[Idiom] What we touch with touches us, and can't be carved away.

[Geunsely]

"What we touch with touches us, and can't be carved away."


Can somebody help me about the sentence above please? Thanks.

 

[MikeNewYork]

For me, it means that every interaction permanently changes both individuals, to one degree or another.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't understand why it's "What we touch with" - surely that is our fingers.

"What we touch touches us" makes more sense to me.

 

[SoothingDave]

"Carved away" doesn't seem particularly natural. Is there some context?

 

[Geunsely]

Thanks everyone. Here's the context, may be it could help:


"Hands always betray the plastic face. Why can't they do hands? What we touch with touches us, and can't be carved away. Anyway, trying to hide your obvius insanity, that's the real challenge."

 

[Rover_KE]

Please name the source and author of that quotation.

 

[Geunsely]

İt's from a novel named The History of Things by an Irish novelist Sean MonCrieff.

 

[Rover_KE]

Thank you. Please give this information in post #1 when you post next time.