--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It depressed him to consider how much…" description: "\"“It depressed him to consider how much energy he had wasted, over the years, in the self-denying posture of apology. From now on, whatever else his lif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/richard-yates-2840_apology_it-depressed-him-to-consider-how-much-en_2144720.png" --- # It depressed him to consider how much energy he had… ![“It depressed him to consider how much energy he had wasted, over the years, in the self-denying posture of apology. From now on, whatever else his life might hold, there would be no more apologies.” quote by Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/richard-yates-2840_apology_it-depressed-him-to-consider-how-much-en_2144720.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/richard-yates-2840_apology_it-depressed-him-to-consider-how-much-en_2144720.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/richard-yates-2840_apology_it-depressed-him-to-consider-how-much-en_2144720.png) > ““It depressed him to consider how much energy he had wasted, over the years, in the self-denying posture of apology. From now on, whatever else his life might hold, there would be no more apologies.”” [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He realizes that constantly apologizing wastes energy and decides to stop making apologies, focusing on authentic living. **In simple terms:** He stops apologizing to save energy and be authentic. Key Takeaway Cease needless apologies. Themes self-awareness energy authenticity Mood reflective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - relationships - career decisions - public speaking - personal boundaries Key Concepts personal growth psychology self-acceptance Questions to Reflect On - When is an apology essential? - How can you express regret without self‑denial? A Different Perspective Apologizing can sometimes be necessary for accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology/) [Apology Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apology-life-606141/) [Energy Wasted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy-wasted-314399/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Posture Apology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posture-apology-4481223/) [Wasted Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasted-years-307887/) ## Related quotes > [My life is not an apology, but a life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/my-life-is-not-an-apology-but-a-life/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [My life is an apology for the life of my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/my-life-is-an-apology-for-the-life-of-my-father/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [Men do what is called a good action, as some piece of courage or charity, much as they would pay a fine in expiation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/men-do-what-is-called-a-good-action-as-some-piece-of-courage-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [My life is not an apology, but a life. It is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/my-life-is-not-an-apology-but-a-life-it-is-for-itself-and-not-for-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“All right. But rocks, Mother, I hope I’ll never be called king.” “You once hoped you’d never be a soldier.” “Don’t remind me.” His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/all-right-but-rocks-mother-i-hope-i-ll-never-be-called-king-you-once/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [“I do not wish to expiate, but to live. My life is not an apology, but a life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-do-not-wish-to-expiate-but-to-live-my-life-is-not-an-apology-but-a/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A great deal of energy is wasted in hating people, and I can honestly say I've no wish to expend such a precious resource…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccloud/a-great-deal-of-energy-is-wasted-in-hating-people-and-i-can-honestly/) [Kevin McCloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccloud/) > [How much energy is wasted in Italy in trying to write the novel that obeys all the rules. The energy might have been useful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/how-much-energy-is-wasted-in-italy-in-trying-to-write-the-novel-that/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [When I think of the energy I wasted hating you ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-taylforth/when-i-think-of-the-energy-i-wasted-hating-you/) [Gillian Taylforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-taylforth/) > [If you spend too much time trying to find out what is good or bad about someone else, you'll forget your own soul and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/if-you-spend-too-much-time-trying-to-find-out-what-is-good-or-bad/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Forgive and call back the energy wasted on past events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/forgive-and-call-back-the-energy-wasted-on-past-events/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [“All that human energy, wasted, in response to the simple fact that we know we are going to die, and we don't know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-chercover/all-that-human-energy-wasted-in-response-to-the-simple-fact-that-we/) [Sean Chercover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-chercover/) > [Lets cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next 20 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/lets-cut-in-half-the-energy-wasted-by-our-homes-and-businesses-over/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Nothing is ever as bad as the energy wasted worrying over it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-sue-mcadams/nothing-is-ever-as-bad-as-the-energy-wasted-worrying-over-it/) [Teresa Sue McAdams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-sue-mcadams/) > [The reveries of youth, in which so much energy is wasted, are the yearnings of a Spirit made for what it has not found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/the-reveries-of-youth-in-which-so-much-energy-is-wasted-are-the/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) ## More by Richard Yates > [“Rachel was a girl who depended on small, recurrent rituals - that was one of the things he'd come to know about her, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/rachel-was-a-girl-who-depended-on-small-recurrent-rituals-that-was/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“In the East, he then believed, a man went to college not for vocational training but in disciplined search for wisdom and beauty, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/in-the-east-he-then-believed-a-man-went-to-college-not-for-vocational/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [God knows there certainly ought to be a window around here somewhere, for all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/god-knows-there-certainly-ought-to-be-a-window-around-here-somewhere/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“And you know what else I used to love? I loved to watch you get into your car and drive away - just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/and-you-know-what-else-i-used-to-love-i-loved-to-watch-you-get-into/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [if you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail… it takes back bone to lead the life you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/if-you-don-t-try-at-anything-you-can-t-fail-it-takes-back-bone-to/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“The movies were wonderful because they took you out of yourself, and at the same time they gave you a sense of being whole.