---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I took in a deep breath, and smoke…"
description: "\"“I took in a deep breath, and smoke twisted around my head as I let it slip through my teeth. “Do you know what my favorite show was when I was a littl..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/peter-clines-20015_bright-colors_i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twiste_2008477.jpg"
---

#  I took in a deep breath, and smoke twisted around my head…

![“I took in a deep breath, and smoke twisted around my head as I let it slip through my teeth. “Do you know what my favorite show was when I was a little kid?” The look again. “I would have no idea.” “Doctor Who. British sci-fi show.” “I am familiar with it. Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and…” quote by Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/peter-clines-20015_bright-colors_i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twiste_2008477.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/peter-clines-20015_bright-colors_i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twiste_2008477.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/peter-clines-20015_bright-colors_i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twiste_2008477.jpg)

> ““I took in a deep breath, and smoke twisted around my head as I let it slip through my teeth. “Do you know what my favorite show was when I was a little kid?” The look again. “I would have no idea.” “Doctor Who. British sci-fi show.” “I am familiar with it. Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt—“ “No,” I said. “The new show’s great, but I grew up on the old one. The low-budget, rubber monster show with Tom Baker and Peter Davison. I watched it on PBS all the time as a kid.” I looked out at the dark ruins of Hollywood, at the stumbling shadows dotting the streets as far as you could see. The only other living person within half a mile was standing behind me, her eyes boring into my head. “The Doctor didn’t have super-powers or weapons or anything like that. He was just a really smart guy who always tried to do the right thing. To help people, no matter what. That struck me when I was a kid. The idea that no matter how cold and callous and heartless the world seemed, there was somebody out there who just wanted to make life better. Not better for worlds or countries in some vague way. Just better for people trying to live their lives, even if they didn’t know about him.” I turned back to her and tapped my chest. “That’s what this suit’s always been about. Not scaring people like you or Gorgon do. Not some sort of pseudo-sexual roleplay or repressed emotions. I wear this thing, all these bright colors, because I want people to know someone’s trying to make their lives better. I want to give them hope.””

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

## 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 reflects on Doctor Who as a symbol of hope and moral purpose, contrasting it with a dark, chaotic world and a colorful suit that aims to inspire and help others.

**In simple terms:** Doctor Who represents hope and moral action in a harsh world.

Key Takeaway

Use symbols to inspire hope and help others.

Themes

hope morality inspiration heroism contrast

Mood

reflective hopeful determined

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- urban dystopia
- costume design
- personal interaction
- public outreach

Key Concepts

symbolic hope ethical responsibility personal mission

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you embody hope beyond symbols?
- What responsibilities come with wearing a hopeful mantle?

A Different Perspective

The suit may be seen as superficial without genuine action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bright colors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-colors/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Help people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-people/) [Heroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroes/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/)

## Related quotes

> [“Death lurks in the shadows, just out of view. Now and then I see his reaching hand, uncertain of the blurry image that passes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/death-lurks-in-the-shadows-just-out-of-view-now-and-then-i-see-his/)

[Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/)

> [“Let him forever go!-Let him not, Charmian. Though he be painted one way like a Gorgon, The other way he's a Mars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-him-forever-go-let-him-not-charmian-though-he-be-painted-one-way/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“How'd you get him to stop tripping us up at practice the other day?" Neil whittled it down the barest, easiest truth. "I asked."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-sakavic/how-d-you-get-him-to-stop-tripping-us-up-at-practice-the-other-day/)

[Nora Sakavic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-sakavic/)

> [“At this level it is supposed to be about skill, and your team is sadly lacking. You have no right to play with us."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-sakavic/at-this-level-it-is-supposed-to-be-about-skill-and-your-team-is-sadly/)

[Nora Sakavic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-sakavic/)

> [“You're after perfection,'Matt said. 'Is that so awful?' 'No, it's not, but if you aim for perfection, you've got to be ready to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-relf/you-re-after-perfection-matt-said-is-that-so-awful-no-it-s-not-but-if/)

[Tim Relf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-relf/)

> [“What's a horse doing on a spaceship" "What's pre-revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Mickey, get a little perspective!" Dr. Who "The Girl In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moffat/what-s-a-horse-doing-on-a-spaceship-what-s-pre-revolutionary-france/)

Stephen Moffat

> [“There ya go, end of the universe, butterfingers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-doctor-david-tennant/there-ya-go-end-of-the-universe-butterfingers/)

[The Doctor David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-doctor-david-tennant/)

> [“I am not a fan of the magical quick fix in any fiction, including fantasy, scifi and comic books. Unless Dr. Who is involved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-dee/i-am-not-a-fan-of-the-magical-quick-fix-in-any-fiction-including/)

[Chris Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-dee/)

> [“If some persons died and others did not die death would indeed be a terrible affliction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/if-some-persons-died-and-others-did-not-die-death-would-indeed-be-a/)

