--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was desperately shy when I was wee…" description: "\"I was desperately shy when I was wee. Totally lacked confidence socially. When I look back at school photographs, I'm always the one shrinking in the b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/anne-marie-duff-13196_achievement_i-was-desperately-shy-when-i-was-wee-tot_2393595.png" --- # I was desperately shy when I was wee. Totally lacked… ![“I was desperately shy when I was wee. Totally lacked confidence socially. When I look back at school photographs, I'm always the one shrinking in the back. What I really wanted to do was become a writer, and I don't think the residue of that has ever gone away. I still feel the ultimate…” quote by Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/anne-marie-duff-13196_achievement_i-was-desperately-shy-when-i-was-wee-tot_2393595.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/anne-marie-duff-13196_achievement_i-was-desperately-shy-when-i-was-wee-tot_2393595.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/anne-marie-duff-13196_achievement_i-was-desperately-shy-when-i-was-wee-tot_2393595.png) > “I was desperately shy when I was wee. Totally lacked confidence socially. When I look back at school photographs, I'm always the one shrinking in the back. What I really wanted to do was become a writer, and I don't think the residue of that has ever gone away. I still feel the ultimate achievement would be to write a novel.” [Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early social anxiety can shape lifelong aspirations, yet confronting it fuels personal growth. **In simple terms:** Shy childhood can still inspire writing dreams. Key Takeaway Face fear, write your story. Themes self‑esteem creativity growth Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - writing a novel - public speaking - therapy sessions Key Concepts psychology identity formation Questions to Reflect On - How does your past self influence your goals? - What steps can you take toward writing a novel? A Different Perspective Overcoming shyness may require professional help beyond self‑reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Photographs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographs/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Wee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wee/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I've grown up and changed drastically since I was 21-years-old, before I completely lacked confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zara-mcdermott/i-ve-grown-up-and-changed-drastically-since-i-was-21-years-old-before/) [Zara McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zara-mcdermott/) > [I've always felt that I did well as a student because I lacked confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denton-cooley/i-ve-always-felt-that-i-did-well-as-a-student-because-i-lacked/) [Denton Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denton-cooley/) > [In the past, I've lacked confidence and sometimes that can show physically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chiesa/in-the-past-i-ve-lacked-confidence-and-sometimes-that-can-show/) [Michael Chiesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chiesa/) > [“As a younger man, though, I lacked confidence, the confidence that comes with experience. I worried and stressed way more than I should have.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-van-dyke/as-a-younger-man-though-i-lacked-confidence-the-confidence-that-comes/) [Dick Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-van-dyke/) > [One thing over my career that I felt I lacked in - which is also a confidence builder as you know - is cardio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stephens/one-thing-over-my-career-that-i-felt-i-lacked-in-which-is-also-a/) [Jeremy Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stephens/) > [When we first went there we completely lacked confidence. 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I went off and did acting after that. So it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-carlyle/i-was-16-when-i-was-in-a-band-for-about-10-minutes-i-went-off-and-did/) [Robert Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-carlyle/) > [My ma and pa are both very artistic, so I suppose it's in my blood. But my ma's the one who was into theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grey-damon/my-ma-and-pa-are-both-very-artistic-so-i-suppose-it-s-in-my-blood-but/) [Grey Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grey-damon/) ## More by Anne-Marie Duff > [Healthy love, I always think, is... wanting the person you love to be more of themselves. And I think for a parent that's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-duff/healthy-love-i-always-think-is-wanting-the-person-you-love-to-be-more/) [Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) > [I've been shocked by film actors - 25 and under - having such confidence and cockiness to rewrite a scene. My background is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-duff/i-ve-been-shocked-by-film-actors-25-and-under-having-such-confidence/) [Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) > [I think age is sometimes just a number. But it's a real joy. Young actors don't come with any of the baggage that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-duff/i-think-age-is-sometimes-just-a-number-but-it-s-a-real-joy-young/) [Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) > [I didn't really inhabit myself until I was in my 30s. And motherhood is an epic event. You can't help but be altered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-duff/i-didn-t-really-inhabit-myself-until-i-was-in-my-30s-and-motherhood/) [Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) > [I'm always dancing in my kitchen. And I love to sing. I've always sung. My father was a lovely singer. 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I'd never really been a ballet child, so I had no idea what an incredibly huge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-duff/i-didn-t-really-know-anything-about-margot-fonteyn-i-d-never-really/) [Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) > [I suppose it's whether you want to be a famous person, or whether you want to be an actor. You have to decide what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-duff/i-suppose-it-s-whether-you-want-to-be-a-famous-person-or-whether-you/) [Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) > [I try very hard not to take work home, but it can be tricky. Sometimes it feels as if you are wearing your costume…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-duff/i-try-very-hard-not-to-take-work-home-but-it-can-be-tricky-sometimes/) [Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) > [I'm a right pain in the hole for my agent. I won't take certain parts if I think they're offensive or banal. For instance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-duff/i-m-a-right-pain-in-the-hole-for-my-agent-i-won-t-take-certain-parts/) [Anne-Marie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) [Explore all 51 Anne-Marie Duff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-duff/) ## More Achievement quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. 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If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [It's tragic what America has become because there is a great segment of society that now resents luxury and success and achievement by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/it-s-tragic-what-america-has-become-because-there-is-a-great-segment/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) > [Joel Lane documents a life we don’t quite live, in a city we can’t quite find: half glimpsed and half imagined, we know it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-brenchley/joel-lane-documents-a-life-we-don-t-quite-live-in-a-city-we-can-t/) Chaz Brenchley > [The main substantive achievement of neoliberalism has been to redistribute rather than to generate wealth and income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/the-main-substantive-achievement-of-neoliberalism-has-been-to/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. 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