--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We’ve all had that sort of experience,”…" description: "\"“We’ve all had that sort of experience,” said Mma Ramotswe. “Every one of us, Mma. We’ve all had a first day at school, or a first day in a new job. We..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/alexander-mccall-smith-372_experience_we-ve-all-had-that-sort-of-experience-sa_2420639.png" --- # We’ve all had that sort of experience,” said Mma Ramotswe… ![“We’ve all had that sort of experience,” said Mma Ramotswe. “Every one of us, Mma. We’ve all had a first day at school, or a first day in a new job. We’ve all been unsure what to do.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/alexander-mccall-smith-372_experience_we-ve-all-had-that-sort-of-experience-sa_2420639.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/alexander-mccall-smith-372_experience_we-ve-all-had-that-sort-of-experience-sa_2420639.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b51/alexander-mccall-smith-372_experience_we-ve-all-had-that-sort-of-experience-sa_2420639.png) > ““We’ve all had that sort of experience,” said Mma Ramotswe. “Every one of us, Mma. We’ve all had a first day at school, or a first day in a new job. We’ve all been unsure what to do.”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Everyone experiences uncertainty at new beginnings, like first days at school or work **In simple terms:** New starts bring doubt for everyone Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty as normal growth phase Themes growth uncertainty new experiences Mood empathetic reassuring Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - starting a new job - first day of school - relocating Key Concepts psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope with first‑day nerves? - What supports help ease transitions? A Different Perspective Uncertainty can cause paralysis if not managed ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [First Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-day/) [New job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-job/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Lightning always strikes in the same place twice," said Mma Ramotswe. "Whatever people say to the contrary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/lightning-always-strikes-in-the-same-place-twice-said-mma-ramotswe/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“They are a bit small for me, Mma,” she confessed. “I think you were right. But I felt great happiness when I wore them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/they-are-a-bit-small-for-me-mma-she-confessed-i-think-you-were-right/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She is a good housemother, that one,” said Mma Ramotswe. Mma Potokwane agreed. “Whenever I hear people say that the country is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-is-a-good-housemother-that-one-said-mma-ramotswe-mma-potokwane/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [First day of school! Wake up! Come on. First day of school. -Nemo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finding-nemo/first-day-of-school-wake-up-come-on-first-day-of-school-nemo/) Finding Nemo > [Why do people cry on the last day of school? You should be crying on the first day of school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-do-people-cry-on-the-last-day-of-school-you-should-be-crying-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish school was always as laid back as the first day of school is...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-school-was-always-as-laid-back-as-the-first-day-of-school-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [From your first day at school you are cut off from life to make theories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taisen-deshimaru/from-your-first-day-at-school-you-are-cut-off-from-life-to-make/) [Taisen Deshimaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taisen-deshimaru/) > [First day back to school from spring break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-singh/first-day-back-to-school-from-spring-break/) [Miranda Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-singh/) > [The most important day of a person's education is the first day of school, not Graduation Day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-wong/the-most-important-day-of-a-person-s-education-is-the-first-day-of/) [Harry Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-wong/) > [When Dana White opened his mouth and said that MMA fighters are better than boxers. Hold on, I took offence to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-toney/when-dana-white-opened-his-mouth-and-said-that-mma-fighters-are/) [James Toney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-toney/) > [Both our opinions are rooted in our experience," I said. "Both of them are true, it's just that we've had different experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-parker/both-our-opinions-are-rooted-in-our-experience-i-said-both-of-them/) [Robert B. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/) > [I spoke in Molde with a psychologist about experience and he said, 'The one way to get experience is to be in the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erling-haaland/i-spoke-in-molde-with-a-psychologist-about-experience-and-he-said-the/) [Erling Haaland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erling-haaland/) > [“If she had been a normal female, she would have swooned. But she was not normal, never had been. “Good grief, you are impossibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-chase/if-she-had-been-a-normal-female-she-would-have-swooned-but-she-was/) [Loretta Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-chase/) > [I know from experience, once something is said on camera, true or false, it follows you forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-richards/i-know-from-experience-once-something-is-said-on-camera-true-or-false/) [Kyle Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-richards/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. They do not like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/men-are-very-sensitive-mma-makutsi-you-would-not-always-think-it-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He is a good man, but even a good man can fall for a glamorous woman. That is well known.” “That is very well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-is-a-good-man-but-even-a-good-man-can-fall-for-a-glamorous-woman/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And then the second thing you have to do is go and see your son. That is a duty of love, Andrew. It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. "If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? Is there no wife to say, ‘You must not go off and visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/has-he-not-got-a-wife-back-wherever-he-comes-from-is-there-no-wife-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“He looked at her in the darkness, at this woman who was everything to him-mother, Africa, wisdom, understanding, good things to eat, pumpkins, chicken,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/he-looked-at-her-in-the-darkness-at-this-woman-who-was-everything-to/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“It is because you are generous in spirit; and may I be like that; may I become like you—which unrealistic wish, to become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-is-because-you-are-generous-in-spirit-and-may-i-be-like-that-may-i/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni,” she asked, “do you think that our souls grow as we get older?” He did not answer immediately, but when he did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/mr-j-l-b-matekoni-she-asked-do-you-think-that-our-souls-grow-as-we/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) [Explore all 628 Alexander McCall Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## More Experience quotes > [Experience makes a lesson to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/experience-makes-a-lesson-to-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [From my experience of having served for 3000 days, I can say that anything can be achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/from-my-experience-of-having-served-for-3000-days-i-can-say-that/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) > [I happen to think it's the politics that makes you electable, but the reason for that is politicians sometimes talk about electability as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-happen-to-think-it-s-the-politics-that-makes-you-electable-but-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Iranians hate Arabs. They're a fairly well-educated population and they have centuries of experience with self-government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ledeen/iranians-hate-arabs-they-re-a-fairly-well-educated-population-and/) [Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/) > [Education is a lifelong experience. Experience is a lifelong education. Education plus experience equals expertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bugeja/education-is-a-lifelong-experience-experience-is-a-lifelong-education/) Michael Bugeja > [Prison experience puts distance between me and any person who hasn't been there, done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcconnell/prison-experience-puts-distance-between-me-and-any-person-who-hasn-t/) [Patricia McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mcconnell/) > [Experience is a thorough teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jane-holmes/experience-is-a-thorough-teacher/) [Mary Jane Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jane-holmes/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I've had a great experience with pretty much everybody I've worked with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-wasikowska/i-ve-had-a-great-experience-with-pretty-much-everybody-i-ve-worked/) [Mia Wasikowska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-wasikowska/) > [It wasn't a mistake, it was a fun learning experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-wasn-t-a-mistake-it-was-a-fun-learning-experience/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) [Browse all 11,792 Experience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We’ve all had that sort of experience,” said Mma Ramotswe. “Every one of us, Mma. We’ve all had a first day at school, or a first day in a new job. 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