---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a functional person because I…"
description: "\"I'm not a functional person because I don't go on lunch dates with friends. I hear about people having dinner parties but I never do that. I'm not real..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/fiona-apple-1912_dinner_i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-do_1202453.png"
---

#  I'm not a functional person because I don't go on lunch…

![“I'm not a functional person because I don't go on lunch dates with friends. I hear about people having dinner parties but I never do that. I'm not really human.” quote by Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/fiona-apple-1912_dinner_i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-do_1202453.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/fiona-apple-1912_dinner_i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-do_1202453.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/fiona-apple-1912_dinner_i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-do_1202453.png)

> “I'm not a functional person because I don't go on lunch dates with friends. I hear about people having dinner parties but I never do that. I'm not really human.”

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Feeling disconnected from social norms leads to self‑doubt about humanity; personal identity isn’t defined by typical social activities.

**In simple terms:** Not fitting social norms makes one feel less human.

Key Takeaway

Accept your unique social needs.

Themes

identity social norms loneliness

Mood

introspective melancholic

Type

personal philosophical

When to use this quote

- social gatherings
- personal boundaries
- mental health

Key Concepts

psychology culture self‑acceptance

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you define yourself by others’ expectations?
- How can you create meaningful connections on your terms?

A Different Perspective

Social expectations can be restrictive and cause alienation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dates Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dates-friends-233410/) [Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Dinner parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner-parties/) [Dinner party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner-party/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Functional Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/functional-person-3612405/) [Goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-on/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lunch/) [Lunch Dates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lunch-dates-233411/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't go on lunch dates with friends. I hear about people having dinner parties, but I never do that. I'm not really human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-don-t-go-on-lunch-dates-with-friends-i-hear-about-people-having/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [“Dinner-parties bore us because our imagination is absent, and reading interests us because it is keeping us company.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/dinner-parties-bore-us-because-our-imagination-is-absent-and-reading/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

> [Well let's face it, who on earth besides antique dealers and gay couples actually still give dinner parties?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-slater/well-let-s-face-it-who-on-earth-besides-antique-dealers-and-gay/)

[Nigel Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-slater/)

> [Some people play the piano, some do Sudoku, some watch television, some people go out to dinner parties. I write books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-johnson/some-people-play-the-piano-some-do-sudoku-some-watch-television-some/)

[Boris Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-johnson/)

> [I love the English way, which is not as capitalistic as it is in America. People don't talk about work and money. They talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-love-the-english-way-which-is-not-as-capitalistic-as-it-is-in/)

[Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/)

> [In fact, I've only been to a couple of other people's dinner parties. But I must admit, I really enjoyed the few I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/in-fact-i-ve-only-been-to-a-couple-of-other-people-s-dinner-parties/)

[Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/)

> [I don't have dinner parties - I eat my dinner in bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-hefner/i-don-t-have-dinner-parties-i-eat-my-dinner-in-bed/)

[Hugh Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-hefner/)

> [We all have firm favourites we bring out at a dinner parties, but it's nice to try something a bit more edgy, or more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-aikens/we-all-have-firm-favourites-we-bring-out-at-a-dinner-parties-but-it-s/)

[Tom Aikens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-aikens/)

> [I was so lucky that I got to meet certain people. It came through Roddy McDowall, who had become a photographer and would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-was-so-lucky-that-i-got-to-meet-certain-people-it-came-through/)

[Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/)

> [The dying process begins the minute we are born, but it accelerates during dinner parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-dying-process-begins-the-minute-we-are-born-but-it-accelerates/)

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

> [At dinner parties I sit below the salt now. There are a lot of interesting people there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-regan/at-dinner-parties-i-sit-below-the-salt-now-there-are-a-lot-of/)

[Donald T. Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-regan/)

> [Funny you mention my dinner parties when I have just suggested that inviting close friends over to share a meal with candlelight and wine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-quinn/funny-you-mention-my-dinner-parties-when-i-have-just-suggested-that/)

[Sally Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-quinn/)

> [It is a fact of life that people give dinner parties, and when they invite you, you have to turn around and invite them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-colwin/it-is-a-fact-of-life-that-people-give-dinner-parties-and-when-they/)

[Laurie Colwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-colwin/)

> [When you meet people at dinner parties, you'll ask what they do and it might be a woman who'll say: "Oh I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-portas/when-you-meet-people-at-dinner-parties-you-ll-ask-what-they-do-and-it/)

[Mary Portas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-portas/)

> [Misery loves company which is ironic because it rarely throws dinner parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dov-davidoff/misery-loves-company-which-is-ironic-because-it-rarely-throws-dinner/)

[Dov Davidoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dov-davidoff/)

