--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She had been defeated by herself alone…" description: "\"“She had been defeated by herself alone, and the sadness of it left a dark shadow in her heart. It further sapped her confidence and left her ever more..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/yo-yo-54516_confidence_she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-a_312278.jpg" --- # She had been defeated by herself alone, and the sadness of… ![“She had been defeated by herself alone, and the sadness of it left a dark shadow in her heart. It further sapped her confidence and left her ever more withdrawn, ever more capable of suppressing her feelings. Like her roughened hands, her sensitivity was slowly being hardened, and she drew relief…” quote by Yo Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/yo-yo-54516_confidence_she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-a_312278.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/yo-yo-54516_confidence_she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-a_312278.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/yo-yo-54516_confidence_she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-a_312278.jpg) > ““She had been defeated by herself alone, and the sadness of it left a dark shadow in her heart. It further sapped her confidence and left her ever more withdrawn, ever more capable of suppressing her feelings. Like her roughened hands, her sensitivity was slowly being hardened, and she drew relief from the numbness creeping through her.”” [Yo Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑defeat leads to a deepening sadness that hardens sensitivity, creating a numbness that both protects and isolates the speaker. **In simple terms:** Self‑defeat hardens the heart and numbs feelings. Key Takeaway Recognize and heal self‑destructive patterns. Themes self‑destruction emotional numbness growth Mood melancholic reflective Type poetic psychological When to use this quote - counseling - journaling - support groups Key Concepts psychology resilience healing Questions to Reflect On - What self‑defeating habits numb your heart? - How can you re‑soften your sensitivity? A Different Perspective Numbness may prevent feeling positive emotions as well. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated/) [Defeated Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeated-sadness-2961830/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Hardening-of-the-heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardening-of-the-heart-79225/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Numbness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbness/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Sadness Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness-left-2077870/) [Sensitivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitivity/) [Slowly Hardened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slowly-hardened-2961831/) [Suppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppression/) ## Related quotes > [I never felt true love until I was with you, and I never felt true sadness until you left me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-never-felt-true-love-until-i-was-with-you-and-i-never-felt-true/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Alice dropped her head, because sadness had left hinges in her bones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/alice-dropped-her-head-because-sadness-had-left-hinges-in-her-bones/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“It’s the hard things that break; soft things don’t break. It was an epiphany I had today and I just wonder why it took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/it-s-the-hard-things-that-break-soft-things-don-t-break-it-was-an/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“Tough times don't define you, they refine you. ‪”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-a-rodriguez/tough-times-don-t-define-you-they-refine-you/) [Carlos A. Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-a-rodriguez/) > [“Don't let hard lessons harden your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-a-rodriguez/don-t-let-hard-lessons-harden-your-heart/) [Carlos A. Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-a-rodriguez/) > [The numbness of his loss had passed, and the pain would hit me out of nowhere, doubling me over, racking my body with sobs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/the-numbness-of-his-loss-had-passed-and-the-pain-would-hit-me-out-of/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [The pain lets you know you're ok. It's the numbness you should be concerned about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/the-pain-lets-you-know-you-re-ok-it-s-the-numbness-you-should-be/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [Kill her for me," she said in that whiny little-girl voice. Diego took a step toward me, wearing an expression that told me he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/kill-her-for-me-she-said-in-that-whiny-little-girl-voice-diego-took-a/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [And in some way, Clary thought, he meant it, meant his gratitude. He had long ago lost the ability to distinguish between force and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/and-in-some-way-clary-thought-he-meant-it-meant-his-gratitude-he-had/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“...He called up the numbness with which he armed himself to get through each day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-brown/he-called-up-the-numbness-with-which-he-armed-himself-to-get-through/) [Sandra Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-brown/) > [You know, I think the people I feel saddest for are the ones who once knew what profoundness was, but who lost or became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-know-i-think-the-people-i-feel-saddest-for-are-the-ones-who-once/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [I wish I could explain it so someone could understand it. I'm afraid it's something I can't put into words. There's just this heavy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/i-wish-i-could-explain-it-so-someone-could-understand-it-i-m-afraid/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [He wondered if this was what clinical depression felt like, a total numbness, a weary lack of hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/he-wondered-if-this-was-what-clinical-depression-felt-like-a-total/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [You have to be nicer to me," I said. Again he laughed. "What? I'm the King of nice. What are you talking about?" "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-myracle/you-have-to-be-nicer-to-me-i-said-again-he-laughed-what-i-m-the-king/) [Lauren Myracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-myracle/) > [She still felt shell-shocked by all of it, numb. Beneath the numbness, though, was a raw and terrible anger that was unlike anything she'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/she-still-felt-shell-shocked-by-all-of-it-numb-beneath-the-numbness/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) ## More by Yo Yo > [The power of an air is terrific whn thre is nothng 2 oppos it……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo/the-power-of-an-air-is-terrific-whn-thre-is-nothng-2-oppos-it/) [Yo Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo/) > [SHE'S CALLED ME A PAIN… BUT SHE'S FORGET ONE THING, PAIN IS THE PART OF LIFE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo/she-s-called-me-a-pain-but-she-s-forget-one-thing-pain-is-the-part-of/) [Yo Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo/) > [AMAZING . . . . . ITS HARD TO SEE THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FUKING POWER TO FUCK THIS WHOLE WORLD. . . AND…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo/amazing-its-hard-to-see-those-people-who-have-fuking-power-to-fuck/) [Yo Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo/) > [Guys are like dogs. They keep coming back. Ladies are like cats. Yell at a cat one time¦theyre gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo/guys-are-like-dogs-they-keep-coming-back-ladies-are-like-cats-yell-at-2/) [Yo Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo/) > [“Time passes, day by day. The greatness of this country lies in the inexorable journey it has taken through time. Time is like an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo/time-passes-day-by-day-the-greatness-of-this-country-lies-in-the/) [Yo Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo/) [Explore all 6 Yo Yo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo/) ## More Confidence quotes > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/) [Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/) > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/) [Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/) > [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/) [Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/) > [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She had been defeated by herself alone, and the sadness of it left a dark shadow in her heart. It further sapped her confidence and left her ever more withdrawn, ever more capable of suppressing her feelings. Like her roughened hands, her sensitivity was slowly being hardened, and she drew relief from the numbness creeping through her.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yo Yo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo/she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-and-the-sadness-of-it-left-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confidence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo/she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-and-the-sadness-of-it-left-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/yo-yo-54516_confidence_she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-a_312278.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/yo-yo-54516_confidence_she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-a_312278.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f1/yo-yo-54516_confidence_she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-a_312278.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She had been defeated by herself alone, and the sadness of it left a dark shadow in her heart. It further…” — Yo Yo", "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": "Yo Yo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She had been defeated by herself...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo/she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-and-the-sadness-of-it-left-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo/she-had-been-defeated-by-herself-alone-and-the-sadness-of-it-left-a/#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 } } ] } ```