---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe under all that guilt and certainty…"
description: "\"Maybe under all that guilt and certainty that he couldn't love again, he still wanted me. I would have liked to have found out. But I didn't have the t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/richelle-mead-46_certainty_maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty_1782773.jpg"
---

#  Maybe under all that guilt and certainty that he couldn't…

![“Maybe under all that guilt and certainty that he couldn't love again, he still wanted me. I would have liked to have found out. But I didn't have the time. Instead, I punched him.” quote by Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/richelle-mead-46_certainty_maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty_1782773.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/richelle-mead-46_certainty_maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty_1782773.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/richelle-mead-46_certainty_maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty_1782773.jpg)

> “Maybe under all that guilt and certainty that he couldn't love again, he still wanted me. I would have liked to have found out. But I didn't have the time. Instead, I punched him.”

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

## 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 lingering guilt and missed opportunities, culminating in an impulsive violent act.

**In simple terms:** Guilt and missed chances lead to sudden aggression.

Key Takeaway

Address unresolved feelings before they erupt.

Themes

guilt missed opportunities anger

Mood

regretful tense

Type

narrative personal

When to use this quote

- relationship breakdown
- personal crisis

Key Concepts

psychology conflict resolution

Questions to Reflect On

- What could have prevented the punch?
- How can you process guilt constructively?

A Different Perspective

Violence is a destructive response that worsens the situation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“Even when you are happy to see your friends again and laugh at their jokes, the relief is mixed with sadness and, maybe, guilt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/even-when-you-are-happy-to-see-your-friends-again-and-laugh-at-their/)

[Elisabeth Kübler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/)

> [“She had decided that because she couldn't love her body, she would try to love what she put on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-scelsa/she-had-decided-that-because-she-couldn-t-love-her-body-she-would-try/)

Kate Scelsa

> [So what we couldn't be together ... our love even without living together ... will still be love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anmol-andore/so-what-we-couldn-t-be-together-our-love-even-without-living-together/)

[Anmol Andore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anmol-andore/)

> [If he loved you with all the power of his soul for a whole lifetime, he couldn't love you as much as I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-he-loved-you-with-all-the-power-of-his-soul-for-a-whole-lifetime/)

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

> [“I swear I couldn’t love you more than I do right now, and yet I know I will tomorrow. — Leo Christopher”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-frank/i-swear-i-couldn-t-love-you-more-than-i-do-right-now-and-yet-i-know-i/)

[Ella Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-frank/)

> [“It would have to be. I already love you so much. I already feel like something in my chest is going to pop when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/it-would-have-to-be-i-already-love-you-so-much-i-already-feel-like/)

[Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/)

> [You are a son to me, that to my father I couldn't be. I love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-a-son-to-me-that-to-my-father-i-couldn-t-be-i-love-you/)

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

> [I fell in love with you because you loved me when I couldn't love myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn/i-fell-in-love-with-you-because-you-loved-me-when-i-couldn-t-love/)

[Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn/)

> [He was so good and honest. Why couldn't I love him instead?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-glines/he-was-so-good-and-honest-why-couldn-t-i-love-him-instead/)

[Abbi Glines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-glines/)

> [How could you Love other when you couldn't love yourself!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ong-kich/how-could-you-love-other-when-you-couldn-t-love-yourself/)

[Ong Kich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ong-kich/)

> [He loved her all he could; but he couldn't love her very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-crusie/he-loved-her-all-he-could-but-he-couldn-t-love-her-very-much/)

[Jennifer Crusie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-crusie/)

> [“When I first met you I couldn't love anyone But you stole my dreams and you made me see That I can walk into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goodbye-hootie-and-the-blowfish/when-i-first-met-you-i-couldn-t-love-anyone-but-you-stole-my-dreams/)

Goodbye Hootie and the Blowfish

> [How dreadful it is that because of our wills we can never love anything without messing it around! We couldn’t even love a tree,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/how-dreadful-it-is-that-because-of-our-wills-we-can-never-love/)

[Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/)

> [“And I couldn’t love a lie anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-grace-bond/and-i-couldn-t-love-a-lie-anymore/)

Katherine Grace Bond

> [As me, I couldn't love my cohorts P.J. Byrne and David Faustino more. I just adore them, and any opportunity to be in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/as-me-i-couldn-t-love-my-cohorts-p-j-byrne-and-david-faustino-more-i/)

[Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/)

