--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A single girl who needs nobody makes…" description: "\"“A single girl who needs nobody makes people uncomfortable, my mom is right in this, appearance is everything, and appearing to have no one is like swi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/elissa-schappell-27806_appearance_a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-peo_121938.jpg" --- # A single girl who needs nobody makes people uncomfortable… ![“A single girl who needs nobody makes people uncomfortable, my mom is right in this, appearance is everything, and appearing to have no one is like swimming alone in the middle of the ocean with a flesh wound.” quote by Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/elissa-schappell-27806_appearance_a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-peo_121938.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/elissa-schappell-27806_appearance_a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-peo_121938.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/elissa-schappell-27806_appearance_a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-peo_121938.jpg) > ““A single girl who needs nobody makes people uncomfortable, my mom is right in this, appearance is everything, and appearing to have no one is like swimming alone in the middle of the ocean with a flesh wound.”” [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman who appears self‑sufficient can provoke discomfort because societal expectations value relational dependence; the metaphor likens this isolation to a wounded swimmer alone in the ocean. **In simple terms:** Independence can feel unsettling and painful. Key Takeaway Social norms prize relational identity. Themes gender independence social perception vulnerability Mood melancholic critical Type observational cultural critique When to use this quote - Workplace networking events - Solo travel experiences - Therapeutic group sessions Key Concepts cultural conditioning self‑presentation Practical Applications - Balance self‑reliance with authentic connections Questions to Reflect On - Why does society view self‑sufficiency in women as threatening? - How can you honor independence while fostering healthy bonds? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize isolation, overlooking benefits of interdependence and community support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Single girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-girl/) [Uncomfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncomfortable/) [Wounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounds/) ## Related quotes > [Is my mom all right?" "She's perfectly fine. don't worry, Bella, I have no quarrel with her. Unless you didn't come alone, of course."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/is-my-mom-all-right-she-s-perfectly-fine-don-t-worry-bella-i-have-no/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [I let it go. It's like swimming against the current. It exhausts you. After a while, whoever you are, you just have to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/i-let-it-go-it-s-like-swimming-against-the-current-it-exhausts-you/) [Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/) > [“When everyone you know is on the verge of drowning, you don’t stop to tell the person next to you that you don’t like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/when-everyone-you-know-is-on-the-verge-of-drowning-you-don-t-stop-to/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) > [“You don't even like swimming! You can't jump in without holding your nose," she points out. True.But if I were at the country club…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alecia-whitaker/you-don-t-even-like-swimming-you-can-t-jump-in-without-holding-your/) [Alecia Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alecia-whitaker/) > [I felt like I'd been swimming so hard, and the water growing warmer and warmer the closer I got to the top. I wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-felt-like-i-d-been-swimming-so-hard-and-the-water-growing-warmer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Cath felt like she was swimming in words. Drowning in them, sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/cath-felt-like-she-was-swimming-in-words-drowning-in-them-sometimes/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [Water for me is so essential, like swimming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nastassja-kinski/water-for-me-is-so-essential-like-swimming/) [Nastassja Kinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nastassja-kinski/) > [Well first of all, I'd just like to say that 2005 was a great year, if you like swimming through crap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/well-first-of-all-i-d-just-like-to-say-that-2005-was-a-great-year-if/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [Leadership, like swimming, cannot be learned by reading about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/leadership-like-swimming-cannot-be-learned-by-reading-about-it/) [Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/) > [I also like to do physical things. I like swimming a lot. I like traveling. Not touring traveling but just plain traveling. I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/i-also-like-to-do-physical-things-i-like-swimming-a-lot-i-like/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [Being an actor, you always feel like you're swimming upstream. People are going, 'No, they don't like you. They don't like the way you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-whitford/being-an-actor-you-always-feel-like-you-re-swimming-upstream-people/) [Bradley Whitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-whitford/) > [I'm a full-time mom right now and a part-time actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-bertinelli/i-m-a-full-time-mom-right-now-and-a-part-time-actress/) [Valerie Bertinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-bertinelli/) > [My mom was right. That's one hell of an age gap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-tyler/my-mom-was-right-that-s-one-hell-of-an-age-gap/) [Rose Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-tyler/) > [“Your mom is right here with us, Elle. Her spirit’s here giving my exhausted arm strength to keep hanging on. She’s keeping the current…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/your-mom-is-right-here-with-us-elle-her-spirit-s-here-giving-my/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [Age 5: I love Mommy. Age 18: I HATE HER. Age 21: Mom was right Age 57: I wish my Mom was still here!