--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was raped I lost my virginity and…" description: "\"When I was raped I lost my virginity and almost lost my life. I also discarded certain assumptions I had held about how the world worked and about how ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/907/alice-sebold-999_assumption_when-i-was-raped-i-lost-my-virginity-and_2634929.jpg" --- # When I was raped I lost my virginity and almost lost my… ![“When I was raped I lost my virginity and almost lost my life. I also discarded certain assumptions I had held about how the world worked and about how safe I was.” quote by Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/907/alice-sebold-999_assumption_when-i-was-raped-i-lost-my-virginity-and_2634929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/907/alice-sebold-999_assumption_when-i-was-raped-i-lost-my-virginity-and_2634929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/907/alice-sebold-999_assumption_when-i-was-raped-i-lost-my-virginity-and_2634929.jpg) > “When I was raped I lost my virginity and almost lost my life. I also discarded certain assumptions I had held about how the world worked and about how safe I was.” [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The trauma forced a painful loss of innocence and a stark reassessment of personal safety and worldview. **In simple terms:** Trauma shattered innocence and reshaped her view of safety. Key Takeaway Recognize how trauma can alter perception and seek support. Themes trauma identity survival reassessment Mood pain hope determination Type personal reflective inspirational When to use this quote - recovering from assault - seeking therapy - rebuilding trust - navigating relationships Key Concepts psychology resilience belief systems Questions to Reflect On - How has this experience changed your sense of safety? - What steps can help rebuild trust after trauma? A Different Perspective Healing may be hindered by stigma and self‑blame. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Virginity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virginity/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“I think I grew up that night. It might have been Patrick that lost his virginity, but it was me that lost my innocence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-webb/i-think-i-grew-up-that-night-it-might-have-been-patrick-that-lost-his-2/) [T.A. Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-webb/) > [“I think I grew up that night. It might have been Patrick that lost his virginity, but it was me that lost my innocence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-webb/i-think-i-grew-up-that-night-it-might-have-been-patrick-that-lost-his/) [T.A. Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-webb/) > [“I did, of course, on both counts, and started going out with the boy I lost my virginity to - all of it. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elly-varrenti/i-did-of-course-on-both-counts-and-started-going-out-with-the-boy-i/) Elly Varrenti > [HONESTY is like virginity once you lost it, it's gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/honesty-is-like-virginity-once-you-lost-it-it-s-gone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is not politic in the commonwealth of nature to preserve virginity. Loss of virginity is rational increase, and there was never virgin got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/it-is-not-politic-in-the-commonwealth-of-nature-to-preserve-virginity/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Trust is Like Virginity, Once Its Lost ,Its Lost Forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/trust-is-like-virginity-once-its-lost-its-lost-forever/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“Virginity being blown down man will quicklier be blown up; marry, in blowing him down again, with the breach yourselves made you lose your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/virginity-being-blown-down-man-will-quicklier-be-blown-up-marry-in/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“That kind of absolute faith is one of those things that, like virginity, can only be lost once”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-kind-of-absolute-faith-is-one-of-those-things-that-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Credibility, like virginity, can only be lost once and never recovered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-reese/credibility-like-virginity-can-only-be-lost-once-and-never-recovered/) [Charley Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-reese/) > [Virginity can be lost by a thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/virginity-can-be-lost-by-a-thought/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [Those who say they would rather fight to the death than be raped are fools. I would rather be raped a thousand times. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/those-who-say-they-would-rather-fight-to-the-death-than-be-raped-are/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“Twelve!!! Twelve years old!!? When you lost your virginity, you were twelve???' 'Yeah.' 'Twelve??' Rimmer stared into the fire. 'Well, you can't have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-naylor/twelve-twelve-years-old-when-you-lost-your-virginity-you-were-twelve/) [Grant Naylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-naylor/) > [My Ex Girl Friend Has Lost Her Virginity And I'm damn HAPPY Of That SHIT ! xD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-basith-nazeem/my-ex-girl-friend-has-lost-her-virginity-and-i-m-damn-happy-of-that/) [Abdul Basith Nazeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-basith-nazeem/) > [I lost my virginity to a pumpkin when I was 23. Back then I was convinced I was actually a Vegetable, hell, that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/i-lost-my-virginity-to-a-pumpkin-when-i-was-23-back-then-i-was/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [“It wasn’t every day a girl lost her virginity, not to mention to a delicious, perfect specimen of man. One who had wings, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalie-lario/it-wasn-t-every-day-a-girl-lost-her-virginity-not-to-mention-to-a/) [Rosalie Lario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalie-lario/) ## More by Alice Sebold > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I left my mark on that man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-left-my-mark-on-that-man/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [These things, she felt, were not to be passed around like disingenuous party favors. She kept an honor code with her journals and