--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She did not realize it herself, but she…" description: "\"“She did not realize it herself, but she had so long been accustomed to wanting what she did not have, that to state offhand what she DID want seemed i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/eleanor-h-porter-28329_accustomed_she-did-not-realize-it-herself-but-she-h_2646949.jpg" --- # She did not realize it herself, but she had so long been… ![“She did not realize it herself, but she had so long been accustomed to wanting what she did not have, that to state offhand what she DID want seemed impossible-until she knew what she had.” quote by Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/eleanor-h-porter-28329_accustomed_she-did-not-realize-it-herself-but-she-h_2646949.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/eleanor-h-porter-28329_accustomed_she-did-not-realize-it-herself-but-she-h_2646949.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0d/eleanor-h-porter-28329_accustomed_she-did-not-realize-it-herself-but-she-h_2646949.jpg) > ““She did not realize it herself, but she had so long been accustomed to wanting what she did not have, that to state offhand what she DID want seemed impossible-until she knew what she had.”” [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing what we have changes desire, making previous wants seem impossible. **In simple terms:** Appreciating current blessings reshapes desire. Key Takeaway Practice gratitude to transform expectations. Themes gratitude self-awareness desire Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - coaching - therapy Key Concepts psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What current blessings have you overlooked? - How does gratitude affect your future goals? A Different Perspective Desire can be complex; gratitude isn’t a cure-all. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accustomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accustomed/) [Accustomed Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accustomed-wanting-918856/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Impossible Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impossible-knew-2317353/) [Long Accustomed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-accustomed-668546/) [Wanting Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanting-did-2317354/) ## Related quotes > [Men inadvertently comport themselves with nobility when they have grown accustomed to wanting nothing from others and always giving to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/men-inadvertently-comport-themselves-with-nobility-when-they-have/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“She had all her life long been accustomed to harbor thoughts and emotions which never voiced themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/she-had-all-her-life-long-been-accustomed-to-harbor-thoughts-and/) [Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/) > [For grief is felt not so much for the want of what we have never known, as for the loss of that to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pericles/for-grief-is-felt-not-so-much-for-the-want-of-what-we-have-never/) [Pericles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pericles/) > [Mark the babe not long accustomed to this breathing world; One that hath barely learned to shape a smile, though yet irrational of soul,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/mark-the-babe-not-long-accustomed-to-this-breathing-world-one-that/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [When we were told it's impossible, we knew it's the right way to be done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sutter/when-we-were-told-it-s-impossible-we-knew-it-s-the-right-way-to-be/) [Joe Sutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sutter/) > [“There was no such thing as impossible. 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There is less information, there's less investigation, there's less analysis, there's less accountability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-greenspon/democracy-is-not-being-well-served-as-we-re-accustomed-to-there-is/) [Edward Greenspon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-greenspon/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) ## More by Eleanor H. Porter > [“In fact, I know that a 'nice live little boy' would be far better than - my skeleton in the closet; only - we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/in-fact-i-know-that-a-nice-live-little-boy-would-be-far-better-than/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“I've got something besides the weather to think of. I don't know whether the sun shines or not." Pollyanna beamed joyously. "No, sir; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/i-ve-got-something-besides-the-weather-to-think-of-i-don-t-know/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“Aunt Polly is all stirred up over it. You see, she wants Uncle Tom to have what he wants, only she wants him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/aunt-polly-is-all-stirred-up-over-it-you-see-she-wants-uncle-tom-to/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“In his imagination he was far away in a little Western town with a missionary minister who was poor, sick, worried, and almost alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/in-his-imagination-he-was-far-away-in-a-little-western-town-with-a/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“...she had been too busy wishing things were different to find much time to enjoy things as they were.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/she-had-been-too-busy-wishing-things-were-different-to-find-much-time/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“Then you--weren't lovers?" Pollyanna's voice was tragic with dismay. "Never!" "And it isn't all coming out like a book? . . . Oh dear!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/then-you-weren-t-lovers-pollyanna-s-voice-was-tragic-with-dismay/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“...only- we aren't always willing to make the exchange. We are apt to still cling to- our skeletons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/only-we-aren-t-always-willing-to-make-the-exchange-we-are-apt-to/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“Well, goodness me! I can't see anythin' ter be glad about—gettin' a pair of crutches when you wanted a doll!" Pollyanna clapped her hands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/well-goodness-me-i-can-t-see-anythin-ter-be-glad-about-gettin-a-pair/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“I was growlin' one day 'cause I was so bent up and crooked; an'what do ye s'pose the little thing said? ... She said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/i-was-growlin-one-day-cause-i-was-so-bent-up-and-crooked-an-what-do/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“Miss Polly actually stamped her foot in irritation. "There you go like the rest," she shouted. "What game?" At last Nancy told her all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/miss-polly-actually-stamped-her-foot-in-irritation-there-you-go-like/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“I tell you, troubles are poor things to hug. They've got to many pickers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/i-tell-you-troubles-are-poor-things-to-hug-they-ve-got-to-many-pickers/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“thank you. I love to fix people's hair," exulted”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/thank-you-i-love-to-fix-people-s-hair-exulted/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“I know, father-among-the-angels, I'm not playing the game one bit now—not one bit; but I don't believe even you could find anything to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/i-know-father-among-the-angels-i-m-not-playing-the-game-one-bit-now/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“Impatience which would brook no opposition had been a part of John Pendleton's nature too long to yield very easily now to restraint”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/impatience-which-would-brook-no-opposition-had-been-a-part-of-john/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) > [“I wish I could prescribe her--and buy her--as I would a box of pills;--though if there gets to be many of her in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-h-porter/i-wish-i-could-prescribe-her-and-buy-her-as-i-would-a-box-of-pills/) [Eleanor H. Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) [Explore all 18 Eleanor H. Porter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-h-porter/) ## More Accustomed quotes > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. 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