---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The more you try to turn away from…"
description: "\"The more you try to turn away from darkness, the more darkness is right against your back.\" — Robert Eggers"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/robert-eggers-6047_back_the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkn_45503.jpg"
---

#  The more you try to turn away from darkness, the more…

![“The more you try to turn away from darkness, the more darkness is right against your back.” quote by Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/robert-eggers-6047_back_the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkn_45503.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/robert-eggers-6047_back_the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkn_45503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/robert-eggers-6047_back_the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkn_45503.jpg)

> “The more you try to turn away from darkness, the more darkness is right against your back.”

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Attempting to avoid darkness often intensifies its presence, suggesting that resistance can amplify what one seeks to escape.

**In simple terms:** Resistance can magnify the very thing you fear.

Key Takeaway

Avoiding something may strengthen it.

Themes

psychology paradox resilience fear self-awareness

Mood

reflective somber thoughtful

Type

aphor advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- facing personal doubts
- dealing with grief
- overcoming addiction
- navigating moral dilemmas

Key Concepts

avoidance inner conflict perception mindset

Practical Applications

- counseling strategies
- self-help workshops

Questions to Reflect On

- How does avoidance affect your perception of challenges?
- What strategies can transform resistance into acceptance?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/)

## Related quotes

> [Light is the left hand of darkness and darkness the right hand of light. Two are one, life and death, lying together like lovers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/light-is-the-left-hand-of-darkness-and-darkness-the-right-hand-of/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [This means, in a way, that true light is dependent on the presence of other lights. Take the others away and darkness results. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/this-means-in-a-way-that-true-light-is-dependent-on-the-presence-of/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [Turn away. From the darkness, the madness, the pain. Open your eyes and look at the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/turn-away-from-the-darkness-the-madness-the-pain-open-your-eyes-and/)

[Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/)

> [I mean, the greatest laugh I always get is, if darkness, right, just overwhelms the Earth one day and Obama had the key to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-gutierrez/i-mean-the-greatest-laugh-i-always-get-is-if-darkness-right-just/)

[Luis Gutierrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-gutierrez/)

> [“Less now to me is that darkness than my own darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/less-now-to-me-is-that-darkness-than-my-own-darkness/)

[J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/)

> [“I can’t afford to live in reaction to darkness. If I do, darkness has had a role in setting the agenda for my life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-can-t-afford-to-live-in-reaction-to-darkness-if-i-do-darkness-has/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [“The perfect match is one willing to burn for you, the one who can chase away your darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/the-perfect-match-is-one-willing-to-burn-for-you-the-one-who-can/)

[Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/)

> [Healing comes when we move away from the darkness and walk towards the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/healing-comes-when-we-move-away-from-the-darkness-and-walk-towards/)

[Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/)

> [Something pure to burn away the darkness that hides inside my mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-biersack/something-pure-to-burn-away-the-darkness-that-hides-inside-my-mind/)

[Andy Biersack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-biersack/)

> [The light of love drives away the darkness of guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-light-of-love-drives-away-the-darkness-of-guilt/)

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

> [I've always said I was born in the storm. I just had to find a way out of it, find the clearing, and believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-pedersen/i-ve-always-said-i-was-born-in-the-storm-i-just-had-to-find-a-way-out/)

[Aaron Pedersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-pedersen/)

> [“Why could this darkness rip the gloominess around me Had an unknown reason of being fearful for so long Thinking, if its touched by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shumila-shah/why-could-this-darkness-rip-the-gloominess-around-me-had-an-unknown/)

Shumila Shah

> [“It’s like you have all this light inside of you, but you can’t see it. It chases away the darkness in people and draws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-scardoni/it-s-like-you-have-all-this-light-inside-of-you-but-you-can-t-see-it/)

[Bianca Scardoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-scardoni/)

> [“And she shrank away again, back into her darkness, and for a long while remained blotted safely away from living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/and-she-shrank-away-again-back-into-her-darkness-and-for-a-long-while/)

[D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/)

> [“Even in the darkness of the closed box she felt trapped inside, she could see light shining in through tiny holes on the lid.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-naeem/even-in-the-darkness-of-the-closed-box-she-felt-trapped-inside-she/)

[Umair Naeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-naeem/)

