--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By genetics and upbringing, I was fated…" description: "\"“By genetics and upbringing, I was fated to follow the same path as them—just like so many young adults with dysfunctional childhoods who fell by the w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/bella-forrest-1214_children_by-genetics-and-upbringing-i-was-fated-t_700494.jpg" --- # By genetics and upbringing, I was fated to follow the same… ![“By genetics and upbringing, I was fated to follow the same path as them—just like so many young adults with dysfunctional childhoods who fell by the wayside later in life. But, by God, I wasn’t going to let that happen to me. I wasn’t going to be the repeat of an old song; I was going to be the…” quote by Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/bella-forrest-1214_children_by-genetics-and-upbringing-i-was-fated-t_700494.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/bella-forrest-1214_children_by-genetics-and-upbringing-i-was-fated-t_700494.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/bella-forrest-1214_children_by-genetics-and-upbringing-i-was-fated-t_700494.jpg) > ““By genetics and upbringing, I was fated to follow the same path as them—just like so many young adults with dysfunctional childhoods who fell by the wayside later in life. But, by God, I wasn’t going to let that happen to me. I wasn’t going to be the repeat of an old song; I was going to be the damn definition of avant-garde.”” [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reject a predetermined path; actively shape a unique, avant‑garde identity despite difficult origins. **In simple terms:** Create your own path despite background. Key Takeaway Define yourself, not your past. Themes self‑determination identity rebellion Mood determined defiant Type inspirational empowering When to use this quote - career change - artistic pursuits - social activism - entrepreneurship Key Concepts personal agency overcoming adversity creative innovation Questions to Reflect On - What steps will you take to break the cycle? - How will you measure authentic self‑expression? A Different Perspective Changing identity can be socially costly; external expectations may persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Definition Avant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-avant-5545865/) [Genetics Upbringing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetics-upbringing-5545864/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Like Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-young/) [Old song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-song/) [Upbringing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upbringing/) [Upbringing Fated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upbringing-fated-5545863/) [Young adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-adults/) ## Related quotes > [“Willmore: There is no sinner like a young saint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aphra-behn/willmore-there-is-no-sinner-like-a-young-saint/) [Aphra Behn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aphra-behn/) > [Like young money young'n.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-twist/like-young-money-young-n/) [Lil Twist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-twist/) > [“Just yesterday I stood at the window and watched him run across the field like a young deer. He is thin and agile. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-b-brewer/just-yesterday-i-stood-at-the-window-and-watched-him-run-across-the/) [Nancy B. Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-b-brewer/) > [At AZ the approach is really like it was when I was young - we train religiously and for long hours, over and over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jozy-altidore/at-az-the-approach-is-really-like-it-was-when-i-was-young-we-train/) [Jozy Altidore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jozy-altidore/) > [When I was young - like, young young - I would read all the time. I would read when I was walking places. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-gondelman/when-i-was-young-like-young-young-i-would-read-all-the-time-i-would/) [Josh Gondelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-gondelman/) > [People forget what it was like to be young, the stuff I'm expressing now is for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stone/people-forget-what-it-was-like-to-be-young-the-stuff-i-m-expressing/) [Joss Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stone/) > [I know what it's like to be young and to feel like you don't belong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rippon/i-know-what-it-s-like-to-be-young-and-to-feel-like-you-don-t-belong/) [Adam Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rippon/) > [I sort of felt like being young was normally written about as being very fun and light-hearted. And I think that's true, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-kohanski/i-sort-of-felt-like-being-young-was-normally-written-about-as-being/) [Chloe Kohanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-kohanski/) > [“So, is it too young for you?" He leaned over, lips coming to mine, arms pulling me into a kiss, soft at first, tentative,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/so-is-it-too-young-for-you-he-leaned-over-lips-coming-to-mine-arms/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Programming in Go is like being young again (but more productive!).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anneli-jaatteenmaki/programming-in-go-is-like-being-young-again-but-more-productive/) [Anneli Jaatteenmaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anneli-jaatteenmaki/) > [I think it's wrong not to allow someone the right to have a problem because of their age. People say, 'Well, they're young. