--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A tale in which one is mortified does not…" description: "\"“A tale in which one is mortified does not bear repeating.”\" — Stephen P. Kiernan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/stephen-p-kiernan-22901_repeating_a-tale-in-which-one-is-mortified-does-no_2690409.jpg" --- # A tale in which one is mortified does not bear repeating. ![“A tale in which one is mortified does not bear repeating.” quote by Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/stephen-p-kiernan-22901_repeating_a-tale-in-which-one-is-mortified-does-no_2690409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/stephen-p-kiernan-22901_repeating_a-tale-in-which-one-is-mortified-does-no_2690409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/stephen-p-kiernan-22901_repeating_a-tale-in-which-one-is-mortified-does-no_2690409.jpg) > ““A tale in which one is mortified does not bear repeating.”” [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mortifying story should be kept private because it can cause shame and discomfort if repeated. **In simple terms:** Embarrassing stories are best not retold. Key Takeaway Avoid sharing humiliating details. Themes humility privacy social etiquette Mood reflective cautious Type advice cautionary When to use this quote - personal confessions - online posts - family gatherings - public speaking - social media Key Concepts psychology self‑protection Questions to Reflect On - What stories do you keep to protect yourself? - How does silence preserve dignity? A Different Perspective Repeating may reinforce negative self‑image. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mortified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortified-909914/) [Mortified Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortified-does-2653877/) [Repeating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeating/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Tale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tale/) [Tale Mortified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tale-mortified-2653876/) ## Related quotes > [“With each passing minute, I’m developing a deeper appreciation of the word mortified,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/with-each-passing-minute-i-m-developing-a-deeper-appreciation-of-the/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I was thrilled by discovery, crushed by disappointment, and mortified by any misplaced enthusiasm. I declared allegiance, took a position, and always had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavinia-greenlaw/i-was-thrilled-by-discovery-crushed-by-disappointment-and-mortified/) [Lavinia Greenlaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavinia-greenlaw/) > [“When I was ten, we had a dog. He humped everything and anything—from the maid’s leg to my parents’ four-poster bed. He was insatiable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/when-i-was-ten-we-had-a-dog-he-humped-everything-and-anything-from/) [Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/) > [“I prefer to be mortified for a few days to marrying a man who’s crazy about someone else.” Zach”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-hazard/i-prefer-to-be-mortified-for-a-few-days-to-marrying-a-man-who-s-crazy/) [Alessandra Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-hazard/) > […mortified at the speed with which intimacy evaporates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/mortified-at-the-speed-with-which-intimacy-evaporates/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Do you have any idea how mortifying this is?' Her brothers stared at her, quite rightly, in Phillip's opinion, as if she'd gone mad.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/do-you-have-any-idea-how-mortifying-this-is-her-brothers-stared-at/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [“You would fare far better with a lover who makes you laugh than one who makes you curse - and cry," he added, stepping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-tarr/you-would-fare-far-better-with-a-lover-who-makes-you-laugh-than-one/) [Hope Tarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-tarr/) > [Indwelling sin always abides whilst we are in this world; therefore it is always to be mortified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/indwelling-sin-always-abides-whilst-we-are-in-this-world-therefore-it/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [I was going to some fabulous party, and my taxi got stuck in traffic, and I looked out the window, and I saw a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-was-going-to-some-fabulous-party-and-my-taxi-got-stuck-in-traffic/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [Never was a person more mortified than I was at this time, to see so fair an opportunity to push a victory; Detroit lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-rogers-clark/never-was-a-person-more-mortified-than-i-was-at-this-time-to-see-so/) [George Rogers Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-rogers-clark/) > [Our self-love is mortified, when we think our opinions, and even our tastes, customs, and dresses, either arraigned or condemned; as, on the contrary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/our-self-love-is-mortified-when-we-think-our-opinions-and-even-our/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“She wouldn’t be able to help it. Because as mortified as she’d be, she’d be doubly turned on. And I’d stand there, a satisfied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-wouldn-t-be-able-to-help-it-because-as-mortified-as-she-d-be-she/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have never gotten a B in my life. I would honestly be mortified if I got a B. I'm so academically driven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-gayle/i-have-never-gotten-a-b-in-my-life-i-would-honestly-be-mortified-if-i/) [Sami Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-gayle/) > [“Understanding dawned about the sequence of the last two lines, and with it came a sudden mental image of him doing that to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/understanding-dawned-about-the-sequence-of-the-last-two-lines-and/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [I am mortified by my music choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/i-am-mortified-by-my-music-choices/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) ## More by Stephen P. Kiernan > [“And what is life but a little row in a small boat, every moment leaving what we know, every stroke unable to see where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/and-what-is-life-but-a-little-row-in-a-small-boat-every-moment/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“The memory still made her blush, though in the many months since then, the thrill in her heart had been replaced entirely by longing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/the-memory-still-made-her-blush-though-in-the-many-months-since-then/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“A man could be outwardly obedient, but tardiness revealed his inner determination, proof that slavery affects only the body. It does not include possession…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/a-man-could-be-outwardly-obedient-but-tardiness-revealed-his-inner/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“Was there always to be someone who, by comparison, made your circumstances seem fortunate?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/was-there-always-to-be-someone-who-by-comparison-made-your/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“Are you with the Resistance?” “No. I am simply trying to survive, and to help those I can.” Fleur”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/are-you-with-the-resistance-no-i-am-simply-trying-to-survive-and-to/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“Perhaps slavery is harder for a person who has known freedom. Perhaps it does not matter. