I hated myself for going, why couldn't I be the kind of person who stays?

The line captures a familiar moral and emotional conflict: the speaker has chosen to leave—physically, relationally, or ethically—and experiences self-disgust not merely for the departure but for what it reveals about their character. “The kind of person who stays” implies an ideal of loyalty, endurance, and responsibility, while “going” suggests escape, self-preservation, or cowardice. The quote’s power lies in its self-interrogation: the speaker frames the issue as identity rather than circumstance, turning a single decision into a verdict on who they are. It also hints at the ambiguity of staying—sometimes noble, sometimes damaging—making the self-judgment both poignant and potentially unreliable.