--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He wouldn't have understood if I'd told…" description: "\"“He wouldn't have understood if I'd told him why I spend my time with criminals. He didn't know that I belonged with them. More than I belonged with hi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/samantha-shannon-10091_criminals_he-wouldn-t-have-understood-if-i-d-told_1957000.jpg" --- # He wouldn't have understood if I'd told him why I spend my… ![“He wouldn't have understood if I'd told him why I spend my time with criminals. He didn't know that I belonged with them. More than I belonged with him.” quote by Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/samantha-shannon-10091_criminals_he-wouldn-t-have-understood-if-i-d-told_1957000.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/samantha-shannon-10091_criminals_he-wouldn-t-have-understood-if-i-d-told_1957000.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37b/samantha-shannon-10091_criminals_he-wouldn-t-have-understood-if-i-d-told_1957000.jpg) > ““He wouldn't have understood if I'd told him why I spend my time with criminals. He didn't know that I belonged with them. More than I belonged with him.”” [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) ## 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 feels a deeper kinship with outlaws than with a particular person, highlighting belonging through shared experience. **In simple terms:** I feel closer to criminals than to him. Key Takeaway Recognize where you truly belong. Themes belonging identity loyalty Mood conflicted reflective Type narrative character study When to use this quote - prison life - gang affiliation - personal relationships Key Concepts social bonds outlaw culture Questions to Reflect On - Do you choose groups that reflect your values? - How does shared hardship shape identity? A Different Perspective Belonging can be complex and painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belonged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonged/) [Belonged Belonged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonged-belonged-354410/) [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Criminals Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals-didn-3209612/) [The-bone-season](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-bone-season-185767/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) [Wouldn Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wouldn-understood-776278/) ## Related quotes > [“Paige, you will have two tasks tonight,” he said, turning to face me. “Both will test the limits of your sanity. Will you believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/paige-you-will-have-two-tasks-tonight-he-said-turning-to-face-me-both/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [She didn't belong anywhere and she never really belonged to anyone. And everyone else belonged somewhere and to someone. People thought she was too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-didn-t-belong-anywhere-and-she-never-really-belonged-to-anyone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm not like you, Mal. I never really fit in the way that you did. I never belonged anywhere." "You belonged with me," he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-m-not-like-you-mal-i-never-really-fit-in-the-way-that-you-did-i/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“I'm not like you, Mal. I never really fit in the way you did. I never really belonged anywhere." "You belonged with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-m-not-like-you-mal-i-never-really-fit-in-the-way-you-did-i-never/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [Who belonged to no one, who belonged to everyone. Who had nothing, who wanted everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/who-belonged-to-no-one-who-belonged-to-everyone-who-had-nothing-who/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [You have different stages in your career where you have different things to prove. And early on, like most people who move to Nashville,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-paisley/you-have-different-stages-in-your-career-where-you-have-different/) [Brad Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-paisley/) > [“Only fools and criminals didn't know why they did things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cornell/only-fools-and-criminals-didn-t-know-why-they-did-things/) [Paul Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cornell/) > [“I never said I wouldn't come - only that I understood why you didn't want me to come.' 'You led me to believe you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-alexander/i-never-said-i-wouldn-t-come-only-that-i-understood-why-you-didn-t/) [Victoria Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-alexander/) > [“Replies don't matter unless we have actual conversation though. Like, wouldn't you rather be understood than acknowledged”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/replies-don-t-matter-unless-we-have-actual-conversation-though-like/) [Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/) > [“Day wouldn’t have understood the concept of immortal cells or HLA markers coming from anyone, accent or not—he’d only gone to school for four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-skloot/day-wouldn-t-have-understood-the-concept-of-immortal-cells-or-hla/) [Rebecca Skloot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-skloot/) > [I always felt that sci-fi and fantasy were my thing. Bit of a geek, Im afraid. But I like creating worlds, and I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-always-felt-that-sci-fi-and-fantasy-were-my-thing-bit-of-a-geek-im/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [I always thought competition was for horse races and it never belonged in art. I never felt that competitive with other girl singers, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-always-thought-competition-was-for-horse-races-and-it-never/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [I moved to Milan when I was 15. I was always looking for something; I never really felt like I belonged where I was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/i-moved-to-milan-when-i-was-15-i-was-always-looking-for-something-i/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [“She is beyond me, but my love is pure, not base desire To her alone I belonged, I belong - even if mine she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umera-ahmed/she-is-beyond-me-but-my-love-is-pure-not-base-desire-to-her-alone-i/) [Umera Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umera-ahmed/) > [I've never belonged to any group that didn't have at least one member who wasn't a total dick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-ve-never-belonged-to-any-group-that-didn-t-have-at-least-one-member/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) ## More by Samantha Shannon > [I do not know what I can do for this world but I will not let any harm come to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-do-not-know-what-i-can-do-for-this-world-but-i-will-not-let-any/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [J. K. Rowling is one of my favourite authors, and I really admire how she created this big wizarding world. But I think our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/j-k-rowling-is-one-of-my-favourite-authors-and-i-really-admire-how/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [Not all of us know what we are. Some of us die without ever knowing. Some of us know, and never get caught. