--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Isn't that why you want to shoot…" description: "\"“Isn't that why you want to shoot yourself? To make a protest against change?”\" — Stephen Dobyns" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/stephen-dobyns-13599_change_isn-t-that-why-you-want-to-shoot-yoursel_248604.jpg" --- # Isn't that why you want to shoot yourself? To make a… ![“Isn't that why you want to shoot yourself? To make a protest against change?” quote by Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/stephen-dobyns-13599_change_isn-t-that-why-you-want-to-shoot-yoursel_248604.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/stephen-dobyns-13599_change_isn-t-that-why-you-want-to-shoot-yoursel_248604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/stephen-dobyns-13599_change_isn-t-that-why-you-want-to-shoot-yoursel_248604.jpg) > ““Isn't that why you want to shoot yourself? To make a protest against change?”” [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker questions whether self-harm is a form of protest against inevitable change, highlighting desperation and the desire for agency. **In simple terms:** Self-harm as a protest against change. Key Takeaway Consider healthier ways to confront change. Themes despair protest change mental health agency Mood somber reflective Type poetic emotional When to use this quote - personal crisis - activism - mental health awareness - counseling Key Concepts existential crisis psychological coping social commentary Questions to Reflect On - What non-violent actions can express dissent? - How can we support those feeling trapped by change? A Different Perspective Violence against oneself is not a constructive protest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest/) ## Related quotes > [But everyone cannot be there, and that is why photographers go there, to show them, to reach out and grab them and make them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/but-everyone-cannot-be-there-and-that-is-why-photographers-go-there/) [James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nachtwey/) > [We didn't start out to make a protest record at all. That would have been too shallow. As usual, it was simply a case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/we-didn-t-start-out-to-make-a-protest-record-at-all-that-would-have/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [“It is the nature of a man as he grows older, a small bridge in time, to protest against change, particularly change for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-is-the-nature-of-a-man-as-he-grows-older-a-small-bridge-in-time-to/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I am mindful that the goal of protest is not more protest, but the goal of protest is change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deray-mckesson/i-am-mindful-that-the-goal-of-protest-is-not-more-protest-but-the/) [DeRay Mckesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deray-mckesson/) > [It is the nature of a man as he grows older- to protest against change, particularly changes for the better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-is-the-nature-of-a-man-as-he-grows-older-to-protest-against-change/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [It is the nature of a person as he/she grows older to protest against change, particularly changes for the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/it-is-the-nature-of-a-person-as-he-she-grows-older-to-protest-against/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [You can't just sit around and make protest albums all your life; eventually it comes to the point where you have to do something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kantner/you-can-t-just-sit-around-and-make-protest-albums-all-your-life/) [Paul Kantner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kantner/) > [“Wherever we walk we will make Wherever we protest we will go planting Make poems seed grass feed a child growing build a house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-rukeyser/wherever-we-walk-we-will-make-wherever-we-protest-we-will-go-planting/) [Muriel Rukeyser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-rukeyser/) > [“Make art, make a statement, make a protest. It's up to you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hucklesby/make-art-make-a-statement-make-a-protest-it-s-up-to-you/) [Jill Hucklesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hucklesby/) > [What you once were isn't what you want to be anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/what-you-once-were-isn-t-what-you-want-to-be-anymore/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [No one wants to hear the truth if it isn't what they want to hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-brown/no-one-wants-to-hear-the-truth-if-it-isn-t-what-they-want-to-hear/) [Aaron Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-brown/) > [Giving people what they want isn't always what they want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/giving-people-what-they-want-isn-t-always-what-they-want/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Sometimes, life isn't about what you want to do but what you ought to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chetan-bhagat/sometimes-life-isn-t-about-what-you-want-to-do-but-what-you-ought-to/) [Chetan Bhagat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chetan-bhagat/) > [Everyone posts about how they love clingy boys or feeling wanted but all that means nothing if the person that wants you isn't the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-posts-about-how-they-love-clingy-boys-or-feeling-wanted-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Inclusiveness isn't what I want to push back against. The obsession with facts is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-agata/inclusiveness-isn-t-what-i-want-to-push-back-against-the-obsession/) [John D'Agata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-agata/) ## More by Stephen Dobyns > [Love doesn't need a reason. Hate needs a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/love-doesn-t-need-a-reason-hate-needs-a-reason/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [“If he could not find beauty, nothing else would be worth finding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/if-he-could-not-find-beauty-nothing-else-would-be-worth-finding/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [He thinks of that ocean house and wishes he were back in his former life or that one could take one moment and remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/he-thinks-of-that-ocean-house-and-wishes-he-were-back-in-his-former/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [My wife's dying upstairs and I can't do anything about it. I look in her face and I see the memories there. I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/my-wife-s-dying-upstairs-and-i-can-t-do-anything-about-it-i-look-in/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [Other than fiction and poetry I tend to read history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/other-than-fiction-and-poetry-i-tend-to-read-history/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [Each thing I do, I rush through so I can do something else. In such a way do the days pass---a blend of stock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/each-thing-i-do-i-rush-through-so-i-can-do-something-else-in-such-a/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [“A work of art gives testimony to what it is to be a human being. It bears witness, it extracts meaning. A work of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/a-work-of-art-gives-testimony-to-what-it-is-to-be-a-human-being-it/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [“It was not that she felt any allegiance to the truth. God knows she had cheated on too many men for the truth to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/it-was-not-that-she-felt-any-allegiance-to-the-truth-god-knows-she/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [I'm reading "The Sunset of a Splendid Century" by W.H. Lewis. He was C.S. Lewis's brother. He wrote two books about the French court…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/i-m-reading-the-sunset-of-a-splendid-century-by-w-h-lewis-he-was-c-s/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [“Each thing I do I rush through so I can do something else.. in such a way do the days pass.. I see all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/each-thing-i-do-i-rush-through-so-i-can-do-something-else-in-such-a-2/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [It was as if pain were a room he had entered and the door had been locked behind him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/it-was-as-if-pain-were-a-room-he-had-entered-and-the-door-had-been/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [Many of my poems try to use a comic element to reach a place that isn't comic at all. The comic element works as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/many-of-my-poems-try-to-use-a-comic-element-to-reach-a-place-that-isn/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [I majored in English in college and that was my major in graduate school before switching to creative writing. I read a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/i-majored-in-english-in-college-and-that-was-my-major-in-graduate/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [Sometimes someone will tell me about an author I've never heard of before and that will send me to that person. That's how I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/sometimes-someone-will-tell-me-about-an-author-i-ve-never-heard-of/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) > [“Like this week.” “So you’re Carl’s replacement?” “I guess you could say that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dobyns/like-this-week-so-you-re-carl-s-replacement-i-guess-you-could-say-that/) [Stephen Dobyns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) [Explore all 50 Stephen Dobyns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dobyns/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Isn't that why you want to shoot yourself? 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