--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a child, he had hardened his heart and…" description: "\"As a child, he had hardened his heart and learned to take their punches. He had learned to spit back and take down anyone who cast a jaundiced eye or w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_animal_as-a-child-he-had-hardened-his-heart-and_896803.jpg" --- # As a child, he had hardened his heart and learned to take… ![“As a child, he had hardened his heart and learned to take their punches. He had learned to spit back and take down anyone who cast a jaundiced eye or who made a comment about either him, his mother, or his sister. He’d told himself that he didn’t need anyone’s love or caring. And so he had learned…” quote by Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_animal_as-a-child-he-had-hardened-his-heart-and_896803.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_animal_as-a-child-he-had-hardened-his-heart-and_896803.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d8/sherrilyn-kenyon-25_animal_as-a-child-he-had-hardened-his-heart-and_896803.jpg) > “As a child, he had hardened his heart and learned to take their punches. He had learned to spit back and take down anyone who cast a jaundiced eye or who made a comment about either him, his mother, or his sister. He’d told himself that he didn’t need anyone’s love or caring. And so he had learned to live like a feral animal, always ready to strike out when someone tried to touch him.” [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child builds emotional armor, rejecting love to protect himself, becoming hostile and defensive. **In simple terms:** He shields himself by rejecting love and becoming aggressive. Key Takeaway Recognize and heal emotional defenses. Themes self‑protection trauma defensiveness loneliness Mood defensive isolated reflective Type advice psychological cautionary When to use this quote - personal relationships - family conflict - therapy sessions - self‑reflection - boundary setting Key Concepts psychological armor attachment theory survival instincts Questions to Reflect On - What wounds are you shielding with aggression? - How might vulnerability change your interactions? A Different Perspective Such defenses can isolate and damage relationships, limiting growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Caring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caring/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Hardened heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardened-heart/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Strikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strikes/) ## Related quotes > [Only unconditional grace can transform a hardened heart into a grateful heart. Only a free gift can demolish any notion of quid pro quo.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-galli/only-unconditional-grace-can-transform-a-hardened-heart-into-a/) [Mark Galli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-galli/) > [Lovesick, bitter and hardened heart. 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