---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She wanted to surprise everyone by her…"
description: "\"“She wanted to surprise everyone by her dash and originality, but she could not help modeling herself on the last person she met, and the confusion of ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8b/edith-wharton-512_confusion_she-wanted-to-surprise-everyone-by-her-d_162764.jpg"
---

#  She wanted to surprise everyone by her dash and…

![“She wanted to surprise everyone by her dash and originality, but she could not help modeling herself on the last person she met, and the confusion of ideals thus produced caused her much perturbation when she had to choose between two courses.” quote by Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8b/edith-wharton-512_confusion_she-wanted-to-surprise-everyone-by-her-d_162764.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8b/edith-wharton-512_confusion_she-wanted-to-surprise-everyone-by-her-d_162764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8b/edith-wharton-512_confusion_she-wanted-to-surprise-everyone-by-her-d_162764.jpg)

> ““She wanted to surprise everyone by her dash and originality, but she could not help modeling herself on the last person she met, and the confusion of ideals thus produced caused her much perturbation when she had to choose between two courses.””

[Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/)

## About This Quote

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

She tries to be original but ends up copying someone, leading to inner conflict when choosing between options.

**In simple terms:** Copying others creates confusion and stress when making decisions.

Key Takeaway

Seek authentic inspiration, not imitation.

Themes

originality identity decisionmaking

Mood

conflicted reflective

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- career choice
- creative projects
- personal relationships

Key Concepts

selfimitation socialinfluence

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you discover your own voice?
- What steps help avoid copying others?

A Different Perspective

Imitation limits true self‑expression and can cause distress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Caused Perturbation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caused-perturbation-1781464/) [Confusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion/) [Confusion Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusion-ideals-1781465/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Surprise Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise-dash-1781466/) [Wanted Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-surprise-1608447/)

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