her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/these-things-she-felt-were-not-to-be-passed-around-like-disingenuous/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I don't think ignorance is a way that you gain distance on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-don-t-think-ignorance-is-a-way-that-you-gain-distance-on-something/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I was like I was in science class: I was curious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-was-like-i-was-in-science-class-i-was-curious/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“There are secret rooms inside us,” I had said to my therapist. “A relatively benign construct,” he said, and so I did not bother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/there-are-secret-rooms-inside-us-i-had-said-to-my-therapist-a/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“This is just a temporary hell, not a permanent one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/this-is-just-a-temporary-hell-not-a-permanent-one/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“And a soul would run by a living being, touch them softly on the shoulder or cheek, and continue on its way to heaven.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/and-a-soul-would-run-by-a-living-being-touch-them-softly-on-the/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [As if in the other side of his kiss there could ve a new life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/as-if-in-the-other-side-of-his-kiss-there-could-ve-a-new-life/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“My little brother's greatest fear was that the one person who meant so much to him would go away. He loved Lindsey and Grandma…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/my-little-brother-s-greatest-fear-was-that-the-one-person-who-meant/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“She listened for the pain in my words, not to the narrative itself. She was intuiting what it meant to me, what was most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/she-listened-for-the-pain-in-my-words-not-to-the-narrative-itself-she/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [The relationship with the words someone uses is more intimate and integrated than just a quick read and a blurb can ever be. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/the-relationship-with-the-words-someone-uses-is-more-intimate-and/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [Ruth hadn't talked to my sister since before my death, and then it was only to excuse herself in the hallway at school. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/ruth-hadn-t-talked-to-my-sister-since-before-my-death-and-then-it-was/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [Since then I've always thought that under rape in the dictionary it should tell the truth. It is not just forcible intercourse; rape means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/since-then-i-ve-always-thought-that-under-rape-in-the-dictionary-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I live in a world where two truths coexist: where both hell and hope lie in the palm of my hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/i-live-in-a-world-where-two-truths-coexist-where-both-hell-and-hope/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) [Explore all 302 Alice Sebold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) ## More Assumption quotes > [Next to the assumption of power was the responsibility of relinquishing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/next-to-the-assumption-of-power-was-the-responsibility-of/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/) Richard Doll > [Fortunately, the mind is restless; when it uncovers a layer of its own deception, gives up an illusion, exposes a lie, it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-chernin/fortunately-the-mind-is-restless-when-it-uncovers-a-layer-of-its-own/) [Kim Chernin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-chernin/) > [The possibility of saying anything about a thing rests on the assumption that it preserves its identity, or continues to be the same thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-knight/the-possibility-of-saying-anything-about-a-thing-rests-on-the/) [Frank Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-knight/) > [She spent hours drawing on her own, trying to perfect her craft. And when she got into music, she had that same diligence in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-joplin/she-spent-hours-drawing-on-her-own-trying-to-perfect-her-craft-and/) [Laura Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-joplin/) > [If they are, then the only ultimate truths are the particulars of concrete experience, and no postulate or general assumption is inherent in science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-wright/if-they-are-then-the-only-ultimate-truths-are-the-particulars-of/) [Chauncey Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-wright/) > [If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a - is a noble institution I would - I would strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-he-s-the-inference-is-that-somehow-he-thinks-slavery-is-a-is-a/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Leadership, pure and simple, is the assumption of responsibility for the pursuit of excellence in group life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-selznick/leadership-pure-and-simple-is-the-assumption-of-responsibility-for/) Philip Selznick > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/) [Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/) > [When I see a fan coming over, I can't help but make an assumption about what they want to talk about. A middle-aged American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/when-i-see-a-fan-coming-over-i-can-t-help-but-make-an-assumption/) [Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/) > [The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/the-bell-curve-is-a-fact-of-life-the-blacks-on-average-score-85-per/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [Pussy Riot have certainly changed some people's assumptions about the role of political art and the relationship between the intelligentsia and the church. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/pussy-riot-have-certainly-changed-some-people-s-assumptions-about-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) [Browse all 1,277 Assumption quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was raped I lost my virginity and almost lost my life. 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