## More by Richelle Mead

> [“Jerome shrugged. “We’re back to the part where I don’t give a fuck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/jerome-shrugged-we-re-back-to-the-part-where-i-don-t-give-a-fuck/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“A piece of heaven?" I managed to ask. He slowly shook his head. "No. The other place. The one I'm going to burn in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/a-piece-of-heaven-i-managed-to-ask-he-slowly-shook-his-head-no-the/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [When I talked to him earlier, he said he had to work tonight,” Peter explained, “but that we should go ahead and draw for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/when-i-talked-to-him-earlier-he-said-he-had-to-work-tonight-peter/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [It was a nephilim.” “A nephi-what?” asked Hugh, startled. “Isn’t that a character on Sesame Street?” Peter spoke up for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-was-a-nephilim-a-nephi-what-asked-hugh-startled-isn-t-that-a/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Life and death were so unpredictable. So close to each other. We existed moment to moment, never knowing who would be the next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-and-death-were-so-unpredictable-so-close-to-each-other-we/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“I watched, enthralled, as he painted a large silver heart with flames edging one side. The whole design was Celtic in style. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-watched-enthralled-as-he-painted-a-large-silver-heart-with-flames/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“I loved Aeson. You have no idea what love is.” “Oh, I do. I know that it’s the best high and the worst hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-loved-aeson-you-have-no-idea-what-love-is-oh-i-do-i-know-that-it-s/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Why would you do that? Why would you act like you didn't know how to drive?" "Isn't it obvious, Sage? No, of course it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/why-would-you-do-that-why-would-you-act-like-you-didn-t-know-how-to/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Everything I’d fought for, every challenge, every victory … all of it was empty if anything happened to him. Without him, I wouldn’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/everything-i-d-fought-for-every-challenge-every-victory-all-of-it-was/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Is it true? You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?" I Swallowed. "It wouldn't have been a clean getaway without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-true-you-had-a-clean-getaway-and-risked-it-all-for-me-i/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, "Mmm. O positive, my favorite." Keith sprayed out the wine he'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/keith-was-just-bringing-the-glass-to-his-lips-when-adrian-said-mmm-o/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Life’s like that. As we grow and change, some things we’ve experienced before take on new meaning. It’ll happen for the rest of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-s-like-that-as-we-grow-and-change-some-things-we-ve-experienced/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Hey Sydney," she said, giving me a small, crooked smile as she entered the room. Her flashing, dark eyes were friendly, but they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/hey-sydney-she-said-giving-me-a-small-crooked-smile-as-she-entered/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Sydney Katherine Sage,” he said, his green eyes full of love and earnestness. “Would you do a brooding, deadbeat Moroi the honor of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/sydney-katherine-sage-he-said-his-green-eyes-full-of-love-and/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

[Explore all 2,001 Richelle Mead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

## More Certainty quotes

> [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/)

[Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/)

> [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/)

[Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/)

> [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [In the mental disturbance and effort of writing, what sustains you is the certainty that on every page there is something left unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/in-the-mental-disturbance-and-effort-of-writing-what-sustains-you-is/)

[Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/)

> [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/)

[Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/)

> [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/)

[Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/)

> [As a businessman, I know that businesses need certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/as-a-businessman-i-know-that-businesses-need-certainty/)

[Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/)

> [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/)

[Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/)

> [Every single person who is a member of our party deserves to have certainty. They deserve to know that my attention and focus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annamie-paul/every-single-person-who-is-a-member-of-our-party-deserves-to-have/)

[Annamie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annamie-paul/)

> [The significance and volume of repairs that are needed across the country demand that we give state and local governments the long-term certainty they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/the-significance-and-volume-of-repairs-that-are-needed-across-the/)

[Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/)

> [“Death is the one great certainty in life. That’s what my dad used to say. Nothing else is certain. Not love. Not happiness. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-gray/death-is-the-one-great-certainty-in-life-that-s-what-my-dad-used-to/)

[Mila Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-gray/)

> [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/)

[Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/)

> [Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/do-not-lose-hope-st-joseph-also-experienced-moments-of-difficulty-but/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/)

[Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/)

> [Finding someone that trusted my vision helped me find certainty in who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/finding-someone-that-trusted-my-vision-helped-me-find-certainty-in/)

[Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/)

[Browse all 1,776 Certainty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Maybe under all that guilt and certainty that he couldn't love again, he still wanted me. I would have liked to have found out. But I didn't have the time. Instead, I punched him.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richelle Mead"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty-that-he-couldn-t-love-again/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Certainty"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty-that-he-couldn-t-love-again/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/richelle-mead-46_certainty_maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty_1782773.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/richelle-mead-46_certainty_maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty_1782773.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/richelle-mead-46_certainty_maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty_1782773.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Maybe under all that guilt and certainty that he couldn't love again, he still wanted me. I would have liked…” — Richelle Mead",
                "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": "Richelle Mead",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Maybe under all that guilt and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty-that-he-couldn-t-love-again/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/maybe-under-all-that-guilt-and-certainty-that-he-couldn-t-love-again/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
