--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I told myself that I didn't need any of…" description: "\"“I told myself that I didn't need any of that shit, but there it was, repeated to me day after day after day. And when you're surrounded by a bunch of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/emily-m-danforth-16858_life_i-told-myself-that-i-didn-t-need-any-of_1869244.jpg" --- # I told myself that I didn't need any of that shit, but… ![“I told myself that I didn't need any of that shit, but there it was, repeated to me day after day after day. And when you're surrounded by a bunch of mostly strangers experiencing the same thing, unable to call home, tethered to routine on ranchland miles away from anybody who might have known you…” quote by Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/emily-m-danforth-16858_life_i-told-myself-that-i-didn-t-need-any-of_1869244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/emily-m-danforth-16858_life_i-told-myself-that-i-didn-t-need-any-of_1869244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a83/emily-m-danforth-16858_life_i-told-myself-that-i-didn-t-need-any-of_1869244.jpg) > ““I told myself that I didn't need any of that shit, but there it was, repeated to me day after day after day. And when you're surrounded by a bunch of mostly strangers experiencing the same thing, unable to call home, tethered to routine on ranchland miles away from anybody who might have known you before, might have been able to recognize the real you if you told them you couldn't remember who she was, it's not really like being real at all. It's plastic living. It's living in a diorama. It's living the life of one of those prehistoric insects encased in amber: suspended, frozen, dead but not, you don't know for sure.”” [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes feeling trapped in a repetitive, artificial existence, likening it to a frozen, lifeless display, and questioning authenticity. **In simple terms:** Life can feel fake and stuck, like being trapped in a display. Key Takeaway Seek genuine connections and break routine patterns. Themes alienation authenticity routine existential angst Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - working remote - living in isolated community - feeling misunderstood - creative burnout Key Concepts identity meaning social isolation Questions to Reflect On - What routines feel artificial to you? - How can you create authentic moments? A Different Perspective The metaphor may exaggerate personal feelings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amber/) [Amber Suspended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amber-suspended-2568913/) [Encased Amber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encased-amber-2568912/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living the life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-the-life/) [Plastic Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plastic-living-2568911/) [Real Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-told-690102/) ## Related quotes > [“Forever encased in the amber of a writer's prose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-galbraith/forever-encased-in-the-amber-of-a-writer-s-prose/) [Robert Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-galbraith/) > [“If this is the real you, whoever told you to be yourself couldn’t have given you worse advice.” - Claire from Going Under.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-cates/if-this-is-the-real-you-whoever-told-you-to-be-yourself-couldn-t-have/) [Georgia Cates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-cates/) > [Post-partum depression is real and while I was told about it, I wasn't sure what to expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sameera-reddy/post-partum-depression-is-real-and-while-i-was-told-about-it-i-wasn-t/) [Sameera Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sameera-reddy/) > [For some reason mankind believes to love makes you weak, to love makes you vulnerable. And to hate makes you strong, to hate will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-cowell/for-some-reason-mankind-believes-to-love-makes-you-weak-to-love-makes/) [Larry Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-cowell/) > [I'm living the life that I wanted to live and I'm loving every little thing that I do. Fortunately, I have had a very,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarsem-singh/i-m-living-the-life-that-i-wanted-to-live-and-i-m-loving-every-little/) [Tarsem Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarsem-singh/) > [Gratitude connects us to others and feeling gratitude allows us to be our best selves. When we are truly grateful, we can count on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-ryan/gratitude-connects-us-to-others-and-feeling-gratitude-allows-us-to-be/) [M. J. Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-ryan/) > [If you are living the life without giving an 'F' you are only living a lie...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-living-the-life-without-giving-an-f-you-are-only-living-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You aint living the life, if you dont appreciate yourself, accept you for you thats the true value of being alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/you-aint-living-the-life-if-you-dont-appreciate-yourself-accept-you/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) > [Living the life. Vanilla wafers. In a villa. Illest nigga alive. Michael Jackson, Thriller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/living-the-life-vanilla-wafers-in-a-villa-illest-nigga-alive-michael/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [People's most common regret was living the life others expected of them, rather than having the courage to live a life true to themselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-nogrady/people-s-most-common-regret-was-living-the-life-others-expected-of/) [Bianca Nogrady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-nogrady/) > [“Unless death is made a lesson for the living, the life lived is wasted. Why should life come into existence only to be destroyed?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lewis/unless-death-is-made-a-lesson-for-the-living-the-life-lived-is-wasted/) [Joseph Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lewis/) > [No, I'm happy to go on living the life I've chosen. I'm a university teacher and I like my job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-tabucchi/no-i-m-happy-to-go-on-living-the-life-i-ve-chosen-i-m-a-university/) [Antonio Tabucchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-tabucchi/) > [“there is such a difference between living the life you are expected to live and living the life you want to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/there-is-such-a-difference-between-living-the-life-you-are-expected/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [No one has it all figured out, especially not the people who are acting like they do and judging you because of it. Pretending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/no-one-has-it-all-figured-out-especially-not-the-people-who-are/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) ## More by Emily M. Danforth > [“Now there was photographic evidence of me with a girl. Lindsey pack the camera in her duffel while I contemplated the film inside it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/now-there-was-photographic-evidence-of-me-with-a-girl-lindsey-pack/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“We were good at this game: We could make it go on for days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/we-were-good-at-this-game-we-could-make-it-go-on-for-days/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“I've got the weed," Jane said, and we all laughed the way you laugh when you're trying to be brave in the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/i-ve-got-the-weed-jane-said-and-we-all-laughed-the-way-you-laugh-when/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“It felt really good to do something that made no sense at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/it-felt-really-good-to-do-something-that-made-no-sense-at-all/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“What is it that