--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And when I was young, my family was…" description: "\"And when I was young, my family was perfectly nice. I write a lot about it, as you noticed. But it was rather limited. I think, I don't think anyone in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c6/christopher-hitchens-117_away-from-home_and-when-i-was-young-my-family-was-perfe_2755490.jpg" --- # And when I was young, my family was perfectly nice. I… ![“And when I was young, my family was perfectly nice. I write a lot about it, as you noticed. But it was rather limited. I think, I don't think anyone in my family would really feel I'd done them an injustice by saying that. We didn't see many people. There were many books. It was as if I wanted to…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c6/christopher-hitchens-117_away-from-home_and-when-i-was-young-my-family-was-perfe_2755490.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c6/christopher-hitchens-117_away-from-home_and-when-i-was-young-my-family-was-perfe_2755490.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c6/christopher-hitchens-117_away-from-home_and-when-i-was-young-my-family-was-perfe_2755490.jpg) > “And when I was young, my family was perfectly nice. I write a lot about it, as you noticed. But it was rather limited. I think, I don't think anyone in my family would really feel I'd done them an injustice by saying that. We didn't see many people. There were many books. It was as if I wanted to get away from home.” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Family narratives can be restrictive, prompting a desire to escape and explore broader perspectives. **In simple terms:** Family can feel limiting, urging you to seek elsewhere. Key Takeaway Question inherited constraints. Themes family identity freedom Mood reflective conflicted Type autobiographical critical When to use this quote - career change - academic pursuits - travel - creative writing Key Concepts sociology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How do you honor your roots while pursuing independence? - What alternative narratives can you construct? A Different Perspective Escaping may strain relationships and create guilt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away from home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-home/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family Perfectly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-perfectly-1518221/) [Family Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-really/) [Feel Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-injustice-3131808/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Get away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-away/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) [My family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-family/) [Nice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nice/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Think Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-family/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) ## Related quotes > [Any person who says their family is perfectly functional is lying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-macisaac/any-person-who-says-their-family-is-perfectly-functional-is-lying/) [Martha MacIsaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-macisaac/) > [I think when you have a family with someone, it's really hard to break up. You do everything in order to keep your kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larsa-pippen/i-think-when-you-have-a-family-with-someone-it-s-really-hard-to-break/) [Larsa Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larsa-pippen/) > [The international community is pushing things forward in Bosnia... but it is doing it at expense of the Muslim people. I feel it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alija-izetbegovic/the-international-community-is-pushing-things-forward-in-bosnia-but/) [Alija Izetbegovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alija-izetbegovic/) > [I think that all people who feel that there is injustice in the world anywhere should learn as much of it as they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-think-that-all-people-who-feel-that-there-is-injustice-in-the-world/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [“The world was fucked up. It was hard to say how exactly, but we could feel it. There was injustice, lots of it, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-tea/the-world-was-fucked-up-it-was-hard-to-say-how-exactly-but-we-could/) [Michelle Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-tea/) > [“It's only that I feel an injustice has been committed. Why should I have somebody else's malaria and you have my dose of clap?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/it-s-only-that-i-feel-an-injustice-has-been-committed-why-should-i/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [When I was young, I don't know how, I spent all my time in the presence of married women telling me their troubles. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/when-i-was-young-i-don-t-know-how-i-spent-all-my-time-in-the-presence/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [I think the legacy we leave is our family. I don't think it's money. I don't think it's - I'm not saying that charity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-buble/i-think-the-legacy-we-leave-is-our-family-i-don-t-think-it-s-money-i/) [Michael Buble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-buble/) > [I think that in a family some are workers some are not. I certainly saw my mother work very hard and be in charge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-robinson/i-think-that-in-a-family-some-are-workers-some-are-not-i-certainly/) [Anne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-robinson/) > [People are a lot less likely to think that their family member is part of the government conspiracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemi-badenoch/people-are-a-lot-less-likely-to-think-that-their-family-member-is/) [Kemi Badenoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemi-badenoch/) > [No matter how poor you think you are. If you have a family you have everything...!