---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And I wasn’t certain why I’d gone that…"
description: "\"“And I wasn’t certain why I’d gone that route either. Picking out the knife, putting it close to his skin, threatening him? It had all seemed so… natur..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/v-j-chambers-50485_quote_and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-r_1758725.jpg"
---

#  And I wasn’t certain why I’d gone that route either…

![“And I wasn’t certain why I’d gone that route either. Picking out the knife, putting it close to his skin, threatening him? It had all seemed so… natural, somehow, like putting on a well-worn pair of jeans. Still,” quote by V.J. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/v-j-chambers-50485_quote_and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-r_1758725.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/v-j-chambers-50485_quote_and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-r_1758725.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/v-j-chambers-50485_quote_and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-r_1758725.jpg)

> ““And I wasn’t certain why I’d gone that route either. Picking out the knife, putting it close to his skin, threatening him? It had all seemed so… natural, somehow, like putting on a well-worn pair of jeans. Still,””

[V.J. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-j-chambers/)

## 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 reflects on how a violent act felt oddly familiar and effortless, highlighting how harmful behaviors can become normalized through habit or context.

**In simple terms:** Violent actions can feel routine and natural.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and question habits that mask harm.

Themes

violence habit normalization

Mood

uneasy reflective

Type

personal psychological

When to use this quote

- personal conflict
- self‑reflection
- risk assessment
- ethical decision‑making

Key Concepts

psychology behavioral conditioning cognitive dissonance

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we sometimes accept harmful actions as normal?
- How can we disrupt the comfort of harmful habits?

A Different Perspective

The ease of the act may overlook deeper moral consequences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Knife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knife/) [Knife Putting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knife-putting-1673105/) [Picking Knife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picking-knife-1673103/) [Skin Threatening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skin-threatening-1673104/) [Threatening Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threatening-natural-1673102/)

## Related quotes

> [“Next time," I said wryly, swinging open the door, "just give me a knife and ask for a vein.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-pettersson/next-time-i-said-wryly-swinging-open-the-door-just-give-me-a-knife/)

[Vicki Pettersson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-pettersson/)

> [Sorry, the knife just slipped, I didn't mean to cut my wrists. I was just thinking of all the bad things that happened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-the-knife-just-slipped-i-didn-t-mean-to-cut-my-wrists-i-was/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Remember, it is never the knife's fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-boulud/remember-it-is-never-the-knife-s-fault/)

[Daniel Boulud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-boulud/)

> [Blood fills my mouth. Fire sears my veins. I choke back a howl. The silver knife slips--the choice is mine. I am death or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bree-despain/blood-fills-my-mouth-fire-sears-my-veins-i-choke-back-a-howl-the/)

[Bree Despain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bree-despain/)

> [“I have a knife in my hand, slicing beef on the willowware plate, and I cut harder, faster, thinking it is your pink neck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-turner/i-have-a-knife-in-my-hand-slicing-beef-on-the-willowware-plate-and-i/)

[Ann Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-turner/)

> [What is that in his hand?" "A cleaver. As in-" "Butcher's knife." "You got it." "I hope not." "He does not look happy." "Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-pearson/what-is-that-in-his-hand-a-cleaver-as-in-butcher-s-knife-you-got-it-i/)

[Ridley Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-pearson/)

> [“Anger dulls the blade.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hollow/anger-dulls-the-blade/)

[Hollow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hollow/)

> [“Tobiah was Black Knife.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-meadows/tobiah-was-black-knife/)

[Jodi Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-meadows/)

> [“Power is like a knife. It can be used to cut bread to share with your neighbor or stab you in the back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/power-is-like-a-knife-it-can-be-used-to-cut-bread-to-share-with-your/)

[Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/)

> [“There was never a good knife made of bad steel ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-never-a-good-knife-made-of-bad-steel/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [“Sharp like a spoon, that one. Anyway,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-cross/sharp-like-a-spoon-that-one-anyway/)

[Ethan Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-cross/)

> [“If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-fike/if-you-are-a-big-eater-put-a-knife-to-your-throat/)

[Al Fike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-fike/)

> [I'm still stupid. I still do what I'm not supposed to do. Are you serious? I'm Jake 'The Snake,' man. I never claimed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-roberts/i-m-still-stupid-i-still-do-what-i-m-not-supposed-to-do-are-you/)

[Jake Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-roberts/)

> [“The cold cut like a many bladed knife”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-zangwill/the-cold-cut-like-a-many-bladed-knife/)

[Israel Zangwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-zangwill/)

> [Don't try to hug me with one hand when your hiding a knife in the other. If your gonna take a stab at me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brii-ann/don-t-try-to-hug-me-with-one-hand-when-your-hiding-a-knife-in-the/)

[Brii Ann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brii-ann/)

## More by V.J. Chambers

> [“When we were conceived, we were one egg and one sperm that inexplicably split into two little girls instead of one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/when-we-were-conceived-we-were-one-egg-and-one-sperm-that/)

