"The wailing of your soul, which could never be erased by the Gods of this world, opened up a portal to another dimension...and we promised you that we would make you into a supernatural being who would never know sorrow or despair...In exchange for just one phrase! Yes...indeed you said it! "I offer this woman for sacrifice." The life you couldn't take by your own hand, the life of the person you loved and hated the most, you gave it to us! So that you could bury your fragile human heart. So that you could transcend your very humanity!!"
— Ubik to The Count, Berserk
"I was scared back then, just so scared... to have everything taken from me right before my eyes. It was so painful... and sad... I was so depressed about how powerless I was... and I ran to this power. Because I never want to feel that way ever again..."
— Ragna the Bloodedge, Blazblue Chrono Phantasma
"Might makes right and might alone! Without strength, we have nothing! If I don’t win, then all my effort, all I’ve struggled to achieve, all of it will have been pointless. I'll lose everything, just like I did before... and I absolutely refuse to go through that again! I cannot! I will not!"
— Jiren, Dragon Ball Super
I thought my heart had learned its lesson
It feels so good when you start out
My head is screaming, "Get a grip, girl,
unless you're dying to cry your heart out!"
It feels so good when you start out
My head is screaming, "Get a grip, girl,
unless you're dying to cry your heart out!"
— Megara, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)", Hercules
Girls, we do
Whatever it will take
'Cause girls don't want
We don't want our hearts to break
In two
So it's better to be fake
Can't risk losing
In love again, babe
Whatever it will take
'Cause girls don't want
We don't want our hearts to break
In two
So it's better to be fake
Can't risk losing
In love again, babe
— Marina Diamandis, "How to Be a Heartbreaker"
Starlight: And just like that, my friend was gone. [Sunburst's] family recognized his magical talent and sent him off to Canterlot. I never saw him again.
Spike: W-Why not?
Starlight: BECAUSE OF HIS CUTIE MARK! He got his, and I didn't! He moved on, and I didn't! I stayed here and never made another friend because I was too afraid ANOTHER CUTIE MARK WOULD TAKE THEM AWAY TOO!
Twilight: That's ridiculous. A cutie mark can't take your friends away!
Starlight: Not everypony's lucky enough to get her cutie mark at the same time as her friends!
Spike: W-Why not?
Starlight: BECAUSE OF HIS CUTIE MARK! He got his, and I didn't! He moved on, and I didn't! I stayed here and never made another friend because I was too afraid ANOTHER CUTIE MARK WOULD TAKE THEM AWAY TOO!
Twilight: That's ridiculous. A cutie mark can't take your friends away!
Starlight: Not everypony's lucky enough to get her cutie mark at the same time as her friends!
Gibbs: Why are you here? Aside from me losing my mind.
Diane: Oh, please, you were never that sane to begin with.
Gibbs: But why now?
Diane: Because you needed a kick in the pants to take this case. Remind me why again?
Gibbs: When you get personally involved, you make mistakes.
Diane: W-Why not? Right. Except you and I both know that that rule is crap. The reason that you don't want to get personally involved is that you're afraid to feel, Jethro. Ever since your family was killed, you shut yourself off so you wouldn't have to get hurt again. And work, the one place where you were really alive, well, couldn't have that, so you had to build up walls there, too. And that is the reason that I am really here, Jethro, 'cause now those walls are starting to crumble. You're starting to let people in again, and it is scary and, for someone like you, dangerous. So you reached out for help. Voilà.
Diane: Oh, please, you were never that sane to begin with.
Gibbs: But why now?
Diane: Because you needed a kick in the pants to take this case. Remind me why again?
Gibbs: When you get personally involved, you make mistakes.
Diane: W-Why not? Right. Except you and I both know that that rule is crap. The reason that you don't want to get personally involved is that you're afraid to feel, Jethro. Ever since your family was killed, you shut yourself off so you wouldn't have to get hurt again. And work, the one place where you were really alive, well, couldn't have that, so you had to build up walls there, too. And that is the reason that I am really here, Jethro, 'cause now those walls are starting to crumble. You're starting to let people in again, and it is scary and, for someone like you, dangerous. So you reached out for help. Voilà.