## More by Fiona Apple

> [Everybody acts like I'm nuts. I'm not nuts I just want to feel it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/everybody-acts-like-i-m-nuts-i-m-not-nuts-i-just-want-to-feel-it-all/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [“Go with yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/go-with-yourself/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [Nothing that you do will ever feel good if you let people convince you that you have no choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/nothing-that-you-do-will-ever-feel-good-if-you-let-people-convince/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [I got a lot of problems, but I'm really good at intuiting what I need to do to be happy with whatever I create.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-got-a-lot-of-problems-but-i-m-really-good-at-intuiting-what-i-need/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [I got into therapy in the fifth grade because I said in a sarcastic way that I was going to kill myself, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-got-into-therapy-in-the-fifth-grade-because-i-said-in-a-sarcastic/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [I didn't want to be precious about things. Of course, the idea is to make great music, but if you have great musicians up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-didn-t-want-to-be-precious-about-things-of-course-the-idea-is-to/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [Through the media, we've establishes this standard of what every human being should look up to: somebody who always looks right; who always has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/through-the-media-we-ve-establishes-this-standard-of-what-every-human/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [My derring-do allows me to dance the rigadoon around you but by the time I'm close to you I lose my desideratum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/my-derring-do-allows-me-to-dance-the-rigadoon-around-you-but-by-the/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [Home is where my habits have a habitat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/home-is-where-my-habits-have-a-habitat/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [If I have one success in my relationship history, it's with the people who listen to my music. I think that they'll be there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/if-i-have-one-success-in-my-relationship-history-it-s-with-the-people/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [I wasn't very ambitious as a child. I'm still not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-wasn-t-very-ambitious-as-a-child-i-m-still-not/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [The worst pain in the world is shame. I spend a lot of time trying to not do anything bad to anyone, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/the-worst-pain-in-the-world-is-shame-i-spend-a-lot-of-time-trying-to/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [Hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/hunger-hurts-but-starving-works-when-it-costs-too-much-to-love/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [He goes along just as a water lily Gentle on the surface of his thoughts his body floats Unweighed down by passion or intensity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/he-goes-along-just-as-a-water-lily-gentle-on-the-surface-of-his/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

> [Let me know the way, before there's hell to pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/let-me-know-the-way-before-there-s-hell-to-pay/)

[Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

[Explore all 199 Fiona Apple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/)

## More Dinner quotes

> [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/)

[S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/)

> [My dinners have never interfered with my business. They have been my recreation. . . A public banquet, if eaten with thought and care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-depew/my-dinners-have-never-interfered-with-my-business-they-have-been-my/)

[Chauncey Depew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-depew/)

> [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/)

[Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/)

> [“We just went out for dinner. We didn't participate in a Roman orgy, I swear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-dahl/we-just-went-out-for-dinner-we-didn-t-participate-in-a-roman-orgy-i/)

[Victoria Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-dahl/)

> [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/)

[Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/)

> [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/)

[Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/)

> [Sonny Von Bulow, who said to her husband Claus on their honeymoon, Stop needling me. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/sonny-von-bulow-who-said-to-her-husband-claus-on-their-honeymoon-stop/)

[Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/)

> [Remember, sex is like a Chinese dinner. It ain't over 'til you both get your cookie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/remember-sex-is-like-a-chinese-dinner-it-ain-t-over-til-you-both-get/)

[Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/)

> [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/)

[Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/)

> [I'm not a person who would get up at 5 A.M. to write, but I could sacrifice my Friday night and just order in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-weisberger/i-m-not-a-person-who-would-get-up-at-5-a-m-to-write-but-i-could/)

[Lauren Weisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-weisberger/)

> [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/)

[Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/)

> [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/)

[George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/)

> [I like to be bought flowers and taken out for dinner. I like a man to be a gentleman. I don't like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-like-to-be-bought-flowers-and-taken-out-for-dinner-i-like-a-man-to/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [Why should the Marquis de Cussy wage war on soup? I cannot understand a dinner without it. I hold soup to be the well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoine-careme/why-should-the-marquis-de-cussy-wage-war-on-soup-i-cannot-understand/)

[Marie-Antoine Careme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoine-careme/)

> [Helvetica is the jeans, and Univers the dinner jacket. Helvetica is here to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-frutiger/helvetica-is-the-jeans-and-univers-the-dinner-jacket-helvetica-is/)

[Adrian Frutiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-frutiger/)

[Browse all 2,901 Dinner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I'm not a functional person because I don't go on lunch dates with friends. I hear about people having dinner parties but I never do that. I'm not really human.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Fiona Apple"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-don-t-go-on-lunch-dates-with/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dinner"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-don-t-go-on-lunch-dates-with/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/fiona-apple-1912_dinner_i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-do_1202453.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/fiona-apple-1912_dinner_i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-do_1202453.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/fiona-apple-1912_dinner_i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-do_1202453.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I'm not a functional person because I don't go on lunch dates with friends. I hear about people having…” — Fiona Apple",
                "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": "Fiona Apple",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I'm not a functional person because...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-don-t-go-on-lunch-dates-with/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-m-not-a-functional-person-because-i-don-t-go-on-lunch-dates-with/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
