---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see failed vocabulary in the adult…"
description: "\"You see failed vocabulary in the adult world so often, and it's often because once you reach a certain age you're kind of embarrassed to go look up a w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/daniel-handler-1043_adult_you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-w_1842397.jpg"
---

#  You see failed vocabulary in the adult world so often, and…

![“You see failed vocabulary in the adult world so often, and it's often because once you reach a certain age you're kind of embarrassed to go look up a word if you don't know what it means.” quote by Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/daniel-handler-1043_adult_you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-w_1842397.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/daniel-handler-1043_adult_you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-w_1842397.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/daniel-handler-1043_adult_you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-w_1842397.jpg)

> “You see failed vocabulary in the adult world so often, and it's often because once you reach a certain age you're kind of embarrassed to go look up a word if you don't know what it means.”

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

## About This Quote

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

People often avoid looking up words out of embarrassment, limiting vocabulary growth.

**In simple terms:** Embarrassment hinders learning.

Key Takeaway

Embrace curiosity, not shame.

Themes

learning vocabulary embarrassment

Mood

thoughtful encouraging

Type

motivational educational

When to use this quote

- school
- professional writing
- public speaking

Key Concepts

psychology of self-consciousness education

Questions to Reflect On

- How does embarrassment affect learning?
- What strategies overcome it?

A Different Perspective

Some may see it as confidence building.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Certain age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-age/) [Embarrassed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embarrassed/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Vocabulary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vocabulary/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [There are times even I am a bit embarrassed by my look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/there-are-times-even-i-am-a-bit-embarrassed-by-my-look/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [I'm very impressed that there are so many fans - not just in Japan, but here in America - that are fond of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-miyamoto/i-m-very-impressed-that-there-are-so-many-fans-not-just-in-japan-but/)

[Shigeru Miyamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-miyamoto/)

> [I was kind of embarrassed by some of the films I had done. I was like, "Oh, they're going to think I don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-was-kind-of-embarrassed-by-some-of-the-films-i-had-done-i-was-like/)

[Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/)

> [When I was in that group, I just knew it wasn't for me. Every time I went out and we performed in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-morrison/when-i-was-in-that-group-i-just-knew-it-wasn-t-for-me-every-time-i/)

[Matthew Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-morrison/)

> [I think for the longest time I used to be kind of embarrassed that if I hung out with someone that had a really,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arca/i-think-for-the-longest-time-i-used-to-be-kind-of-embarrassed-that-if/)

[Arca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arca/)

> [I just don't like being on a lot of different things or being everywhere because I get kind of embarrassed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-just-don-t-like-being-on-a-lot-of-different-things-or-being/)

[Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/)

> [After a certain age, you couldn't even say where you were from. You went someplace, and lived there. And then you went someplace else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/after-a-certain-age-you-couldn-t-even-say-where-you-were-from-you/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [When you get to a certain age, you don't get lost. If you have a good set of pals around about you can have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-kiernan/when-you-get-to-a-certain-age-you-don-t-get-lost-if-you-have-a-good/)

Ford Kiernan

> [You get to a certain age and you start comparing and being uncomfortable in one's body. And then you get to a place where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wunmi-mosaku/you-get-to-a-certain-age-and-you-start-comparing-and-being/)

[Wunmi Mosaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wunmi-mosaku/)

> [I'm looking for trouble. A lot of people get to be a certain age and they just kind of lose interest or they give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-m-looking-for-trouble-a-lot-of-people-get-to-be-a-certain-age-and/)

[John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/)

> [You get to a certain age and you just want to prove that you can still rock - that you've still got it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarvis-cocker/you-get-to-a-certain-age-and-you-just-want-to-prove-that-you-can/)

[Jarvis Cocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarvis-cocker/)

> [You reach a certain age, and you're so proud that you're walking and breathing and loving and working and all of that at 90.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-marie-saint/you-reach-a-certain-age-and-you-re-so-proud-that-you-re-walking-and/)

[Eva Marie Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-marie-saint/)

> [After you reach a certain age, they think you’re over. Well, I will never be over. I’ll be making records if I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/after-you-reach-a-certain-age-they-think-you-re-over-well-i-will/)

[Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/)

> [Those of us of a certain age grew up expecting that by now we would have Rosie the Robot from 'The Jetsons' in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/those-of-us-of-a-certain-age-grew-up-expecting-that-by-now-we-would/)

[Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/)

> [Unless you're of a certain age, you may not know my name, but you can Google it - I was a pretty big movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tab-hunter/unless-you-re-of-a-certain-age-you-may-not-know-my-name-but-you-can/)

[Tab Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tab-hunter/)

## More by Daniel Handler

> [We laughed the rest of the way, because the point of this story is, it is not the cookies. It is the love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/we-laughed-the-rest-of-the-way-because-the-point-of-this-story-is-it/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [I started making plans, thinking we would get that far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-started-making-plans-thinking-we-would-get-that-far/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [I can't imagine why you would want to take your child to see what the career of a writer is like, because it mostly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-can-t-imagine-why-you-would-want-to-take-your-child-to-see-what-the/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [“All the deaths are dead for nothing but you're not dead at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/all-the-deaths-are-dead-for-nothing-but-you-re-not-dead-at-all/)

