-have-fought-harder-or-longer-than-i/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [I hope we'll get lucky enough to grow old together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-hope-we-ll-get-lucky-enough-to-grow-old-together/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“That's what terrible, sordid situations did to you, made you act crazily, against your own truths, against yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/that-s-what-terrible-sordid-situations-did-to-you-made-you-act/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“He didn't know how love managed to be a garden one moment and war the next.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/he-didn-t-know-how-love-managed-to-be-a-garden-one-moment-and-war-the/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [Books could be an incredible adventure. I stayed under my blanket and barely moved, and no one would have guessed how my mind raced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/books-could-be-an-incredible-adventure-i-stayed-under-my-blanket-and/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [People belong to each other only as long as they both believe. He stopped believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/people-belong-to-each-other-only-as-long-as-they-both-believe-he/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [I miss good old-fashioned honorable people just trying to make something of life. Simply, without hurting anyone else. I know that makes me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-miss-good-old-fashioned-honorable-people-just-trying-to-make/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [... and yet he could also be very charming, in a bookish, infinitely apologetic way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/and-yet-he-could-also-be-very-charming-in-a-bookish-infinitely/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“It was august. for years it was august … . there was heat like wet gauze and a high, white sky and music coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/it-was-august-for-years-it-was-august-there-was-heat-like-wet-gauze/) [Paula Mclain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“If you're ready to make the mad dash I'm game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/if-you-re-ready-to-make-the-mad-dash-i-m-game/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“We knew what we had and what it meant, and though so much had happened since for both of us, there was nothing like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/we-knew-what-we-had-and-what-it-meant-and-though-so-much-had-happened/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“There are things I didn't see before, like how nice it is to have someone around. Not the white knight whisking you away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/there-are-things-i-didn-t-see-before-like-how-nice-it-is-to-have/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“That's obviously, isn't it?' she said. 'A hawk is always a hawk, except'- and here she raised on heavy eyebrow and gave a mysterious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/that-s-obviously-isn-t-it-she-said-a-hawk-is-always-a-hawk-except-and/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“I hope we’ll get lucky enough to grow old together. You see them on the street, those couples who’ve been married so long you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-hope-we-ll-get-lucky-enough-to-grow-old-together-you-see-them-on/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) > [“It was terrible to feel so empty, as if I were nothing. Why couldn't I be happy? And just what was happines anyway?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/it-was-terrible-to-feel-so-empty-as-if-i-were-nothing-why-couldn-t-i/) [Paula McLain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) [Explore all 139 Paula McLain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/) ## More Feeling quotes > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My feeling has always been that 'Good Eats' would have never happened had it been left to a committee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/my-feeling-has-always-been-that-good-eats-would-have-never-happened/) [Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [Tryna hide this pain with these pain killers, she said the storms only will last a little while but shit it got me feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/tryna-hide-this-pain-with-these-pain-killers-she-said-the-storms-only/) Myself > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Hate not knowing when things are going to happen feeling different every single day. It is called LIFE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-valdovinos/hate-not-knowing-when-things-are-going-to-happen-feeling-different/) Stephanie Valdovinos > [The best feeling comes when you realise, that you are perfectly happy without the things, once you thought you needed the most…!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-feeling-comes-when-you-realise-that-you-are-perfectly-happy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love transforming myself constantly because it gives me that 'new' feeling that I'm very much addicted to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-mondo/i-love-transforming-myself-constantly-because-it-gives-me-that-new/) [Brad Mondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-mondo/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [What I do miss that I don't get anymore? You're going to think I'm crazy, but you want the truth, so here it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-mandrell/what-i-do-miss-that-i-don-t-get-anymore-you-re-going-to-think-i-m/) [Barbara Mandrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-mandrell/) > [I think kids growing up, if they were picked on and feeling inferior at 12, they're going to feel that way at 72. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-think-kids-growing-up-if-they-were-picked-on-and-feeling-inferior/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [I don't think Alfonso was a big expert on Potter either. He was feeling his way through it more than I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-don-t-think-alfonso-was-a-big-expert-on-potter-either-he-was/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [The most difficult part for me is feeling connected to the people that I love but always being on the go to different places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-franti/the-most-difficult-part-for-me-is-feeling-connected-to-the-people/) [Michael Franti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-franti/) Browse all 8,809 Feeling quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“i liked feeling strong and was uncomfortable knowing that had vanished whne he left. was my happiness so completely tied to him now that i could only feel like myself when he was near? i had no idea.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paula McLain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfortable-knowing-that-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feeling" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfortable-knowing-that-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/paula-mclain-3064_happiness_i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfort_1883564.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/paula-mclain-3064_happiness_i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfort_1883564.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0b/paula-mclain-3064_happiness_i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfort_1883564.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“i liked feeling strong and was uncomfortable knowing that had vanished whne he left. was my happiness so…” — Paula McLain", "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": "Paula McLain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-mclain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“i liked feeling strong and was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfortable-knowing-that-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-mclain/i-liked-feeling-strong-and-was-uncomfortable-knowing-that-had/#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 } } ] } ```