I’m doing again?” “You know that already,” she said. “You just think that you don’t, but you do. It’s what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/what-is-it-that-i-m-doing-again-you-know-that-already-she-said-you/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“But Ruth was wrong, too. There was more than just one other world beyond ours; there were hundreds and hundreds of them, and at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/but-ruth-was-wrong-too-there-was-more-than-just-one-other-world/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“Let's rock this shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/let-s-rock-this-shit/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [In the embrace's release I caught the scent again. Unmistakable. Marijuana. These homos were high as kites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/in-the-embrace-s-release-i-caught-the-scent-again-unmistakable/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“Everything was heightened the way it always is when summer is slipping away to fall, and you're younger than eighteen, and all you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/everything-was-heightened-the-way-it-always-is-when-summer-is/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [You can't catch somebody doing something when they're not hiding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/you-can-t-catch-somebody-doing-something-when-they-re-not-hiding/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“...when I closed my eyes and saw her drinking tea and opened them and still could see her, and I wanted so much to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/when-i-closed-my-eyes-and-saw-her-drinking-tea-and-opened-them-and/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“I felt like I needed something official to show me how all of this should feel, how I should be acting, what I should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/i-felt-like-i-needed-something-official-to-show-me-how-all-of-this/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“I lifted the remote control, pushed the Play button, and started the video. I guess, in that moment, I also started my new life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/i-lifted-the-remote-control-pushed-the-play-button-and-started-the/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“But whatever we once were we weren’t anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/but-whatever-we-once-were-we-weren-t-anymore/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) > [“In that moment I was as jealous of her getting to leave Montana as I'd ever been of anything or anyone in my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-m-danforth/in-that-moment-i-was-as-jealous-of-her-getting-to-leave-montana-as-i/) [Emily M. Danforth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) [Explore all 38 Emily M. Danforth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-m-danforth/) ## More Amber quotes > [“I don't know what this feeling is... I only know that I feel safe in your arms. My heart races every time I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-west/i-don-t-know-what-this-feeling-is-i-only-know-that-i-feel-safe-in/) [Sarah West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-west/) > [I have been much amused at ye singular phenomena resulting from bringing of a needle into contact with a piece of amber or resin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/i-have-been-much-amused-at-ye-singular-phenomena-resulting-from/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Dear Amber Hope,You're amazing, Funny, creative, and yet soooo pretty xD Don't let anyone I mean ANYONE tell you different! 'Cause they are soooo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine/dear-amber-hope-you-re-amazing-funny-creative-and-yet-soooo-pretty-xd/) [Jasmine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine/) > [There is an infinity of landscape here, caused by the purity of the atmosphere. It has been said that there is a lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-heysen/there-is-an-infinity-of-landscape-here-caused-by-the-purity-of-the/) [Hans Heysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-heysen/) > [I'm not the kind of artist that wants to get a sound, refine it, and do it 'til I'm 50 so that it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doseone/i-m-not-the-kind-of-artist-that-wants-to-get-a-sound-refine-it-and-do/) [Doseone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doseone/) > [“Amber was not shy. If she had been shy, not one of us would be at Perkins right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/amber-was-not-shy-if-she-had-been-shy-not-one-of-us-would-be-at/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [“I peel hiss tense fingers on his right hand away from the steering wheel, one two three four five. With each finger, the scowl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/i-peel-hiss-tense-fingers-on-his-right-hand-away-from-the-steering/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [ My grandmother used to say that there's something truly intimate about sharing food with the people you love." \[Stacey\] "Intimate? Sharing food? People you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-faria-stolarz/my-grandmother-used-to-say-that-there-s-something-truly-intimate/) [Laurie Faria Stolarz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-faria-stolarz/) > [I didn't expect to be doing a whole bunch of Amber Browns. And because it was just one book, and the father had moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-danziger/i-didn-t-expect-to-be-doing-a-whole-bunch-of-amber-browns-and-because/) [Paula Danziger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-danziger/) > [Most cats feel that bird-catching is their duty; the instinct goes back to prehistoric times. Amber keeps in practice by chasing moths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-taber/most-cats-feel-that-bird-catching-is-their-duty-the-instinct-goes/) [Gladys Taber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-taber/) > [“Cade motions with a nod to follow him. He's holding the pole, and I'm the fish on the line. Just how far will he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-schroeder/cade-motions-with-a-nod-to-follow-him-he-s-holding-the-pole-and-i-m/) [Lisa Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-schroeder/) > [His smell—the scent of a demon, cinnamon incense, amber musk—wrapped around me, filled my lungs. I felt like I could breathe again, without every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/his-smell-the-scent-of-a-demon-cinnamon-incense-amber-musk-wrapped/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Whence we see spiders, flies, or ants entombed and preserved forever in amber, a more than royal tomb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/whence-we-see-spiders-flies-or-ants-entombed-and-preserved-forever-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Memory is all we are. Moments and feelings, captured in amber, strung on filaments of reason. Take a man’s memories and you take all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/memory-is-all-we-are-moments-and-feelings-captured-in-amber-strung-on/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [But the world moves on, even when you don’t want it to, even when change feels like the end of everything. It never stops.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/but-the-world-moves-on-even-when-you-don-t-want-it-to-even-when/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) [Browse all 183 Amber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amber/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I told myself that I didn't need any of that shit, but there it was, repeated to me day after day after day. And when you're surrounded by a bunch of mostly strangers experiencing the same thing, unable to call home, tethered to routine on ranchland miles away from anybody who might have known you before, might have been able to recognize the real you if you told them you couldn't remember who she was, it's not really like being real at all. It's plastic living. It's living in a diorama. 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