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/no-matter-how-poor-you-think-you-are-if-you-have-a-family-you-have/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [I always think family get-togethers when everybody just sort of crashes out are pretty much the best. If it's more than a few days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-cohan/i-always-think-family-get-togethers-when-everybody-just-sort-of/) [Lauren Cohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-cohan/) > [Idea of the generations continuing is really important. And that's interesting to me. I write about families; I'm interested in families. Even though I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gilmore/idea-of-the-generations-continuing-is-really-important-and-that-s/) [Jennifer Gilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gilmore/) > [The world of football has given me more than I deserved. But you always think of your family first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/the-world-of-football-has-given-me-more-than-i-deserved-but-you/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Just think: your family are the people most likely to give you the flu.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/just-think-your-family-are-the-people-most-likely-to-give-you-the-flu/) [Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Away from home quotes > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [Once in a while, people enter our lives and lessen the loneliness of being away from Home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/once-in-a-while-people-enter-our-lives-and-lessen-the-loneliness-of/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Animal totems, like the tiger, come from the Other Side to protect us while we are away from Home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/animal-totems-like-the-tiger-come-from-the-other-side-to-protect-us/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [I don't know why togetherness was ever held up as an ideal of marriage. Away from home for both, then together, that's much better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-heilbrun/i-don-t-know-why-togetherness-was-ever-held-up-as-an-ideal-of/) [Carolyn Heilbrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-heilbrun/) > [Our motor car is our supreme form of privacy when we are away from home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/our-motor-car-is-our-supreme-form-of-privacy-when-we-are-away-from/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [It seems like a cliche, but you do grow up a lot faster when you travel a lot, go through things like this interview,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-dillon/it-seems-like-a-cliche-but-you-do-grow-up-a-lot-faster-when-you/) [Matt Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-dillon/) > [If I did a TV show, it would have to be in North London because I'm a bit of a homebody, and my work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/if-i-did-a-tv-show-it-would-have-to-be-in-north-london-because-i-m-a/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trenton-lee-stewart/may-your-adventures-bring-you-closer-together-even-as-they-take-you/) [Trenton Lee Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trenton-lee-stewart/) > [She had always thought applying to college would be exciting. Living away from home, meeting so many new people, Learning new things, making a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/she-had-always-thought-applying-to-college-would-be-exciting-living/) [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) > [Lyon are the same away from home as they are at home, they have the same way of playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-ancelotti/lyon-are-the-same-away-from-home-as-they-are-at-home-they-have-the/) [Carlo Ancelotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-ancelotti/) > [And what are you doing on it, I would like to know? Running away from home, yesno? If you were a boy I'd say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/and-what-are-you-doing-on-it-i-would-like-to-know-running-away-from/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [On the day I was signed, Mr. Finley, the owner of the Athletics at that time came up to me and said, 'When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catfish-hunter/on-the-day-i-was-signed-mr-finley-the-owner-of-the-athletics-at-that/) [Catfish Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catfish-hunter/) > [When script is written well, then you start to make decisions of, "Well, do I want to be away from home for that long?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-script-is-written-well-then-you-start-to-make-decisions-of-well/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [I graduated high school in 1989, and there was no alternative rock radio, and there wasn't really good college radio you could get on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-finn/i-graduated-high-school-in-1989-and-there-was-no-alternative-rock/) [Craig Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-finn/) > [When you become an artist you're working away from home for so much time. You really see what the use of time means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/schoolboy-q/when-you-become-an-artist-you-re-working-away-from-home-for-so-much/) [Schoolboy Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/schoolboy-q/) [Browse all 118 Away from home quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-from-home/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And when I was young, my family was perfectly nice. I write a lot about it, as you noticed. But it was rather limited. I think, I don't think anyone in my family would really feel I'd done them an injustice by saying that. We didn't see many people. There were many books. 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