--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For me, the ages between 9 and 12 were…" description: "\"For me, the ages between 9 and 12 were great because it was before you wore any masks, and you had some autonomy in the world. You had some freedom, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/claire-messud-1372_ages_for-me-the-ages-between-9-and-12-were-gr_492724.png" --- # For me, the ages between 9 and 12 were great because it… ![“For me, the ages between 9 and 12 were great because it was before you wore any masks, and you had some autonomy in the world. You had some freedom, and you felt you had unlimited ambition. It's when you thought, 'I'm going to write plays. I'm going to be president. I'm going to do this; I'm going…” quote by Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/claire-messud-1372_ages_for-me-the-ages-between-9-and-12-were-gr_492724.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/claire-messud-1372_ages_for-me-the-ages-between-9-and-12-were-gr_492724.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/946/claire-messud-1372_ages_for-me-the-ages-between-9-and-12-were-gr_492724.png) > “For me, the ages between 9 and 12 were great because it was before you wore any masks, and you had some autonomy in the world. You had some freedom, and you felt you had unlimited ambition. It's when you thought, 'I'm going to write plays. I'm going to be president. I'm going to do this; I'm going to do that.' And then it all falls apart.” [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early adolescence offers a rare blend of innocence and unbounded ambition before societal expectations constrain us. **In simple terms:** Childhood is a time of free ambition. Key Takeaway Recognize and nurture youthful dreams before they’re limited. Themes youth ambition freedom growth Mood nostalgic reflective Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - education - parenting - career counseling - creative writing workshops Key Concepts psychology development identity formation Questions to Reflect On - How can we preserve youthful optimism into adulthood? - What structures support sustained ambition? A Different Perspective Societal pressures often suppress early aspirations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Masks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masks/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [In general, I write for ages 12 and up - although I've received emails from readers between the ages of seven and seventy. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/in-general-i-write-for-ages-12-and-up-although-i-ve-received-emails/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) > [“A lot of corpses woke up every morning from their graves. Stood in front of the mirror and wore the masks which made them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-vasu/a-lot-of-corpses-woke-up-every-morning-from-their-graves-stood-in/) [Akshay Vasu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-vasu/) > [In those days, between the ages of 12 and 18 you meant nothing. 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That's what I would love to do, but it's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/i-write-plays-and-i-have-a-musical-that-s-starting-to-get-produced/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [When I was first starting to write plays, I quite literally had never heard of the idea of studying playwriting. I wouldn't have studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/when-i-was-first-starting-to-write-plays-i-quite-literally-had-never/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [When I was younger I was much more polemical and didactic, much less trusting. Inherently my own vision of the world would weave its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/when-i-was-younger-i-was-much-more-polemical-and-didactic-much-less/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [I was writing when I was very young, and then I became interested in everything - I wanted to do photography. I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-lelio/i-was-writing-when-i-was-very-young-and-then-i-became-interested-in/) [Sebastian Lelio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-lelio/) > [I knew exactly what I wanted to do since I could remember. As a kid, if my friends came round after school for dinner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-john-kamen/i-knew-exactly-what-i-wanted-to-do-since-i-could-remember-as-a-kid-if/) [Hannah John-Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-john-kamen/) > [If it is permissible to write plays that are not intended to be seen, I should like to see who can prevent me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/if-it-is-permissible-to-write-plays-that-are-not-intended-to-be-seen/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [I write plays not to make money, but to stop myself from going mad. Because it's my way of making the world rational to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bond/i-write-plays-not-to-make-money-but-to-stop-myself-from-going-mad/) [Edward Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bond/) > [You get attached to the way you write, and I'm attached to notebooks. That's where I really write the plays. Just two or three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/you-get-attached-to-the-way-you-write-and-i-m-attached-to-notebooks/) [Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/) > [I think a lot of the way that I try to write my stories come from watching my mom write plays and trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmine-sullivan/i-think-a-lot-of-the-way-that-i-try-to-write-my-stories-come-from/) [Jazmine Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmine-sullivan/) ## More by Claire Messud > [I'd wish for my work to be remembered rather than myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-d-wish-for-my-work-to-be-remembered-rather-than-myself/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I have said it somewhere - our literary lived lives are as important as our literally lived lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-have-said-it-somewhere-our-literary-lived-lives-are-as-important-as/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Life is about deciding what matters. It’s about the fantasy that determines the reality. Have you ever asked yourself whether you’d rather fly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-is-about-deciding-what-matters-it-s-about-the-fantasy-that/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Life's funny. 