[V.J. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-j-chambers/)

> [“The woods seemed less daunting than they had when I was a teenager, the trees shorter, the undergrowth less thick. I supposed that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/the-woods-seemed-less-daunting-than-they-had-when-i-was-a-teenager/)

[V.J. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-j-chambers/)

> [“was beginning to think she’d lied about that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/was-beginning-to-think-she-d-lied-about-that/)

[V.J. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-j-chambers/)

> [“Now, they’re not taking the fact that she’s fingering you very seriously right now, and I told you it was because she was talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/now-they-re-not-taking-the-fact-that-she-s-fingering-you-very/)

[V.J. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-j-chambers/)

> [“Psychopaths didn’t have to kill people, after all. The condition was marked by a sincere lack of empathy and an inability to care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/psychopaths-didn-t-have-to-kill-people-after-all-the-condition-was/)

[V.J. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-j-chambers/)

> [“You and her were meant to be one, but for some”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/you-and-her-were-meant-to-be-one-but-for-some/)

[V.J. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-j-chambers/)

[Explore all 7 V.J. Chambers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-j-chambers/)

## More Knife quotes

> [“Next time," I said wryly, swinging open the door, "just give me a knife and ask for a vein.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-pettersson/next-time-i-said-wryly-swinging-open-the-door-just-give-me-a-knife/)

[Vicki Pettersson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-pettersson/)

> [“The cold cut like a many bladed knife”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-zangwill/the-cold-cut-like-a-many-bladed-knife/)

[Israel Zangwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-zangwill/)

> [I'm still stupid. I still do what I'm not supposed to do. Are you serious? I'm Jake 'The Snake,' man. I never claimed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-roberts/i-m-still-stupid-i-still-do-what-i-m-not-supposed-to-do-are-you/)

[Jake Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-roberts/)

> [“If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-fike/if-you-are-a-big-eater-put-a-knife-to-your-throat/)

[Al Fike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-fike/)

> [“Sharp like a spoon, that one. Anyway,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-cross/sharp-like-a-spoon-that-one-anyway/)

[Ethan Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-cross/)

> [“There was never a good knife made of bad steel ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-was-never-a-good-knife-made-of-bad-steel/)

[Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/)

> [“Power is like a knife. It can be used to cut bread to share with your neighbor or stab you in the back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiqua-hamdan/power-is-like-a-knife-it-can-be-used-to-cut-bread-to-share-with-your/)

[Sadiqua Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiqua-hamdan/)

> [“Tobiah was Black Knife.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-meadows/tobiah-was-black-knife/)

[Jodi Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-meadows/)

> [“Anger dulls the blade.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hollow/anger-dulls-the-blade/)

[Hollow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hollow/)

> [What is that in his hand?" "A cleaver. As in-" "Butcher's knife." "You got it." "I hope not." "He does not look happy." "Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-pearson/what-is-that-in-his-hand-a-cleaver-as-in-butcher-s-knife-you-got-it-i/)

[Ridley Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-pearson/)

> [“I have a knife in my hand, slicing beef on the willowware plate, and I cut harder, faster, thinking it is your pink neck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-turner/i-have-a-knife-in-my-hand-slicing-beef-on-the-willowware-plate-and-i/)

[Ann Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-turner/)

> [Blood fills my mouth. Fire sears my veins. I choke back a howl. The silver knife slips--the choice is mine. I am death or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bree-despain/blood-fills-my-mouth-fire-sears-my-veins-i-choke-back-a-howl-the/)

[Bree Despain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bree-despain/)

> [Remember, it is never the knife's fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-boulud/remember-it-is-never-the-knife-s-fault/)

[Daniel Boulud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-boulud/)

> [Sorry, the knife just slipped, I didn't mean to cut my wrists. I was just thinking of all the bad things that happened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sorry-the-knife-just-slipped-i-didn-t-mean-to-cut-my-wrists-i-was/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Don't try to hug me with one hand when your hiding a knife in the other. If your gonna take a stab at me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brii-ann/don-t-try-to-hug-me-with-one-hand-when-your-hiding-a-knife-in-the/)

[Brii Ann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brii-ann/)

[Browse all 577 Knife quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knife/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“And I wasn’t certain why I’d gone that route either. Picking out the knife, putting it close to his skin, threatening him? It had all seemed so… natural, somehow, like putting on a well-worn pair of jeans. Still,”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "V.J. Chambers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-route-either-picking-out-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Knife"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-route-either-picking-out-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/v-j-chambers-50485_quote_and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-r_1758725.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/v-j-chambers-50485_quote_and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-r_1758725.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/v-j-chambers-50485_quote_and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-r_1758725.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“And I wasn’t certain why I’d gone that route either. Picking out the knife, putting it close to his skin…” — V.J. Chambers",
                "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": "V.J. Chambers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-j-chambers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“And I wasn’t certain why I’d...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-route-either-picking-out-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-j-chambers/and-i-wasn-t-certain-why-i-d-gone-that-route-either-picking-out-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
