---
title: "I thought of the brutal truths so often borne on predawn light. I'd h… — John Hart Quote #7 | QuotesBy.net"
description: "I thought of the brutal truths so often borne on predawn light. I'd had a few in my time, and they'd all led to this. I was a stranger to myself. I'd… — a quote by John Hart."
image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png"
---

> # I thought of the brutal truths so often borne on predawn light. I'd had a few in my time, and they'd all led to this. I was a stranger to myself. I'd gone to law school for my father, married for my father; and for that same man, and for the vile woman who shared my bed, I'd surrendered my dreams of family - my very soul. Now he was dead and all I had was this truth: My life was not my own. It belonged to an empty shell that wore my face, Yet I refused to pity myself.

[John Hart](https://quotesby.net/John-Hart)\#7

[Family](https://quotesby.net/topics/family/)[Identity](https://quotesby.net/topics/identity/)[Regret](https://quotesby.net/topics/regret/)[Sacrifice](https://quotesby.net/topics/sacrifice/)

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## About this quote

What does it mean?Sacrificing your life for others leaves you empty but determined.In plain termsYou lost yourself to others but refuse to feel sorry.What can you take from it?Reclaim your identity after living for others.

### Where it applies

- family conflict
- career burnout
- breakups

### Putting it to work

- set boundaries
- rediscover passions

### Questions to consider

- What dream did you give up?

### Another view

It assumes past sacrifices were entirely voluntary.

## More from John Hart

1. > Denial was a weapon; it killed truth, numbed the mind, and I was a junkie.

[Permalink to quote \#6](https://quotesby.net/John-Hart/6/ "Permalink to quote 6")
2. > I looked at the high walls where once-white paint had grayed and then peeled. Barbara had always said the house had good bones, and she was right about that; b…

[Permalink to quote \#8](https://quotesby.net/John-Hart/8/ "Permalink to quote 8")
3. > I drifted for what felt like hours. Neither of us spoke; we knew better. Peace like this came rarely and was as fragile as a child's smile.

[Permalink to quote \#5](https://quotesby.net/John-Hart/5/ "Permalink to quote 5")

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1. > All great human deeds both consume and transform their doers. Consider an athlete, or a scientist, or an artist, or an independent business creator. In the ser…

[Lois McMaster Bujold](https://quotesby.net/Lois-McMaster-Bujold)[Lois McMaster Bujold quote \#4](https://quotesby.net/Lois-McMaster-Bujold/4/ "Permalink to quote 4")
2. > All that business was awful, it was a fuckin' humiliation. One has to completely humiliate oneself to be what the Beatles were, and that's what I resent. I did…

[John Lennon](https://quotesby.net/John-Lennon)[John Lennon quote \#12](https://quotesby.net/John-Lennon/12/ "Permalink to quote 12")
3. > There's not a stupidest thing--I've dressed in women's clothes, I've dressed as a Nazi. I've gone onstage naked. I've gone on so drunk I didn't even know I did…

[Ozzy Osbourne](https://quotesby.net/Ozzy-Osbourne)[Ozzy Osbourne quote \#48](https://quotesby.net/Ozzy-Osbourne/48/ "Permalink to quote 48")

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