Crying Quote by Yeonmi Park
““There were so many desperate people on the street crying for help that you had to shut off your heart or the pain would be too much. After a while, you can´t care anymore. And that is what hell is like.””
About This Quote
Source Memoir: In Order to Live, Yeonmi Park, 2018
When constant suffering overwhelms, people may emotionally shut down, leading to numbness and a sense of hopelessness.
In simple terms: Too much pain makes you close your heart, feeling like hell.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and address compassion fatigue early.
Themes
empathy
trauma
resilience
Mood
sad
reflective
Type
cautionary
emotional
When to use this quote
- humanitarian work
- caregiving
- social work
- personal loss
- conflict zones
Key Concepts
psychological defense
emotional numbing
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance compassion with self‑care?
- What signs show you’re becoming numb?
A Different Perspective
Emotional shutdown can also protect mental health, but may hinder help.
![“Perhaps he is crying out for help all this time and I do not hear him! [Pause.] I do of course hear cries. [Pause.] But they are in my head surely. [Pause.] Is it possible that... [Pause. With finality ] No no, my head was always full of cries. [Pause.] Faint confused cries. [Pause.] They come…” quote by Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/723/samuel-beckett-365_cries_perhaps-he-is-crying-out-for-help-all-th_663165.jpg)
![“That's probably why my face was looking so crazy when I was crying [in "Hardball"] because it was some real.” quote by Michael B. Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/26f/michael-b-jordan-3540_crazy_that-s-probably-why-my-face-was-looking_4152.jpg)