[daniel handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [“I love you so soundly and I will do anything to drag you forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-love-you-so-soundly-and-i-will-do-anything-to-drag-you-forward/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [I’d ruin any day, all my days, for those long nights with you, and I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-d-ruin-any-day-all-my-days-for-those-long-nights-with-you-and-i-did/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [Chestnuts in stuffing tastes like someone chewed up a tree branch and then French-kissed it into your mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/chestnuts-in-stuffing-tastes-like-someone-chewed-up-a-tree-branch-and/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [Lemony Snicket. Now, I'm told - the books, of course, starting from the very first one, became hugely popular, selling millions and millions. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/lemony-snicket-now-i-m-told-the-books-of-course-starting-from-the/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [“The matches were a little 'he loves me, he loves me not,' but then I saw right on the box that I had twenty-four,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/the-matches-were-a-little-he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not-but-then-i-saw/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [I didn't like books where people played on a sports team and won a bunch of games, or went to summer camp and had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-didn-t-like-books-where-people-played-on-a-sports-team-and-won-a/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [I love no one but you, I have discovered, but you are far away and I am here alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-love-no-one-but-you-i-have-discovered-but-you-are-far-away-and-i-am/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [The Basic Eight and Watch Your Mouth both have first-person voices, and I ended up investigating those voices and investing so much in them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/the-basic-eight-and-watch-your-mouth-both-have-first-person-voices/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [The Long Goodbye' is one book I like to read over and over again, and it was an enormous inspiration for 'All The Wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/the-long-goodbye-is-one-book-i-like-to-read-over-and-over-again-and/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [The whole thing of what I’ve been trying,” you said, “is that you’re different, and you keep asking about the other girls, but what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/the-whole-thing-of-what-i-ve-been-trying-you-said-is-that-you-re/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

> [ I wrote a comedy, which hopefully \[Rick director\] Curtiss Clayton will bring to the screen, that I thought was the antithesis of all my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/i-wrote-a-comedy-which-hopefully-rick-director-curtiss-clayton-will/)

[Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

[Explore all 295 Daniel Handler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/)

## More Adult quotes

> [I feel as though I've fooled the world into thinking I'm an adult and now they're letting me procreate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-murray/i-feel-as-though-i-ve-fooled-the-world-into-thinking-i-m-an-adult-and/)

[George Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-murray/)

> [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/)

[L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/)

> [I am a big outliner. For my adult book, 'The Visibles,' I did not outline, and it took me two years to write because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/i-am-a-big-outliner-for-my-adult-book-the-visibles-i-did-not-outline/)

[Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/)

> [“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland. The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-cactus-thrives-in-the-desert-while-the-fern-thrives-in-the/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [I have spent my entire adult life trying to make Liberty University the world-class Christian university that was envisioned at its founding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-falwell-jr/i-have-spent-my-entire-adult-life-trying-to-make-liberty-university/)

[Jerry Falwell, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-falwell-jr/)

> [“To love was a privilege not afforded to those of us born in these trying times when survival was never guaranteed. We were products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-x-chang/to-love-was-a-privilege-not-afforded-to-those-of-us-born-in-these/)

Molly X. Chang

> [Adults look upon a child as something empty that is to be filled through their own efforts, as something inert and helpless for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/adults-look-upon-a-child-as-something-empty-that-is-to-be-filled/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [“English: "Being an adult doesn't mean killing the child we once were; it means being able to protect him." Česky: „Být dospělým neznamená zabít…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebasti-n-wortys/english-being-an-adult-doesn-t-mean-killing-the-child-we-once-were-it/)

[Sebastián Wortys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebasti-n-wortys/)

> [You know, children philosophize more than adults - and they are critical of adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-know-children-philosophize-more-than-adults-and-they-are-critical/)

[Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/)

> [“There's such an intimate kind of beauty in the act of listening to music being created right in front of your eyes, watching the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-frank/there-s-such-an-intimate-kind-of-beauty-in-the-act-of-listening-to/)

[M.C. Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-frank/)

> [Whether we think of Disney's blonde beauty and her pumpkin carriage or Marissa Meyer's recent recasting of 'Cinderella' as a cyborg in the young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/whether-we-think-of-disney-s-blonde-beauty-and-her-pumpkin-carriage/)

[Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/)

> [You have, unfortunately, a K-12 educational system where the requirements to graduate are not the requirements to be college and career-ready. So if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-chertavian/you-have-unfortunately-a-k-12-educational-system-where-the/)

[Gerald Chertavian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-chertavian/)

> [Child actors going on to become adult actors never really works, apart from a few. Jodie Foster was the exception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lester/child-actors-going-on-to-become-adult-actors-never-really-works-apart/)

Mark Lester

> [Being an adult is the ability to postpone a want for the sake of a family need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hogan/being-an-adult-is-the-ability-to-postpone-a-want-for-the-sake-of-a/)

[Chris Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hogan/)

> [“Oh, I don’t mean to infer that you’re not a great guy. I’m sure you’re the exception to the rule.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaye-frances/oh-i-don-t-mean-to-infer-that-you-re-not-a-great-guy-i-m-sure-you-re/)

Jaye Frances

Browse all 1,153 Adult quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You see failed vocabulary in the adult world so often, and it's often because once you reach a certain age you're kind of embarrassed to go look up a word if you don't know what it means.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Daniel Handler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-world-so-often-and-it-s-often/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adult"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-world-so-often-and-it-s-often/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/daniel-handler-1043_adult_you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-w_1842397.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/daniel-handler-1043_adult_you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-w_1842397.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fe/daniel-handler-1043_adult_you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-w_1842397.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You see failed vocabulary in the adult world so often, and it's often because once you reach a certain age…” — Daniel Handler",
                "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": "Daniel Handler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You see failed vocabulary in the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-world-so-often-and-it-s-often/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/you-see-failed-vocabulary-in-the-adult-world-so-often-and-it-s-often/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