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'I want -- for God's sake, I want to wake up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-don-t-want-to-sleep-my-mother-said-i-want-for-god-s-sake-i-want-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It was supposed to say “Great Artist” on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say “such a good teacher/​daughter/​friend” instead;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-was-supposed-to-say-great-artist-on-my-tombstone-but-if-i-died/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Live, my dear Nora. Satisfy your hunger. There's food all around you, you know.' 'What kind of food, I'd like to know?' 'Ah'-he smiled-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/live-my-dear-nora-satisfy-your-hunger-there-s-food-all-around-you-you/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I digress a lot - it's how I experience the world. 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Almost none. It’s the most precious gift I can give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/who-i-am-in-my-head-very-few-people-really-get-to-see-that-almost/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“My everyday Appleton life, my phones calls to my father, my occasional beers with friends, my Saturday-morning jobs around the reservoir - what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/my-everyday-appleton-life-my-phones-calls-to-my-father-my-occasional/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) [Explore all 249 Claire Messud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## More Ages quotes > [The body is at its best between the ages of thirty and thirty-five; the mind is at its best about the age of forty-nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-body-is-at-its-best-between-the-ages-of-thirty-and-thirty-five/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [People do stop me a lot, and what is really very rewarding is that the ages of the people who stop me vary so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-mcewan/people-do-stop-me-a-lot-and-what-is-really-very-rewarding-is-that-the/) [Geraldine McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-mcewan/) > [I have a very low tolerance for boredom and often think I would have missed out on books entirely if Id grown up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/i-have-a-very-low-tolerance-for-boredom-and-often-think-i-would-have/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [It is pain that ages us, not years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-prudden/it-is-pain-that-ages-us-not-years/) Bonnie Prudden > [We owe America something because they turned us into a touring band. But at least we feel confident about appearing in Britain again now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-marriott/we-owe-america-something-because-they-turned-us-into-a-touring-band/) Steve Marriott > [It's amazing when I do a gig how many people of different ages come up to me afterwards and chat to me about songs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-henderson/it-s-amazing-when-i-do-a-gig-how-many-people-of-different-ages-come/) [Ella Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-henderson/) > [There were three terrible ages of childhood - zero to 10, 10 to 20, and 20 to 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleveland-amory/there-were-three-terrible-ages-of-childhood-zero-to-10-10-to-20-and/) [Cleveland Amory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleveland-amory/) > [Nothing ages like laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/nothing-ages-like-laziness/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [Music has no limits, borders or ages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thalia/music-has-no-limits-borders-or-ages/) [Thalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thalia/) > [Ripen your mind to the glorious history of the ages and revel in your mastery as today's youth shall look upon you as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximillian-degenerez/ripen-your-mind-to-the-glorious-history-of-the-ages-and-revel-in-your/) [Maximillian Degenerez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximillian-degenerez/) > [I think that as I had children, I have five sons, and they got into video games and were the prime ages through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/i-think-that-as-i-had-children-i-have-five-sons-and-they-got-into/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [Get off the stages, this is my show, my performance, for the ages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-b/get-off-the-stages-this-is-my-show-my-performance-for-the-ages/) [Lil B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-b/) > [Chemotherapy is just medieval. It's such a blunt instrument. We're going to look back on it like we do the dark ages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-topol/chemotherapy-is-just-medieval-it-s-such-a-blunt-instrument-we-re/) [Eric Topol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-topol/) > [The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-needham/the-seven-ages-of-man-spills-drills-thrills-bills-ills-pills-and-wills/) [Richard J. Needham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-needham/) > [A nation may be born in a day, but the great truths which make for the glory and uplift of the race only through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-josiah-brewer/a-nation-may-be-born-in-a-day-but-the-great-truths-which-make-for-the/) [David Josiah Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-josiah-brewer/) Browse all 263 Ages quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For me, the ages between 9 and 12 were great because it was before you wore any masks, and you had some autonomy in the world. You had some freedom, and you felt you had unlimited ambition. It's when you thought, 'I'm going to write plays. I'm going to be president. I'm going to do this; I'm going to do that.' 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