--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was probably the mistake of my…" description: "\"That was probably the mistake of my generation, that we thought that having sex with anyone would be intimate and it wasn't.\" — Erica Jong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/959/erica-jong-445_failure_that-was-probably-the-mistake-of-my-gene_850183.jpg" --- # That was probably the mistake of my generation, that we… ![“That was probably the mistake of my generation, that we thought that having sex with anyone would be intimate and it wasn't.” quote by Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/959/erica-jong-445_failure_that-was-probably-the-mistake-of-my-gene_850183.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/959/erica-jong-445_failure_that-was-probably-the-mistake-of-my-gene_850183.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/959/erica-jong-445_failure_that-was-probably-the-mistake-of-my-gene_850183.jpg) > “That was probably the mistake of my generation, that we thought that having sex with anyone would be intimate and it wasn't.” [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Assuming sex equals intimacy is a generational mistake; true intimacy requires deeper connection. **In simple terms:** Sex isn’t automatically intimate. Key Takeaway Seek deeper emotional bonds. Themes relationships intimacy sexuality Mood reflective thoughtful Type personal advice When to use this quote - dating advice - relationship counseling Key Concepts emotional connection cultural expectations Questions to Reflect On - What defines intimacy for you? - How can intimacy be cultivated beyond sex? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex human needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Intimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimate/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't have a philosophical understanding of music until I came to New York. I didn't understand how it applied to my kind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-didn-t-have-a-philosophical-understanding-of-music-until-i-came-to/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [“Perhaps you think that by intimacy I mean sex, so allow me to clarify. 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I dont think you will ever fully understand how you've touched my life and made me who I am.I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/will-you-ever-i-dont-think-you-will-ever-fully-understand-how-you-ve/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Give advice to your children while they're young enough to believe you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/give-advice-to-your-children-while-they-re-young-enough-to-believe/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Perhaps all artists were, in a sense, housewives: tenders of the earth household.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/perhaps-all-artists-were-in-a-sense-housewives-tenders-of-the-earth/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [I have lived my life according to this principle: If I'm afraid of it, then I must do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/i-have-lived-my-life-according-to-this-principle-if-i-m-afraid-of-it/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [I thought to spend my declining years writing poetry and teaching - but that won't pay the Bergdorf's bill. 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Poets write straight from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/critics-write-out-of-intellectual-exercise-not-poets-poets-write/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Once I worshipped Keats for dying young. Now I think it's braver to die old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/once-i-worshipped-keats-for-dying-young-now-i-think-it-s-braver-to/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) [Explore all 542 Erica Jong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. 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(p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. 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