--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He dismissed it, preferring to focus on…" description: "\"“He dismissed it, preferring to focus on the uncomfortable tension beneath his tartan instead.”\" — Vivienne Savage" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/vivienne-savage-906_quote_he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-t_1607762.jpg" --- # He dismissed it, preferring to focus on the uncomfortable… ![“He dismissed it, preferring to focus on the uncomfortable tension beneath his tartan instead.” quote by Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/vivienne-savage-906_quote_he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-t_1607762.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/vivienne-savage-906_quote_he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-t_1607762.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/vivienne-savage-906_quote_he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-t_1607762.jpg) > ““He dismissed it, preferring to focus on the uncomfortable tension beneath his tartan instead.”” [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The character avoids confronting deeper issues, focusing on superficial discomfort instead. **In simple terms:** Avoids deeper issues, stays on surface. Key Takeaway Address underlying tensions directly. Themes psychology conflict self‑awareness culture Mood introspective serious Type literary psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - family gatherings - workplace dynamics Key Concepts deflection emotional avoidance identity Questions to Reflect On - Why do we focus on surface tension? - How can we confront deeper discomfort? A Different Perspective Avoidance can worsen unresolved problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Tartan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tartan/) ## Related quotes > [Nowhere beats the heart so kindly as beneath the tartan plaid!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-edmondstoune-aytoun/nowhere-beats-the-heart-so-kindly-as-beneath-the-tartan-plaid/) [William Edmondstoune Aytoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-edmondstoune-aytoun/) > [“The green-patterned tartan hung low to reveal a line of muscular indentation on each side of his hips. Ana wanted to trace her fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/the-green-patterned-tartan-hung-low-to-reveal-a-line-of-muscular/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“The Doktor was very vond, I mean fond of Vluffy, so he gave him a flame-proof doggie-jacket. It was dull grey, but it had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/the-doktor-was-very-vond-i-mean-fond-of-vluffy-so-he-gave-him-a-flame/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [“Any self respecting Scot knows that a good tartan is the solution to everything: it tells you where you are, where you belong, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trisha-telep/any-self-respecting-scot-knows-that-a-good-tartan-is-the-solution-to/) Trisha Telep > [It's such a measure of your solidarity with Ed, that when you would give lectures, he would be wearing a tartan tie that matched.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-farmiga/it-s-such-a-measure-of-your-solidarity-with-ed-that-when-you-would/) [Vera Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-farmiga/) > [If I wear too much tartan, I tend to look like a Thermos flask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-corbett/if-i-wear-too-much-tartan-i-tend-to-look-like-a-thermos-flask/) [Ronnie Corbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-corbett/) > [The last thing you want to do is shoot 80 wearing 'tartan troosers'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-poulter/the-last-thing-you-want-to-do-is-shoot-80-wearing-tartan-troosers/) [Ian Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-poulter/) > [I bring myself innately to it, yeah. I bring those details as much as I - what I don't obsess over is, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-farmiga/i-bring-myself-innately-to-it-yeah-i-bring-those-details-as-much-as-i/) [Vera Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-farmiga/) > [“Take a tartan. Sprinkle it with confetti. Light it with strobe lights. Now take a chameleon. Put the chameleon on the tartan. Watch it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/take-a-tartan-sprinkle-it-with-confetti-light-it-with-strobe-lights/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I can assure you I'll be working very hard with the Tartan Army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-clarke/i-can-assure-you-i-ll-be-working-very-hard-with-the-tartan-army/) [Steve Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-clarke/) > [“You could paint my nob tartan and call it Throb Roy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-lea/you-could-paint-my-nob-tartan-and-call-it-throb-roy/) Timothy Lea > [Scottish-Americans tell you that if you want to identify tartans, it's easy - you simply look under the kilt, and if it's a quarter-pounder,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/scottish-americans-tell-you-that-if-you-want-to-identify-tartans-it-s/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [“Takes a special kind to go another kind to stay here … Nowhere do such patriots so embrace the leaving of the place”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-tough/takes-a-special-kind-to-go-another-kind-to-stay-here-nowhere-do-such/) Kate Tough ## More by Vivienne Savage > [“Her cheeks flushed hot, the memory of their shared kisses and encounter in the hot spring sending a jolt straight to her core. She’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/her-cheeks-flushed-hot-the-memory-of-their-shared-kisses-and/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“I can carry you, Emilia,” Conall offered. “I’m quite capable of walking out.” “Of course, you are,” he agreed, “but after your burdens, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/i-can-carry-you-emilia-conall-offered-i-m-quite-capable-of-walking/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“If she’d known his fingers possessed even a tenth of the pleasure he’d shown her, she would have surrendered her misconceptions about virginity in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/if-she-d-known-his-fingers-possessed-even-a-tenth-of-the-pleasure-he/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“I am still your dragon, Ana. Yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/i-am-still-your-dragon-ana-yours/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“I could indeed have a pleasant life in this castle, and I’m quite happy to be here.” “You are pleased to be here?” “Quite,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/i-could-indeed-have-a-pleasant-life-in-this-castle-and-i-m-quite/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“The tension left his body and his shoulders sagged. He dropped his hands to her waist and drew her in against him while nuzzling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/the-tension-left-his-body-and-his-shoulders-sagged-he-dropped-his/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“Ramsay—” He silenced her with a kiss, and then he gave her something else to focus on, making love to her with the tenderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/ramsay-he-silenced-her-with-a-kiss-and-then-he-gave-her-something/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“From anyone else, she would have believed it was a line to gain her