---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fact is, for years, I had been…"
description: "\"The fact is, for years, I had been trapped in a certain narcissism and a desire to have a certain body and look sexy.\" — David Harbour"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/david-harbour-5331_body_the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped_676829.jpg"
---

#  The fact is, for years, I had been trapped in a certain…

![“The fact is, for years, I had been trapped in a certain narcissism and a desire to have a certain body and look sexy.” quote by David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/david-harbour-5331_body_the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped_676829.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/david-harbour-5331_body_the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped_676829.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/david-harbour-5331_body_the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped_676829.jpg)

> “The fact is, for years, I had been trapped in a certain narcissism and a desire to have a certain body and look sexy.”

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

## About This Quote

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

He acknowledges a past obsession with appearance and narcissism that limited his self‑view.

**In simple terms:** He was trapped in vanity and body‑image concerns.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and move beyond superficial self‑obsession.

Themes

self‑image vanity personal growth

Mood

reflective honest

Type

personal philosophical

When to use this quote

- social media use
- dating
- career pressure
- health goals

Key Concepts

narcissism body image identity crisis

Questions to Reflect On

- How has your self‑image shaped your choices?
- What steps can you take to value inner qualities?

A Different Perspective

Focusing solely on looks can neglect deeper fulfillment and mental health.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Body Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-look-766385/) [Certain Narcissism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-narcissism-4790328/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [Look Sexy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-sexy/) [Narcissism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narcissism/) [Narcissism Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narcissism-desire-5362703/) [Sexy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexy/) [Years Trapped](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-trapped-1950724/)

## Related quotes

> [maybe a certain amount of narcissism is as essential to an actress as muscles are to a football lineman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/velda-johnston/maybe-a-certain-amount-of-narcissism-is-as-essential-to-an-actress-as/)

[Velda Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/velda-johnston/)

> [Perhaps the biggest tragedy of our lives is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns...We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/perhaps-the-biggest-tragedy-of-our-lives-is-that-freedom-is-possible-2/)

[Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/)

> [Perhaps the biggest tragedy of our lives is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/perhaps-the-biggest-tragedy-of-our-lives-is-that-freedom-is-possible/)

[Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/)

> [I would like to see sexiness sort of embodied in people's real bodies, as opposed to those bodies that are just full of narcissism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-would-like-to-see-sexiness-sort-of-embodied-in-people-s-real-bodies/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [I have been into bodies and fitness, so I am very critical about how a body should look in terms of flaunting it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bipasha-basu/i-have-been-into-bodies-and-fitness-so-i-am-very-critical-about-how-a/)

[Bipasha Basu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bipasha-basu/)

> [I don't want my body to look like a man's. I just want to tone my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-don-t-want-my-body-to-look-like-a-man-s-i-just-want-to-tone-my-body/)

[Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/)

> [“Look after your body and your body will look after you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-boxcer/look-after-your-body-and-your-body-will-look-after-you/)

[Paul Boxcer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-boxcer/)

> [When it comes to exercise, everybody has to find what works for them. I watch my body. I look at myself in the mirror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montel-williams/when-it-comes-to-exercise-everybody-has-to-find-what-works-for-them-i/)

[Montel Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montel-williams/)

> [A lot of people body shame me because I am very thin. They say I have a 'boy's body,' or that I look like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananya-panday/a-lot-of-people-body-shame-me-because-i-am-very-thin-they-say-i-have/)

[Ananya Panday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananya-panday/)

> [I'm never going to starve myself for a part. I don't want little girls to be like, 'Oh, I want to look like Katniss,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lawrence/i-m-never-going-to-starve-myself-for-a-part-i-don-t-want-little-girls/)

[Jennifer Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lawrence/)

> [I am short, so even if there are things that I like, or like on other people, I have to be aware that sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/i-am-short-so-even-if-there-are-things-that-i-like-or-like-on-other/)

[Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/)

> [You know, at 35 or at 38 or 40 you really start to see what your body could look like if you just don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-gossard/you-know-at-35-or-at-38-or-40-you-really-start-to-see-what-your-body/)