[Jean de La Bruyère](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [This is the goddess Fortuna. She brought luck - or took it away. But you'd put up with whatever she did. Because when she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/this-is-the-goddess-fortuna-she-brought-luck-or-took-it-away-but-you/)

[Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/)

> [I knew I didn't want to be a doctor but didn't know what I wanted to do. I prayed, and all I heard back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-orji/i-knew-i-didn-t-want-to-be-a-doctor-but-didn-t-know-what-i-wanted-to/)

[Yvonne Orji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-orji/)

> [“I wasn't getting better. I was getting worse. I did not go to the doctor because I didn't want pills. If this was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-wasn-t-getting-better-i-was-getting-worse-i-did-not-go-to-the/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [I was always aware of 'Doctor Who,' but I didn't grow up with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-smith/i-was-always-aware-of-doctor-who-but-i-didn-t-grow-up-with-it/)

[Matt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-smith/)

> [I didn't want to be Doctor Who in a 'Doctor Who' that I didn't like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-capaldi/i-didn-t-want-to-be-doctor-who-in-a-doctor-who-that-i-didn-t-like/)

[Peter Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-capaldi/)

> [I have a good black friend who is a doctor, but he didn't become a doctor because he saw other black men who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/i-have-a-good-black-friend-who-is-a-doctor-but-he-didn-t-become-a/)

[Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/)

## More by Peter Clines

> [“I have missed you,” she said. “You threw me out a window.” “To be exact,” said Stealth, “I had Captain Freedom throw you out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/i-have-missed-you-she-said-you-threw-me-out-a-window-to-be-exact-said/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“We take over six hundred pages of math and force-feed it to the universe through an electromagnetic funnel. We tell the universe ‘I don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/we-take-over-six-hundred-pages-of-math-and-force-feed-it-to-the/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“What the fuck are cavemen doing here?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/what-the-fuck-are-cavemen-doing-here/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“A ladder's a flag pole with delusions of grandeur.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/a-ladder-s-a-flag-pole-with-delusions-of-grandeur/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“Bro," said Roger. "You're a time traveler." "No, I'm not," said Nate. "Not yet, but maybe in the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/bro-said-roger-you-re-a-time-traveler-no-i-m-not-said-nate-not-yet/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“Mindless violence against the undead?” said Zzzap. “Count me in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/mindless-violence-against-the-undead-said-zzzap-count-me-in/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“66–16–9—4—1—89 He glanced at her. “What do you think it means?” “Maybe there’s a computer down in the basement,” she said, “and we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/66-16-9-4-1-89-he-glanced-at-her-what-do-you-think-it-means-maybe/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“Don't you get it?' said Max. 'You're not praying, you're just... wishing. And wishes don't come true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/don-t-you-get-it-said-max-you-re-not-praying-you-re-just-wishing-and/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“The idea that no matter how cold and callous and heartless the world seemed, there was somebody out there who just wanted to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/the-idea-that-no-matter-how-cold-and-callous-and-heartless-the-world/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“In one of the earlier Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Arthur Conan Doyle (not yet a Sir) made an observation on logical deduction. When you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/in-one-of-the-earlier-sherlock-holmes-mysteries-arthur-conan-doyle/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“Koturovic somehow came up with the idea there were some kind of creatures—big, smart, scary alpha predators—living in these higher dimensions. Telepathically-sensitive people sensed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/koturovic-somehow-came-up-with-the-idea-there-were-some-kind-of/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“I respect your beliefs Andrew, and I'm glad they make you happy. But I'm not up here to be lectured at or spoken down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/i-respect-your-beliefs-andrew-and-i-m-glad-they-make-you-happy-but-i/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“Hung herself in the closet." "Hanged," said Nate. "Don't be one of those people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/hung-herself-in-the-closet-hanged-said-nate-don-t-be-one-of-those/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“Your voice is familiar,” said Barry. “I couldn’t place it and then I realized you sound like the guy in my dreams. Which sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/your-voice-is-familiar-said-barry-i-couldn-t-place-it-and-then-i/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

> [“. Nate examined the desk. It was a large, solid piece of wood, the type of thing found in New England universities. He glanced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/nate-examined-the-desk-it-was-a-large-solid-piece-of-wood-the-type-of/)

[Peter Clines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

[Explore all 31 Peter Clines quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/)

## More Bright colors quotes

> [“Well…there’s only one glove. Right away, I wonder, where’s the other glove? How did it become separated from its mate? Does it feel lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-kage/well-there-s-only-one-glove-right-away-i-wonder-where-s-the-other/)

[Linda Kage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-kage/)

> [“You see life in bright colors. Alas, ours is a world of darker shades.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fielding/you-see-life-in-bright-colors-alas-ours-is-a-world-of-darker-shades/)

[Hannah Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fielding/)

