--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Shudder, in fact, is not quite the word…" description: "\"Shudder, in fact, is not quite the word for the feeling. Feeling is not quite the word for the feeling. How's bathing at knifepoint in the phlegm of th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/sam-lipsyte-11160_facts_shudder-in-fact-is-not-quite-the-word-fo_3112409.jpg" --- # Shudder, in fact, is not quite the word for the feeling… ![“Shudder, in fact, is not quite the word for the feeling. Feeling is not quite the word for the feeling. How's bathing at knifepoint in the phlegm of the dead? Is that a feeling?” quote by Sam Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/sam-lipsyte-11160_facts_shudder-in-fact-is-not-quite-the-word-fo_3112409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/sam-lipsyte-11160_facts_shudder-in-fact-is-not-quite-the-word-fo_3112409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acc/sam-lipsyte-11160_facts_shudder-in-fact-is-not-quite-the-word-fo_3112409.jpg) > “Shudder, in fact, is not quite the word for the feeling. Feeling is not quite the word for the feeling. How's bathing at knifepoint in the phlegm of the dead? Is that a feeling?” [Sam Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lipsyte/) ## 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 struggles to label a grotesque, visceral experience, questioning whether it qualifies as a feeling. **In simple terms:** Hard to name a feeling. Key Takeaway Accept ambiguity in intense experiences. Themes language emotion existential Mood confused introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing - therapy - self‑reflection Key Concepts philosophy psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - How do we describe sensations beyond ordinary language? - When is it okay to accept uncertainty? A Different Perspective Words may fail to capture extreme or alien sensations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) ## Related quotes > [Motivation is not a thinking word; it's a feeling word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/motivation-is-not-a-thinking-word-it-s-a-feeling-word/) [John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/) > [Most of the people I admire, they usually smell funny and don't get out much. It's true. 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