--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I watched Leo and I realized that he also…" description: "\"“I watched Leo and I realized that he also knew how it felt to be different. To want big things in a very small town. To get made fun of. He wasn’t as ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/ally-condie-434_big-things_i-watched-leo-and-i-realized-that-he-als_2593885.jpg" --- # I watched Leo and I realized that he also knew how it felt… ![“I watched Leo and I realized that he also knew how it felt to be different. To want big things in a very small town. To get made fun of. He wasn’t as different as I was. But he also wasn’t one of those lucky people who fit in all the time. And I thought of the first time I worked with him, what…” quote by Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/ally-condie-434_big-things_i-watched-leo-and-i-realized-that-he-als_2593885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/ally-condie-434_big-things_i-watched-leo-and-i-realized-that-he-als_2593885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2c/ally-condie-434_big-things_i-watched-leo-and-i-realized-that-he-als_2593885.jpg) > ““I watched Leo and I realized that he also knew how it felt to be different. To want big things in a very small town. To get made fun of. He wasn’t as different as I was. But he also wasn’t one of those lucky people who fit in all the time. And I thought of the first time I worked with him, what I’d seen. He did like the world—that was the thing about him that I liked the best—but the world didn’t always like him back.”” [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling different in a small town fuels ambition, yet the world may not always accept you, highlighting the tension between individuality and societal acceptance. **In simple terms:** Being different can inspire big dreams, but society may reject you. Key Takeaway Embrace uniqueness despite rejection. Themes identity ambition belonging Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - school life - small‑town aspirations - creative projects - team dynamics Key Concepts social psychology coming‑of‑age Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay true to yourself when misunderstood? - What helps you find community? A Different Perspective Acceptance varies; not everyone will appreciate your differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/) [Lucky people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky-people/) [Small town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-town/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Then Leo realized something was blocking the middle of his view. Something large and fuzzy, and so close, Leo had to cross his eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riodan/then-leo-realized-something-was-blocking-the-middle-of-his-view/) Rick riodan > [So it - we have one enduring, uh, idea that will always live on with the Smothers Brothers, that 'Mom always liked you best.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-smothers/so-it-we-have-one-enduring-uh-idea-that-will-always-live-on-with-the/) [Tom Smothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-smothers/) > [When they ask me what I liked best, I'll tell them it was you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-they-ask-me-what-i-liked-best-i-ll-tell-them-it-was-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He wasn’t perfect or anything. He wasn’t your fairy-tale Prince Charming or whatever. He tried to be like that sometimes, but I liked him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-wasn-t-perfect-or-anything-he-wasn-t-your-fairy-tale-prince/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The person she liked best didn’t like her enough to want more of her, and she didn’t want to pretend that wasn’t awful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-perkins/the-person-she-liked-best-didn-t-like-her-enough-to-want-more-of-her/) [Stephanie Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-perkins/) > [“I liked him best. His dad had a sheep farm, he used to complain that there was nobody around him but blackface lambs, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-stuart/i-liked-him-best-his-dad-had-a-sheep-farm-he-used-to-complain-that/) Douglas Stuart > [“She liked it best when he read the X-Men, even though she didn't get everything that was going on there; the X-Men were worse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/she-liked-it-best-when-he-read-the-x-men-even-though-she-didn-t-get/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [Mom always liked me best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-van-dyke/mom-always-liked-me-best/) [Jerry Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-van-dyke/) > [The person I liked the best was Gerald R. Ford. He was the most decent man in politics I ever had any relationships with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/the-person-i-liked-the-best-was-gerald-r-ford-he-was-the-most-decent/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [I was a perfect housewife. Being a mother has always been the job I liked best. Absolutely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-was-a-perfect-housewife-being-a-mother-has-always-been-the-job-i/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [“But what I liked the best was that, while the room giggled at her request, she didn't duck her head or blush or think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/but-what-i-liked-the-best-was-that-while-the-room-giggled-at-her/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [I really liked it best when I was a nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-heiden/i-really-liked-it-best-when-i-was-a-nobody/) [Eric Heiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-heiden/) > [Once you're back on your feet - if you ever make it back on your feet - that's the ultimate achievement. I remember I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rihanna/once-you-re-back-on-your-feet-if-you-ever-make-it-back-on-your-feet/) [Rihanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rihanna/) > [But today I felt different, today I forgot how long it takes to get into the skin of a character and I remembered it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle-parsons/but-today-i-felt-different-today-i-forgot-how-long-it-takes-to-get/) [Estelle Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle-parsons/) > [“The air felt different in my lungs. The world no longer looked the same. You change and then you change again. You become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/the-air-felt-different-in-my-lungs-the-world-no-longer-looked-the/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) ## More by Ally Condie > [“But I also know we can’t plan on anyone else rescuing us. We have to do it ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/but-i-also-know-we-can-t-plan-on-anyone-else-rescuing-us-we-have-to/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“Ever since the day of the mistake with my Match. I've never known which life is my true one. Even with the reassurances of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/ever-since-the-day-of-the-mistake-with-my-match-i-ve-never-known/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“She