--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The knife will only hurt for a moment…" description: "\"“The knife will only hurt for a moment. Then your choice will be made, and it will all be over.”\" — Veronica Roth" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/veronica-roth-66_book_the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-th_982414.png" --- # The knife will only hurt for a moment. Then your choice… ![“The knife will only hurt for a moment. Then your choice will be made, and it will all be over.” quote by Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/veronica-roth-66_book_the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-th_982414.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/veronica-roth-66_book_the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-th_982414.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/veronica-roth-66_book_the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-th_982414.png) > ““The knife will only hurt for a moment. Then your choice will be made, and it will all be over.”” [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 painful decision ends quickly, freeing you from lingering doubt and suffering **In simple terms:** Quick painful choice ends suffering Key Takeaway Embrace decisive action despite pain Themes growth choice pain freedom Mood determined hopeful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - career change - relationship breakups Key Concepts Decision theory psychology resilience Questions to Reflect On - What fears hold you back from decisive choices? - How can you prepare for post-decision uncertainty? A Different Perspective Decisions can have long-term consequences beyond immediate relief ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Lesbian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesbian/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [The truth sometimes may hurt for a moment, but the pain you experience from a lie can last forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/the-truth-sometimes-may-hurt-for-a-moment-but-the-pain-you-experience/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [Every single piece of this broken heart still loves you. Each piece of it loves you in a different way and hurts me even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atif-streros/every-single-piece-of-this-broken-heart-still-loves-you-each-piece-of/) [Atif Streros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atif-streros/) > [You Always Get Hurt The Moment You Begin To Care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hottiedevil/you-always-get-hurt-the-moment-you-begin-to-care/) HOttieDeviL > [“Death would hurt only for a moment, which was not so bad when one considered how much, and for how long, life hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viet-thanh-nguyen/death-would-hurt-only-for-a-moment-which-was-not-so-bad-when-one/) [Viet Thanh Nguyen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viet-thanh-nguyen/) > [“I forget that not everyone that loves you is out to hurt you. It's this moment— when I let it be okay for someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mclean/i-forget-that-not-everyone-that-loves-you-is-out-to-hurt-you-it-s/) [Jay McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mclean/) > [It's only been a couple of times in my life that I've really locked horns with actors. It did not hurt the films, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/it-s-only-been-a-couple-of-times-in-my-life-that-i-ve-really-locked/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [A chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/a-chasm-reminds-us-that-there-is-a-fine-line-between-bravery-and/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We're sorry for frightening you, Tris,' another voice says, 'but anonymity is integral to our operation. We mean you no harm.' 'Let go of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/we-re-sorry-for-frightening-you-tris-another-voice-says-but-anonymity/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [But now I’m wondering if I need it anymore, if we ever really need these words, “Dauntless,” “Erudite,” “Divergent,” “Allegiant,” or if we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/but-now-i-m-wondering-if-i-need-it-anymore-if-we-ever-really-need/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“I have realized that part of being Dauntless is being willing to make things more difficult for yourself in order to be self-sufficient. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-have-realized-that-part-of-being-dauntless-is-being-willing-to-make/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“Intentions are the only thing they care about. They try to make you think they care about what you do, but they don't. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/intentions-are-the-only-thing-they-care-about-they-try-to-make-you/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I am wearing a gray shirt, blue jeans, black shoes--new clothes, but beneath them, my Dauntless tattoos. It is impossible to erase my choices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-am-wearing-a-gray-shirt-blue-jeans-black-shoes-new-clothes-but/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [And he’s right to say that every faction loses something when it gains a virtue: the Dauntless, brave but cruel; the Erudite, intelligent but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-he-s-right-to-say-that-every-faction-loses-something-when-it/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I think I speak for everyone," he says, "when I say you have earned the title of Dauntless".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-think-i-speak-for-everyone-he-says-when-i-say-you-have-earned-the/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Courageous? Courageous would have been admitting weakness and leaving Dauntless, no matter what shame accompanied it. Pride is what killed Al, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/courageous-courageous-would-have-been-admitting-weakness-and-leaving/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) ## 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 Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The knife will only hurt for a moment. Then your choice will be made, and it will all be over.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Veronica Roth" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-then-your-choice-will-be-made/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-then-your-choice-will-be-made/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/veronica-roth-66_book_the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-th_982414.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/veronica-roth-66_book_the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-th_982414.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/902/veronica-roth-66_book_the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-th_982414.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The knife will only hurt for a moment. Then your choice will be made, and it will all be over.” — Veronica Roth", "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": "Veronica Roth", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The knife will only hurt for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-then-your-choice-will-be-made/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/the-knife-will-only-hurt-for-a-moment-then-your-choice-will-be-made/#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 } } ] } ```