---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always told myself that would never…"
description: "\"“I always told myself that would never happen to me. That I'd try to be like Peter Pan, never grow up, always retain a sense of wonder. Always fall in ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24d/cassandra-clare-9_fall-in-love_i-always-told-myself-that-would-never-ha_1094270.jpg"
---

#  I always told myself that would never happen to me. That…

![“I always told myself that would never happen to me. That I'd try to be like Peter Pan, never grow up, always retain a sense of wonder. Always fall in love, be surprised, be open to being hurt as much as I was open to being happy.” quote by Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24d/cassandra-clare-9_fall-in-love_i-always-told-myself-that-would-never-ha_1094270.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24d/cassandra-clare-9_fall-in-love_i-always-told-myself-that-would-never-ha_1094270.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24d/cassandra-clare-9_fall-in-love_i-always-told-myself-that-would-never-ha_1094270.jpg)

> ““I always told myself that would never happen to me. That I'd try to be like Peter Pan, never grow up, always retain a sense of wonder. Always fall in love, be surprised, be open to being hurt as much as I was open to being happy.””

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker wishes to stay childlike, embracing wonder, love, and the willingness to feel both joy and pain.

**In simple terms:** Stay youthful and open to all emotions.

Key Takeaway

Embrace wonder and risk emotional depth.

Themes

wonder love vulnerability growth

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- creative pursuits
- self‑discovery
- artistic expression

Key Concepts

psychology emotional intelligence literary theme

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you balance wonder with adult responsibilities?
- What does being open to hurt teach you about happiness?

A Different Perspective

Idealizing perpetual youth can hinder mature responsibility.

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[Fall in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall-in-love/) [Like Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-peter-255895/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Peter pan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peter-pan/) [Sense of wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-wonder/) [Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told/) [Told Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-happen-2844913/) [Try Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-like/)

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> [No one could ad lib like Peter. You would think that it was all scripted, he was so poetic, but it wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-walters/no-one-could-ad-lib-like-peter-you-would-think-that-it-was-all/)

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