knows how things fit together and move, but so few people understand her. She’s the most solitary person I’ve ever known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/she-knows-how-things-fit-together-and-move-but-so-few-people/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“There are many of them in the world, I think, good men and women with their frail deeds. Wondering what might have been, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/there-are-many-of-them-in-the-world-i-think-good-men-and-women-with/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“You wouldn't think you can forget but sometimes you can—for a moment or two. I've never been able to decide if I think that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/you-wouldn-t-think-you-can-forget-but-sometimes-you-can-for-a-moment/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“It doesn't matter much anyway. I haven't slept well since he left. I can't dream. In some ways, that's the hardest part of having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/it-doesn-t-matter-much-anyway-i-haven-t-slept-well-since-he-left-i/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“She's right. We would compose poems about love and tell stories that have been heard in some form before. But it would be our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/she-s-right-we-would-compose-poems-about-love-and-tell-stories-that/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“How we never, ever fight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/how-we-never-ever-fight/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“Perhaps it is because now I live in his story. Now I am a part of his, and he of mine, and the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/perhaps-it-is-because-now-i-live-in-his-story-now-i-am-a-part-of-his/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“Of course, one person can be the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/of-course-one-person-can-be-the-world/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“I wonder if they'll be able to resist. It's not exactly easy to save things for the future when the present is so uncertain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/i-wonder-if-they-ll-be-able-to-resist-it-s-not-exactly-easy-to-save/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“I think of how many invisible injuries are possible. Ones scored on your heart, your brain, your bones. How do we all stand? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/i-think-of-how-many-invisible-injuries-are-possible-ones-scored-on/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“I see a glint in her eye as she looks at me and it makes me smile. Hold our breath? she seems to say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/i-see-a-glint-in-her-eye-as-she-looks-at-me-and-it-makes-me-smile/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“What is the point of having something lovely if you never share it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/what-is-the-point-of-having-something-lovely-if-you-never-share-it/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [“She’s trying to figure out the Plague on her own and not taking what the Rising says for granted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/she-s-trying-to-figure-out-the-plague-on-her-own-and-not-taking-what/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) [Explore all 526 Ally Condie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) ## More Big things quotes > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/little-things-make-the-difference-everyone-is-well-prepared-in-the/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [I would not have lasted a minute, literally a minute, on this Earth without God and angels by my side, because I was born.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattie-stepanek/i-would-not-have-lasted-a-minute-literally-a-minute-on-this-earth/) [Mattie Stepanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattie-stepanek/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [It's silly to have as one's sole object in life just making money, accumulating wealth. I work because I enjoy what I'm doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/it-s-silly-to-have-as-one-s-sole-object-in-life-just-making-money/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-dale-bell/show-me-a-man-who-cannot-bother-to-do-little-things-and-i-ll-show-you/) Lawrence Dale Bell > [ITS FUNNY HOW YOU CAN MAKE SILENT HAPPINESS TO OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR NONE SENSE ACTIONS. BECAUSE SOMETHINGS IT MAYBE LITTLE AS WE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-voice/its-funny-how-you-can-make-silent-happiness-to-other-people-out-of/) NO VOICE > [The little things, I can obey. But the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/the-little-things-i-can-obey-but-the-big-things-how-we-think-what-we/) [Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/) > [The little things are being early to meetings and lifts, stretching and warming up - doing all these things consistently, the walk-throughs that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-herbert/the-little-things-are-being-early-to-meetings-and-lifts-stretching/) [Justin Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-herbert/) > [I promise you this: at the end of your days, you will discover that the things you now perceive to be the big things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/i-promise-you-this-at-the-end-of-your-days-you-will-discover-that-the/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“He wanted me to understand two big things: First, that nobody, no group, is above others. Public servants are obliged to level with everybody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/he-wanted-me-to-understand-two-big-things-first-that-nobody-no-group/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“When it comes to big things in life, there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/when-it-comes-to-big-things-in-life-there-are-no-accidents-everything/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [President Barack Obama is a doer. And we in America will do big things with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hunt/president-barack-obama-is-a-doer-and-we-in-america-will-do-big-things/) [Jim Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hunt/) > [There are experts in little things but there are no experts in big things. There are experts in this fact and that fact but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/there-are-experts-in-little-things-but-there-are-no-experts-in-big/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) [Browse all 748 Big things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I watched Leo and I realized that he also knew how it felt to be different. To want big things in a very small town. To get made fun of. He wasn’t as different as I was. But he also wasn’t one of those lucky people who fit in all the time. And I thought of the first time I worked with him, what I’d seen. 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