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hughes/i-think-it-s-wrong-not-to-allow-someone-the-right-to-have-a-problem/) [John Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hughes/) > [“All these old men want it to be like it was when they were young. But it'll never be like that again, and they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-el-akkad/all-these-old-men-want-it-to-be-like-it-was-when-they-were-young-but/) [Omar El Akkad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-el-akkad/) > [I feel like, when we are young, especially, while we are experiencing so many 'firsts,' when songs move us, we recall exactly where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-hayes/i-feel-like-when-we-are-young-especially-while-we-are-experiencing-so/) [Walker Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-hayes/) > [I feel like young people, more than anyone in the country, always have their moral compass on perfectly straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-feel-like-young-people-more-than-anyone-in-the-country-always-have/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [That is what I like; that is what a young man ought to be. Whatever be his pursuits, his eagerness in them should know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/that-is-what-i-like-that-is-what-a-young-man-ought-to-be-whatever-be/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) ## More by Bella Forrest > [“It was obvious to me that all of this was Navan practicing. Practicing using his free will to go against his grain, defy his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/it-was-obvious-to-me-that-all-of-this-was-navan-practicing-practicing/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“I looked down into my baby’s beautiful green eyes and ached inside. She looked up at me with wide-eyed innocence. I kissed her warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/i-looked-down-into-my-baby-s-beautiful-green-eyes-and-ached-inside/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“. Self-reliance means you're in control. Don't ever think you need a man for happiness. Besides,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/self-reliance-means-you-re-in-control-don-t-ever-think-you-need-a-man/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“somehow, that night, I realized that I didn’t need to worry about tomorrow. I was fine where I was. I just needed to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/somehow-that-night-i-realized-that-i-didn-t-need-to-worry-about/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“Our bond started to grow stronger. Soon I felt the link between us deepen into something solid, almost impenetrable. His mind seemed to shift,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/our-bond-started-to-grow-stronger-soon-i-felt-the-link-between-us/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“I should have known it would be you. Creepy noise, creepy place, creepy shadows— guaranteed to be you,” Alex groaned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/i-should-have-known-it-would-be-you-creepy-noise-creepy-place-creepy/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“Free will. That term seemed to mean something to him, I realized, as I recalled his answer to a question I’d asked the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/free-will-that-term-seemed-to-mean-something-to-him-i-realized-as-i/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“Pushing away a looming sense of worry, Alex looked back at his friends in the clearing, who were resting easy because he had promised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/pushing-away-a-looming-sense-of-worry-alex-looked-back-at-his-friends/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“Even though I was supposed to be forgetting him, the whole time I was sitting there opposite Anna, that brown-eyed vampire was the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/even-though-i-was-supposed-to-be-forgetting-him-the-whole-time-i-was/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“Let the sandcastle collapse. In its place, I will build a fortress—one that the waves of nature and time could never destroy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/let-the-sandcastle-collapse-in-its-place-i-will-build-a-fortress-one/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“In a war between races, nobody wins,” Vincent sighed, “and Agatha lost dearly . As we all did, on all sides. You were guilty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/in-a-war-between-races-nobody-wins-vincent-sighed-and-agatha-lost/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“People are scared, you see. But life goes on, now, doesn’t it? No matter what else is happening around you, you’ve just got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/people-are-scared-you-see-but-life-goes-on-now-doesn-t-it-no-matter/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“I was a happy child. I felt loved. I never would've imagined that things would turn out the way that they did".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/i-was-a-happy-child-i-felt-loved-i-never-would-ve-imagined-that/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“No system was worth defending if it didn’t bend for its people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/no-system-was-worth-defending-if-it-didn-t-bend-for-its-people/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“Once something was done, it could never be undone, but it could always be improved upon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/once-something-was-done-it-could-never-be-undone-but-it-could-always/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) [Explore all 269 Bella Forrest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“By genetics and upbringing, I was fated to follow the same path as them—just like so many young adults with dysfunctional childhoods who fell by the wayside later in life. But, by God, I wasn’t going to let that happen to me. 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