--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have done bad things. I can't take them…" description: "\"I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am. Most of the time, they seem like the only thing I am.\" — Veronica Roth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/veronica-roth-66_bad-thing_i-have-done-bad-things-i-can-t-take-them_1080664.png" --- # I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they… ![“I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am. Most of the time, they seem like the only thing I am.” quote by Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/veronica-roth-66_bad-thing_i-have-done-bad-things-i-can-t-take-them_1080664.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/veronica-roth-66_bad-thing_i-have-done-bad-things-i-can-t-take-them_1080664.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/veronica-roth-66_bad-thing_i-have-done-bad-things-i-can-t-take-them_1080664.png) > “I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am. Most of the time, they seem like the only thing I am.” [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character admits past misdeeds are inseparable from identity, feeling defined by them. **In simple terms:** Bad actions shape self‑image, hard to escape. Key Takeaway Accept past, seek growth beyond it. Themes guilt identity redemption Mood reflective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Therapy - confession - personal development - creative writing Key Concepts Self‑concept morality psychology Questions to Reflect On - Can you separate actions from self? - What steps help redefine identity? A Different Perspective Self‑definition may be overly negative, hindering change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Like Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-thing-1055807/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Who i am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-i-am/) ## Related quotes > [For some of us, the Gypsy years can go on forever ... That isn't such a bad thing. When all is said and done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chita-rivera/for-some-of-us-the-gypsy-years-can-go-on-forever-that-isn-t-such-a/) [Chita Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chita-rivera/) > [People don't know who I am, and that's not a bad thing at all from my end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/people-don-t-know-who-i-am-and-that-s-not-a-bad-thing-at-all-from-my/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [One piece of advice I have is: Want something else more than success. Success is a lovely thing, but your desire to say something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/one-piece-of-advice-i-have-is-want-something-else-more-than-success/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“The word thing is an interesting word. At first glance it looks like the front half of one word combined with the last half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obert-skye/the-word-thing-is-an-interesting-word-at-first-glance-it-looks-like/) [Obert Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obert-skye/) > [If I don't like a thing, I will say it out loud then and there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anu-malik/if-i-don-t-like-a-thing-i-will-say-it-out-loud-then-and-there/) [Anu Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anu-malik/) > [“To crave and to have are as like as a thing and its shadow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/to-crave-and-to-have-are-as-like-as-a-thing-and-its-shadow/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [By instinct and tradition, I don't like the thing. I like to look someone in the eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-f-mondale/by-instinct-and-tradition-i-don-t-like-the-thing-i-like-to-look/) [Walter F. Mondale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-f-mondale/) > [“Like” and “like” and “like” — but what is the thing that lies beneath the semblance of the thing? Now that lightning has gashed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/like-and-like-and-like-but-what-is-the-thing-that-lies-beneath-the-2/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Like" and "like" and "like"--but what is the thing that lies beneath the semblance of the thing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/like-and-like-and-like-but-what-is-the-thing-that-lies-beneath-the/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“My dear boy, looking like a thing has little to do with being a thing. Be the thing first, and you will grow to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-perrin/my-dear-boy-looking-like-a-thing-has-little-to-do-with-being-a-thing/) [Liam Perrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-perrin/) > [“You might just as well say,” added the March Hare, “that ‘I like what I get’ is the same thing as ‘I get what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/you-might-just-as-well-say-added-the-march-hare-that-i-like-what-i/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [MUSIC is Like the only thing I have left^\_^](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/music-is-like-the-only-thing-i-have-left/) [Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/) > [Everybody does the same thing over and over again. I like to do the same thing every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/everybody-does-the-same-thing-over-and-over-again-i-like-to-do-the/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [I love music so much. It's like the one thing I'm good at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/i-love-music-so-much-it-s-like-the-one-thing-i-m-good-at/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I feel like there's no such thing as failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/i-feel-like-there-s-no-such-thing-as-failure/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) ## More by Veronica Roth > [How strange that something so simple could have been instrumental in my decision to ruin one of my most relationships and friendships, and damage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/how-strange-that-something-so-simple-could-have-been-instrumental-in/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I was beginning to feel that I had finally found a place to stay, a place that was not so unstable or corrupt or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-was-beginning-to-feel-that-i-had-finally-found-a-place-to-stay-a/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“He acts so tough that he’s probably afraid of marshmallows and really bright sunrises or something. Overcompensating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/he-acts-so-tough-that-he-s-probably-afraid-of-marshmallows-and-really/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [And is it selfish of me to crave victory, or is it brave?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-is-it-selfish-of-me-to-crave-victory-or-is-it-brave/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [You always look like someone's sucked the life right out of you when something fascinates you. -Tris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/you-always-look-like-someone-s-sucked-the-life-right-out-of-you-when/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We can be mended. We mend each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-can-be-mended-we-mend-each-other/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Don’t worry about me handling the pain," I say. "I’ve had a lot of practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/don-t-worry-about-me-handling-the-pain-i-say-i-ve-had-a-lot-of/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Soon I will honor my parents by dying as they died. and if all they believed about death was true, soon I will join…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/soon-i-will-honor-my-parents-by-dying-as-they-died-and-if-all-they/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Mas lembre-se, já agora, que por vezes as pessoas que oprimimos tornam-se mais poderosas do que nós gostaríamos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/mas-lembre-se-j-agora-que-por-vezes-as-pessoas-que-oprimimos-tornam/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“am aware of how little space there is between us—six inches at most. That space feels charged with electricity. I feel like it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/am-aware-of-how-little-space-there-is-between-us-six-inches-at-most/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Oh, good,” I say, a sour taste in my mouth. “Heroism is what I was focused on. Not, you know, trying not to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/oh-good-i-say-a-sour-taste-in-my-mouth-heroism-is-what-i-was-focused/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Caleb frowns at him. "How old are you, anyway?" "Eighteen." "And you don't think you're too old to be with my little sister?" Tobias…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/caleb-frowns-at-him-how-old-are-you-anyway-eighteen-and-you-don-t/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [What do you think they're going to do to us when they find us guilty?" she says after a few minutes of silence have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/what-do-you-think-they-re-going-to-do-to-us-when-they-find-us-guilty/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“La paz está restringida, eso es libertad”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/la-paz-est-restringida-eso-es-libertad/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [In some parts of the ancient world, the hawk symbolized the sun. Back when I got this, I figured if I always had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/in-some-parts-of-the-ancient-world-the-hawk-symbolized-the-sun-back/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) [Explore all 1,589 Veronica Roth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## More Bad thing quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/) [Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/) > [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/) [Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/) > [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/) [Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/) > [Lobbying is not a bad thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't have lobbyists or we shouldn't have lobbying to petition our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/lobbying-is-not-a-bad-thing-i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-shouldn-t/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) [Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am. 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