[Stone Gossard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-gossard/)

> [Take sometime to workout your body to look more attreactive than you use to be before and when she sees you OMG she will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-sometime-to-workout-your-body-to-look-more-attreactive-than-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In 20 years, I'm going to - I'm sure - envy the body that I have now. I look fabulous and it's important to celebrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ash/in-20-years-i-m-going-to-i-m-sure-envy-the-body-that-i-have-now-i/)

[Lauren Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ash/)

> [The thing is for me, I've accepted the way I look and I don't think what anybody says is gonna change what I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/the-thing-is-for-me-i-ve-accepted-the-way-i-look-and-i-don-t-think/)

[Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/)

## More by David Harbour

> [I did this movie, 'A Walk Among the Tombstones' - I truly play a horrible, horrible individual in that - and I would occasionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-did-this-movie-a-walk-among-the-tombstones-i-truly-play-a-horrible/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [I don't associate success with happiness, and I don't take it to heart, like, 'Oh, I'm so special.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-don-t-associate-success-with-happiness-and-i-don-t-take-it-to-heart/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [I want to bring love handles and eating sandwiches back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-want-to-bring-love-handles-and-eating-sandwiches-back/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [The mythos of superheroes is our mythos today. They are American myths. 'Captain America,' 'Iron Man,' 'Hulk' - these are the biggest movies in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/the-mythos-of-superheroes-is-our-mythos-today-they-are-american-myths/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [“...through our art to battle against fear, self-centeredness and exclusivity of our predominately narcissistic culture, and through our craft to cultivate a more empathetic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/through-our-art-to-battle-against-fear-self-centeredness-and/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [People are three-dimensional. They're not good or bad. They're not righteous or unrighteous. They are a million different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/people-are-three-dimensional-they-re-not-good-or-bad-they-re-not/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [I feel like the most human among us are the weirdest among us. Those voices can be the most creative and the most special.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-feel-like-the-most-human-among-us-are-the-weirdest-among-us-those/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [I'm a big fan of public trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-m-a-big-fan-of-public-trust/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [It was always my dream to be a New York theater actor. I never thought I was pretty enough to be on camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/it-was-always-my-dream-to-be-a-new-york-theater-actor-i-never-thought/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [I don't want to do procedural: I want to do longform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-don-t-want-to-do-procedural-i-want-to-do-longform/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [I'm normally a pretty loquacious, kind of fun person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-m-normally-a-pretty-loquacious-kind-of-fun-person/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [People are more complicated than you give them credit for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/people-are-more-complicated-than-you-give-them-credit-for/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [I feel like Shakespeare is so epic, in a way that sci-fi genre stuff is epic, it transcends the mundane, and it takes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-feel-like-shakespeare-is-so-epic-in-a-way-that-sci-fi-genre-stuff/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [There is a lot of good television out there, stuff that is better for you than 'Stranger Things,' that, critically, people would be like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/there-is-a-lot-of-good-television-out-there-stuff-that-is-better-for/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

> [What makes someone sexy in my mind is who they are. It's not necessarily how they look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/what-makes-someone-sexy-in-my-mind-is-who-they-are-it-s-not/)

[David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

[Explore all 101 David Harbour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/)

## More Body quotes

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

[Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/)

> [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/)

[Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/)

[Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/)

[Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/)

> [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/)

[Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/)

> [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

[Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The fact is, for years, I had been trapped in a certain narcissism and a desire to have a certain body and look sexy.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Harbour"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped-in-a-certain-narcissism-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Body"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped-in-a-certain-narcissism-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/david-harbour-5331_body_the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped_676829.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/david-harbour-5331_body_the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped_676829.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/david-harbour-5331_body_the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped_676829.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The fact is, for years, I had been trapped in a certain narcissism and a desire to have a certain body and…” — David Harbour",
                "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": "David Harbour",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The fact is, for years, I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped-in-a-certain-narcissism-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/the-fact-is-for-years-i-had-been-trapped-in-a-certain-narcissism-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
