--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to feel like I could extend…" description: "\"I wanted to feel like I could extend someone else's joy and not crush it, and that is the giant paradox nowadays of being a powerful woman: you want to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/amanda-palmer-2356_attention_i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-som_2249779.jpg" --- # I wanted to feel like I could extend someone else's joy… ![“I wanted to feel like I could extend someone else's joy and not crush it, and that is the giant paradox nowadays of being a powerful woman: you want to live in a space of compassion and helpfulness and joy and expression, and the world is standing there, pointing the finger at you and telling you…” quote by Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/amanda-palmer-2356_attention_i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-som_2249779.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/amanda-palmer-2356_attention_i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-som_2249779.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/amanda-palmer-2356_attention_i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-som_2249779.jpg) > “I wanted to feel like I could extend someone else's joy and not crush it, and that is the giant paradox nowadays of being a powerful woman: you want to live in a space of compassion and helpfulness and joy and expression, and the world is standing there, pointing the finger at you and telling you that you're greedy and domineering and attention-grabbing, and all you can do is shrug and just say, "Hopefully, someone out there understands and isn't misinterpreting."” [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing personal power with compassion can feel contradictory, as societal expectations label assertive women as greedy or domineering. **In simple terms:** Powerful women face a paradox between wanting to help and being judged harshly. Key Takeaway Embrace compassion while setting boundaries. Themes gender power compassion identity societal expectations Mood determined reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - leadership - activism - personal relationships - public speaking Key Concepts feminist theory psychology social perception Questions to Reflect On - How can you demonstrate compassion without being misperted? - What boundaries protect your joy? A Different Perspective The paradox may intensify when external validation is lacking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Crush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crush/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Extend Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extend-joy-5133449/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fingers/) [Giants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giants/) [Grabbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grabbing/) [Greedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greedy/) [Helpfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helpfulness/) [Hopefully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopefully/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Joy Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy-expression-5133451/) [Paradox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradox/) [Pointing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pointing/) [Pointing fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pointing-fingers/) [Powerful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful/) [Powerful woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-woman/) [Powerful women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-women/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Standing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standing/) [Standing there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standing-there/) [Telling Greedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-greedy-5133450/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-feel/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [There's nothing more threatening than a powerful woman, and there's nothing more threatening to the current order of things than women powerfully owning their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/there-s-nothing-more-threatening-than-a-powerful-woman-and-there-s/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Being a powerful woman who also exhibits great warmth is an incredible feat because people think that to be powerful you have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/being-a-powerful-woman-who-also-exhibits-great-warmth-is-an/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [Sisterhood is powerful. Woman can support each other as women, in their pursuit for enlightenment or anything else, without fear. But as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/sisterhood-is-powerful-woman-can-support-each-other-as-women-in-their/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Love of a girl can make you feel like a king without kingdom , but if you forget that you're a normal one and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/love-of-a-girl-can-make-you-feel-like-a-king-without-kingdom-but-if/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [“Keep good company. Eventually you're going to look like who you are connected to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/keep-good-company-eventually-you-re-going-to-look-like-who-you-are/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“I am humbled when people ask for my opinion. It says that they trust my judgment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/i-am-humbled-when-people-ask-for-my-opinion-it-says-that-they-trust/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > ['Ten Days in the Valley' has everything: It's a thriller, it's a taut, exciting love story, and it has the kind of character our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-dungey/ten-days-in-the-valley-has-everything-it-s-a-thriller-it-s-a-taut/) [Channing Dungey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-dungey/) > [“I do not want to know things, I want to understand things. I want to answer every question ever posed me. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzi-lee/i-do-not-want-to-know-things-i-want-to-understand-things-i-want-to/) [Mackenzi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzi-lee/) > [I've been rewritten on past projects and thought, 'That's not what she was - she was this really powerful woman, and there's nothing wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/i-ve-been-rewritten-on-past-projects-and-thought-that-s-not-what-she/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [My first crush was at the age of 10, on Emma Peel in 'The Avengers.' She was a powerful woman, which I found very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vic-reeves/my-first-crush-was-at-the-age-of-10-on-emma-peel-in-the-avengers-she/) [Vic Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vic-reeves/) > [There's nothing more powerful than a woman who knows how to contain her power and not let it leak, standing firmly within it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/there-s-nothing-more-powerful-than-a-woman-who-knows-how-to-contain/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“we have no template for what a powerful woman looks like, except that she looks rather like a man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/we-have-no-template-for-what-a-powerful-woman-looks-like-except-that/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [You can be feminine and wear heels, dresses, and makeup, and still be a powerful woman - physically, mentally, emotionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/you-can-be-feminine-and-wear-heels-dresses-and-makeup-and-still-be-a/) [Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/) > [The most powerful woman I know is my mother, and she doesn't wear any make up at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-needles/the-most-powerful-woman-i-know-is-my-mother-and-she-doesn-t-wear-any/) [Sharon Needles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-needles/) > [All-powerful is a woman who doesn't need to be beautiful, but she has so much attitude that she is marvellous, she is powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anitta/all-powerful-is-a-woman-who-doesn-t-need-to-be-beautiful-but-she-has/) [Anitta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anitta/) ## More by Amanda Palmer > [What I have found is, so much of that is like a Chinese finger trap: the more you play to the dark, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/what-i-have-found-is-so-much-of-that-is-like-a-chinese-finger-trap/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [“i am not afraid. fuck safety. i rock on purpose ALL THE TIME”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-am-not-afraid-fuck-safety-i-rock-on-purpose-all-the-time/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [In some way, my fundamental feeling about music is that it's impossible to put a price tag on it. Human beings made music before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/in-some-way-my-fundamental-feeling-about-music-is-that-it-s/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Our nature is to desperately want to believe and to take what we believe is the quickest path there even against our better judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/our-nature-is-to-desperately-want-to-believe-and-to-take-what-we/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I have never in my career embarked on a journey towards controversy. I have never deliberately set a flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-have-never-in-my-career-embarked-on-a-journey-towards-controversy-i/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I think the Internet really sussed things into perspective. Because twelve years ago, I could spend my days on writing and running my band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-think-the-internet-really-sussed-things-into-perspective-because/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [When you trust people to help you, they often do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/when-you-trust-people-to-help-you-they-often-do/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Life as it should be: all friends, all art, all music, all love, all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/life-as-it-should-be-all-friends-all-art-all-music-all-love-all-the/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [There's a part of me that is really, really happy with all of my success lately because of what it can get me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/there-s-a-part-of-me-that-is-really-really-happy-with-all-of-my/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I'd actually say that every musician is a human being, and that not everybody likes being social. But with music, there are all these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-d-actually-say-that-every-musician-is-a-human-being-and-that-not/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [The perfect tools aren't going to help us if we can't face each other and give and receive fearlessly, but more important, to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/the-perfect-tools-aren-t-going-to-help-us-if-we-can-t-face-each-other/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I had a real come-to-Jesus a couple of years ago when I started to see the direct line between feminism and everything else -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-had-a-real-come-to-jesus-a-couple-of-years-ago-when-i-started-to/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [Take on the pain and wear it as a shirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/take-on-the-pain-and-wear-it-as-a-shirt/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I think I can define my entire life, virtuosity and business philosophy down to the core fundamental that I absolutely hate being told what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-think-i-can-define-my-entire-life-virtuosity-and-business/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) > [I've always been a creative workaholic. I have never had a period of my life where I didn't have at least half a dozen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-ve-always-been-a-creative-workaholic-i-have-never-had-a-period-of/) [Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) [Explore all 159 Amanda Palmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wanted to feel like I could extend someone else's joy and not crush it, and that is the giant paradox nowadays of being a powerful woman: you want to live in a space of compassion and helpfulness and joy and expression, and the world is standing there, pointing the finger at you and telling you that you're greedy and domineering and attention-grabbing, and all you can do is shrug and just say, \"Hopefully, someone out there understands and isn't misinterpreting.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amanda Palmer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-someone-else-s-joy-and-not-crush/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-someone-else-s-joy-and-not-crush/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/amanda-palmer-2356_attention_i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-som_2249779.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/amanda-palmer-2356_attention_i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-som_2249779.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c1/amanda-palmer-2356_attention_i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-som_2249779.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wanted to feel like I could extend someone else's joy and not crush it, and that is the giant paradox…” — Amanda Palmer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Amanda Palmer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wanted to feel like I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-someone-else-s-joy-and-not-crush/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/i-wanted-to-feel-like-i-could-extend-someone-else-s-joy-and-not-crush/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```