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/the-movies-were-wonderful-because-they-took-you-out-of-yourself-and/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [Do you know what the definition of insane is? Yes. It’s the inability to relate to another human being. It’s the inability to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/do-you-know-what-the-definition-of-insane-is-yes-it-s-the-inability/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“It had been easy to decide in favor of love on Bethune Street, in favor of walking proud and naked on the grass rug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/it-had-been-easy-to-decide-in-favor-of-love-on-bethune-street-in/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [Anybody's marriage might benefit from an occasional embargo on talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/anybody-s-marriage-might-benefit-from-an-occasional-embargo-on-talk/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“Sometimes in dreams there are visions of the past. For that reason Alice Prentice had always welcomed sleep, but she suffered an insomniac's dread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/sometimes-in-dreams-there-are-visions-of-the-past-for-that-reason/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“There she was, lying on a single bed in a room so small that there wasn't even space for a chair, and the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/there-she-was-lying-on-a-single-bed-in-a-room-so-small-that-there/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“I grandi libri, come i grandi amici, devono essere condivisi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/i-grandi-libri-come-i-grandi-amici-devono-essere-condivisi/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [People did change, and a change could be a bloom as well as a withering...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/people-did-change-and-a-change-could-be-a-bloom-as-well-as-a-withering/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [Hard work, is the best medicine yet devised for all the ills of man- and of woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/hard-work-is-the-best-medicine-yet-devised-for-all-the-ills-of-man/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“You still felt that life was passing you by? Sort of. I still had this idea that there was a whole world of marvelous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/you-still-felt-that-life-was-passing-you-by-sort-of-i-still-had-this/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) [Explore all 140 Richard Yates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) ## More Apology quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) [Elizabeth Tambascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-tambascio/) > [It's hard to say sorry when It's really your fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakii-retondo/it-s-hard-to-say-sorry-when-it-s-really-your-fault/) [Rakii Retondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakii-retondo/) > [“A lady need never apologize. ~ Joseph de Bonaparte (Brother of Napoleon)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-pataki/a-lady-need-never-apologize-joseph-de-bonaparte-brother-of-napoleon/) [Allison Pataki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-pataki/) > [And apologies, once postponed, become harder and harder to make, and finally impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/and-apologies-once-postponed-become-harder-and-harder-to-make-and/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [In the formation of such a government, it is not only the right, but the indispensable duty of every citizen to examine the principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/in-the-formation-of-such-a-government-it-is-not-only-the-right-but/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [Apologizing does not always mean you are wrong, it just means that value your relationships more than your ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinier-bennett/apologizing-does-not-always-mean-you-are-wrong-it-just-means-that/) [Chinier Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinier-bennett/) > [If I can get enough signatures, to present an apology to slavery, I will present it to the President. The House of Representatives has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/if-i-can-get-enough-signatures-to-present-an-apology-to-slavery-i/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [“I don’t care if you’ve changed. I don’t care who you are now. I don’t need or want your explanations because what you did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-young/i-don-t-care-if-you-ve-changed-i-don-t-care-who-you-are-now-i-don-t/) [Samantha Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-young/) > [I never said Kristen ruined my wedding. At the time, when a million other things had fallen apart that day, I felt like she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scheana-shay/i-never-said-kristen-ruined-my-wedding-at-the-time-when-a-million/) [Scheana Shay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scheana-shay/) > [The greatest form of maturity is at harvest time. This is when we must learn how to reap without complaint if the amounts are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-greatest-form-of-maturity-is-at-harvest-time-this-is-when-we-must/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [“It's clear he still feels something, but what? Is the whole reason he made such a big deal about wanting to talk to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-heywood/it-s-clear-he-still-feels-something-but-what-is-the-whole-reason-he/) [Carey Heywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-heywood/) > [I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it really. 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