--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’m not going to lie,” he replied. “I…" description: "\"“I’m not going to lie,” he replied. “I never really enjoyed going to practice, and I certainly didn’t enjoy it while I was there. In fact, there were b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/141/angela-duckworth-2560_quote_i-m-not-going-to-lie-he-replied-i-never_722355.jpg" --- # I’m not going to lie,” he replied. “I never really enjoyed… ![“I’m not going to lie,” he replied. “I never really enjoyed going to practice, and I certainly didn’t enjoy it while I was there. In fact, there were brief moments, walking to the pool at four or four-thirty in the morning, or sometimes when I couldn’t take the pain, when I’d think, ‘God, is this…” quote by Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/141/angela-duckworth-2560_quote_i-m-not-going-to-lie-he-replied-i-never_722355.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/141/angela-duckworth-2560_quote_i-m-not-going-to-lie-he-replied-i-never_722355.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/141/angela-duckworth-2560_quote_i-m-not-going-to-lie-he-replied-i-never_722355.jpg) > ““I’m not going to lie,” he replied. “I never really enjoyed going to practice, and I certainly didn’t enjoy it while I was there. In fact, there were brief moments, walking to the pool at four or four-thirty in the morning, or sometimes when I couldn’t take the pain, when I’d think, ‘God, is this worth it?’ ” “So why didn’t you quit?” “It’s very simple,” Rowdy said. “It’s because I loved swimming. . . . I had a passion for competing, for the result of training, for the feeling of being in shape, for winning, for traveling, for meeting friends. I hated practice, but I had an overall passion for swimming.”” [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Passion can outweigh dislike for the process, driving perseverance despite hardship. **In simple terms:** Love for the sport fuels endurance. Key Takeaway Let passion guide you through tough tasks. Themes perseverance passion motivation Mood determined reflective Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - athletic training - career challenges - creative projects - daily routines Key Concepts intrinsic motivation goal orientation Questions to Reflect On - What drives you when you dislike the work? - How can you nurture passion sustainably? A Different Perspective Passion may not sustain long‑term without balance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Didn Quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-quit-232458/) [Loved Swimming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved-swimming-3654298/) [Passion Swimming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion-swimming-1610937/) [Rowdy Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rowdy-said-3737622/) [Swimming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimming/) [Swimming Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimming-passion-350164/) ## Related quotes > [I want people to see the passion I have for swimming and become more involved in the sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lochte/i-want-people-to-see-the-passion-i-have-for-swimming-and-become-more/) [Ryan Lochte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lochte/) > [I hope that young girls will have the dream and will have experiences. And it might not be in swimming. It might be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ledecky/i-hope-that-young-girls-will-have-the-dream-and-will-have-experiences/) [Katie Ledecky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ledecky/) > [Growing up here in Hawaii, I loved swimming, surfing, and having fun in this paradise we are lucky to call home. But I gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/growing-up-here-in-hawaii-i-loved-swimming-surfing-and-having-fun-in/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [What if someone picks on me?" I asked Then I'll pick on them". What if someone picks my nose?" I asked. The I'll pick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/what-if-someone-picks-on-me-i-asked-then-i-ll-pick-on-them-what-if/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Well, the thing is, I don't think Indians are nomadic anymore. Most indians anyway.' No, we're not,' I said I'm not nomadic,' Rowdy said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/well-the-thing-is-i-don-t-think-indians-are-nomadic-anymore-most/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Swimming is my passion and something that I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-du-toit/swimming-is-my-passion-and-something-that-i-love/) [Natalie du Toit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-du-toit/) > [Swimming is my passion and something that I love. Going out there in the water, it feels as if there's nothing wrong with me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-du-toit/swimming-is-my-passion-and-something-that-i-love-going-out-there-in/) [Natalie du Toit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-du-toit/) > [I love swimming, swimming's my passion and I hope I swim until the last day of my life, so I really, really do enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-pugh/i-love-swimming-swimming-s-my-passion-and-i-hope-i-swim-until-the/) [Lewis Pugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-pugh/) > [I didn’t do anything. I don’t have an explanation, I don’t know why I wanted to write. I did some short stories at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-didn-t-do-anything-i-don-t-have-an-explanation-i-don-t-know-why-i/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [I didn't quit movies. They quit me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-didn-t-quit-movies-they-quit-me/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [I was even superior to the Communists and when they didn't go along with me, I quit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elia-kazan/i-was-even-superior-to-the-communists-and-when-they-didn-t-go-along/) [Elia Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elia-kazan/) > [A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/a-professional-writer-is-an-amateur-who-didn-t-quit/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [I guess if a person didn't quit when the going got tough, they wouldn't have anything to regret for the rest of their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-armstrong/i-guess-if-a-person-didn-t-quit-when-the-going-got-tough-they-wouldn/) [Lance Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-armstrong/) > [What is a champion but a guy that didn't quit?... Life is a continuous experience. You only fail by not learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-gracie/what-is-a-champion-but-a-guy-that-didn-t-quit-life-is-a-continuous/) [Renzo Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-gracie/) > [A bunch of guys are going to look at me and say hey, this guy made a mistake but he didn't quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/a-bunch-of-guys-are-going-to-look-at-me-and-say-hey-this-guy-made-a/) [Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/) ## More by Angela Duckworth > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“you can, in fact, modify your self-talk, and you can learn to not let it interfere with you moving toward your goals. With practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/you-can-in-fact-modify-your-self-talk-and-you-can-learn-to-not-let-it/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [One thing that's true of gritty people is they love what they do, and they keep loving what they do. So they're not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/one-thing-that-s-true-of-gritty-people-is-they-love-what-they-do-and/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [The focus on just thinking about standardized test scores as being synonymous with achievement for teenagers is ridiculous, right? There are so many things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/the-focus-on-just-thinking-about-standardized-test-scores-as-being/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“Nobody