--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Instinct caused a woman who had once been…" description: "\"“Instinct caused a woman who had once been so attractive to still attempt makeup and hairdos, Marisa guessed, but more often than not, the effort came ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/anna-jeffrey-65482_kindlehighlight_instinct-caused-a-woman-who-had-once-bee_1648893.jpg" --- # Instinct caused a woman who had once been so attractive to… ![“Instinct caused a woman who had once been so attractive to still attempt makeup and hairdos, Marisa guessed, but more often than not, the effort came off with Mama looking like a clown. Seeing it broke Marisa’s heart, but she didn’t interfere. Her mother didn’t know the difference and these days…” quote by Anna Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/anna-jeffrey-65482_kindlehighlight_instinct-caused-a-woman-who-had-once-bee_1648893.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/anna-jeffrey-65482_kindlehighlight_instinct-caused-a-woman-who-had-once-bee_1648893.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/anna-jeffrey-65482_kindlehighlight_instinct-caused-a-woman-who-had-once-bee_1648893.jpg) > ““Instinct caused a woman who had once been so attractive to still attempt makeup and hairdos, Marisa guessed, but more often than not, the effort came off with Mama looking like a clown. Seeing it broke Marisa’s heart, but she didn’t interfere. Her mother didn’t know the difference and these days, it was rare for anyone but Marisa to see her. What little family they had seldom came and Mama’s friends in Agua Dulce, out of respect, were reluctant to gawk at her decline.”” [Anna Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-jeffrey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman’s decline is hidden by social expectations, causing silent heartbreak for observers. **In simple terms:** A mother’s fading beauty is ignored, hurting her child. Key Takeaway Notice and compassion can soften unseen suffering. Themes family aging compassion Mood sad empathetic Type narrative observational When to use this quote - family gatherings - elder care - social gatherings Key Concepts aging social expectation silent suffering Questions to Reflect On - How can we better support aging relatives? - What signs of hidden pain do we overlook? A Different Perspective The quote may exaggerate decline for dramatic effect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broke Marisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broke-marisa-633392/) [Caused Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caused-woman-633393/) [Instinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) [Instinct Caused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct-caused-633390/) [Kindlehighlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindlehighlight/) [Marisa Guessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marisa-guessed-633391/) ## Related quotes > [There is hardly a case in which the dispute was not caused by a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/there-is-hardly-a-case-in-which-the-dispute-was-not-caused-by-a-woman/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [“How the hell would she support herself and her mother if Agua Dulce’s new owner built one of those mega service stations right next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-jeffrey/how-the-hell-would-she-support-herself-and-her-mother-if-agua-dulce-s/) [Anna Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-jeffrey/) > [“But Marisa already knew the answer and it was too late for recrimination. The chance of even a rational discussion of the problem was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-jeffrey/but-marisa-already-knew-the-answer-and-it-was-too-late-for/) [Anna Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-jeffrey/) > [“I have missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I have lost almost three hundred games. On twenty-six occasions, I have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-i-luntz/i-have-missed-more-than-nine-thousand-shots-in-my-career-i-have-lost/) [Frank I. Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-i-luntz/) > [“the only one who wanted to be free. Surprise, surprise. CHAPTER”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/the-only-one-who-wanted-to-be-free-surprise-surprise-chapter/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“and line of cases. Justice Byron R. "Whizzer" White, a JFK appointee, dissented, calling Doe an act of "raw judicial power," as it took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-bennett/and-line-of-cases-justice-byron-r-whizzer-white-a-jfk-appointee/) [William J. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-bennett/) > [That love is the most powerful force in the world. That love can do anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/that-love-is-the-most-powerful-force-in-the-world-that-love-can-do/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“What are the distinctive characteristics, or marks, of personality? Knowledge, feeling or emotion, and will. Any entity that thinks and feels and wills is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-reuben-archer-torrey/what-are-the-distinctive-characteristics-or-marks-of-personality/) [R. A. (Reuben Archer) Torrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-reuben-archer-torrey/) > [“Lore: Making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wil-wheaton/lore-making-a-note-here-huge-success/) [Wil Wheaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wil-wheaton/) > [“little children never get frozen by their selfishness. Like the disciples, they come just as they are, totally self-absorbed. They seldom get it right.