--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had never really wanted to be famous…" description: "\"I had never really wanted to be famous. Everyone is supposed to want to be rich and famous, but as a boy I never knew what rich was, and the first view..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/alan-alda-1859_everyone_i-had-never-really-wanted-to-be-famous-e_667888.png" --- # I had never really wanted to be famous. Everyone is… ![“I had never really wanted to be famous. Everyone is supposed to want to be rich and famous, but as a boy I never knew what rich was, and the first view I had of famous made me leery.” quote by Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/alan-alda-1859_everyone_i-had-never-really-wanted-to-be-famous-e_667888.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/alan-alda-1859_everyone_i-had-never-really-wanted-to-be-famous-e_667888.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/alan-alda-1859_everyone_i-had-never-really-wanted-to-be-famous-e_667888.png) > “I had never really wanted to be famous. Everyone is supposed to want to be rich and famous, but as a boy I never knew what rich was, and the first view I had of famous made me leery.” [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fame and wealth are culturally imposed desires; personal values may differ from societal expectations. **In simple terms:** Fame isn’t universal. Key Takeaway Identify what truly matters to you. Themes identity societal pressure values Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - career choices - financial planning - personal branding - life coaching Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel pressure to pursue fame? - What values guide your success? A Different Perspective Societal norms can still influence decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame/) ## Related quotes > [Of course you want to be rich and famous. It's natural. Wealth and fame are what every man desires. The question is: What are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/of-course-you-want-to-be-rich-and-famous-it-s-natural-wealth-and-fame/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [My motives at a young age were, "I want to be rich and famous".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/my-motives-at-a-young-age-were-i-want-to-be-rich-and-famous/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [To people who want to be rich and famous, I'd say, "Get rich first and see if that doesn't cover it."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/to-people-who-want-to-be-rich-and-famous-i-d-say-get-rich-first-and/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [I always want to say to people who want to be rich and famous: 'try being rich first'. See if that doesn't cover most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/i-always-want-to-say-to-people-who-want-to-be-rich-and-famous-try/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [I just want to be rich and famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hart/i-just-want-to-be-rich-and-famous/) [Ian Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-hart/) > [I can do whatever I want - I'm rich, I'm famous, and I'm bigger than you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-johnson/i-can-do-whatever-i-want-i-m-rich-i-m-famous-and-i-m-bigger-than-you/) [Don Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-johnson/) > [It isn't necessary to be rich and famous to be happy. It's only necessary to be rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-isn-t-necessary-to-be-rich-and-famous-to-be-happy-it-s-only/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I've only ever wanted to be a singer; I never wanted to be famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-jenkins/i-ve-only-ever-wanted-to-be-a-singer-i-never-wanted-to-be-famous/) [Katherine Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-jenkins/) > [I never wanted to be famous and the only part I like is that it means people are reading my books and listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/i-never-wanted-to-be-famous-and-the-only-part-i-like-is-that-it-means/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [I never wanted to be famous. I wanted to be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-kamara/i-never-wanted-to-be-famous-i-wanted-to-be-successful/) [Alvin Kamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-kamara/) > [I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/i-never-wanted-to-be-famous-i-only-wanted-to-be-great/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [I never wanted to be a celebrity; I never wanted to be famous. And in my daily life, I work really hard to not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-celebrity-i-never-wanted-to-be-famous-and-in/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [When I started out, I didn't have any desire to be an actress or to learn how to act. I just wanted to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/when-i-started-out-i-didn-t-have-any-desire-to-be-an-actress-or-to/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [I wanted to have money; I wanted to be special; I wanted people to like me; I wanted to be famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-wanted-to-have-money-i-wanted-to-be-special-i-wanted-people-to-like/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [Ever since grammar school, I knew I wanted to be famous - I always wanted to be a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hudson/ever-since-grammar-school-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be-famous-i-always/) [Jennifer Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hudson/) ## More by Alan Alda > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [We need to be more conversant with it because science is in our lives. It's in everything. It's in the food we eat. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/we-need-to-be-more-conversant-with-it-because-science-is-in-our-lives/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [When I studied how to think in school, I was taught that the first rule of logic was that a thing cannot both be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/when-i-studied-how-to-think-in-school-i-was-taught-that-the-first/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I was brought up as a Catholic, and I'm no longer a Catholic. I don't talk about my beliefs too much in public probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/i-was-brought-up-as-a-catholic-and-i-m-no-longer-a-catholic-i-don-t/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [life is meaningless unless you bring meaning to it; ... it is up to us to create our own existence. Unless you do something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/life-is-meaningless-unless-you-bring-meaning-to-it-it-is-up-to-us-to/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-mother-didn-t-try-to-stab-my-father-until-i-was-six/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Originality is unexplored territory. 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