--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Women lose their lives not knowing they…" description: "\"Women lose their lives not knowing they can do something different...I claimed myself and remade my life. Only when I knew I belonged to myself complet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b39/dorothy-allison-2041_belonged_women-lose-their-lives-not-knowing-they_1521730.png" --- # Women lose their lives not knowing they can do something… ![“Women lose their lives not knowing they can do something different...I claimed myself and remade my life. Only when I knew I belonged to myself completely did I become capable of giving myself to another, of finding joy in desire, pleasure in our love, power in this body no one else owns.” quote by Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b39/dorothy-allison-2041_belonged_women-lose-their-lives-not-knowing-they_1521730.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b39/dorothy-allison-2041_belonged_women-lose-their-lives-not-knowing-they_1521730.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b39/dorothy-allison-2041_belonged_women-lose-their-lives-not-knowing-they_1521730.png) > “Women lose their lives not knowing they can do something different...I claimed myself and remade my life. Only when I knew I belonged to myself completely did I become capable of giving myself to another, of finding joy in desire, pleasure in our love, power in this body no one else owns.” [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes personal empowerment through self‑acceptance, leading to authentic love, pleasure, and bodily autonomy. **In simple terms:** Self‑acceptance empowers love, pleasure, and ownership of one’s body. Key Takeaway Embrace yourself fully to experience true joy and power. Themes self‑growth identity love body autonomy Mood reflective empowering Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - therapy sessions - personal development workshops - relationship counseling - creative writing Key Concepts empowerment self‑realization intimacy Questions to Reflect On - How does belonging to oneself change relationships? - What steps help achieve full self‑acceptance? A Different Perspective Self‑acceptance can be a lifelong, challenging process. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Finding Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-joy/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Power of love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-of-love/) ## Related quotes > [I claimed myself and remade my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-claimed-myself-and-remade-my-life/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“I have lived my life in pursuit of the remade world... I believe in truth. I believe in truth denied any use of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-have-lived-my-life-in-pursuit-of-the-remade-world-i-believe-in/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [I live my life the way I wish , coz its mine and everything is up to me coz here on earth no body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacent-nakato/i-live-my-life-the-way-i-wish-coz-its-mine-and-everything-is-up-to-me/) [Jacent Nakato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacent-nakato/) > [If I cannot give consent to my own death, whose body is this? Who owns my life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-rodriguez/if-i-cannot-give-consent-to-my-own-death-whose-body-is-this-who-owns/) Sue Rodriguez > [“A healthy body owns a healthy mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/a-healthy-body-owns-a-healthy-mind/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Most people are fascinated by what I did as a teenager, but when I look back at my life, I don't think very much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/most-people-are-fascinated-by-what-i-did-as-a-teenager-but-when-i/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) > [I was an opportunist and got away with things because I was very young, but I went to prison and came out and remade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/i-was-an-opportunist-and-got-away-with-things-because-i-was-very/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) > [“This is where his life - his remade life - has brought him. Each strange juncture has led to the next and now he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-abrams-2/this-is-where-his-life-his-remade-life-has-brought-him-each-strange/) [J.J. Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-abrams-2/) > [“It turns out that welcome is solidarity. We’re glad you’re here, and we’re with you. This whole project called you being alive, you finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-turns-out-that-welcome-is-solidarity-we-re-glad-you-re-here-and-we/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Without pressure, I don't think this would be very much fun, without all the people watching and finding joy in this game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baker-mayfield/without-pressure-i-don-t-think-this-would-be-very-much-fun-without/) [Baker Mayfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baker-mayfield/) > [“One of the secrets of life is to find joy in the journey." But Grandma, you weren't on \*this\* journey. It was just crazy--"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-buckley/one-of-the-secrets-of-life-is-to-find-joy-in-the-journey-but-grandma/) Matthew Buckley > [I love Thich Nhat Hahn. One of my favorite quotes of his (and I’m paraphrasing), he’s talking about cultivating happiness, and he was saying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-love-thich-nhat-hahn-one-of-my-favorite-quotes-of-his-and-i-m/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [There are souls in this world which have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/there-are-souls-in-this-world-which-have-the-gift-of-finding-joy/) [Jean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul/) > [Finding joy is probably tantamount to finding yourself and being comfortable in your own skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/finding-joy-is-probably-tantamount-to-finding-yourself-and-being/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [You've heard tales of beauty and the beast. How a fair maid falls in love with a monster and sees the beauty of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-maitland/you-ve-heard-tales-of-beauty-and-the-beast-how-a-fair-maid-falls-in/) [Karen Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-maitland/) ## More by Dorothy Allison > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“Simple answers, reductionist politics, are the most prone to compromise, to saying we’re addressing the essential issue and all that other stuff can slide.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/simple-answers-reductionist-politics-are-the-most-prone-to-compromise/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [People don't do right because of the fear of God or love of him. You do right because the world doesn't make sense if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/people-don-t-do-right-because-of-the-fear-of-god-or-love-of-him-you/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“I had to say to her that it isn’t just men, and it isn’t just men “like that.” I had to talk to her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-had-to-say-to-her-that-it-isn-t-just-men-and-it-isn-t-just-men-like/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“Entitlement, I have told them, is a matter of feeling like we rather than they.