## More by Robert Eggers

> [The Witch' was very well planned, but 'The Lighthouse' was so much more so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/the-witch-was-very-well-planned-but-the-lighthouse-was-so-much-more-so/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [If I'm going to make a genre film, it has to be personal and it has to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/if-i-m-going-to-make-a-genre-film-it-has-to-be-personal-and-it-has-to/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [African Queen' is pretty darn great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/african-queen-is-pretty-darn-great/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [The Shining' is one of the few horror movies that I actually like and it actually scared me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/the-shining-is-one-of-the-few-horror-movies-that-i-actually-like-and/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [Every actor demands different things. Every human being you come in contact with in your life, you have to deal with in slightly different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/every-actor-demands-different-things-every-human-being-you-come-in/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [There's a lot of cool stuff going on in independent film. But obviously, yeah - all the comic-book-franchise stuff is deeply boring. But these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/there-s-a-lot-of-cool-stuff-going-on-in-independent-film-but/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [What's so interesting to me about history is - what's interesting to anyone - is how humans are the same. Their belief systems were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/what-s-so-interesting-to-me-about-history-is-what-s-interesting-to/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [I always wanted to do film. And I still love theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/i-always-wanted-to-do-film-and-i-still-love-theater/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [For me, rehearsal is only about blocking and pacing; it's not about performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/for-me-rehearsal-is-only-about-blocking-and-pacing-it-s-not-about/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [I bow down to the altar of genre, because it allowed me to get 'The Witch' financed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/i-bow-down-to-the-altar-of-genre-because-it-allowed-me-to-get-the/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [I had these fashion history books that I really enjoyed looking at. I liked costumes and used to wear them to school until I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/i-had-these-fashion-history-books-that-i-really-enjoyed-looking-at-i/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [Guillermo del Toro is able to invent his worlds. I would find the pressure of having to invent crippling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/guillermo-del-toro-is-able-to-invent-his-worlds-i-would-find-the/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [I wrote a lot of scripts that were dark and fairy tale-like, but too strange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/i-wrote-a-lot-of-scripts-that-were-dark-and-fairy-tale-like-but-too/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [Nosferatu' has a very close, magical connection for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/nosferatu-has-a-very-close-magical-connection-for-me/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

> [Bergman's my favorite filmmaker, if I had to choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/bergman-s-my-favorite-filmmaker-if-i-had-to-choose/)

[Robert Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

[Explore all 100 Robert Eggers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/)

## More Back quotes

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [I honestly would like to get that Frankie fight back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/i-honestly-would-like-to-get-that-frankie-fight-back/)

[Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/)

> [Drumming's pretty physical. We sit at the back of the stage getting beat up like a workhorse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee/drumming-s-pretty-physical-we-sit-at-the-back-of-the-stage-getting/)

[Tommy Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee/)

> [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/)

[Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/)

> [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/)

[George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/)

> [I've always stuck my arms behind my back anyway when trying to block a shot in the penalty area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/i-ve-always-stuck-my-arms-behind-my-back-anyway-when-trying-to-block/)

[Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/)

> [I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/i-m-sure-at-some-point-i-will-get-back-into-coaching-but-right-now-i/)

[Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/)

> [Any time someone achieves success before they've earned it, it always comes back to haunt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/any-time-someone-achieves-success-before-they-ve-earned-it-it-always/)

[Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/)

> [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/)

[Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/)

> [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/)

[Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/)

> [We're all painfully aware of how suddenly violence can occur, how crippling it is, and how survivors have to find a way back from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dini/we-re-all-painfully-aware-of-how-suddenly-violence-can-occur-how/)

[Paul Dini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dini/)

> [Ronaldo is just an athlete. He works so hard and back to back; he is always there. But if you work hard, can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-davids/ronaldo-is-just-an-athlete-he-works-so-hard-and-back-to-back-he-is/)

[Edgar Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-davids/)

> [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/)

[Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/)

> [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/)

[Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/)

Browse all 9,709 Back quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The more you try to turn away from darkness, the more darkness is right against your back.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert Eggers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkness-the-more-darkness-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Back"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkness-the-more-darkness-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/robert-eggers-6047_back_the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkn_45503.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/robert-eggers-6047_back_the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkn_45503.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/robert-eggers-6047_back_the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkn_45503.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The more you try to turn away from darkness, the more darkness is right against your back.” — Robert Eggers",
                "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": "Robert Eggers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-eggers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The more you try to turn...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkness-the-more-darkness-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-eggers/the-more-you-try-to-turn-away-from-darkness-the-more-darkness-is/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
