--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sylvia possessed a deeply conditioned…" description: "\"“Sylvia possessed a deeply conditioned respect for authority. She wanted desperately to live up to the expectations of a society that viewed her as a b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/elizabeth-winder-17023_human-existence_sylvia-possessed-a-deeply-conditioned-re_2481565.jpg" --- # Sylvia possessed a deeply conditioned respect for… ![“Sylvia possessed a deeply conditioned respect for authority. She wanted desperately to live up to the expectations of a society that viewed her as a bright, charming, enormously talented disciple of bourgeois conformity. On the other hand, she ached to experience life in all its grim and beautiful…” quote by Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/elizabeth-winder-17023_human-existence_sylvia-possessed-a-deeply-conditioned-re_2481565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/elizabeth-winder-17023_human-existence_sylvia-possessed-a-deeply-conditioned-re_2481565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dd/elizabeth-winder-17023_human-existence_sylvia-possessed-a-deeply-conditioned-re_2481565.jpg) > ““Sylvia possessed a deeply conditioned respect for authority. She wanted desperately to live up to the expectations of a society that viewed her as a bright, charming, enormously talented disciple of bourgeois conformity. On the other hand, she ached to experience life in all its grim and beautiful complexity. The poetic eye was always at work examining the nuance and measuring obscure detail, turning conversation into ultimatum (Steiner)”” [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sylvia is torn between societal expectations and a yearning for authentic, complex experiences, highlighting the conflict between conformity and personal freedom. **In simple terms:** She feels pressure to conform but craves real, messy life. Key Takeaway Balance duty with personal curiosity. Themes conformity identity freedom artistic perception Mood conflicted reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career choice - artistic creation - personal relationships - cultural critique Key Concepts existential tension self‑actualization social pressure Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile external expectations with inner desires? - What compromises are you willing to make for authenticity? A Different Perspective Society’s expectations can stifle individuality and lead to inner conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bourgeois Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bourgeois-conformity-867522/) [Expectations Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations-society-867524/) [Experience Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-life/) [Human existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-existence/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Living life to the fullest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-life-to-the-fullest/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Poetic Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic-eye-867523/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Sylvia Possessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sylvia-possessed-867520/) [Ultimatum Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimatum-steiner-867521/) ## Related quotes > [“We're in our own world, and we're in the world that has been given us outside, and the problem is to achieve3 a harmonious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/we-re-in-our-own-world-and-we-re-in-the-world-that-has-been-given-us/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [I decided that I would defy expectations, be it those put on me by society, race, socioeconomic status, or my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tubbs/i-decided-that-i-would-defy-expectations-be-it-those-put-on-me-by/) [Michael Tubbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tubbs/) > [Given the expectations of society at large, men are generally correct in their assumption that it is important for a woman to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/given-the-expectations-of-society-at-large-men-are-generally-correct/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I’ve never lived my life by the expectations society puts on you. When something doesn’t feel right or isn’t going the way it should,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatima-robinson/i-ve-never-lived-my-life-by-the-expectations-society-puts-on-you-when/) [Fatima Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatima-robinson/) > [Often too many expectations are put on by society as to what we're supposed to look like and it's fed to people at an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-clare/often-too-many-expectations-are-put-on-by-society-as-to-what-we-re/) [Dustin Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-clare/) > [“She was restless. She drove a little too fast, swam a little too far offshore. She hitchhiked. She skied recklessly. While Sylvia's rabid perfectionism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/she-was-restless-she-drove-a-little-too-fast-swam-a-little-too-far/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“In times of turbulence in your life always know when it's time to throw up the gates and lock your heart and soul down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-e-hudson/in-times-of-turbulence-in-your-life-always-know-when-it-s-time-to/) [Charles E Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-e-hudson/) > [“Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others' choices make us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/intentional-living-is-the-art-of-making-our-own-choices-before-others/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [“I forgot what we were celebrating. Because we were always celebrating something, a new job, a new poem, a new love, a new dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-forgot-what-we-were-celebrating-because-we-were-always-celebrating/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“The cock does not just crow! It crows for a reason. Do not just concentrate on the cock crowing and mind the reason why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/the-cock-does-not-just-crow-it-crows-for-a-reason-do-not-just/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) > [“My life is exactly what it's meant to be, and I'm okay. I'm. Okay. Those two words, yeah, they mean a lot to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-beale/my-life-is-exactly-what-it-s-meant-to-be-and-i-m-okay-i-m-okay-those/) [Ashley Beale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-beale/) > [“Other people's criticisms about what you are capable of, have nothing to do with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julieanne-o-conner/other-people-s-criticisms-about-what-you-are-capable-of-have-nothing/) [Julieanne O'Conner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julieanne-o-conner/) > [“That's what the dead would tell the living, if they could - to grab hold of joy whenever it comes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/that-s-what-the-dead-would-tell-the-living-if-they-could-to-grab-hold/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [“It was about more fully inhabiting the life I have, not creating a new one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-digh/it-was-about-more-fully-inhabiting-the-life-i-have-not-creating-a-new/) [Patti Digh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-digh/) > [“Today if anything is trying to hold you back, give no attention to it. Get your hopes up, get your faith up, look up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/today-if-anything-is-trying-to-hold-you-back-give-no-attention-to-it/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) ## More by Elizabeth Winder > [“I've lived long enough to know that life doesn't always stick to the rules...The perfectly impossible and absolutely ridiculous keep happening all the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/i-ve-lived-long-enough-to-know-that-life-doesn-t-always-stick-to-the/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“I suppose that was an example of close attention to detail that is common to writers and artists. It is imperative, whether consciously