--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: and when he awoke it was as if he had…" description: "\"“and when he awoke it was as if he had awakened in hell. It WAS hell—\"the hell of conscious failure,”\" — Thomas Hardy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/thomas-hardy-410_failure_and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-aw_1728518.jpg" --- # and when he awoke it was as if he had awakened in hell. It… ![“and when he awoke it was as if he had awakened in hell. It WAS hell—"the hell of conscious failure,” quote by Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/thomas-hardy-410_failure_and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-aw_1728518.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/thomas-hardy-410_failure_and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-aw_1728518.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/thomas-hardy-410_failure_and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-aw_1728518.jpg) > ““and when he awoke it was as if he had awakened in hell. It WAS hell—"the hell of conscious failure,”” [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Conscious failure feels like personal hell, a torment of self‑awareness that can dominate one's perception of reality. **In simple terms:** Feeling aware of failure can feel like hell. Key Takeaway Recognize and address self‑criticism. Themes failure consciousness anguish Mood despair introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - mental health - creative blocks - relationship breakdowns Key Concepts existential dread self‑judgment Questions to Reflect On - What does “conscious failure” mean to you? - How can you transform that awareness into growth? A Different Perspective Ignoring the pain can deepen despair. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awakened Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awakened-hell-1406726/) [Awoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awoke/) [Conscious Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-failure-1406727/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Hell Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell-conscious-1406728/) ## Related quotes > [Speak to your people as to men that must be awakened, either here or in hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/speak-to-your-people-as-to-men-that-must-be-awakened-either-here-or/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Success comes to those who become success conscious. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/success-comes-to-those-who-become-success-conscious-failure-comes-to/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [When you're fearless, you take more risks because you're less conscious of failure or what can go wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-ratner/when-you-re-fearless-you-take-more-risks-because-you-re-less/) [Brett Ratner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-ratner/) > [Attitude Success comes to those who become success-conscious. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/attitude-success-comes-to-those-who-become-success-conscious-failure/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“I awoke in the deepest night to find I had been divided from myself. There lay my body sleeping and dreaming, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-micklem/i-awoke-in-the-deepest-night-to-find-i-had-been-divided-from-myself/) [Sarah Micklem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-micklem/) > [“On the far horizon waved some flicker of light My heart, a city of suffering, awoke in a state of dream My eyes, turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faiz-ahmed-faiz/on-the-far-horizon-waved-some-flicker-of-light-my-heart-a-city-of/) [Faiz Ahmed Faiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faiz-ahmed-faiz/) > [I awoke you from your sleep because I saw that you were having a nightmare. And now you are cross and say to me:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-awoke-you-from-your-sleep-because-i-saw-that-you-were-having-a/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [When the first light dawned on the earth, and the birds awoke, and the brave river was heard rippling confidently seaward, and the nimble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-the-first-light-dawned-on-the-earth-and-the-birds-awoke-and-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Celaena awoke as dawn poured into her room. Chaol still held her to him, just as he had all night, as if she would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/celaena-awoke-as-dawn-poured-into-her-room-chaol-still-held-her-to/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“He awoke. Not the instant awareness of being jolted by an alarm or the gentle rising from dozing in and out, but a gradual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olan-thorensen/he-awoke-not-the-instant-awareness-of-being-jolted-by-an-alarm-or-the/) [Olan Thorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olan-thorensen/) > [“Harry awoke at half past five the next morning as abruptly and completely as if somebody had yelled in his ear. For a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/harry-awoke-at-half-past-five-the-next-morning-as-abruptly-and/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [“After Aris awoke from and intense dream: '"Are you well? You were... making noises." Dysis sounded like she couldn't tell whether to be embarrassed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-e-banghart/after-aris-awoke-from-and-intense-dream-are-you-well-you-were-making/) [Tracy E. Banghart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-e-banghart/) > [Mary awoke from her nightmare with a pounding heart, convinced that she had only imagined Elizabeth's cruel plot. A full moon was shining into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-george/mary-awoke-from-her-nightmare-with-a-pounding-heart-convinced-that/) [Margaret George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-george/) > [It never dawned on me to be born I just awoke to the fact one day. My first orgasm was a similar experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-carlysle/it-never-dawned-on-me-to-be-born-i-just-awoke-to-the-fact-one-day-my/) [Jules Carlysle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-carlysle/) > [“Aelin awoke, drenched in sweat and twisted in the sheets, fear clenching her like a fist. She willed herself to breathe, to blink—to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/aelin-awoke-drenched-in-sweat-and-twisted-in-the-sheets-fear/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) ## More by Thomas Hardy > [“He grew away from old associations, and saw something new in life and humanity. Secondarily, he made close acquaintance with phenomena which he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/he-grew-away-from-old-associations-and-saw-something-new-in-life-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“She was in a sound sleep, Jude, dying of anxiety lest she should have caught a chill which might permanently injure her, was glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/she-was-in-a-sound-sleep-jude-dying-of-anxiety-lest-she-should-have/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [You ride well, but you don't kiss nicely at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/you-ride-well-but-you-don-t-kiss-nicely-at-all/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [You could sometimes see her twelfth year in her cheeks, or her ninth sparkling from her eyes; and even her fifth would flit over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/you-could-sometimes-see-her-twelfth-year-in-her-cheeks-or-her-ninth/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“It was mid-May time, bringing with it weather not, perhaps, quite so blooming as that assumed to be natural to the month by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-mid-may-time-bringing-with-it-weather-not-perhaps-quite-so/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let him alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/if-galileo-had-said-in-verse-that-the-world-moved-the-inquisition/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Some folk want their luck buttered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/some-folk-want-their-luck-buttered/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Measurement of life should be proportioned rather to the intensity of the experience than to its actual length.