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-miller/little-children-never-get-frozen-by-their-selfishness-like-the/) [Paul Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-miller/) > [“I pulled the dress out of the bag and held it in front of me. Ella sat up straighter and squinted her eyes, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaize-clement/i-pulled-the-dress-out-of-the-bag-and-held-it-in-front-of-me-ella-sat/) [Blaize Clement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaize-clement/) > [“For instance, when people press their lips together in a manner that seems to make them disappear, it is a clear and common sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-navarro/for-instance-when-people-press-their-lips-together-in-a-manner-that/) [Joe Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-navarro/) > [“Facebook also has a fundamental characteristic that has proven key to its appeal in country after country—you only see friends there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirkpatrick/facebook-also-has-a-fundamental-characteristic-that-has-proven-key-to/) [David Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirkpatrick/) > [“Hunters for gold or pursuers of fame, they all had gone out on that stream, bearing the sword, and often the torch, messengers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/hunters-for-gold-or-pursuers-of-fame-they-all-had-gone-out-on-that/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“We take creative license with the fictional narratives that become our memories. Anthologized, these are the tales that become the story of your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-ganek/we-take-creative-license-with-the-fictional-narratives-that-become/) [Danielle Ganek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-ganek/) ## More by Anna Jeffrey > [“You must learn to read well, Marisa. As long as you're a good reader, you can learn anything, do anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-jeffrey/you-must-learn-to-read-well-marisa-as-long-as-you-re-a-good-reader/) [Anna Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-jeffrey/) > [“But Marisa already knew the answer and it was too late for recrimination. The chance of even a rational discussion of the problem was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-jeffrey/but-marisa-already-knew-the-answer-and-it-was-too-late-for/) [Anna Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-jeffrey/) > [“How the hell would she support herself and her mother if Agua Dulce’s new owner built one of those mega service stations right next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-jeffrey/how-the-hell-would-she-support-herself-and-her-mother-if-agua-dulce-s/) [Anna Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-jeffrey/) [Explore all 4 Anna Jeffrey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-jeffrey/) ## More Instinct quotes > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/imitation-is-the-first-instinct-of-the-awakening-mind/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [I will follow my instincts, be myself for good or ill, and see what will be the upshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/i-will-follow-my-instincts-be-myself-for-good-or-ill-and-see-what/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) > [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/) [Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/) > [You don't think. It's all instinct. If you stop to think, you're gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-robinson/you-don-t-think-it-s-all-instinct-if-you-stop-to-think-you-re-gone/) [Sugar Ray Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-robinson/) > [The dog is guided by kindly instinct to the man or woman whose heart is open to his advances. The cat often leaves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-dog-is-guided-by-kindly-instinct-to-the-man-or-woman-whose-heart/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [As a kid, in the Runaways, I would see the interviewers start to ask about our personal lives and what we did — and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/as-a-kid-in-the-runaways-i-would-see-the-interviewers-start-to-ask/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [How could they say that they truly loved each other? They had simply grown up together, been children together, and the proximity of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/how-could-they-say-that-they-truly-loved-each-other-they-had-simply/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [You have to follow your instinct, and that's what I've tried to do all my life, whether in music or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erol-alkan/you-have-to-follow-your-instinct-and-that-s-what-i-ve-tried-to-do-all/) [Erol Alkan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erol-alkan/) > [A man may quarrel with himself alone; that is, by controverting his better instincts and knowledge when brought face to face with temptation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/a-man-may-quarrel-with-himself-alone-that-is-by-controverting-his/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is opposed to every instinct in my body. But as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/i-have-never-been-a-quitter-to-leave-office-before-my-term-is/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [All men have an instinct for conflict: at least, all healthy men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/all-men-have-an-instinct-for-conflict-at-least-all-healthy-men/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [There was the natural human survival instinct to be optimistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-demick/there-was-the-natural-human-survival-instinct-to-be-optimistic/) [Barbara Demick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-demick/) > [The combative instinct is a savage prompting by which one man's good is found in another's evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/the-combative-instinct-is-a-savage-prompting-by-which-one-man-s-good/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) [Browse all 2,940 Instinct quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instinct/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Instinct caused a woman who had once been so attractive to still attempt makeup and hairdos, Marisa guessed, but more often than not, the effort came off with Mama looking like a clown. 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