or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/i-suppose-that-was-an-example-of-close-attention-to-detail-that-is/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“The serious Sylvia was agonizing over the execution of the Rosenbergs and McCarthyism; others were delighting to dream over trousseau lingerie at Vanity Fair's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/the-serious-sylvia-was-agonizing-over-the-execution-of-the-rosenbergs/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“When I was doing the Mademoiselle application my husband would peer over my shoulder and say, "What are you doing competing with the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/when-i-was-doing-the-mademoiselle-application-my-husband-would-peer/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“It was in this atmosphere of boozy wistfulness and dizzy exhaustion that Sylvia- along with Carol LeVarn- took her suitcase to the Barbizon roof…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/it-was-in-this-atmosphere-of-boozy-wistfulness-and-dizzy-exhaustion/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“Life is amazingly simplified,” she wrote in her journal, “now that the recalcitrant forsythia has at last decided to come and blurt out springtime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/life-is-amazingly-simplified-she-wrote-in-her-journal-now-that-the/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“New York is unruly, tangled. The city woos first, then mangles, then pastes back together in a fresh, dazzling mosaic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/new-york-is-unruly-tangled-the-city-woos-first-then-mangles-then/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“Judgement is so often a thwarted, frustrated expression of envy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/judgement-is-so-often-a-thwarted-frustrated-expression-of-envy/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“However vivid they might be, past images and future delights did not protect Sylvia from the present, which "rules despotic over pale shadows of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/however-vivid-they-might-be-past-images-and-future-delights-did-not/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“With headlines like "Marry Now or Never," the specter of marriage loomed. It was a constant fear, a threat, a reminder. But Sylvia wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/with-headlines-like-marry-now-or-never-the-specter-of-marriage-loomed/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“That none discussed their doubts, that they assumed everyone else was just having a grand time of it and felt at ease and enjoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/that-none-discussed-their-doubts-that-they-assumed-everyone-else-was/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“This is the story of an electrically alive young woman on the brink of her adult life. An artist equally attuned to the light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/this-is-the-story-of-an-electrically-alive-young-woman-on-the-brink/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“It is perhaps fortunate that Sylvia was oblivious to the commotion behind the scenes. Apparently, Henry O. Teltscher had written a letter to Betsy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/it-is-perhaps-fortunate-that-sylvia-was-oblivious-to-the-commotion/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [ “We knew she \[Sylvia\] was unusual, because of the seriousness with which she was treated, the lofty importance of her job as guest managing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/we-knew-she-sylvia-was-unusual-because-of-the-seriousness-with-which/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) > [“Life happens so fast and furiously that there is hardly any time to assimilate it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-winder/life-happens-so-fast-and-furiously-that-there-is-hardly-any-time-to/) [Elizabeth Winder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) [Explore all 38 Elizabeth Winder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-winder/) ## More Human existence quotes > [“The voice in the head that never stops speaking becomes a civilization that is obsessed with form and therefore knows nothing of the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-voice-in-the-head-that-never-stops-speaking-becomes-a/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“No revelation can be other than partial. If for true revelation a man must be told all the truth, then farewell to revelation; yea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/no-revelation-can-be-other-than-partial-if-for-true-revelation-a-man/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is merely the egoism of the man, who wants to bury a woman like a treasure. All attempts at using vows, contracts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/it-is-merely-the-egoism-of-the-man-who-wants-to-bury-a-woman-like-a/) [Leopold von Sacher-Masoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/) > [The one function that most gods seem to have in common is to give human existence some ultimate purpose - and, while it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-smoker/the-one-function-that-most-gods-seem-to-have-in-common-is-to-give/) [Barbara Smoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-smoker/) > [“The representation of women in the society, especially through mass media has been the most delusional act ever done on the grounds of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-representation-of-women-in-the-society-especially-through-mass/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“It is those who have compassion for all life who will best safeguard the life of man. Those who become aroused only when man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/it-is-those-who-have-compassion-for-all-life-who-will-best-safeguard/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [“I do not give a damn whether a person is a scientist, a philosopher or a theologian If that person cannot recognize the basic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-do-not-give-a-damn-whether-a-person-is-a-scientist-a-philosopher-or/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“In Hobbes’ state of nature, when a male individual conquers (contracts with) a female individual he becomes her sexual master and she becomes his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-pateman/in-hobbes-state-of-nature-when-a-male-individual-conquers-contracts/) [Carole Pateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-pateman/) > [Only a literary work that reveals an unknown fragment of human existence has a reason for being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/only-a-literary-work-that-reveals-an-unknown-fragment-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Change is one of the scariest things in the world and yet it is also one of those variables of human existence that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/change-is-one-of-the-scariest-things-in-the-world-and-yet-it-is-also/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [“Indeed, the only truly serious questions are ones that even a child can formulate. Only the most naïve of questions are truly serious. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/indeed-the-only-truly-serious-questions-are-ones-that-even-a-child/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-greatest-issue-facing-the-world-today-with-all-its-heartbreaking/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [If man did not exist as a world-spanning receptive realm of perception, if he were not engaged in this capacity, nothing at all could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medard-boss/if-man-did-not-exist-as-a-world-spanning-receptive-realm-of/) [Medard Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medard-boss/) > [“Finally, she mused that human existence is as brief as the life of autumn grass, so what was there to fear from taking chances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-yan/finally-she-mused-that-human-existence-is-as-brief-as-the-life-of/) [Mo Yan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-yan/) [Browse all 554 Human existence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-existence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sylvia possessed a deeply conditioned respect for authority. 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