---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When everyone thinks they know you, it's…"
description: "\"When everyone thinks they know you, it's hard not to be guarded.\" — Erica Jong"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/erica-jong-445_everyone_when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s_1164387.jpg"
---

#  When everyone thinks they know you, it's hard not to be…

![“When everyone thinks they know you, it's hard not to be guarded.” quote by Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/erica-jong-445_everyone_when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s_1164387.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/erica-jong-445_everyone_when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s_1164387.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/erica-jong-445_everyone_when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s_1164387.jpg)

> “When everyone thinks they know you, it's hard not to be guarded.”

[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.

When others assume they know you, you tend to protect yourself, leading to guarded behavior.

**In simple terms:** Assumptions by others cause you to be defensive.

Key Takeaway

Set boundaries, stay authentic.

Themes

psychology relationships self‑protection

Mood

reflective cautious

Type

personal philosophical

When to use this quote

- new friendships
- workplace dynamics
- online interactions

Key Concepts

identity trust social perception

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you trust others easily?
- How can you balance openness and self‑care?

A Different Perspective

Guardedness can hinder genuine connections.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You know what you've done and what you've been through to get to where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-cauley-stein/it-doesn-t-matter-what-anyone-else-thinks-you-know-what-you-ve-done/)

[Willie Cauley-Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-cauley-stein/)

> [The person we know at first, she thinks, is not the one we know at last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colum-mccann/the-person-we-know-at-first-she-thinks-is-not-the-one-we-know-at-last/)

[Colum McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colum-mccann/)

> [The biggest idiot you will meet in life will be the person that thinks they know it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-jones/the-biggest-idiot-you-will-meet-in-life-will-be-the-person-that/)

[Christopher Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-jones/)

> [“That’s the problem with people. Everyone thinks they know everything until they’re proven to know nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mclean/that-s-the-problem-with-people-everyone-thinks-they-know-everything/)

[Jay McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mclean/)

> [“A fish in a bowl thinks to know it all, for it has never seen the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-andersson/a-fish-in-a-bowl-thinks-to-know-it-all-for-it-has-never-seen-the-ocean/)

Daniel Andersson

> [“Everyone thinks they know so goddamned much about everything and no one knows fuck all about anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/everyone-thinks-they-know-so-goddamned-much-about-everything-and-no/)

[Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/)

> [In times of pain, there is always someone who is there for us, one who thinks they know what's going on, and the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-times-of-pain-there-is-always-someone-who-is-there-for-us-one-who/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Everyone thinks they know everything, and no one knows a damn thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/everyone-thinks-they-know-everything-and-no-one-knows-a-damn-thing/)

[Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/)

> [Now you see me, now you don't. George thinks he will, but I know he won't!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/now-you-see-me-now-you-don-t-george-thinks-he-will-but-i-know-he-won-t/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [“A wise man knows he knows nothing. A fool thinks they know all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chatfield/a-wise-man-knows-he-knows-nothing-a-fool-thinks-they-know-all/)

[Michael Chatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chatfield/)

> [I'm not one of these people who thinks I know all the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-m-not-one-of-these-people-who-thinks-i-know-all-the-answers/)

[J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/)

> [I don't care what everyone else thinks about you, I know how I feel about you and that's not going to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-care-what-everyone-else-thinks-about-you-i-know-how-i-feel/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I put my identity in what Christ says, who He thinks I am and who I know that He says I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-lawrence/i-put-my-identity-in-what-christ-says-who-he-thinks-i-am-and-who-i/)

[Trevor Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-lawrence/)

> [It's the job of the artist to take something that everybody thinks they know about, they've made a decision about, they will be immovable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/it-s-the-job-of-the-artist-to-take-something-that-everybody-thinks/)

[Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/)

