--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So there we were. Once upon a time…" description: "\"“So there we were. Once upon a time, during the storybook version of dating we'd gone through, I'd pretended that it was possible to love her when I on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-levithan-67_ex-boyfriends_so-there-we-were-once-upon-a-time-during_1175653.jpg" --- # So there we were. Once upon a time, during the storybook… ![“So there we were. Once upon a time, during the storybook version of dating we'd gone through, I'd pretended that it was possible to love her when I only mildly liked her. Now I had no desire to pretend we'd ever be in love, and I liked her madly. 'Can we try to be wise with each other for a very…” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-levithan-67_ex-boyfriends_so-there-we-were-once-upon-a-time-during_1175653.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-levithan-67_ex-boyfriends_so-there-we-were-once-upon-a-time-during_1175653.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1af/david-levithan-67_ex-boyfriends_so-there-we-were-once-upon-a-time-during_1175653.jpg) > ““So there we were. Once upon a time, during the storybook version of dating we'd gone through, I'd pretended that it was possible to love her when I only mildly liked her. Now I had no desire to pretend we'd ever be in love, and I liked her madly. 'Can we try to be wise with each other for a very long time?' I asked her. She laughed. 'You mean, can we share our fuckups and see if we can get any wisdom out of them?' 'Yeah,' I said. 'That would be nice.”” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A speaker proposes honest, long‑term partnership built on sharing mistakes to gain wisdom. **In simple terms:** Ask for a wise, honest relationship. Key Takeaway Seek openness and learning together. Themes relationships honesty growth Mood hopeful reflective Type advice conversational romantic When to use this quote - dating - long‑term partnership - conflict resolution - personal development Key Concepts communication vulnerability wisdom shared experience Questions to Reflect On - How can you create a safe space for sharing mistakes? - What wisdom have you gained from past relationship errors? A Different Perspective Both partners must be willing to expose flaws, which can be uncomfortable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ex boyfriends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ex-boyfriends/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [me: just don't ask about his forty-three ex-boyfriends, okay? or ask him about why he's carrying around an axe. mom:... me: i'm kidding about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/me-just-don-t-ask-about-his-forty-three-ex-boyfriends-okay-or-ask-him/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I'd stop the world from spinning for you." That silly line oddly touched me. "I love you." "Liked that one, did you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/i-d-stop-the-world-from-spinning-for-you-that-silly-line-oddly/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [What’s a little calming distraction for your girlfriend in the midst of world entertainment domination?” “I’d stop the world from spinning for you.” That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/what-s-a-little-calming-distraction-for-your-girlfriend-in-the-midst/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [“She said she was breaking up with me because I didn't know how to express my emotions. The thing is, I didn't have that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-hyland/she-said-she-was-breaking-up-with-me-because-i-didn-t-know-how-to/) M.J. Hyland > [Love as if you liked yourself, and it may happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/love-as-if-you-liked-yourself-and-it-may-happen/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [“I don’t think that I’ve been in love as such Although I liked a few folk pretty well Love must be vaster than my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-don-t-think-that-i-ve-been-in-love-as-such-although-i-liked-a-few/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I never expected you to love me, but I would have liked to have you love me as much as I love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-never-expected-you-to-love-me-but-i-would-have-liked-to-have-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take me back to those days, when you knew of my love, yet liked me nonetheless, and when I smiled at you, you smiled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-madan/take-me-back-to-those-days-when-you-knew-of-my-love-yet-liked-me/) C. Madan > [“He called me "love". I liked that. A lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-cook/he-called-me-love-i-liked-that-a-lot/) [Kristi Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-cook/) > [You can't actually have a romance between friends. That sort of defeats the definition of the word "romance." The word you're looking for is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-can-t-actually-have-a-romance-between-friends-that-sort-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Oh, do not pretend you are in love with me,” she said, stiffening. “Very well,” he said, stopping. “I will not pretend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-greene/oh-do-not-pretend-you-are-in-love-with-me-she-said-stiffening-very/) [Elena Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-greene/) > [I'm not hot