favor. From Conall, it sounded true. Upon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/from-anyone-else-she-would-have-believed-it-was-a-line-to-gain-her/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“Then she summoned everything she had and placed it in one spell. All of her emotion—despair and hope, anger at Edward, and love for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/then-she-summoned-everything-she-had-and-placed-it-in-one-spell-all/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“Please don’t leave where I cannot follow. Don’t go.” She kissed his smooth snout where the scales weren’t upraised or horned. “I love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/please-don-t-leave-where-i-cannot-follow-don-t-go-she-kissed-his/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“Exercising willpower he didn’t know he had, Conall slipped from his place beside her in the makeshift bed. Donning clothes didn’t help. To distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/exercising-willpower-he-didn-t-know-he-had-conall-slipped-from-his/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“…then they will lose me forever. I choose you, Alistair. I choose you and our kingdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/then-they-will-lose-me-forever-i-choose-you-alistair-i-choose-you-and/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“Her dream mind should have conjured him naked, so she could better appreciate his muscles. Instead, he wore a white linen shirt, unfastened at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/her-dream-mind-should-have-conjured-him-naked-so-she-could-better/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“Sorcha wet her mouth and took a step after him. “Not even a kiss?” “Not even a kiss. I’m a man of my word,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/sorcha-wet-her-mouth-and-took-a-step-after-him-not-even-a-kiss-not/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“We are mated for life, Anastasia. You are my queen from this day forward. We have no formal ceremonies, only the sacred vows we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/we-are-mated-for-life-anastasia-you-are-my-queen-from-this-day/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) [Explore all 333 Vivienne Savage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) ## More Tartan quotes > [“Takes a special kind to go another kind to stay here … Nowhere do such patriots so embrace the leaving of the place”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-tough/takes-a-special-kind-to-go-another-kind-to-stay-here-nowhere-do-such/) Kate Tough > [Scottish-Americans tell you that if you want to identify tartans, it's easy - you simply look under the kilt, and if it's a quarter-pounder,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-connolly/scottish-americans-tell-you-that-if-you-want-to-identify-tartans-it-s/) [Billy Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-connolly/) > [“The green-patterned tartan hung low to reveal a line of muscular indentation on each side of his hips. Ana wanted to trace her fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/the-green-patterned-tartan-hung-low-to-reveal-a-line-of-muscular/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“You could paint my nob tartan and call it Throb Roy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-lea/you-could-paint-my-nob-tartan-and-call-it-throb-roy/) Timothy Lea > [I can assure you I'll be working very hard with the Tartan Army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-clarke/i-can-assure-you-i-ll-be-working-very-hard-with-the-tartan-army/) [Steve Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-clarke/) > [“Take a tartan. Sprinkle it with confetti. Light it with strobe lights. Now take a chameleon. Put the chameleon on the tartan. Watch it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/take-a-tartan-sprinkle-it-with-confetti-light-it-with-strobe-lights/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I bring myself innately to it, yeah. I bring those details as much as I - what I don't obsess over is, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-farmiga/i-bring-myself-innately-to-it-yeah-i-bring-those-details-as-much-as-i/) [Vera Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-farmiga/) > [The last thing you want to do is shoot 80 wearing 'tartan troosers'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-poulter/the-last-thing-you-want-to-do-is-shoot-80-wearing-tartan-troosers/) [Ian Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-poulter/) > [If I wear too much tartan, I tend to look like a Thermos flask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-corbett/if-i-wear-too-much-tartan-i-tend-to-look-like-a-thermos-flask/) [Ronnie Corbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-corbett/) > [It's such a measure of your solidarity with Ed, that when you would give lectures, he would be wearing a tartan tie that matched.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-farmiga/it-s-such-a-measure-of-your-solidarity-with-ed-that-when-you-would/) [Vera Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-farmiga/) > [“Any self respecting Scot knows that a good tartan is the solution to everything: it tells you where you are, where you belong, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trisha-telep/any-self-respecting-scot-knows-that-a-good-tartan-is-the-solution-to/) Trisha Telep > [“The Doktor was very vond, I mean fond of Vluffy, so he gave him a flame-proof doggie-jacket. It was dull grey, but it had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/the-doktor-was-very-vond-i-mean-fond-of-vluffy-so-he-gave-him-a-flame/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [Nowhere beats the heart so kindly as beneath the tartan plaid!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-edmondstoune-aytoun/nowhere-beats-the-heart-so-kindly-as-beneath-the-tartan-plaid/) [William Edmondstoune Aytoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-edmondstoune-aytoun/) [Browse all 14 Tartan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tartan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He dismissed it, preferring to focus on the uncomfortable tension beneath his tartan instead.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vivienne Savage" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-the-uncomfortable-tension/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Tartan" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-the-uncomfortable-tension/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/vivienne-savage-906_quote_he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-t_1607762.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/vivienne-savage-906_quote_he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-t_1607762.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fc/vivienne-savage-906_quote_he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-t_1607762.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He dismissed it, preferring to focus on the uncomfortable tension beneath his tartan instead.” — Vivienne Savage", "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": "Vivienne Savage", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He dismissed it, preferring to focus...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-the-uncomfortable-tension/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/he-dismissed-it-preferring-to-focus-on-the-uncomfortable-tension/#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 } } ] } ```