> [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

## More by Erica Jong

> [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [Will you ever? 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. I think I'll move to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/i-thought-to-spend-my-declining-years-writing-poetry-and-teaching-but/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [“Naomi Wolf dares to explode the myth of 'victim feminism' and pleads for allowing women to be as full of good and bad desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/naomi-wolf-dares-to-explode-the-myth-of-victim-feminism-and-pleads/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [I knew I was in England by the smell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/i-knew-i-was-in-england-by-the-smell/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [The Lives of Great Men are more oft' at variance with their profess'd Phillosophies than consistent with 'em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/the-lives-of-great-men-are-more-oft-at-variance-with-their-profess-d/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [Women's books are kind of discriminated against. If a man writes a book about his family stories, people think of it as literature. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/women-s-books-are-kind-of-discriminated-against-if-a-man-writes-a/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [Many, many people have done a lot more sexual experimentation than I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/many-many-people-have-done-a-lot-more-sexual-experimentation-than-i/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [“Is life much too long for an immortal?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/is-life-much-too-long-for-an-immortal/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [Don't ye know that ev'ry Soul on Earth feels itself to be an Orphan?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/don-t-ye-know-that-ev-ry-soul-on-earth-feels-itself-to-be-an-orphan/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [Critics write out of intellectual exercise, not poets. 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 Everyone quotes

> [I think it's a wonderful thing, turning 50. I think everyone should do it at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-duran/i-think-it-s-a-wonderful-thing-turning-50-i-think-everyone-should-do/)

[Elvis Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-duran/)

> [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [Everyone has their own process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-patrick-martin/everyone-has-their-own-process/)

Graham Patrick Martin

> [A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-erhard/a-compromise-is-the-art-of-dividing-a-cake-in-such-a-way-that/)

Ludwig Erhard

> [Not having drops and not taking plays off, if I do that it will make everyone around me better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demaryius-thomas/not-having-drops-and-not-taking-plays-off-if-i-do-that-it-will-make/)

[Demaryius Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demaryius-thomas/)

> [When I wrote 'Paradise,' it was going to be an interlude - like a segue from the song before. Then I just added more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mnek/when-i-wrote-paradise-it-was-going-to-be-an-interlude-like-a-segue/)

[MNEK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mnek/)

> [You want everyone to succeed in your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-olsen/you-want-everyone-to-succeed-in-your-family/)

[Elizabeth Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-olsen/)

> [Our whole thing was that we wanted to challenge ourselves and go out of the box that everyone else was doing, and even what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-real/our-whole-thing-was-that-we-wanted-to-challenge-ourselves-and-go-out/)

[B-Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-real/)

> [Ronaldo will always score against everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-chiellini/ronaldo-will-always-score-against-everyone/)

[Giorgio Chiellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-chiellini/)

> [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/)

[Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/)

> [If I serve good and play aggressive from the baseline, I can beat everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karolina-pliskova/if-i-serve-good-and-play-aggressive-from-the-baseline-i-can-beat/)

[Karolina Pliskova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karolina-pliskova/)

> [Business, much like life, is not a movie, and not everyone gets to have a storybook ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-malik/business-much-like-life-is-not-a-movie-and-not-everyone-gets-to-have/)

[Om Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-malik/)

> [Everyone knows you use box dye to do violet red.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-mondo/everyone-knows-you-use-box-dye-to-do-violet-red/)

[Brad Mondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-mondo/)

> [I was a huge fan of Steve Martin, as everyone I knew in comedy was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-short/i-was-a-huge-fan-of-steve-martin-as-everyone-i-knew-in-comedy-was/)

[Martin Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-short/)

> [I feel like everyone has a preference. You have women who don't like shorter guys. You have women who like taller guys. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sevyn-streeter/i-feel-like-everyone-has-a-preference-you-have-women-who-don-t-like/)

[Sevyn Streeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sevyn-streeter/)

Browse all 5,332 Everyone quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When everyone thinks they know you, it's hard not to be guarded.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Erica Jong"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s-hard-not-to-be-guarded/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Everyone"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s-hard-not-to-be-guarded/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/erica-jong-445_everyone_when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s_1164387.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/erica-jong-445_everyone_when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s_1164387.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36d/erica-jong-445_everyone_when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s_1164387.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When everyone thinks they know you, it's hard not to be guarded.” — Erica Jong",
                "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": "Erica Jong",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When everyone thinks they know you,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s-hard-not-to-be-guarded/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/when-everyone-thinks-they-know-you-it-s-hard-not-to-be-guarded/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
