--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the '80s created me, in a way…" description: "\"I think the '80s created me, in a way, when I look back on that time, but I don't necessarily think that a lot of my choices, and a lot of things that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/bret-easton-ellis-1028_80s_i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when_1567734.jpg" --- # I think the '80s created me, in a way, when I look back on… ![“I think the '80s created me, in a way, when I look back on that time, but I don't necessarily think that a lot of my choices, and a lot of things that I did, and a lot of things that happened to me - or I let happen to me - were about that decade.” quote by Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/bret-easton-ellis-1028_80s_i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when_1567734.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/bret-easton-ellis-1028_80s_i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when_1567734.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/bret-easton-ellis-1028_80s_i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when_1567734.jpg) > “I think the '80s created me, in a way, when I look back on that time, but I don't necessarily think that a lot of my choices, and a lot of things that I did, and a lot of things that happened to me - or I let happen to me - were about that decade.” [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The 1980s shaped the speaker’s identity, but choices weren’t solely defined by the decade. **In simple terms:** The '80s influenced me, but not everything. Key Takeaway Recognize era influence without over‑attributing. Themes identity history choice Mood analytical introspective Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - career reflection - creative writing - social analysis Key Concepts cultural context personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does era shape your identity? - Can you separate personal agency from cultural trends? A Different Perspective Historical context can limit self‑perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [If you think the ’80s were dumber than the ’70s, either you weren’t there or you weren’t paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/if-you-think-the-80s-were-dumber-than-the-70s-either-you-weren-t/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [It's crazy what can happen in a decade and how much you can grow as a person and as a woman and truly find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-bella/it-s-crazy-what-can-happen-in-a-decade-and-how-much-you-can-grow-as-a/) [Nikki Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-bella/) > [I think in the '80s I probably could have held my own, but modern bodybuilding is a whole other beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-o-brian/i-think-in-the-80s-i-probably-could-have-held-my-own-but-modern/) [Katy O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-o-brian/) > [I think the '80s works for a TV show because it's the last time the world was simple. It was before the Internet really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/i-think-the-80s-works-for-a-tv-show-because-it-s-the-last-time-the/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [I think, back in the '80s when I was having hits all the time, I took it for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-crowell/i-think-back-in-the-80s-when-i-was-having-hits-all-the-time-i-took-it/) [Rodney Crowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-crowell/) > [I think in the '80s, we certainly wrestled with what was the role of 'Playboy Magazine' in a post-sexual revolution, post-feminist world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-hefner/i-think-in-the-80s-we-certainly-wrestled-with-what-was-the-role-of/) [Christie Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-hefner/) > [I think '80s pop music subconsciously informs what I'm doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/i-think-80s-pop-music-subconsciously-informs-what-i-m-doing/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [Well when I hear 'slasher' I think about the 80s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-flanagan/well-when-i-hear-slasher-i-think-about-the-80s/) [Mike Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-flanagan/) > [I think before, in the '80s, it was more about fashion and music videos and a lot of radio: getting out there and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-darwish/i-think-before-in-the-80s-it-was-more-about-fashion-and-music-videos/) [Tiffany Darwish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-darwish/) > [“We don't have to be defined by the things we did or didn't do in our past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/we-don-t-have-to-be-defined-by-the-things-we-did-or-didn-t-do-in-our/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [Always regret the things you did do, never the things you didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/always-regret-the-things-you-did-do-never-the-things-you-didn-t/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [I was aware that the things that I did bothered people, but that only spurred me on even more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/i-was-aware-that-the-things-that-i-did-bothered-people-but-that-only/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) > [Take me back to yesterday. Somewhere over there. And do the things you never did. In a time where I didn't care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-me-back-to-yesterday-somewhere-over-there-and-do-the-things-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All of my old videos and the things I did on MTV, my old public access show - it was sort of all made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/all-of-my-old-videos-and-the-things-i-did-on-mtv-my-old-public-access/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) ## More by Bret Easton Ellis > [“he looked at me with such vehemence that I felt like a blip, a fart, in the course of his life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/he-looked-at-me-with-such-vehemence-that-i-felt-like-a-blip-a-fart-in/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“This isn't a script," Julian says. "It's not going to add up. Not everything's going to come together in the third act.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/this-isn-t-a-script-julian-says-it-s-not-going-to-add-up-not/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“I want to watch it again tonight even though I know I won't have enough time to masturbate over the scene where the woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-want-to-watch-it-again-tonight-even-though-i-know-i-won-t-have/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“On my way over to Park Avenue to find a cab I pass an ugly, homeless bum-- a member of the genetic underclass-- and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/on-my-way-over-to-park-avenue-to-find-a-cab-i-pass-an-ugly-homeless/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [I've forgotten who I had lunch with earlier, and even more important, where.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-ve-forgotten-who-i-had-lunch-with-earlier-and-even-more-important/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Every book for me is an exorcism in some way or another, working through my feelings at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/every-book-for-me-is-an-exorcism-in-some-way-or-another-working/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Why was I holding on to something that would never be mine? But isn't that what people do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/why-was-i-holding-on-to-something-that-would-never-be-mine-but-isn-t/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [The seeds of love have taken hold and if we won't burn together, I'll burn alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/the-seeds-of-love-have-taken-hold-and-if-we-won-t-burn-together-i-ll/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“It wasn't until the show was almost over that I figured out what it was: the crack above my David Onica that I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/it-wasn-t-until-the-show-was-almost-over-that-i-figured-out-what-it/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [What do you do?' she asks, holding out the vest. 