---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was unnerving, the way she could go…"
description: "\"It was unnerving, the way she could go from cool efficiency to sarcastic to sweet within the space of thirty seconds. I found it very manipulative and ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/augusten-burroughs-603_efficiency_it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-fr_894879.png"
---

#  It was unnerving, the way she could go from cool…

![“It was unnerving, the way she could go from cool efficiency to sarcastic to sweet within the space of thirty seconds. I found it very manipulative and controlling. It put the other person constantly on-guard. And it was extremely intimidating because you never knew when she was going to snap. I…” quote by Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/augusten-burroughs-603_efficiency_it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-fr_894879.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/augusten-burroughs-603_efficiency_it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-fr_894879.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/augusten-burroughs-603_efficiency_it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-fr_894879.png)

> “It was unnerving, the way she could go from cool efficiency to sarcastic to sweet within the space of thirty seconds. I found it very manipulative and controlling. It put the other person constantly on-guard. And it was extremely intimidating because you never knew when she was going to snap. I made a mental note to refine these skills within myself.”

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Rapid mood shifts can be manipulative, keeping others on edge and feeling unsafe.

**In simple terms:** Quick mood changes can intimidate.

Key Takeaway

Stay aware of emotional dynamics.

Themes

psychology manipulation trust

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

analytical advice

When to use this quote

- relationship building
- conflict resolution
- leadership
- personal boundaries

Key Concepts

Emotional intelligence control interpersonal dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you respond when someone’s mood changes fast?
- What boundaries help protect you from manipulation?

A Different Perspective

Not all rapid shifts are harmful; context matters.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Efficiency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency/) [Extremely Intimidating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremely-intimidating-352147/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Intimidating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimidating/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Manipulative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulative/) [Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notes/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Productivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productivity/) [Sarcastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sarcastic/) [Seconds Manipulative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seconds-manipulative-1185808/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweet/) [Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty/) [Unnerving Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unnerving-way-1185809/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/)

## Related quotes

> [I really liked Yale, although it was extremely intimidating. When I visited the campus, I was hiding behind trees, I felt so unworthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-really-liked-yale-although-it-was-extremely-intimidating-when-i/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [Manipulative people tell the best lies and make the best apologies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/manipulative-people-tell-the-best-lies-and-make-the-best-apologies/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Blanket compassion will shift the distribution decisively towards the manipulative end of the spectrum, and may paradoxically decrease the compassion with which the genuinely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-daniels/blanket-compassion-will-shift-the-distribution-decisively-towards-the/)

[Anthony Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-daniels/)

> [To my credit, I think I'm a gentle control freak. Maybe even a little manipulative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-biegel/to-my-credit-i-think-i-m-a-gentle-control-freak-maybe-even-a-little/)

[Kevin Biegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-biegel/)

> [I hate manipulative people, like once you start trying to pull that shit on me you're out of my fucking life. I don't give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-manipulative-people-like-once-you-start-trying-to-pull-that/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Cult (totalistic type): a group or movement exhibiting a great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or thing and employing unethically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-jolyon-west/cult-totalistic-type-a-group-or-movement-exhibiting-a-great-or/)

[Louis Jolyon West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-jolyon-west/)

> [“One thing that leaders should not do, in my opinion, is be manipulative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/one-thing-that-leaders-should-not-do-in-my-opinion-is-be-manipulative/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [Here in particular the idea of contextual communication - i.e. communicating the right message, at the right time to the right audience - seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-lindstrom/here-in-particular-the-idea-of-contextual-communication-i-e/)

[Martin Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-lindstrom/)

> [We're telling the story of 'Daredevil'. In this aspect, the storylines accentuate the sociopathic tendencies in her. The writers wanted to highlight that Elektra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elodie-yung/we-re-telling-the-story-of-daredevil-in-this-aspect-the-storylines/)

[Elodie Yung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elodie-yung/)