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/measurement-of-life-should-be-proportioned-rather-to-the-intensity-of/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“I was court-martialed in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/i-was-court-martialed-in-my-absence-and-sentenced-to-death-in-my/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“It being the first time in his life that he had touched female fingers under water, Dick duly registered the sensation as rather a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-being-the-first-time-in-his-life-that-he-had-touched-female/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“As soon as she could discern the outline of the house, it had all its old effect upon Tess's imagination. Part of her body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/as-soon-as-she-could-discern-the-outline-of-the-house-it-had-all-its/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [ The perfect woman, you see \[is\] a working-woman; not an idler; not a fine lady; but one who \[uses\] her hands and her head… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-perfect-woman-you-see-is-a-working-woman-not-an-idler-not-a-fine/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“The Sinister Spirit sneered: 'It had to be!' And again the Spirit of Pity whispered, 'Why?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-sinister-spirit-sneered-it-had-to-be-and-again-the-spirit-of-pity/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“Justice” was done, and the President of the Immortals (in Aeschylean phrase) had ended his sport with Tess.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/justice-was-done-and-the-president-of-the-immortals-in-aeschylean/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) [Explore all 561 Thomas Hardy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## More Awoke quotes > [“Aelin awoke, drenched in sweat and twisted in the sheets, fear clenching her like a fist. She willed herself to breathe, to blink—to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/aelin-awoke-drenched-in-sweat-and-twisted-in-the-sheets-fear/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [It never dawned on me to be born I just awoke to the fact one day. My first orgasm was a similar experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-carlysle/it-never-dawned-on-me-to-be-born-i-just-awoke-to-the-fact-one-day-my/) [Jules Carlysle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-carlysle/) > [Mary awoke from her nightmare with a pounding heart, convinced that she had only imagined Elizabeth's cruel plot. A full moon was shining into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-george/mary-awoke-from-her-nightmare-with-a-pounding-heart-convinced-that/) [Margaret George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-george/) > [“After Aris awoke from and intense dream: '"Are you well? You were... making noises." Dysis sounded like she couldn't tell whether to be embarrassed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-e-banghart/after-aris-awoke-from-and-intense-dream-are-you-well-you-were-making/) [Tracy E. Banghart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-e-banghart/) > [“Harry awoke at half past five the next morning as abruptly and completely as if somebody had yelled in his ear. For a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/harry-awoke-at-half-past-five-the-next-morning-as-abruptly-and/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [“He awoke. Not the instant awareness of being jolted by an alarm or the gentle rising from dozing in and out, but a gradual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olan-thorensen/he-awoke-not-the-instant-awareness-of-being-jolted-by-an-alarm-or-the/) [Olan Thorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olan-thorensen/) > [“Celaena awoke as dawn poured into her room. Chaol still held her to him, just as he had all night, as if she would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/celaena-awoke-as-dawn-poured-into-her-room-chaol-still-held-her-to/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [When the first light dawned on the earth, and the birds awoke, and the brave river was heard rippling confidently seaward, and the nimble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-the-first-light-dawned-on-the-earth-and-the-birds-awoke-and-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I awoke you from your sleep because I saw that you were having a nightmare. And now you are cross and say to me:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-awoke-you-from-your-sleep-because-i-saw-that-you-were-having-a/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“On the far horizon waved some flicker of light My heart, a city of suffering, awoke in a state of dream My eyes, turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faiz-ahmed-faiz/on-the-far-horizon-waved-some-flicker-of-light-my-heart-a-city-of/) [Faiz Ahmed Faiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faiz-ahmed-faiz/) > [“I awoke in the deepest night to find I had been divided from myself. There lay my body sleeping and dreaming, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-micklem/i-awoke-in-the-deepest-night-to-find-i-had-been-divided-from-myself/) [Sarah Micklem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-micklem/) > [When she awoke, the world was on fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/when-she-awoke-the-world-was-on-fire/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [“And as the hands of the clocks clicked to eight past one, the house awoke to the sudden and definite realization that now was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-thomas/and-as-the-hands-of-the-clocks-clicked-to-eight-past-one-the-house/) [Scott Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-thomas/) > [From a night of more sleep than she had expected, Marianne awoke the next morning to the same consciousness of misery in which she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/from-a-night-of-more-sleep-than-she-had-expected-marianne-awoke-the/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Move him into the sun Gently its touch awoke him once, At home, whispering of fields unsown. Always it woke him, even in France,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-owen/move-him-into-the-sun-gently-its-touch-awoke-him-once-at-home/) [Wilfred Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-owen/) [Browse all 90 Awoke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awoke/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“and when he awoke it was as if he had awakened in hell. It WAS hell—\"the hell of conscious failure,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Hardy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-awakened-in-hell-it-was-hell/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Awoke" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-awakened-in-hell-it-was-hell/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/thomas-hardy-410_failure_and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-aw_1728518.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/thomas-hardy-410_failure_and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-aw_1728518.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b23/thomas-hardy-410_failure_and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-aw_1728518.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“and when he awoke it was as if he had awakened in hell. It WAS hell—\"the hell of conscious failure,” — Thomas Hardy", "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": "Thomas Hardy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“and when he awoke it was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-awakened-in-hell-it-was-hell/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/and-when-he-awoke-it-was-as-if-he-had-awakened-in-hell-it-was-hell/#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 } } ] } ```