wants to show you the hours and hours of becoming. They’d rather show the highlight of what they’ve become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/nobody-wants-to-show-you-the-hours-and-hours-of-becoming-they-d/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my genes because I can't do anything about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/i-don-t-spend-a-lot-of-time-thinking-about-my-genes-because-i-can-t/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“My longitudinal studies show these three virtue clusters predict different outcomes. For academic achievement, including stellar report card grades, the cluster containing grit is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/my-longitudinal-studies-show-these-three-virtue-clusters-predict/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“For many of us, the companies we work for are an important cultural force in our lives. For instance, growing up, my dad liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/for-many-of-us-the-companies-we-work-for-are-an-important-cultural/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“trying to do things they can't yet do, failing, and learning what they need to do differently is exactly the way that experts practice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/trying-to-do-things-they-can-t-yet-do-failing-and-learning-what-they/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [Negative feelings are typical of learning, and you shouldn't feel like you're stupid when you're frustrated doing something. You might say to yourself, 'I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/negative-feelings-are-typical-of-learning-and-you-shouldn-t-feel-like/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [I was a good novice teacher, but I did the things that were obvious. I stayed for lunch for extra tutoring, gave kids my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/i-was-a-good-novice-teacher-but-i-did-the-things-that-were-obvious-i/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“The separation of talent and skill,” Will Smith points out, “is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/the-separation-of-talent-and-skill-will-smith-points-out-is-one-of/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [What we reliably find is that people's perseverance scores are actually higher than their passion scores, and I think it really does get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/what-we-reliably-find-is-that-people-s-perseverance-scores-are/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [Many things matter other than our measured intelligence, so let's get to work on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/many-things-matter-other-than-our-measured-intelligence-so-let-s-get/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“With everything perfect,” Nietzsche wrote, “we do not ask how it came to be.” Instead, “we rejoice in the present fact as though it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/with-everything-perfect-nietzsche-wrote-we-do-not-ask-how-it-came-to/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) [Explore all 161 Angela Duckworth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) ## More Swimming quotes > [The support I've received from my sponsors has enabled me to raise the bar in swimming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phelps/the-support-i-ve-received-from-my-sponsors-has-enabled-me-to-raise/) [Michael Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phelps/) > [I hope that young girls will have the dream and will have experiences. And it might not be in swimming. It might be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ledecky/i-hope-that-young-girls-will-have-the-dream-and-will-have-experiences/) [Katie Ledecky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ledecky/) > [Today, let us swim wildly, joyously in gratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/today-let-us-swim-wildly-joyously-in-gratitude/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [I don't want to end up leaving the sport early or hating it because I didn't give myself time to respect the water and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caeleb-dressel/i-don-t-want-to-end-up-leaving-the-sport-early-or-hating-it-because-i/) [Caeleb Dressel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caeleb-dressel/) > [“Papi learned to swim in water that wanted to kill him. That ocean can't be so different; shouldn't be any different. If any man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-acevedo/papi-learned-to-swim-in-water-that-wanted-to-kill-him-that-ocean-can/) [Elizabeth Acevedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-acevedo/) > [The artist has to be something like a whale swimming with his mouth wide open, absorbing everything until he has what he really needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romare-bearden/the-artist-has-to-be-something-like-a-whale-swimming-with-his-mouth/) [Romare Bearden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romare-bearden/) > [As an older woman now, I feel the pressure more, I feel all those different aspects, I'm more aware of that. Whereas as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/as-an-older-woman-now-i-feel-the-pressure-more-i-feel-all-those/) [Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/) > [Some people like to focus on other aspects of my life, but first and foremost I am a dedicated and top swimmer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-beard/some-people-like-to-focus-on-other-aspects-of-my-life-but-first-and/) [Amanda Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-beard/) > [The fun, joy, and humor dry up in a relationship when one of the partners is swimming in gin. To my way of thinking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginger-rogers/the-fun-joy-and-humor-dry-up-in-a-relationship-when-one-of-the/) [Ginger Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginger-rogers/) > [If I don't channel pain into a song, I play my guitar or play the piano or play my drums, or go swimming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-cliff/if-i-don-t-channel-pain-into-a-song-i-play-my-guitar-or-play-the/) [Jimmy Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-cliff/) > [Outdoors, I have a pool, so I usually swim and stuff. It's usually superhot in California, so we swim.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsai-martin/outdoors-i-have-a-pool-so-i-usually-swim-and-stuff-it-s-usually/) [Marsai Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsai-martin/) > [My mother had been adamant that I learn how to swim properly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ketanji-brown-jackson/my-mother-had-been-adamant-that-i-learn-how-to-swim-properly/) [Ketanji Brown Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ketanji-brown-jackson/) > [Submerging myself in water makes me feel better after travelling. There's something about it that does it for me, and I usually go for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-daley/submerging-myself-in-water-makes-me-feel-better-after-travelling/) [Tom Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-daley/) > [When life gets you down do you wanna know what you've gotta do? Just keep swimming. -Dory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finding-nemo/when-life-gets-you-down-do-you-wanna-know-what-you-ve-gotta-do-just/) [Finding Nemo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finding-nemo/) > [Everybody has a little bit of the sun and moon in them. Everybody has a little bit of man, woman, and animal in them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/everybody-has-a-little-bit-of-the-sun-and-moon-in-them-everybody-has/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) [Browse all 1,374 Swimming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I’m not going to lie,” he replied. “I never really enjoyed going to practice, and I certainly didn’t enjoy it while I was there. 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