> [All I cared was that she had never lied. She was honest in a world just the opposite, and a cool oasis in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-thurman/all-i-cared-was-that-she-had-never-lied-she-was-honest-in-a-world/)

[Rob Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-thurman/)

> [Most of the books and films I love walk a knife edge between romance and cynicism, and I wanted 'One Day' to stay on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/most-of-the-books-and-films-i-love-walk-a-knife-edge-between-romance/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [“We humans always seem to take a manipulative posture. No matter what the particulars of the situation, or the subject matter, we prepare ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/we-humans-always-seem-to-take-a-manipulative-posture-no-matter-what/)

[James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/)

> [What we need most right now, at this moment, is a kind of patriotic grace - a grace that takes the long view, apprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/what-we-need-most-right-now-at-this-moment-is-a-kind-of-patriotic/)

[Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/)

> [It's a political and manipulative industry. Actors vie for the same roles, movies are snatched away. Have I ever been manipulated? Yes. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-a-political-and-manipulative-industry-actors-vie-for-the-same/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Evil or manipulative people don't need a book, they just do it anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/evil-or-manipulative-people-don-t-need-a-book-they-just-do-it-anyway/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

## More by Augusten Burroughs

> [There is nothing about myself that I wouldn't reveal or write about. I don't care how horrendous or ridiculous I may appear in person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/there-is-nothing-about-myself-that-i-wouldn-t-reveal-or-write-about-i/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“We were alone together, we were an us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/we-were-alone-together-we-were-an-us/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [Like every child, I adored her. Until I formed a brain and got to know her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/like-every-child-i-adored-her-until-i-formed-a-brain-and-got-to-know/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“You must hang onto the scraps of the bucking moment as if your sanity and life depended on it - because actually they do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/you-must-hang-onto-the-scraps-of-the-bucking-moment-as-if-your-sanity/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [Real optimism is not the pep talk you give yourself. It is earned through the labor involved in emotional housekeeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/real-optimism-is-not-the-pep-talk-you-give-yourself-it-is-earned/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [If you hate your life, you haven't' seen enough of it. If you hate your life, it's because your life is too small and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/if-you-hate-your-life-you-haven-t-seen-enough-of-it-if-you-hate-your/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [I think writers tend to be experience junkies, and I think they also tend to want to be on the outside looking in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-think-writers-tend-to-be-experience-junkies-and-i-think-they-also/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [I think part of the reason I'm attracted to Foster is because he's such a mess. I mean, the people I have loved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-think-part-of-the-reason-i-m-attracted-to-foster-is-because-he-s/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“On typical days, (dust) is simply irritating. On Roid Rage days, it made me want to stomp down to the highway, pull drivers out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/on-typical-days-dust-is-simply-irritating-on-roid-rage-days-it-made/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [I'm like the guy who prepares your taxes or a dentist. I'm very conservative and boring in a lot of ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/i-m-like-the-guy-who-prepares-your-taxes-or-a-dentist-i-m-very/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“Nothing surprises me now," I tell him. I am stoic. I am Joan of Arc, with liver damage and an unused penis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/nothing-surprises-me-now-i-tell-him-i-am-stoic-i-am-joan-of-arc-with/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“It's not that I was an outright nitwit of a child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-s-not-that-i-was-an-outright-nitwit-of-a-child/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [What I really want is to sit next to someone under an L.L. bean blanket on the beach in the fall and drink coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/what-i-really-want-is-to-sit-next-to-someone-under-an-l-l-bean/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“My worth depended on where exactly the decimal was placed among the zeroes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/my-worth-depended-on-where-exactly-the-decimal-was-placed-among-the/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [“Bookman isn't a stable man. He has a lot of problems that run very, very deep." But he was really good at giving head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/bookman-isn-t-a-stable-man-he-has-a-lot-of-problems-that-run-very/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

[Explore all 448 Augusten Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

## More Efficiency quotes

> [Performance matters because games are built on great performance, but form factor and energy efficiency matter incredibly because they want to build something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/performance-matters-because-games-are-built-on-great-performance-but/)

[Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/)

> [There are many examples of companies and countries that have improved their competitiveness and efficiency by adopting open source strategies. The creation of skills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shuttleworth/there-are-many-examples-of-companies-and-countries-that-have-improved/)

[Mark Shuttleworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shuttleworth/)

> [Efficiency is the golden word for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendie-renard/efficiency-is-the-golden-word-for-me/)

[Wendie Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendie-renard/)

> [Japan is already a leader in energy efficiency, and it has a wealth of innovative technologies. We must put this expertise to use creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshihiko-noda/japan-is-already-a-leader-in-energy-efficiency-and-it-has-a-wealth-of/)

[Yoshihiko Noda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshihiko-noda/)

> [A better distribution of incomes would increase that efficiency by diverting a great fund of wealth from the useless to the useful members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/a-better-distribution-of-incomes-would-increase-that-efficiency-by/)

[Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/)

> [Conservatives say the government can't end poverty by force, but they believe it can use force to make people moral. Liberals say government can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/conservatives-say-the-government-can-t-end-poverty-by-force-but-they/)

[Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/)

> [We must commit ourselves to an 'all of the above' energy approach, with a major focus on increasing domestic production and expanding alternatives fuels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-roskam/we-must-commit-ourselves-to-an-all-of-the-above-energy-approach-with/)

[Peter Roskam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-roskam/)

> [Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/washington-is-a-city-of-southern-efficiency-and-northern-charm/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [Most people may not think about it, but the aftermath of war is very costly. Costly not just in lives, but the treatment. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-inouye/most-people-may-not-think-about-it-but-the-aftermath-of-war-is-very/)

[Daniel Inouye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-inouye/)

> [No one accuses the gunner of maudlin affection for anything except his beasts and his weapons. He serves as least three jealous gods-his horse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/no-one-accuses-the-gunner-of-maudlin-affection-for-anything-except/)

[Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/)

> [The pulpit only "teaches" to be honest; the market-place "trains" to overreaching and fraud; and teaching has not a tithe of the efficiency of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/the-pulpit-only-teaches-to-be-honest-the-market-place-trains-to/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

> [It is difficult to find another branch of knowledge where a small amount of study produces such great results in increased efficiency in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-difficult-to-find-another-branch-of-knowledge-where-a-small/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The human mind works at low efficiency. Twenty percent is the figure usually given. When, momentarily, there is a flash of greater power, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/the-human-mind-works-at-low-efficiency-twenty-percent-is-the-figure/)

[Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/)

> [The formation of the News America Publishing Group will lead to greater editorial excitement, new business opportunities and greater efficiencies and coordination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-chernin/the-formation-of-the-news-america-publishing-group-will-lead-to/)

[Peter Chernin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-chernin/)

> [“In Japan, a number of time-honored everyday activities (such as making tea, arranging flowers, and writing) have traditionally been deeply examined by their proponents.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-e-davey/in-japan-a-number-of-time-honored-everyday-activities-such-as-making/)

[H.E. Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-e-davey/)

[Browse all 782 Efficiency quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efficiency/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It was unnerving, the way she could go from cool efficiency to sarcastic to sweet within the space of thirty seconds. I found it very manipulative and controlling. It put the other person constantly on-guard. And it was extremely intimidating because you never knew when she was going to snap. I made a mental note to refine these skills within myself.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Augusten Burroughs"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-from-cool-efficiency-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Efficiency"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-from-cool-efficiency-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/augusten-burroughs-603_efficiency_it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-fr_894879.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/augusten-burroughs-603_efficiency_it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-fr_894879.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/augusten-burroughs-603_efficiency_it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-fr_894879.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It was unnerving, the way she could go from cool efficiency to sarcastic to sweet within the space of thirty…” — Augusten Burroughs",
                "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": "Augusten Burroughs",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It was unnerving, the way she...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-from-cool-efficiency-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/it-was-unnerving-the-way-she-could-go-from-cool-efficiency-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
