--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who have not taken this step, who…" description: "\"“Those who have not taken this step, who have not come to terms with themselves, are not necessarily frightened, they are perhaps helpless, disoriented..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/philippe-besson-62484_coming-out-of-the-cl_those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-h_1875318.jpg" --- # Those who have not taken this step, who have not come to… ![“Those who have not taken this step, who have not come to terms with themselves, are not necessarily frightened, they are perhaps helpless, disoriented, lost as one is in the middle of a forest that's too dark or dense or vast.” quote by Philippe Besson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/philippe-besson-62484_coming-out-of-the-cl_those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-h_1875318.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/philippe-besson-62484_coming-out-of-the-cl_those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-h_1875318.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/philippe-besson-62484_coming-out-of-the-cl_those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-h_1875318.jpg) > ““Those who have not taken this step, who have not come to terms with themselves, are not necessarily frightened, they are perhaps helpless, disoriented, lost as one is in the middle of a forest that's too dark or dense or vast.”” [Philippe Besson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-besson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It describes people who haven’t faced inner challenges as lost, helpless, and disoriented, like being stuck in a dark forest. **In simple terms:** Unresolved inner issues cause confusion and helplessness. Key Takeaway Seek self‑understanding. Themes inner conflict confusion helplessness self‑discovery Mood reflective somber Type advice psychological When to use this quote - therapy - journaling - life transitions Key Concepts psychology personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What inner step are you avoiding? - How can you find direction? A Different Perspective Self‑exploration can be painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coming out of the closet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-out-of-the-closet/) [Disoriented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disoriented/) [Disoriented Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disoriented-lost-2613885/) [Forest Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forest-dark-1542691/) [Frightened Helpless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frightened-helpless-2613886/) [Helpless Disoriented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helpless-disoriented-2613884/) ## Related quotes > [“I glance left, then to the right. Disoriented. Lost. Not knowing which way is home. But that's been the problem since the beginning. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/i-glance-left-then-to-the-right-disoriented-lost-not-knowing-which/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [The book Forest Dark wants to provoke questions about what is reality and why are we so given to believe that reality is firm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/the-book-forest-dark-wants-to-provoke-questions-about-what-is-reality/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [“Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, For the straight foreward pathway had been lost.” – Dante’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-mallory/midway-upon-the-journey-of-our-life-i-found-myself-within-a-forest-3/) [H.P. Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-mallory/) > [I found myself within a forest dark,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/i-found-myself-within-a-forest-dark/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightfoward pathway had been lost. Ah me! How hard a thing is to say, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/i-found-myself-within-a-forest-dark-for-the-straightfoward-pathway/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [“Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost.” DANTE ALIGHIERI, The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-konrath/midway-upon-the-journey-of-our-life-i-found-myself-within-a-forest-2/) [J.A. Konrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-konrath/) > [“Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/midway-upon-the-journey-of-our-life-i-found-myself-within-a-forest/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [“The Forest is dark, dearie, The Forest is dark; The moment you think that you’re lost in the woods, then you are. Do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-r-frie/the-forest-is-dark-dearie-the-forest-is-dark-the-moment-you-think/) [Emory R. Frie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-r-frie/) > [I disoriented myself from everything about being a human being and just played and played and played and sang and sang and sang.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/i-disoriented-myself-from-everything-about-being-a-human-being-and/) [Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/) > [“Imagination envisions what could be. Reality states what is. And when my journey is shaped by one of these at the exclusion of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/imagination-envisions-what-could-be-reality-states-what-is-and-when/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [There are records that, in my opinion, only reach their full potential when the listener is disoriented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/there-are-records-that-in-my-opinion-only-reach-their-full-potential/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [There's a meeting in Command. Disregard your current schedule,' he says. 'Done,' I say. 'Did you follow it at all today?' he asks in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/there-s-a-meeting-in-command-disregard-your-current-schedule-he-says/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“I'm lost again, inside myself. Somewhere that's not nowhere. Disoriented. I've let everything go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcnamara/i-m-lost-again-inside-myself-somewhere-that-s-not-nowhere-disoriented/) [Amy McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcnamara/) > [I believed or thought I was disoriented and the victim of a bizarre dream and I believe I paced in and out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-sheppard/i-believed-or-thought-i-was-disoriented-and-the-victim-of-a-bizarre/) [Sam Sheppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-sheppard/) > [Sick and disoriented, I'm able to form only one thought: Peeta Mellark just saved my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/sick-and-disoriented-i-m-able-to-form-only-one-thought-peeta-mellark/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) ## More by