---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It had by no means been the first time in…"
description: "\"“It had by no means been the first time in her life that a man had finished with her, but it was the first time ever that he'd moved house and left the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/scarlett-bailey-44531_first-time_it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-i_2978171.jpg"
---

#  It had by no means been the first time in her life that a…

![“It had by no means been the first time in her life that a man had finished with her, but it was the first time ever that he'd moved house and left the country to do it.” quote by Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/scarlett-bailey-44531_first-time_it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-i_2978171.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/scarlett-bailey-44531_first-time_it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-i_2978171.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/scarlett-bailey-44531_first-time_it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-i_2978171.jpg)

> ““It had by no means been the first time in her life that a man had finished with her, but it was the first time ever that he'd moved house and left the country to do it.””

[Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

## About This Quote

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

A man left after a breakup, moving abroad, intensifying the emotional impact.

**In simple terms:** He left the country after breaking up.

Key Takeaway

Recognize patterns of avoidance in relationships.

Themes

relationships breakup geographic distance

Mood

sad reflective

Type

personal psychological

When to use this quote

- therapy
- friend support
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

emotional avoidance life transitions

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do people flee after heartbreak?
- How to face pain without escaping?

A Different Perspective

May romanticize avoidance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [This was what it meant to be human, to know that time moved and all things changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/this-was-what-it-meant-to-be-human-to-know-that-time-moved-and-all/)

[Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/)

> [A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/a-man-is-not-finished-when-he-is-defeated-he-is-finished-when-he-quits/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [A man is not finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark/a-man-is-not-finished/)

[Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark/)

> [The night I won my first Late Model race was the night my mom moved everything out of the house... There was a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-harvick/the-night-i-won-my-first-late-model-race-was-the-night-my-mom-moved/)

[Kevin Harvick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-harvick/)

> [I have worked in so many countries over the years that I must have moved house about 20 times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-kempes/i-have-worked-in-so-many-countries-over-the-years-that-i-must-have/)

[Mario Kempes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-kempes/)

> [I was overwhelmed by the number of calls we got from people offering to rent us houses, to take us out to dinner, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/i-was-overwhelmed-by-the-number-of-calls-we-got-from-people-offering/)

[Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/)

> [My record-keeping hasnt improved much; I recently moved house and found five pots in the loft which had been unseen since the 80s and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grayson-perry/my-record-keeping-hasnt-improved-much-i-recently-moved-house-and/)

[Grayson Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grayson-perry/)

> [I moved out of my house at 17 and half, I rented an apartment... I pulled all the things off. It was pretty amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hernandez/i-moved-out-of-my-house-at-17-and-half-i-rented-an-apartment-i-pulled/)

[Eric Hernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hernandez/)

> [“The house was left; the house was deserted. It was left like a shell on a sandhill to fill with dry salt grains now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-house-was-left-the-house-was-deserted-it-was-left-like-a-shell-on/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [If America was a house, the Left would root for the termites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/if-america-was-a-house-the-left-would-root-for-the-termites/)

[Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/)

> [At five years old, I became the man of the house. When he left, my dad let me know that. It put a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-cruz/at-five-years-old-i-became-the-man-of-the-house-when-he-left-my-dad/)

[Dominick Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-cruz/)

> [Running a house should be left to innkeepers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/running-a-house-should-be-left-to-innkeepers/)

[Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/)

> [“We in this house are all that is left of Logres.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/we-in-this-house-are-all-that-is-left-of-logres/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [A movie like 'The Last House On The Left' would be very hard to do in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-aja/a-movie-like-the-last-house-on-the-left-would-be-very-hard-to-do-in/)

[Alexandre Aja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-aja/)

> [“It was as though the house had been left empty but a minute before and yet that minute was fraught with eternity so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/it-was-as-though-the-house-had-been-left-empty-but-a-minute-before/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

## More by Scarlett Bailey

> [“Who's St Nicholas? I don't want him, I want Father Christmas!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/who-s-st-nicholas-i-don-t-want-him-i-want-father-christmas/)

[Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

> [“Alex, I don't want to leave it like this," Marcus said. "I mean maybe I am meant to be with you, maybe it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/alex-i-don-t-want-to-leave-it-like-this-marcus-said-i-mean-maybe-i-am/)

[Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

> [“I think,' Stephen said, 'the worst thing about breaking up with someone who doesn't love you any more is that they aren't sad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/i-think-stephen-said-the-worst-thing-about-breaking-up-with-someone/)

[Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

> [“...and Alex stood. Awkwardly. Praying for any sort of distraction that would mean she didn't have to keep up the awkward standing thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/and-alex-stood-awkwardly-praying-for-any-sort-of-distraction-that/)

[Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

> [“You are so...' Will broke away, his rare unbridled smile, as he gazed at her, utterly charming. '...dressed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/you-are-so-will-broke-away-his-rare-unbridled-smile-as-he-gazed-at/)

[Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

> [“David, do you think if I had just evacuated several litres of amniotic fluid under the table I wouldn't mention it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/david-do-you-think-if-i-had-just-evacuated-several-litres-of-amniotic/)

[Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

> [“Lydia had met Stephen on a breast cancer charity fun run. She hadn't wanted to go on a fun run, because as far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/lydia-had-met-stephen-on-a-breast-cancer-charity-fun-run-she-hadn-t/)

[Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

> [“Never compare a man to a kitten," Ryan told her, smiling. "We don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/never-compare-a-man-to-a-kitten-ryan-told-her-smiling-we-don-t-like-it/)

[Scarlett Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

[Explore all 9 Scarlett Bailey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/)

## More First time quotes

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [“I’m so stressed that a weird Olympic-style commentary starts up in my head. And here we have Zelah Green, the fourteen-year-old champion of rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-curtis/i-m-so-stressed-that-a-weird-olympic-style-commentary-starts-up-in-my/)

Vanessa Curtis

> [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [“I’m waiting for you,” he murmured, smiling a slow, familiar grin that seemed to hint at a secret between them. And for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/i-m-waiting-for-you-he-murmured-smiling-a-slow-familiar-grin-that/)

[Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/)

> [“Treat every natural beauty you met as if you see them for the first and last time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/treat-every-natural-beauty-you-met-as-if-you-see-them-for-the-first/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“I won’t break your heart. For the first time in my life, I’ve found something worth fighting for, someone more important than me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelle-bliss/i-won-t-break-your-heart-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-ve-found/)

[Chelle Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelle-bliss/)

> [Life is like a parachute jump: you have to get it right the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-like-a-parachute-jump-you-have-to-get-it-right-the-first-time/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/)

[Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/)

> [When my kids were in the school play for the first time, I decided I had to make the costumes from scratch and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-alexander/when-my-kids-were-in-the-school-play-for-the-first-time-i-decided-i/)

[Sarah Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-alexander/)

> [“I will run every mile, i will save every line, i will say i reached the top and i will fall back down standing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mennah-al-refaey/i-will-run-every-mile-i-will-save-every-line-i-will-say-i-reached-the/)

Mennah al refaey

> [“Or maybe your magic isn't that destructive after all. The rain of Doritos, the bed thing,this...Maybe it's just that you create too big, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawkins/or-maybe-your-magic-isn-t-that-destructive-after-all-the-rain-of/)

[Rachel Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawkins/)

> [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/)

[Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/)

> [I don't know why, but everybody thinks that I'm short. When they see me for the first time, women are always surprised to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-don-t-know-why-but-everybody-thinks-that-i-m-short-when-they-see-me/)

[Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/)

> [“I met Suffering on a quiet road, just as the sun was setting behind me. Its presence was heavy, like an old coat I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/i-met-suffering-on-a-quiet-road-just-as-the-sun-was-setting-behind-me/)

[Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/)

> [“You never talk to the pitcher when…” He shook his head. “You just never talk to the pitcher when--” “I just wanted to congratulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/you-never-talk-to-the-pitcher-when-he-shook-his-head-you-just-never/)

[Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/)

Browse all 9,309 First time quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It had by no means been the first time in her life that a man had finished with her, but it was the first time ever that he'd moved house and left the country to do it.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Scarlett Bailey"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-in-her-life-that-a-man-had/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "First time"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-in-her-life-that-a-man-had/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/scarlett-bailey-44531_first-time_it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-i_2978171.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/scarlett-bailey-44531_first-time_it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-i_2978171.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a0/scarlett-bailey-44531_first-time_it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-i_2978171.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It had by no means been the first time in her life that a man had finished with her, but it was the first…” — Scarlett Bailey",
                "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": "Scarlett Bailey",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-bailey/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It had by no means been...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-in-her-life-that-a-man-had/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-bailey/it-had-by-no-means-been-the-first-time-in-her-life-that-a-man-had/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
