--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My sensitive soul was no longer held down…" description: "\"“My sensitive soul was no longer held down by heavy chains of duty and distraction -- it would now (I had theorized) take wing. But I was gripped by a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/will-wiles-45426_quote_my-sensitive-soul-was-no-longer-held-dow_144586.jpg" --- # My sensitive soul was no longer held down by heavy chains… ![“My sensitive soul was no longer held down by heavy chains of duty and distraction -- it would now (I had theorized) take wing. But I was gripped by a kind of dull horror. Even in perfect conditions, I couldn't muster the perfect mood to be all that I wanted to be. I simply could not do it. If…” quote by Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/will-wiles-45426_quote_my-sensitive-soul-was-no-longer-held-dow_144586.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/will-wiles-45426_quote_my-sensitive-soul-was-no-longer-held-dow_144586.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/will-wiles-45426_quote_my-sensitive-soul-was-no-longer-held-dow_144586.jpg) > ““My sensitive soul was no longer held down by heavy chains of duty and distraction -- it would now (I had theorized) take wing. But I was gripped by a kind of dull horror. Even in perfect conditions, I couldn't muster the perfect mood to be all that I wanted to be. I simply could not do it. If nothing was stopping me, what was stopping me?”” [Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person feels liberated from obligations yet paralyzed by inner doubt, unable to achieve their desired state despite external freedom. **In simple terms:** Freedom can coexist with self‑imposed mental blocks. Key Takeaway Identify and confront internal barriers. Themes freedom self‑doubt potential psychology Mood reflective conflicted determined Type advice motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - creative projects - personal growth - mental health - goal setting Key Concepts self‑efficacy existential anxiety motivation Questions to Reflect On - What internal beliefs are holding you back? - How can you create conditions that support your ideal mindset? A Different Perspective Even without external obstacles, internal resistance can be stronger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Gripped Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gripped-kind-1625165/) [Mood Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mood-wanted-1625164/) [Perfect Mood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-mood-1625163/) [Sensitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitive/) [Sensitive Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitive-soul-568421/) ## Related quotes > [Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/beauty-of-whatever-kind-in-its-supreme-development-invariably-excites/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [He was a gentle and sensitive soul, and therefore had a short temper, which is why he went straight after everything with an ax...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bohumil-hrabal/he-was-a-gentle-and-sensitive-soul-and-therefore-had-a-short-temper/) [Bohumil Hrabal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bohumil-hrabal/) > [Goodness, that Simon Cowell is a sensitive soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-forsyth/goodness-that-simon-cowell-is-a-sensitive-soul/) [Bruce Forsyth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-forsyth/) > [“Since its beginnings, Western music is bound, by an insurmountable convention, to the need to express subjectivity. It stands against the harsh sound of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/since-its-beginnings-western-music-is-bound-by-an-insurmountable/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [She had not really a sensitive soul, but to put it in exact terms, was possessed by an uncontrollable feeling of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandro-baricco/she-had-not-really-a-sensitive-soul-but-to-put-it-in-exact-terms-was/) [Alessandro Baricco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandro-baricco/) > [“The less feelings are released, the better they are portrayed in public. The most sensitive soul can hide behind camouflage and the driest eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-johannisson/the-less-feelings-are-released-the-better-they-are-portrayed-in/) [Karin Johannisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-johannisson/) > [“I know. You think you love art because you have a sensitive soul. Isn't a sensitive soul simply a means of transforming a deficiency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabih-alameddine/i-know-you-think-you-love-art-because-you-have-a-sensitive-soul-isn-t/) [Rabih Alameddine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabih-alameddine/) > [A day spent praising the earth and lamenting man's pollutionist history makes you feel like a superior, sensitive soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/a-day-spent-praising-the-earth-and-lamenting-man-s-pollutionist/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [I don't get emotional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-robertson/i-don-t-get-emotional/) [Andrew Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-robertson/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [I guess we're living in a pretty sensitive world and there's nothing you can do about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-monaghan/i-guess-we-re-living-in-a-pretty-sensitive-world-and-there-s-nothing/) [Dominic Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-monaghan/) > [It ain't because lovers are so sensitive that they quarrel so often; it is because there is so much fun n the making up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/it-ain-t-because-lovers-are-so-sensitive-that-they-quarrel-so-often/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) ## More by Will Wiles > [“I was woken by a shell-burst in the trench of sleep. Heart skipping, with eyes fighting light, my thoughts sprang up like a field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-wiles/i-was-woken-by-a-shell-burst-in-the-trench-of-sleep-heart-skipping/) [Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) > [“It was a state of aloneness. It was the kind of place that started shooting political prisoners because it suspected that they would enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-wiles/it-was-a-state-of-aloneness-it-was-the-kind-of-place-that-started/) [Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) > [One is lonely and two is crowded. Maybe it is like life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-wiles/one-is-lonely-and-two-is-crowded-maybe-it-is-like-life/) [Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) > [“Nothing snubs quite like a cat. What evolutionary purpose did it serve, this inherent disdain, this artful blanking?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-wiles/nothing-snubs-quite-like-a-cat-what-evolutionary-purpose-did-it-serve/) [Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) > [“A room is not just a room. A room is a manifestation of a state of mind, the product of an intelligence. Either conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-wiles/a-room-is-not-just-a-room-a-room-is-a-manifestation-of-a-state-of/) [Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) > [“Europe's skies are older than America's; Europe's clouds start over there and by the time they reach here they are tired and ragged from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-wiles/europe-s-skies-are-older-than-america-s-europe-s-clouds-start-over/) [Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) > [“There is a moment between sleeping and waking where one is free. Consciousness has returned, but awareness has yet to rip away the thin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-wiles/there-is-a-moment-between-sleeping-and-waking-where-one-is-free/) [Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) > [“Furniture is like that. Used and enjoyed as intended, it absorbs the experience and exudes it back into the atmosphere, but if simply bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-wiles/furniture-is-like-that-used-and-enjoyed-as-intended-it-absorbs-the/) [Will Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) [Explore all 9 Will Wiles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-wiles/) ## More Grief quotes > [“...they had lived, they'd lived intensely. But no matter how deeply you live, it comes to this in the end: one of you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-morton/they-had-lived-they-d-lived-intensely-but-no-matter-how-deeply-you/) [Brian Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-morton/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [... how much of our inner substance is it good for us to give to public griefs? The whole modern tendency to agonize over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/how-much-of-our-inner-substance-is-it-good-for-us-to-give-to-public/) [Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When we learn to attribute meaning to the events in our lives, we connect with our Higher Purpose, Higher Wisdom, or Source; we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/when-we-learn-to-attribute-meaning-to-the-events-in-our-lives-we/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [Only to have a grief equal to all these tears!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/only-to-have-a-grief-equal-to-all-these-tears/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Suppressed grief suffocates, it rages within the breast, and is forced to multiply its strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/suppressed-grief-suffocates-it-rages-within-the-breast-and-is-forced/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“You've been my beacon of light in my storm of grief, and I don't know if I could live without you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ashley/you-ve-been-my-beacon-of-light-in-my-storm-of-grief-and-i-don-t-know/) [Katie Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ashley/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [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/) [Browse all 8,012 Grief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My sensitive soul was no longer held down by heavy chains of duty and distraction -- it would now (I had theorized) take wing. But I was gripped by a kind of dull horror. 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