Philippe Besson > [“The only thing that matters is that I'm holding one to him, that I'm holding on to him 'outside'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-besson/the-only-thing-that-matters-is-that-i-m-holding-one-to-him-that-i-m/) [Philippe Besson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-besson/) [Explore all 2 Philippe Besson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-besson/) ## More Coming out of the closet quotes > [“The truth has a way of coming out of the closet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/march-lions/the-truth-has-a-way-of-coming-out-of-the-closet/) [March Lions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/march-lions/) > [“He plants himself right there in front of Craig’s mother and says, “You need to love him. I don’t care who you thought he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/he-plants-himself-right-there-in-front-of-craig-s-mother-and-says-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Denying what you are didn't keep people from knowing what you are." "And flaunting it isn't what saved you." Ykka takes a deep breath.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/denying-what-you-are-didn-t-keep-people-from-knowing-what-you-are-and/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“The true ugliness of the closet is its subtlety. It eats away at your soul bit by bit and you don't even realize it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gar-mcvey-russell/the-true-ugliness-of-the-closet-is-its-subtlety-it-eats-away-at-your/) [Gar McVey-Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gar-mcvey-russell/) > [“Sometimes people tell me they don’t want to label themselves by their sexual orientation. I used to reject my gay identity. In fact I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-venn-brown/sometimes-people-tell-me-they-don-t-want-to-label-themselves-by-their/) [Anthony Venn-Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-venn-brown/) > [“If you will it, it's not a dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-herzl/if-you-will-it-it-s-not-a-dream/) [Theodor Herzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-herzl/) > [My mother was wonderfully out about her dementia. She would sort of - she would say to me, I came out to the window…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/my-mother-was-wonderfully-out-about-her-dementia-she-would-sort-of/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [“I'm finally coming to terms with the unalloyed insanity of being a writer. Now that's coming out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-kuykendall/i-m-finally-coming-to-terms-with-the-unalloyed-insanity-of-being-a/) [A.K. Kuykendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-kuykendall/) > [“ The closet implies a literal, physical boundary dividing one’s life before publicly declaring queerness, and after. It’s a threshold impossible to recross, two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-perry/the-closet-implies-a-literal-physical-boundary-dividing-one-s-life/) [Grace Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-perry/) > [“But thats their image of us so we stay tense, holding our breath, hoping we wont be found out. - about being gay from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ebine-yamaji/but-thats-their-image-of-us-so-we-stay-tense-holding-our-breath/) [Ebine Yamaji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ebine-yamaji/) > [“Here's a queer fact: none among the skeletons in your closet are ‘straight’ so expect them to ‘come out’ very, very soon...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khayri-r-r-woulfe/here-s-a-queer-fact-none-among-the-skeletons-in-your-closet-are/) [Khayri R.R. Woulfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khayri-r-r-woulfe/) > [Coming out of the closet as a gay man didn't cost me anything, but deep down it wasn't who I was. It was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lux-pascal/coming-out-of-the-closet-as-a-gay-man-didn-t-cost-me-anything-but/) [Lux Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lux-pascal/) > [I got tired of reading that everybody was either coming out of the closet or they were abused or had some kind of substance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-farr/i-got-tired-of-reading-that-everybody-was-either-coming-out-of-the/) [Jamie Farr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-farr/) > [“Dude, the whole Drake coming out of the closet routine is getting old. Get some new material. ~ Drake”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-turner/dude-the-whole-drake-coming-out-of-the-closet-routine-is-getting-old/) [Jennifer Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-turner/) > [I am not in the closet. I am not coming out of the closet. I am not gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-am-not-in-the-closet-i-am-not-coming-out-of-the-closet-i-am-not-gay/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) [Browse all 55 Coming out of the closet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-out-of-the-closet/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Those who have not taken this step, who have not come to terms with themselves, are not necessarily frightened, they are perhaps helpless, disoriented, lost as one is in the middle of a forest that's too dark or dense or vast.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Philippe Besson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-besson/those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-have-not-come-to-terms-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Coming out of the closet" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-besson/those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-have-not-come-to-terms-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/philippe-besson-62484_coming-out-of-the-cl_those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-h_1875318.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/philippe-besson-62484_coming-out-of-the-cl_those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-h_1875318.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/philippe-besson-62484_coming-out-of-the-cl_those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-h_1875318.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Those who have not taken this step, who have not come to terms with themselves, are not necessarily…” — Philippe Besson", "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": "Philippe Besson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-besson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Those who have not taken this...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-besson/those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-have-not-come-to-terms-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-besson/those-who-have-not-taken-this-step-who-have-not-come-to-terms-with/#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 } } ] } ```