> [“There was a strange exciting smell in the air - the smell of wine, cigar smoke, and perfume, mingled with the scent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-was-a-strange-exciting-smell-in-the-air-the-smell-of-wine-cigar/)

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

> [“The sun of Sunday morning up out of the sleepless sea from black Liverpool. Sitting on the rocks over the water with a jug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-donleavy/the-sun-of-sunday-morning-up-out-of-the-sleepless-sea-from-black/)

[J.P. Donleavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-donleavy/)

> [“They like bright colors," she said. He smiled at her, those dark tameless eyes, half-bold and half-shy. "They like beautiful things," he said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-todd/they-like-bright-colors-she-said-he-smiled-at-her-those-dark-tameless/)

[Pamela Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-todd/)

> [We think the Puritans always dressed in black and white, which they didn't. They loved very bright colors. And there were other differences in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlisle-floyd/we-think-the-puritans-always-dressed-in-black-and-white-which-they/)

[Carlisle Floyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlisle-floyd/)

> [“I wear loud clothes. They aren’t bright colors, but I do have speakers sewn into my shirts. What can I say, I’ve grown out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wear-loud-clothes-they-aren-t-bright-colors-but-i-do-have-speakers/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [I love to walk through the streets of Jesus Maria and Pueblo Libre. The Spanish colonial buildings are in bright colors, two stories high,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-love-to-walk-through-the-streets-of-jesus-maria-and-pueblo-libre/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [My mom has accepted my style. My dad is a little suspect with all the bright colors and loud stuff. He's a khakis and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandler-parsons/my-mom-has-accepted-my-style-my-dad-is-a-little-suspect-with-all-the/)

[Chandler Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandler-parsons/)

> [“The following “Rules for Female Teachers” were posted by the school board of one town in Massachusetts: Do not get married. Do not leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/the-following-rules-for-female-teachers-were-posted-by-the-school/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [I was a teenager with braces and into sporty dresses with bright colors and cut-outs. For awhile, I really experimented with what I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/i-was-a-teenager-with-braces-and-into-sporty-dresses-with-bright/)

[Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/)

> [Much is missed if we have eyes only for the bright colors. Nature should be viewed without distinction... She makes no choice herself; everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-porter/much-is-missed-if-we-have-eyes-only-for-the-bright-colors-nature/)

[Eliot Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-porter/)

> [“Designing for children carries a social responsibility beyond bright colors and scaled-down furnishings that only perceptive and informed grown-ups can understand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-exley/designing-for-children-carries-a-social-responsibility-beyond-bright/)

Sharon Exley

> [“She looked at me for a long time and then pulled an old envelope out of the trash and drew a pear on it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/she-looked-at-me-for-a-long-time-and-then-pulled-an-old-envelope-out/)

[Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/)

> [I've been to hundreds of conventions in my career. Sometimes I'm afraid I may get jaded by them. But then, I see a figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perez/i-ve-been-to-hundreds-of-conventions-in-my-career-sometimes-i-m/)

[George Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perez/)

[Browse all 103 Bright colors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-colors/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I took in a deep breath, and smoke twisted around my head as I let it slip through my teeth. “Do you know what my favorite show was when I was a little kid?” The look again. “I would have no idea.” “Doctor Who. British sci-fi show.” “I am familiar with it. Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, and Matt—“ “No,” I said. “The new show’s great, but I grew up on the old one. The low-budget, rubber monster show with Tom Baker and Peter Davison. I watched it on PBS all the time as a kid.” I looked out at the dark ruins of Hollywood, at the stumbling shadows dotting the streets as far as you could see. The only other living person within half a mile was standing behind me, her eyes boring into my head. “The Doctor didn’t have super-powers or weapons or anything like that. He was just a really smart guy who always tried to do the right thing. To help people, no matter what. That struck me when I was a kid. The idea that no matter how cold and callous and heartless the world seemed, there was somebody out there who just wanted to make life better. Not better for worlds or countries in some vague way. Just better for people trying to live their lives, even if they didn’t know about him.” I turned back to her and tapped my chest. “That’s what this suit’s always been about. Not scaring people like you or Gorgon do. Not some sort of pseudo-sexual roleplay or repressed emotions. I wear this thing, all these bright colors, because I want people to know someone’s trying to make their lives better. I want to give them hope.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Peter Clines"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twisted-around-my-head-as-i-let-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bright colors"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twisted-around-my-head-as-i-let-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/peter-clines-20015_bright-colors_i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twiste_2008477.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/peter-clines-20015_bright-colors_i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twiste_2008477.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/485/peter-clines-20015_bright-colors_i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twiste_2008477.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I took in a deep breath, and smoke twisted around my head as I let it slip through my teeth. “Do you know…” — Peter Clines",
                "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": "Peter Clines",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-clines/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I took in a deep breath,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twisted-around-my-head-as-i-let-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-clines/i-took-in-a-deep-breath-and-smoke-twisted-around-my-head-as-i-let-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
