--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never felt I was quite the ticket…" description: "\"I never felt I was quite the ticket academically. I always felt I had to put in an enormous amount of effort not to be disappointing. So I worked reall..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/emily-mortimer-9413_academically_i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-acad_31898.png" --- # I never felt I was quite the ticket academically. I always… ![“I never felt I was quite the ticket academically. I always felt I had to put in an enormous amount of effort not to be disappointing. So I worked really hard, but at the time it suited me, because I didn't do very much else.” quote by Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/emily-mortimer-9413_academically_i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-acad_31898.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/emily-mortimer-9413_academically_i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-acad_31898.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/emily-mortimer-9413_academically_i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-acad_31898.png) > “I never felt I was quite the ticket academically. I always felt I had to put in an enormous amount of effort not to be disappointing. So I worked really hard, but at the time it suited me, because I didn't do very much else.” [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes a persistent sense of academic inadequacy, driving them to overcompensate through intense effort to avoid disappointment, which became their primary focus. **In simple terms:** Self-doubt fuels relentless work ethic. Key Takeaway Perfectionism can dominate life choices. Themes self-doubt perfectionism effort identity motivation Mood reflective determined anxious Type personal anecdote motivational When to use this quote - academic pressure - career development - personal growth - creative pursuits Key Concepts impostor syndrome work ethic self-worth Practical Applications - coaching for confidence - programs addressing imposter syndrome Questions to Reflect On - How does fear of failure shape your daily habits? - What would change if you embraced imperfection? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [What's disappointing about @usopengolf is the fans not being about to walk around the course/get close enough to most of the greens to cheer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-horschel/what-s-disappointing-about-usopengolf-is-the-fans-not-being-about-to/) [Billy Horschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-horschel/) > [I borrowed my friends car the other day in an attempt to persuade my husband that we needed a car and literally this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-borrowed-my-friends-car-the-other-day-in-an-attempt-to-persuade-my/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I felt quite frankly having been raised during the depression and looking back at the roaring twenties, the jazz age, which was a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-hefner/i-felt-quite-frankly-having-been-raised-during-the-depression-and/) [Hugh Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-hefner/) > [In the past, I may have felt quite trapped - rebelled a little bit and been quite defensive and not known how to relax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulisa/in-the-past-i-may-have-felt-quite-trapped-rebelled-a-little-bit-and/) [Tulisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulisa/) > [“Being nothing felt quite the same as being something. Maybe she had never been something at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-legrand/being-nothing-felt-quite-the-same-as-being-something-maybe-she-had/) [Claire Legrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-legrand/) > [I've always felt quite singular, even as a child. That I must stay on track to keep my purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-ve-always-felt-quite-singular-even-as-a-child-that-i-must-stay-on/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [I devoted myself to writing for years without representation or a promise of anything. And there were times when I felt quite down about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-s-fletcher/i-devoted-myself-to-writing-for-years-without-representation-or-a/) [Geoffrey S. Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-s-fletcher/) > [So initially getting up on stage I was really nervous, I was like, 'wow, I'm going to be standing there and all these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorian-yates/so-initially-getting-up-on-stage-i-was-really-nervous-i-was-like-wow/) [Dorian Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorian-yates/) > [That moment she was mine, mine, fair, Perfectly pure and good: I found A thing to do, and all her hair In one long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/that-moment-she-was-mine-mine-fair-perfectly-pure-and-good-i-found-a/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [I'd got over playing a character. People accepted who I was, and if I was incompetent and useless, they felt quite endeared to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/i-d-got-over-playing-a-character-people-accepted-who-i-was-and-if-i/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [My story wasn't one of those cliched stories of being an ugly duckling, I had a pretty good time at school. But then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-connor/my-story-wasn-t-one-of-those-cliched-stories-of-being-an-ugly/) [Erin O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-connor/) > [I used to wonder what I was waiting for, why there was always something that felt not quite right. But when you came into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-used-to-wonder-what-i-was-waiting-for-why-there-was-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I didn't spend my childhood trying to be a performer; it was a big surprise to me that this was what I was doing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/i-didn-t-spend-my-childhood-trying-to-be-a-performer-it-was-a-big/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [From playing cricket in a boys team I had to learn quite quickly how to handle them and I've always felt quite comfortable in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-guha/from-playing-cricket-in-a-boys-team-i-had-to-learn-quite-quickly-how/) [Isa Guha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-guha/) > [I felt quite at home, / As if it were mine sleeping lazily / In this house of fresh air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matsuo-basho/i-felt-quite-at-home-as-if-it-were-mine-sleeping-lazily-in-this-house/) [Matsuo Basho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matsuo-basho/) ## More by Emily Mortimer > [The thing I miss about L.A. is time. I feel like I had much more time there, partly because no one is ever really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/the-thing-i-miss-about-l-a-is-time-i-feel-like-i-had-much-more-time/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [The ratings thing is the real issue. It really hurts movies. For example, in Redbelt, I smoked. The whole plot of my character was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/the-ratings-thing-is-the-real-issue-it-really-hurts-movies-for/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I was terribly shy when I was growing up, I really wasn't confident with other people and I think I was always afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-was-terribly-shy-when-i-was-growing-up-i-really-wasn-t-confident/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I am a good mother and I feel proud about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-am-a-good-mother-and-i-feel-proud-about-it/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I did my homework and didn't go out much, and had a very highly developed kitsch fantasy life where I dreamed of being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-did-my-homework-and-didn-t-go-out-much-and-had-a-very-highly/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I think half the time I just assume I don't really know what I'm doing - you have to do that to a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-think-half-the-time-i-just-assume-i-don-t-really-know-what-i-m/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I'm still shy - I'm no good at my children's parent-teacher conferences, and I'm slowly learning how to ask for what I want. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-m-still-shy-i-m-no-good-at-my-children-s-parent-teacher-conferences/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I've only half-admitted I'm a professional. I know I am, I've paid my dues, but one of the things I could do better when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-professional-i-know-i-am-i-ve-paid-my/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [There were moments where I was being kicked in the stomach, and even though I had this brace on to protect me, I still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/there-were-moments-where-i-was-being-kicked-in-the-stomach-and-even/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I guess secrets are part of the fabric of everybody's lives. I mean everybody's lives, and guilt is part of the fabric of everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-guess-secrets-are-part-of-the-fabric-of-everybody-s-lives-i-mean/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I decided to give acting a serious, committed try, and soon after, I read the script for 'Lovely and Amazing.' The story was beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-decided-to-give-acting-a-serious-committed-try-and-soon-after-i/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [New York is great, but I miss L.A. - I feel like there was something exotic about L.A. that I kind of underestimated at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/new-york-is-great-but-i-miss-l-a-i-feel-like-there-was-something/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [But I have to grow out of it, because it's very boring, really. Even when you're telling people how crap you are, you're still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/but-i-have-to-grow-out-of-it-because-it-s-very-boring-really-even/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [You do the one film that you think is terrible, but it's a big studio film and you hope you'll get another job because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/you-do-the-one-film-that-you-think-is-terrible-but-it-s-a-big-studio/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [You are exposing yourself all the time as an actor. There's the risk of being thought of as bad or boring or unattractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/you-are-exposing-yourself-all-the-time-as-an-actor-there-s-the-risk/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) [Explore all 73 Emily Mortimer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) ## More Academically quotes > [I am not an academic who happens to have written a novel. I am a novelist who happens to be quite good academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/i-am-not-an-academic-who-happens-to-have-written-a-novel-i-am-a/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) > [Colgate is the epitome of having it both ways. Academically, it ranks in the top twenty schools in the country, but it is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/colgate-is-the-epitome-of-having-it-both-ways-academically-it-ranks/) [Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/) > [“I broke with the academic style because I decided that life is very short, very mysterious, and I didn't have the time to waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mev-puleo/i-broke-with-the-academic-style-because-i-decided-that-life-is-very/) [Mev Puleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mev-puleo/) > [I was very academically inclined. But my inner life was in such turmoil. I'd go home and my home life was so miserable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-sohn/i-was-very-academically-inclined-but-my-inner-life-was-in-such/) [Sonja Sohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonja-sohn/) > [I have never gotten a B in my life. I would honestly be mortified if I got a B. I'm so academically driven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-gayle/i-have-never-gotten-a-b-in-my-life-i-would-honestly-be-mortified-if-i/) [Sami Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-gayle/) > [I went to a very academically competitive high school. So I was always quite studious and quiet, just to keep up with the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-barnes/i-went-to-a-very-academically-competitive-high-school-so-i-was-always/) [Ben Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-barnes/) > [I've always enjoyed real work more than schoolwork. My mother will attest to that - she was always concerned about me academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ulevitch/i-ve-always-enjoyed-real-work-more-than-schoolwork-my-mother-will/) [David Ulevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ulevitch/) > [I was a nerd academically. But I was also an athlete and a musician. I never wanted to be shut out of any situation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcknight/i-was-a-nerd-academically-but-i-was-also-an-athlete-and-a-musician-i/) [Brian McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcknight/) > [I don't really know how music and comedy are similar. I try never to dissect it theoretically or academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/i-don-t-really-know-how-music-and-comedy-are-similar-i-try-never-to/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [I went to a private school, and I struggled academically. It was really disheartening to always be considered bad at that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gia-coppola/i-went-to-a-private-school-and-i-struggled-academically-it-was-really/) [Gia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gia-coppola/) > [Both my parents wanted me to excel academically, like every other parent. They wanted me to pursue my higher studies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-lekshmi/both-my-parents-wanted-me-to-excel-academically-like-every-other/) [Aishwarya Lekshmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-lekshmi/) > [I wasn't academically successful. And maybe I've spent a lot of my career trying to make up for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-wintour/i-wasn-t-academically-successful-and-maybe-i-ve-spent-a-lot-of-my/) [Anna Wintour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-wintour/) > [Kids who don't play are not just at greater risk of falling behind academically, but also of becoming overweight or obese, failing to integrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darell-hammond/kids-who-don-t-play-are-not-just-at-greater-risk-of-falling-behind/) [Darell Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darell-hammond/) > [Some people are academically inclined, some vocationally and we shouldn't penalise the latter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dyson/some-people-are-academically-inclined-some-vocationally-and-we/) [James Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dyson/) > [I wasn't very academically inclined; I'm much better at doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-savoretti/i-wasn-t-very-academically-inclined-i-m-much-better-at-doing/) [Jack Savoretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-savoretti/) Browse all 55 Academically quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never felt I was quite the ticket academically. I always felt I had to put in an enormous amount of effort not to be disappointing. So I worked really hard, but at the time it suited me, because I didn't do very much else.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emily Mortimer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-academically-i-always-felt-i-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Academically" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-academically-i-always-felt-i-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/emily-mortimer-9413_academically_i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-acad_31898.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/emily-mortimer-9413_academically_i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-acad_31898.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45d/emily-mortimer-9413_academically_i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-acad_31898.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I never felt I was quite the ticket academically. I always felt I had to put in an enormous amount of effort…” — Emily Mortimer", "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": "Emily Mortimer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I never felt I was quite...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-academically-i-always-felt-i-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-academically-i-always-felt-i-had/#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 } } ] } ```