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/entitlement-i-have-told-them-is-a-matter-of-feeling-like-we-rather/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“Love was something I would not have to worry about - the whole mystery of love, heartbreak songs, and family legends. Women who pined,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/love-was-something-i-would-not-have-to-worry-about-the-whole-mystery/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“Behind the story I tell is the one I don't. Behind the story you hear is the one I wish I could make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/behind-the-story-i-tell-is-the-one-i-don-t-behind-the-story-you-hear/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Hunger makes you restless. you dream about food - not just any food, but perfect food, the best food, magical meals, famous and awe-inspiring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/hunger-makes-you-restless-you-dream-about-food-not-just-any-food-but/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [I think I would have died if there hadn't been the women's movement. It gave me a vision that I could do something different,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-think-i-would-have-died-if-there-hadn-t-been-the-women-s-movement/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [People begin to write in order to create what they have not found and, a little bit, to give something back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/people-begin-to-write-in-order-to-create-what-they-have-not-found-and/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [The hardest thing to teach young writers is that it's wonderful to tell your truth. And that's what you should do. But it damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/the-hardest-thing-to-teach-young-writers-is-that-it-s-wonderful-to/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“The horror of class stratification, racism, and prejudice is that some people begin to believe that the security of their families and communities depends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/the-horror-of-class-stratification-racism-and-prejudice-is-that-some/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [I did not begin with craft, I began with strong feelings and worked toward craft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-did-not-begin-with-craft-i-began-with-strong-feelings-and-worked/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [I think I would have died if there hadn't been the women's movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/i-think-i-would-have-died-if-there-hadn-t-been-the-women-s-movement-2/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [When I was growing up, I always read horror books, while my sister read romance novels. My sister became unmarried and pregnant during high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/when-i-was-growing-up-i-always-read-horror-books-while-my-sister-read/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) [Explore all 189 Dorothy Allison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) ## More Belonged quotes > [I've never belonged to any group that didn't have at least one member who wasn't a total dick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rock-cowles/i-ve-never-belonged-to-any-group-that-didn-t-have-at-least-one-member/) [Rock Cowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rock-cowles/) > [“She is beyond me, but my love is pure, not base desire To her alone I belonged, I belong - even if mine she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umera-ahmed/she-is-beyond-me-but-my-love-is-pure-not-base-desire-to-her-alone-i/) [Umera Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umera-ahmed/) > [I moved to Milan when I was 15. I was always looking for something; I never really felt like I belonged where I was,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/i-moved-to-milan-when-i-was-15-i-was-always-looking-for-something-i/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [I always thought competition was for horse races and it never belonged in art. I never felt that competitive with other girl singers, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-always-thought-competition-was-for-horse-races-and-it-never/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [The whole force of the respectable circles to which I belonged, that respectable circle which knew as I did notthe value of security won,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/the-whole-force-of-the-respectable-circles-to-which-i-belonged-that/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [The power to bring me out of solitude - or to push me back into it - had never belonged to another person. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/the-power-to-bring-me-out-of-solitude-or-to-push-me-back-into-it-had/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [“There was nowhere else she belonged but right here with him. In his life, in his home, in his arms. She was his—and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxie-rivera/there-was-nowhere-else-she-belonged-but-right-here-with-him-in-his/) [Roxie Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxie-rivera/) > [The first time that I stepped onto a stage, it was life-changing. For once, I felt comfortable and in a place where I belonged.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanice-williams/the-first-time-that-i-stepped-onto-a-stage-it-was-life-changing-for/) [Shanice Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanice-williams/) > [“Was there anyone before you? You might have thought so at the the time. I feel like no one's ever loved me before. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-reiss/was-there-anyone-before-you-you-might-have-thought-so-at-the-the-time/) [C.D. Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-reiss/) > [One thing that was very important to me was that I felt comfortable in the lab from being very, very small. I knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/one-thing-that-was-very-important-to-me-was-that-i-felt-comfortable/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [“let it go let it leave let it happen nothing in this world was promised or belonged to you anyway - all you own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/let-it-go-let-it-leave-let-it-happen-nothing-in-this-world-was/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [The character of the monkey just grew from something out of his face and my granddad's personality. They fused, and that's what I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/the-character-of-the-monkey-just-grew-from-something-out-of-his-face/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I was always kind of searching for the right social group in high school and never really felt like I belonged with any one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-dyer/i-was-always-kind-of-searching-for-the-right-social-group-in-high/) [Natalia Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-dyer/) > [I was a silent actress: a body. I belonged to dreams - to those who can't be broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-kristel/i-was-a-silent-actress-a-body-i-belonged-to-dreams-to-those-who-can-t/) [Sylvia Kristel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-kristel/) > [I took three steps and was wrapped in his arms, where I belonged. No confusion here. No worries here. No troubles here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-v-snyder/i-took-three-steps-and-was-wrapped-in-his-arms-where-i-belonged-no/) [Maria V. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-v-snyder/) Browse all 304 Belonged quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Women lose their lives not knowing they can do something different...I claimed myself and remade my life. 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