or gorgeous. I don't have an amazing figure or a flat stomach. I'm far from being considered a model but, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatorey/i-m-not-hot-or-gorgeous-i-don-t-have-an-amazing-figure-or-a-flat/) Ritu Ghatorey > [“they pretend to love while i pretend to lose”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdinasir/they-pretend-to-love-while-i-pretend-to-lose/) Abdinasir > [Don't be ashamed if you don't like what others pretend to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/don-t-be-ashamed-if-you-don-t-like-what-others-pretend-to-love/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“We saw our friends die. But we also see our friends live. So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More Ex boyfriends quotes > [Ex boyfriends, are like an old pair of shoes. You know that you don't need them anymore but you don't have the heart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ex-boyfriends-are-like-an-old-pair-of-shoes-you-know-that-you-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Thank you so much for the rude know-it-all attitude while also having to look at your ridiculously colored hair and obnoxious facial and chest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-chapple/thank-you-so-much-for-the-rude-know-it-all-attitude-while-also-having/) Heather Chapple > [“Italian food trumps ex-boyfriends every time,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/italian-food-trumps-ex-boyfriends-every-time/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [You cant say you are ignoring me wen yoir staring right in my fac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayj/you-cant-say-you-are-ignoring-me-wen-yoir-staring-right-in-my-fac/) Jayj > [This is going to make me sound really weird and stalkery, but I've bought the aftershaves of all my ex-boyfriends. Sometimes I like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poppy-delevingne/this-is-going-to-make-me-sound-really-weird-and-stalkery-but-i-ve/) [Poppy Delevingne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poppy-delevingne/) > [On tour, its either call ex-boyfriends or tweet a lot. Youre just looking for any proof that youre not completely alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-peretti/on-tour-its-either-call-ex-boyfriends-or-tweet-a-lot-youre-just/) [Chelsea Peretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-peretti/) > [I mean everybody's got ex-boyfriends and girlfriends. Everybody's got baggage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-dobrev/i-mean-everybody-s-got-ex-boyfriends-and-girlfriends-everybody-s-got/) [Nina Dobrev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-dobrev/) > [“...I feel like a traitor, a phony, a fake. But I am a hypocrite with the best intentions, and I need kissing desperately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-j-ginger/i-feel-like-a-traitor-a-phony-a-fake-but-i-am-a-hypocrite-with-the/) Coco J. Ginger > [Here's a message to ALL my ex boyfriends. Lets face it sweetie, you can go through hundreds of girls, but I hate to disappoint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/here-s-a-message-to-all-my-ex-boyfriends-lets-face-it-sweetie-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Enough power to bring you back hehee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mcdoodle/enough-power-to-bring-you-back-hehee/) [Jessica Mcdoodle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mcdoodle/) > [When one of your ex boyfriends getting mad your talking to another guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-one-of-your-ex-boyfriends-getting-mad-your-talking-to-another-guy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Insecure girls go after the taken guys, the guys their friends like, the off limits ex boyfriends of their friends, or any guy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/insecure-girls-go-after-the-taken-guys-the-guys-their-friends-like/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [“Back To December is a song that addresses a first for me. In that I've never apologized in a song before. Whether it be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/back-to-december-is-a-song-that-addresses-a-first-for-me-in-that-i-ve/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [“I would think you’d have better things to do right now than look up the marital status of my ex-boyfriends on the Internet,” Mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/i-would-think-you-d-have-better-things-to-do-right-now-than-look-up/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [I get so mad about ex-boyfriends, but if a boy hurts me, I don't write a song about it. They don't deserve it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena/i-get-so-mad-about-ex-boyfriends-but-if-a-boy-hurts-me-i-don-t-write/) [Selena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena/) [Browse all 50 Ex boyfriends quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ex-boyfriends/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“So there we were. Once upon a time, during the storybook version of dating we'd gone through, I'd pretended that it was possible to love her when I only mildly liked her. Now I had no desire to pretend we'd ever be in love, and I liked her madly. 'Can we try to be wise with each other for a very long time?' I asked her. She laughed. 'You mean, can we share our fuckups and see if we can get any wisdom out of them?' 'Yeah,' I said. 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