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/age-5-i-love-mommy-age-18-i-hate-her-age-21-mom-was-right-age-57-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Elissa Schappell > [Write to exhaustion so that you can no longer manage to avoid writing the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/write-to-exhaustion-so-that-you-can-no-longer-manage-to-avoid-writing/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [By investing others with the power to dictate who you are, you rob yourself of an opportunity to truly grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/by-investing-others-with-the-power-to-dictate-who-you-are-you-rob/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [“Paige and Charlotte had first met on the playground. Without a word, each had recognized the other as a sister in the bonds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/paige-and-charlotte-had-first-met-on-the-playground-without-a-word/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [By investing others with the power to dictate who you are, you rob yourself of an opportunity to truly grow. You shortchange yourself by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/by-investing-others-with-the-power-to-dictate-who-you-are-you-rob-2/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [“It was true Paige and I had dinner alone. She wanted to stop by and pick up some books — poetry books I’d owned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/it-was-true-paige-and-i-had-dinner-alone-she-wanted-to-stop-by-and/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [“We are driving along a road I have driven my whole life. I still watch for the bends in the creek, checking to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/we-are-driving-along-a-road-i-have-driven-my-whole-life-i-still-watch/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [In Quiet Dell, Phillips mesmerizingly spins together fact and fiction, vividly imagining the circumstances leading to their deaths, and sets a young female reporter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/in-quiet-dell-phillips-mesmerizingly-spins-together-fact-and-fiction/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [“The move for the pitcher of Bloody Marys on the porch railing is pure instinct, reflex. Tomatoes are packed with vitamins. Next, I’ll duck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/the-move-for-the-pitcher-of-bloody-marys-on-the-porch-railing-is-pure/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [Dave Eggers is a prince among men when it comes to writing deeply felt, socially conscious books that meld reportage with fiction. While A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/dave-eggers-is-a-prince-among-men-when-it-comes-to-writing-deeply/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [While Max appears to greatly admire Wallace as a writer and feel compassion for him as a man, he is never starry-eyed, or pulls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/while-max-appears-to-greatly-admire-wallace-as-a-writer-and-feel/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [You know what they say - sleep is the mother's drug of choice, but like heroin, only the very rich and the very poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/you-know-what-they-say-sleep-is-the-mother-s-drug-of-choice-but-like/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [Anthony Doerr again takes language beyond mortal limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/anthony-doerr-again-takes-language-beyond-mortal-limits/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [Don't be a fool, there is no such thing as just a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/don-t-be-a-fool-there-is-no-such-thing-as-just-a-girl/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [“You should see the other guy..." Teddy says, in this laconic tone that matches her black kimono. She takes a drag on a joint,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/you-should-see-the-other-guy-teddy-says-in-this-laconic-tone-that/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) > [“No matter what kind of clouds they are – nimbus, stratus, cumulus – my mother always sees Elvis, and my sister always sees angels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/no-matter-what-kind-of-clouds-they-are-nimbus-stratus-cumulus-my/) [Elissa Schappell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) [Explore all 20 Elissa Schappell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/) ## More Appearance quotes > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [The essence of worldliness is exclusion of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jacobsen/the-essence-of-worldliness-is-exclusion-of-god/) [Henry Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jacobsen/) > [We must, however, note that what are usually called the high religions made their appearance within about twenty-five hundred years - most of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-scott-latourette/we-must-however-note-that-what-are-usually-called-the-high-religions/) [Kenneth Scott Latourette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-scott-latourette/) > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [You can have a nice body, dress with the latest fashion. But if you don't have self-confidence sweetheart, forget about looking sexy, you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/you-can-have-a-nice-body-dress-with-the-latest-fashion-but-if-you-don/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [I cannot be convinced that great artists are moralists. Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [So may the outward shows be least themselves; The world is still deceived with ornament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-may-the-outward-shows-be-least-themselves-the-world-is-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are one of many appearances of the thing called Life; we are not its perfect image, for it has no perfect image except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/we-are-one-of-many-appearances-of-the-thing-called-life-we-are-not/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [There is no society or conversation to be kept up in the world without good-nature, or something which must bear its appearance and supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/there-is-no-society-or-conversation-to-be-kept-up-in-the-world/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Appearance records are pretty special. Mine means a lot to me, not only because I love stats, but because it shows that I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james/appearance-records-are-pretty-special-mine-means-a-lot-to-me-not-only/) [David James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james/) > [Every man would fall in love with their voice, their lovely appearance, but no man would ever get past that. They'd never really know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/every-man-would-fall-in-love-with-their-voice-their-lovely-appearance/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) Browse all 2,446 Appearance quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A single girl who needs nobody makes people uncomfortable, my mom is right in this, appearance is everything, and appearing to have no one is like swimming alone in the middle of the ocean with a flesh wound.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elissa Schappell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-people-uncomfortable-my-mom-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appearance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-people-uncomfortable-my-mom-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/elissa-schappell-27806_appearance_a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-peo_121938.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/elissa-schappell-27806_appearance_a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-peo_121938.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06e/elissa-schappell-27806_appearance_a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-peo_121938.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A single girl who needs nobody makes people uncomfortable, my mom is right in this, appearance is…” — Elissa Schappell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elissa Schappell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-schappell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A single girl who needs nobody...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-people-uncomfortable-my-mom-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-schappell/a-single-girl-who-needs-nobody-makes-people-uncomfortable-my-mom-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```