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/not-all-of-us-know-what-we-are-some-of-us-die-without-ever-knowing/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [“it still amused me that criminals had laws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/it-still-amused-me-that-criminals-had-laws/) [samantha shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [I've been writing since I was about thirteen but didn't start a book until 2007. I spent four years writing a sci-fi novel before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-ve-been-writing-since-i-was-about-thirteen-but-didn-t-start-a-book/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [Writing a novel is like knocking on a door that will never open. You are so desperate to get in, you will say or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/writing-a-novel-is-like-knocking-on-a-door-that-will-never-open-you/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [Nothing’s worse than a story without an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/nothing-s-worse-than-a-story-without-an-end/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [I was a shy child, and when I was 13, I started wearing braces on my teeth. I used to be acutely self-conscious, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-was-a-shy-child-and-when-i-was-13-i-started-wearing-braces-on-my/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [I was not a rebellious teenager. I was a sit-in-your-room teenager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-was-not-a-rebellious-teenager-i-was-a-sit-in-your-room-teenager/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [“I thought of all the years I had spent thinking about him, wondering if he would ever come back to me. And I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-thought-of-all-the-years-i-had-spent-thinking-about-him-wondering/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [“I am not your queen,' Sabran whispered over her skin, 'but I am yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-am-not-your-queen-sabran-whispered-over-her-skin-but-i-am-yours/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [I know what I want to achieve in each book and the major points, but I don't plan right down to the chapters. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-know-what-i-want-to-achieve-in-each-book-and-the-major-points-but-i/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [I would never see him again. But as I watched the tunnel race before my eyes, I was certain of one thing: I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/i-would-never-see-him-again-but-as-i-watched-the-tunnel-race-before/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [Whenever anyone calls me 'The new J..K. Rowling,' I think, 'What's wrong with the old one?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/whenever-anyone-calls-me-the-new-j-k-rowling-i-think-what-s-wrong/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) > [My father thought I would lead a simple life; that I was bright but unambitious, complacant with whatever work life threw at me. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-shannon/my-father-thought-i-would-lead-a-simple-life-that-i-was-bright-but/) [Samantha Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) [Explore all 68 Samantha Shannon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-shannon/) ## More Belonged quotes > [I've never belonged to any group that didn't have at least one member who wasn't a total dick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-ve-never-belonged-to-any-group-that-didn-t-have-at-least-one-member/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [“She is beyond me, but my love is pure, not base desire To her alone I belonged, I belong - even if mine she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umera-ahmed/she-is-beyond-me-but-my-love-is-pure-not-base-desire-to-her-alone-i/) [Umera Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umera-ahmed/) > [I moved to Milan when I was 15. I was always looking for something; I never really felt like I belonged where I was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/i-moved-to-milan-when-i-was-15-i-was-always-looking-for-something-i/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [I always thought competition was for horse races and it never belonged in art. I never felt that competitive with other girl singers, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-always-thought-competition-was-for-horse-races-and-it-never/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [The whole force of the respectable circles to which I belonged, that respectable circle which knew as I did notthe value of security won,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/the-whole-force-of-the-respectable-circles-to-which-i-belonged-that/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [The power to bring me out of solitude - or to push me back into it - had never belonged to another person. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-power-to-bring-me-out-of-solitude-or-to-push-me-back-into-it-had/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [“There was nowhere else she belonged but right here with him. In his life, in his home, in his arms. She was his—and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxie-rivera/there-was-nowhere-else-she-belonged-but-right-here-with-him-in-his/) [Roxie Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxie-rivera/) > [The first time that I stepped onto a stage, it was life-changing. For once, I felt comfortable and in a place where I belonged.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanice-williams/the-first-time-that-i-stepped-onto-a-stage-it-was-life-changing-for/) [Shanice Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanice-williams/) > [“Was there anyone before you? You might have thought so at the the time. I feel like no one's ever loved me before. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-reiss/was-there-anyone-before-you-you-might-have-thought-so-at-the-the-time/) [C.D. Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-reiss/) > [One thing that was very important to me was that I felt comfortable in the lab from being very, very small. I knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/one-thing-that-was-very-important-to-me-was-that-i-felt-comfortable/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [“let it go let it leave let it happen nothing in this world was promised or belonged to you anyway - all you own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/let-it-go-let-it-leave-let-it-happen-nothing-in-this-world-was/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [The character of the monkey just grew from something out of his face and my granddad's personality. They fused, and that's what I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/the-character-of-the-monkey-just-grew-from-something-out-of-his-face/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I was always kind of searching for the right social group in high school and never really felt like I belonged with any one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-dyer/i-was-always-kind-of-searching-for-the-right-social-group-in-high/) [Natalia Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-dyer/) > [I was a silent actress: a body. I belonged to dreams - to those who can't be broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-kristel/i-was-a-silent-actress-a-body-i-belonged-to-dreams-to-those-who-can-t/) [Sylvia Kristel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-kristel/) > [I took three steps and was wrapped in his arms, where I belonged. No confusion here. No worries here. No troubles here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/i-took-three-steps-and-was-wrapped-in-his-arms-where-i-belonged-no/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) [Browse all 304 Belonged quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonged/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He wouldn't have understood if I'd told him why I spend my time with criminals. He didn't know that I belonged with them. 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