— NCIS, Season 17: "Daughters"
Eloise: Scott, I see you've put the kangas in time-out in the museum.
Scott: Yeah, I moved them all to safety. I had a vision that they might have died in a horrible death, and I couldn't risk losing them as well, so…
Cleo: What do you mean, "as well"?
Scott: (despairing chuckle) I've lost enough, Cleo.
Scott: Yeah, I moved them all to safety. I had a vision that they might have died in a horrible death, and I couldn't risk losing them as well, so…
Cleo: What do you mean, "as well"?
Scott: (despairing chuckle) I've lost enough, Cleo.
— Pirates SMP, the finale Explanation (Spoilers)
Dad. Kal. H'el. Siobhan. They ALL let me down. They all broke my heart. And now THIS. No more. Nobody gets away with hurting me ever again. Not THIS time!
Yang: We're supposed to be in this together, you can trust us! We're not gonna turn our backs on you–
Ozpin: Do you really think Leo was the first?! That he didn't say those exact same words to me?! ...I'm sorry, but you have to understand my behaviors are backed by experiences. I'm not saying I have reason to think you'll betray me, I'm saying I have reasons for the things I do, the secrets I keep.
Ozpin: Do you really think Leo was the first?! That he didn't say those exact same words to me?! ...I'm sorry, but you have to understand my behaviors are backed by experiences. I'm not saying I have reason to think you'll betray me, I'm saying I have reasons for the things I do, the secrets I keep.
— RWBY, "Uncovered"
Don't talk of love
But I've heard the words before
It's sleeping in my memory
I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died
If I never loved, I never would have cried
But I've heard the words before
It's sleeping in my memory
I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died
If I never loved, I never would have cried
— Simon & Garfunkel, "I Am a Rock"
"I won't allow the Bajoran people to be powerless anymore. We have been doormats to the Cardassians and now The Federation, any great power that happens by. We will not be that again."
Steven: Where are you going?!
Lapis: As far from Earth as I can! I'm leaving! You should be used to that by now.
Steven: You don't have to run, Lapis! Just... Just stay with us!
Lapis: I don't know what I was thinking! I-I'm... I'm not like you and your friends, Steven! I can't just let go of what happened to me! I can't go through that again.
Steven: Would you rather be alone?!
Lapis: (long pause) I'm sorry.
Lapis: As far from Earth as I can! I'm leaving! You should be used to that by now.
Steven: You don't have to run, Lapis! Just... Just stay with us!
Lapis: I don't know what I was thinking! I-I'm... I'm not like you and your friends, Steven! I can't just let go of what happened to me! I can't go through that again.
Steven: Would you rather be alone?!
Lapis: (long pause) I'm sorry.
— Steven Universe, "Can't Go Back"
"I made a promise to myself that the next time I got a boyfriend, I'd be on the look out for red flags, and if I saw any I'd do the healthy thing. And I would murder him."
— Harley Quinn, The Suicide Squad
I don't really care anymore. But I do suppose I should thank you. You made me realize that by being nice and letting people in... they'll just die. But even still, thank you for showing me that there is still a part of me that can feel like this. Because now that I know where to find it: I've killed it forever. So thank you, thank you for freeing me... Balls...
— Kirito to Klein, Sword Art Online Abridged
Charles: There are thousands of men on those ships! Good, honest, innocent men! They're just following orders!
Erik: (frowns and turns) I've been at the mercy of men "just following orders." Never again.
Erik: (frowns and turns) I've been at the mercy of men "just following orders." Never again.
Callisto: If you're so proud of being a Mutant, where's your mark?
Magneto: I have been marked once, my dear, and let me assure you: no needle shall ever touch my skin again.
Magneto: I have been marked once, my dear, and let me assure you: no needle shall ever touch my skin again.
