--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think I lived those years very…" description: "\"I think I lived those years very impersonally. It was almost as though I had erected someone outside myself who was the president's wife. I was lost so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/eleanor-roosevelt-381_deep_i-think-i-lived-those-years-very-imperso_2679186.jpg" --- # I think I lived those years very impersonally. It was… ![“I think I lived those years very impersonally. It was almost as though I had erected someone outside myself who was the president's wife. I was lost somewhere deep down inside myself. That is the way I felt and worked until I left the White House.” quote by Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/eleanor-roosevelt-381_deep_i-think-i-lived-those-years-very-imperso_2679186.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/eleanor-roosevelt-381_deep_i-think-i-lived-those-years-very-imperso_2679186.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f5/eleanor-roosevelt-381_deep_i-think-i-lived-those-years-very-imperso_2679186.jpg) > “I think I lived those years very impersonally. It was almost as though I had erected someone outside myself who was the president's wife. I was lost somewhere deep down inside myself. That is the way I felt and worked until I left the White House.” [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She felt detached from her own identity, acting as a façade for a role, leading to inner loss. **In simple terms:** She felt like a mask, losing herself. Key Takeaway Recognize and reclaim personal authenticity. Themes identity role self authenticity politics Mood reflective somber Type personal psychological When to use this quote - political office - career transition - personal crisis - self-reflection Key Concepts psychology self-concept public persona Questions to Reflect On - How can one stay true to self while serving a public role? - What steps help reconnect with inner identity? A Different Perspective Maintaining a public role can erode personal identity over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) ## Related quotes > [This Creative Mechanism within you is impersonal. 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Well, my wife, Cindy, says it is because I sustainedseveral severe blows to the head in prison camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/why-am-i-running-for-president-well-my-wife-cindy-says-it-is-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“I had erected someone outside myself who was the President’s wife. I was lost somewhere deep down inside myself. That is the way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-shapiro/i-had-erected-someone-outside-myself-who-was-the-president-s-wife-i/) [Laura Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-shapiro/) > [I have learned something about the job of being the President's wife. 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You don't feel the need to be impatient any longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/that-s-the-advantage-of-having-lived-sixty-five-years-you-don-t-feel/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“Jo Lane had in fact lived there for five years until she moved on. “Where did she go?” I asked innocently, not getting it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-patrick/jo-lane-had-in-fact-lived-there-for-five-years-until-she-moved-on/) [Cat Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-patrick/) > [We shoot 'Hustle' for 12 to 16 weeks, so that's how long I'm here each year. I've always loved London. I lived here for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-vaughn/we-shoot-hustle-for-12-to-16-weeks-so-that-s-how-long-i-m-here-each/) [Robert Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-vaughn/) > [I left home when I was 16 years old, and I've been living all around the world honing my craft. I lived in L.A.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerli/i-left-home-when-i-was-16-years-old-and-i-ve-been-living-all-around/) [Kerli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerli/) > [I come from the stage, so I started in New York, lived there for eleven years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/i-come-from-the-stage-so-i-started-in-new-york-lived-there-for-eleven/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [When I was 21, I went to London and lived there for eight years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sia/when-i-was-21-i-went-to-london-and-lived-there-for-eight-years/) [Sia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sia/) > [Life is measured by how you lived it, not by the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-iglesias/life-is-measured-by-how-you-lived-it-not-by-the-years/) [Gabriel Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-iglesias/) > [The person who has lived the most is not the one with the most years but the one with the richest experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-person-who-has-lived-the-most-is-not-the-one-with-the-most-years/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## More by Eleanor Roosevelt > [My experience has been that work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/my-experience-has-been-that-work-is-almost-the-best-way-to-pull/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [experience should teach us that it is always the unexpected that does occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/experience-should-teach-us-that-it-is-always-the-unexpected-that-does/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [To be mature you have to realize what you value most... Not to arrive at a clear understanding of one's own values is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/to-be-mature-you-have-to-realize-what-you-value-most-not-to-arrive-at/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [I'm enormously interested in freedom and retaining the right to have whatever economy we want and to shape it as we want and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/i-m-enormously-interested-in-freedom-and-retaining-the-right-to-have/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [When you look fear in the face, you are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-look-fear-in-the-face-you-are-able-to-say-to-yourself-i/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/the-destiny-of-human-rights-is-in-the-hands-of-all-our-citizens-in/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [You can never really live anyone else's life, not even your child's. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/you-can-never-really-live-anyone-else-s-life-not-even-your-child-s/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“One of the things I believe most intensely is that every child’s why should be answered with care—and with respect. If you do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-things-i-believe-most-intensely-is-that-every-child-s-why/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [What we must learn to do is to create unbreakable bonds between the sciences and the humanities. We cannot procrastinate. The world of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/what-we-must-learn-to-do-is-to-create-unbreakable-bonds-between-the/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Never allow a person to tell you no who doesn't have the power to say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/never-allow-a-person-to-tell-you-no-who-doesn-t-have-the-power-to-say/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/do-not-stop-thinking-of-life-as-an-adventure-you-have-no-security/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [We stand today at the threshold of a great event both in the life of the United Nations and in the life of mankind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/we-stand-today-at-the-threshold-of-a-great-event-both-in-the-life-of/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [All of us ... should remember that no amount of flag-waving, pledging allegiance, or fervent singing of the national anthem is evidence that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/all-of-us-should-remember-that-no-amount-of-flag-waving-pledging/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Some friends leave footprints in your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/some-friends-leave-footprints-in-your-heart/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [If we want a free and peaceful world, if we want to make the deserts bloom and man grow to greater dignity as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/if-we-want-a-free-and-peaceful-world-if-we-want-to-make-the-deserts/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) [Explore all 612 Eleanor Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) ## More Deep quotes > [There is no precedent of an advanced economy withdrawing from a trade agreement as deep and as complex as the European Union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-johnson/there-is-no-precedent-of-an-advanced-economy-withdrawing-from-a-trade/) [Jo Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-johnson/) > [I'm just going to express my opinion and try to change the way people think with the stuff I write or try to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-m-just-going-to-express-my-opinion-and-try-to-change-the-way-people/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [I don't feel I have to write deep and meaningful songs; they can be light and meaningless. 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