--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was younger, not being accepted…" description: "\"When I was younger, not being accepted made me enraged, but now, I am not inclined to dismantle my history. If you banish the dragons, you banish the h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/andrew-solomon-1140_accepted_when-i-was-younger-not-being-accepted-ma_887507.jpg" --- # When I was younger, not being accepted made me enraged… ![“When I was younger, not being accepted made me enraged, but now, I am not inclined to dismantle my history. If you banish the dragons, you banish the heroes-and we become attached to the heroic strain in our personal history.” quote by Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/andrew-solomon-1140_accepted_when-i-was-younger-not-being-accepted-ma_887507.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/andrew-solomon-1140_accepted_when-i-was-younger-not-being-accepted-ma_887507.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e9/andrew-solomon-1140_accepted_when-i-was-younger-not-being-accepted-ma_887507.jpg) > “When I was younger, not being accepted made me enraged, but now, I am not inclined to dismantle my history. If you banish the dragons, you banish the heroes-and we become attached to the heroic strain in our personal history.” [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early rejection fuels anger, but later we protect our past narratives, fearing loss of heroic identity. **In simple terms:** We cling to our personal myths and protect them. Key Takeaway Accept past pain, rewrite narratives. Themes identity memory heroism psychology Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - therapy - storytelling - cultural analysis Key Concepts narrative identity self‑concept defense mechanisms Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate myth from truth? - What benefits arise from revisiting painful memories? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on hero myth can hinder realistic self‑assessment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being accepted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-accepted/) [Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) [Dragons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragons/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Heroic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroic/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Non conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-conformity/) [Personal history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-history/) ## Related quotes > [When you banish the dragons you banish the heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/when-you-banish-the-dragons-you-banish-the-heroes/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [“If you banish the dragons, you banish the heroes...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/if-you-banish-the-dragons-you-banish-the-heroes/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [Coming out as gay was an easy enough matter for me, since I worked in a profession where being gay had a long history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/coming-out-as-gay-was-an-easy-enough-matter-for-me-since-i-worked-in/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [When you go for something because you're curious about it, you get psyched up about the chance of getting into it. It's like an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/when-you-go-for-something-because-you-re-curious-about-it-you-get/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [You shouldn't have asked," I said. "Love doesn't ask many questions, because if we stop to think we become fearful. It's an inexplicable fear;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-shouldn-t-have-asked-i-said-love-doesn-t-ask-many-questions/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Those who know they're valued irrespective of their accomplishments often end up accomplishing quite a lot. It's the experience of being accepted without conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfie-kohn/those-who-know-they-re-valued-irrespective-of-their-accomplishments/) [Alfie Kohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfie-kohn/) > [I don't really care about being accepted now. I wish I had been like that earlier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bradshaw/i-don-t-really-care-about-being-accepted-now-i-wish-i-had-been-like/) [Terry Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bradshaw/) > [Be as honest with yourself as you possibly can. 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