--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing that bothered me when I was in…" description: "\"The thing that bothered me when I was in college was that I saw myself rejecting the way of life that got me to where I was.\" — Clarence Thomas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/clarence-thomas-7661_bothered_the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in_2085769.jpg" --- # The thing that bothered me when I was in college was that… ![“The thing that bothered me when I was in college was that I saw myself rejecting the way of life that got me to where I was.” quote by Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/clarence-thomas-7661_bothered_the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in_2085769.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/clarence-thomas-7661_bothered_the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in_2085769.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/clarence-thomas-7661_bothered_the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in_2085769.jpg) > “The thing that bothered me when I was in college was that I saw myself rejecting the way of life that got me to where I was.” [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He realized he was turning away from the values that had helped him succeed. **In simple terms:** He was rejecting the very path that led to his success. Key Takeaway Recognize and honor the foundations of your achievements. Themes selfreflection values career growth identity Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - college decisions - career planning - personal development - leadership challenges Key Concepts cognitive dissonance ethical consistency Questions to Reflect On - What core values have you overlooked? - How can you align current actions with past successes? A Different Perspective Changing values can cause internal conflict and hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Way of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [She realized all at once the deeper thing that bothered her, the thing that made him not just irritating but intolerable: how he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/she-realized-all-at-once-the-deeper-thing-that-bothered-her-the-thing/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [The make up took about an hour to put on, but the wig was a thing that bothered me more than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/the-make-up-took-about-an-hour-to-put-on-but-the-wig-was-a-thing-that/) [Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/) > [There are a lot of different things that I just played through. 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We may be justified in rejecting the divine right of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-carter/we-need-some-remedial-training-on-how-to-live-as-subjects-in-a/) Joe Carter > [But medicine has long had all its means to hand, and has discovered both a principle and a method, through which the discoveries made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/but-medicine-has-long-had-all-its-means-to-hand-and-has-discovered/) [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) > [“Rejecting failure and avoiding mistakes seem like high-minded”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-catmull/rejecting-failure-and-avoiding-mistakes-seem-like-high-minded/) [Ed Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-catmull/) > [It may be said that natural selection is daily and hourly scrutinizing, throughout the world, every variation, even the slightest; rejecting that which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/it-may-be-said-that-natural-selection-is-daily-and-hourly/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [We will meet our challenges head on and we will do it by rejecting the politics of mediocrity and corruption. 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You could continue to always fight against people who are really distractions. They're people in the cheap seats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/you-have-a-number-of-choices-you-could-continue-to-always-fight/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [I disagree with the prevailing point of view of some black leaders that special treatment for blacks is acceptable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-disagree-with-the-prevailing-point-of-view-of-some-black-leaders/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [My grandfather was a man, when he talked about freedom, his attitude was really interesting. His view was that you had obligations or you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/my-grandfather-was-a-man-when-he-talked-about-freedom-his-attitude/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [Perhaps some are confused because they have stereotypes of how blacks should be and I respectfully decline, as I did in my youth, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/perhaps-some-are-confused-because-they-have-stereotypes-of-how-blacks/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [ The Constitution does not vest in Congress the authority to protect society from every bad act that might befall it…\[I\]f followed to its logical… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-constitution-does-not-vest-in-congress-the-authority-to-protect/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [The job of a judge is to figure out what the law says, not what he wants it to say. There is a difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-job-of-a-judge-is-to-figure-out-what-the-law-says-not-what-he/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [Differences in race, differences in sex, somebody doesn’t look at you right, somebody says something. Everybody is sensitive. If I had been as sensitive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/differences-in-race-differences-in-sex-somebody-doesn-t-look-at-you/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [ A theory deeply etched in our law \[is that\] a free society prefers to punish the few who abuse the rights of free speech… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/a-theory-deeply-etched-in-our-law-is-that-a-free-society-prefers-to/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [I don't know one of my friends who is considered a conservative who has not had to go back and thoroughly think through everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-don-t-know-one-of-my-friends-who-is-considered-a-conservative-who/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [I' been very partial to Malcolm X, particularly his self-help teachings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/i-been-very-partial-to-malcolm-x-particularly-his-self-help-teachings/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [When you look at where the real problems are among minorities in our society, particularly blacks, it's at the bottom. It's the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/when-you-look-at-where-the-real-problems-are-among-minorities-in-our/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [The only people who have quick answers don't have the responsibility of making the decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-only-people-who-have-quick-answers-don-t-have-the-responsibility/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [Today, now, it is time to move forward, a time to look for what is good in others, what is good in our country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/today-now-it-is-time-to-move-forward-a-time-to-look-for-what-is-good/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [The Constitution contains no 'dignity' Clause, and even if it did, the government would be incapable of bestowing dignity. ... Slaves did not lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-constitution-contains-no-dignity-clause-and-even-if-it-did-the/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [There's a difference between someone who's 'harsh' and someone who is 'hard.' Life was hard. You lived in the South, as my grandparents did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/there-s-a-difference-between-someone-who-s-harsh-and-someone-who-is/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) [Explore all 89 Clarence Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) ## More Bothered quotes > [Life is such unutterable hell, solely because it is sometimes beautiful. 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Or, as we say in Chess, if your King is under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/when-your-house-is-on-fire-you-cant-be-bothered-with-the-neighbors-or/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [Sometimes you have to distance yourself from people. If they care, they will notice and be bothered. If they dont, you will know where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-distance-yourself-from-people-if-they-care-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’m merely talking about learning to be less bothered by the actions of people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carlson/i-m-merely-talking-about-learning-to-be-less-bothered-by-the-actions/) [Richard Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carlson/) > [To combat social awkwardness, I would just act like I couldn't be bothered - that kind of aloof persona or aloof demeanor. It's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/to-combat-social-awkwardness-i-would-just-act-like-i-couldn-t-be/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Quietly, President Obama has done warrantless wire tapping. And it was hardly covered. I don't know if any of the mainstream press bothered to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/quietly-president-obama-has-done-warrantless-wire-tapping-and-it-was/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [“I'm sorry I bothered you, Susan. I'm just having a tough time. That's all. Have a good one," I said and walked away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-sorry-i-bothered-you-susan-i-m-just-having-a-tough-time-that-s/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I'm not bothered by the idea of getting old, or I guess you could say by having arrived at old. 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I ain't doing nothing cause I ain't bothered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-tate/am-i-bothered-am-i-bothered-though-i-ain-t-doing-nothing-cause-i-ain/) [Catherine Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tate/) Browse all 599 Bothered quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The thing that bothered me when I was in college was that I saw myself rejecting the way of life that got me to where I was.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clarence Thomas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in-college-was-that-i-saw/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bothered" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in-college-was-that-i-saw/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/clarence-thomas-7661_bothered_the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in_2085769.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/clarence-thomas-7661_bothered_the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in_2085769.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/clarence-thomas-7661_bothered_the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in_2085769.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The thing that bothered me when I was in college was that I saw myself rejecting the way of life that got me…” — Clarence Thomas", "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": "Clarence Thomas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The thing that bothered me when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in-college-was-that-i-saw/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in-college-was-that-i-saw/#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 } } ] } ```