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/perhaps-slavery-is-harder-for-a-person-who-has-known-freedom-perhaps/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“No deception lasts forever. Truth rises like good bread dough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/no-deception-lasts-forever-truth-rises-like-good-bread-dough/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“Fear, they learned, did not live in the heart or mind. It inhabited the stomach like a bad oyster. There was nothing to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/fear-they-learned-did-not-live-in-the-heart-or-mind-it-inhabited-the/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“Even now, the angling of the light into this room. The curl of the curtain as it falls from a slackening breeze. To call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/even-now-the-angling-of-the-light-into-this-room-the-curl-of-the/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“My mother died halfway when they shot my father. Then almost halfway more, after what the soldiers did to her. Today was the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/my-mother-died-halfway-when-they-shot-my-father-then-almost-halfway/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“a lifetime’s worth of narratives happening at once—the television. At first I was amazed. Soon I found it predictable, however, and dulling to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/a-lifetime-s-worth-of-narratives-happening-at-once-the-television-at/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“When Emma was fifteen Uncle Ezra had taught her reduction, boiling a full pot of beef or chicken stock down to a quarter cup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/when-emma-was-fifteen-uncle-ezra-had-taught-her-reduction-boiling-a/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“My literary references seem right, but no one around me is well read enough to correct any errors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/my-literary-references-seem-right-but-no-one-around-me-is-well-read/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“After all, what is love but the desire to know another person as thoroughly and deeply as possible? Every quirk and passion, each response…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/after-all-what-is-love-but-the-desire-to-know-another-person-as/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) > [“If you see God,” she said finally, “ask Him why He stopped loving us.” Emma”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-p-kiernan/if-you-see-god-she-said-finally-ask-him-why-he-stopped-loving-us-emma/) [Stephen P. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) [Explore all 26 Stephen P. Kiernan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-p-kiernan/) ## More Repeating quotes > [I'm trying to be very aware of not repeating myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-waltz/i-m-trying-to-be-very-aware-of-not-repeating-myself/) [Christoph Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-waltz/) > [I don't like repeating things and look out for work that could challenge me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-massey/i-don-t-like-repeating-things-and-look-out-for-work-that-could/) [Vikrant Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-massey/) > [There comes a point where certain things are becoming my Achilles heel; you know when you start repeating yourself and saying the same anecdotes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-elson/there-comes-a-point-where-certain-things-are-becoming-my-achilles/) [Karen Elson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-elson/) > [“When I prepare, then I become pregnant... and then I produce. When I produce, then I praise the Lord... and then I become prosperous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/when-i-prepare-then-i-become-pregnant-and-then-i-produce-when-i/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [It's so unbelievable when you train so hard for a fight and when you keep repeating the same thing over 10, 20, 30 times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-moraes/it-s-so-unbelievable-when-you-train-so-hard-for-a-fight-and-when-you/) [Marlon Moraes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-moraes/) > [I was concerned about doing a sequel and repeating myself. That was before I read the script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jobeth-williams/i-was-concerned-about-doing-a-sequel-and-repeating-myself-that-was/) [JoBeth Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jobeth-williams/) > [Repeating, trying to repeat success - it never gets easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-judge/repeating-trying-to-repeat-success-it-never-gets-easier/) [Aaron Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-judge/) > [Regretting the past does not prevent me from repeating it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/regretting-the-past-does-not-prevent-me-from-repeating-it/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I hated repeating myself. The last films I've done - not once did I ever have the feeling that I was dialing it in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/i-hated-repeating-myself-the-last-films-i-ve-done-not-once-did-i-ever/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [The true definition of madness is repeating the same action, over and over, hoping for a different result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-true-definition-of-madness-is-repeating-the-same-action-over-and/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [You come to a point in your life where you don't want to just keep repeating yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/you-come-to-a-point-in-your-life-where-you-don-t-want-to-just-keep/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [“At some point in youth an old person will tell you a harsh truth you will not believe, in middle age you will realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-a-a-savastano/at-some-point-in-youth-an-old-person-will-tell-you-a-harsh-truth-you/) [C.A.A. Savastano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-a-a-savastano/) > [When you are repeating your co-star, it's good to bring something new to the equation on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aditya-roy-kapur/when-you-are-repeating-your-co-star-it-s-good-to-bring-something-new/) [Aditya Roy Kapur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aditya-roy-kapur/) > [There is nothing wrong with making mistakes, but one should always make new ones. Repeating mistakes is a hallmark of dim consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-sim/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-making-mistakes-but-one-should-always/) [Dave Sim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-sim/) > [We converse as we live by repeating, by combining and recombining a few elements over and over again just as nature does when of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-gass/we-converse-as-we-live-by-repeating-by-combining-and-recombining-a/) [William H. Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-gass/) [Browse all 189 Repeating quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeating/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A tale in which one is mortified does not bear repeating.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen P. 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