'What do you do?' 'What do you do?' she asks, her voice shaking. 'Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/what-do-you-do-she-asks-holding-out-the-vest-what-do-you-do-what-do/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“Sometimes when you’re standing in a crowd I feel those sultry dark eyes of yours stop on me. Are you too afraid to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/sometimes-when-you-re-standing-in-a-crowd-i-feel-those-sultry-dark/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“Scientists peered into data and concluded that we should all be worried. -Lunar planet”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/scientists-peered-into-data-and-concluded-that-we-should-all-be/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“You can't get dyslexia from pussy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/you-can-t-get-dyslexia-from-pussy/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Open the hood of a car and it will tell you something about the people who designed it, is just one of many phrases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/open-the-hood-of-a-car-and-it-will-tell-you-something-about-the/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [I kept staring into the blackness of the woods, drawn into the darkness as I always had been. I suddenly realized how alone I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-kept-staring-into-the-blackness-of-the-woods-drawn-into-the/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) [Explore all 286 Bret Easton Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) ## More 80s quotes > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [As an actor I kind of do. I started out doing voice overs in the mid 80s when I was in grad school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/as-an-actor-i-kind-of-do-i-started-out-doing-voice-overs-in-the-mid/) [Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/) > [It's nice to have been around long enough to be a part of people's lives. A lot of people who come to my show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-easton/it-s-nice-to-have-been-around-long-enough-to-be-a-part-of-people-s/) [Sheena Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-easton/) > [ It was a very economically depressed time \[the 80s\] and because of that, there was a lot of space. Everything was relatively dilapidated, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-smith/it-was-a-very-economically-depressed-time-the-80s-and-because-of-that/) [Kiki Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-smith/) > [If for no other reason than it's just fun to watch people age, and it's fun to watch what happened to '80s hairdos and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-borstein/if-for-no-other-reason-than-it-s-just-fun-to-watch-people-age-and-it/) [Alex Borstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-borstein/) > [I don't dislike rappers or hip-hop or people who like it. I went to the Def Jam tour in Manchester in the '80s when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/i-don-t-dislike-rappers-or-hip-hop-or-people-who-like-it-i-went-to/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [Since I was gay and loved disco music, it was kinda pre-programmed that my first experiences with house music and acid - which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justus-kohncke/since-i-was-gay-and-loved-disco-music-it-was-kinda-pre-programmed/) Justus Kohncke > [We are upsetting the atmosphere upon which all life depends. In the late 80s when I began to take climate change seriously, we referred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/we-are-upsetting-the-atmosphere-upon-which-all-life-depends-in-the/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [When I was coming up in the '80s television, if you were on television that meant either you were a young actor just coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/when-i-was-coming-up-in-the-80s-television-if-you-were-on-television/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [My fashion was not the best in the '80s. I looked crazy as hell. I used to wear my pants tucked into my socks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-cole/my-fashion-was-not-the-best-in-the-80s-i-looked-crazy-as-hell-i-used/) [Deon Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-cole/) > [Bin Laden was, though, a product of a monumental miscalculation by western security agencies. Throughout the 80s he was armed by the CIA and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-cook/bin-laden-was-though-a-product-of-a-monumental-miscalculation-by/) [Robin Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-cook/) > [When someone asks if you're a god, you say YES!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/when-someone-asks-if-you-re-a-god-you-say-yes/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [His (Lloyd Kaufman) string of low-budget, lowbrow horror comedies stretching back to the ’80s has been cited as influence by Peter Jackson, the Farrelly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-lumenick/his-lloyd-kaufman-string-of-low-budget-lowbrow-horror-comedies/) Lou Lumenick > [I have this obsession with the '80s because I missed all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-spektor/i-have-this-obsession-with-the-80s-because-i-missed-all-of-it/) [Regina Spektor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-spektor/) > [It was the case in the 70s and 80s that people believed music could change the world. But now people aren't making music because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinead-o-connor/it-was-the-case-in-the-70s-and-80s-that-people-believed-music-could/) [Sinead O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinead-o-connor/) Browse all 488 80s quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think the '80s created me, in a way, when I look back on that time, but I don't necessarily think that a lot of my choices, and a lot of things that I did, and a lot of things that happened to me - or I let happen to me - were about that decade.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bret Easton Ellis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when-i-look-back-on-that-time-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "80s" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when-i-look-back-on-that-time-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/bret-easton-ellis-1028_80s_i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when_1567734.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/bret-easton-ellis-1028_80s_i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when_1567734.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/836/bret-easton-ellis-1028_80s_i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when_1567734.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the '80s created me, in a way, when I look back on that time, but I don't necessarily think that a…” — Bret Easton Ellis", "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": "Bret Easton Ellis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the '80s created me,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when-i-look-back-on-that-time-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/i-think-the-80s-created-me-in-a-way-when-i-look-back-on-that-time-but/#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 } } ] } ```