--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was used to being the only woman in…" description: "\"I was used to being the only woman in everything... I didn't even think about it. Men were my role models - there's nothing wrong with that.\" — Frances..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/frances-arnold-5774_everything_i-was-used-to-being-the-only-woman-in-ev_326929.jpg" --- # I was used to being the only woman in everything... I… ![“I was used to being the only woman in everything... I didn't even think about it. Men were my role models - there's nothing wrong with that.” quote by Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/frances-arnold-5774_everything_i-was-used-to-being-the-only-woman-in-ev_326929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/frances-arnold-5774_everything_i-was-used-to-being-the-only-woman-in-ev_326929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/frances-arnold-5774_everything_i-was-used-to-being-the-only-woman-in-ev_326929.jpg) > “I was used to being the only woman in everything... I didn't even think about it. Men were my role models - there's nothing wrong with that.” [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She reflects on being the sole woman in many settings, noting her male role models and normalizing that experience. **In simple terms:** Being the only woman, she looked up to men. Key Takeaway Recognize and support women in male‑dominated fields. Themes gender identity role models diversity Mood reflective determined Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - career meetings - leadership programs - school classrooms - networking events Key Concepts STEM representation confidence Questions to Reflect On - How can organizations foster more female role models? - What impact does being the only woman have on confidence? A Different Perspective May overlook the need for female mentorship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [Role models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-models/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) ## Related quotes > [For me, I was always the only woman in my cohort, first as a mechanical engineering undergraduate student, then as a chemical engineering graduate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/for-me-i-was-always-the-only-woman-in-my-cohort-first-as-a-mechanical/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [Women under phallocratic rule are confined to the role of vessels/carriers, directed and controlled by men. Since that role is the basic base reversal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-daly/women-under-phallocratic-rule-are-confined-to-the-role-of-vessels/) [Mary Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-daly/) > [When men evaluate each other as men, they still look for the same virtues that they'd need to keep the perimeter. Men respond to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/when-men-evaluate-each-other-as-men-they-still-look-for-the-same/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [I can't trust a woman, didn't Eve eat the forbidden fruit?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-trust-a-woman-didn-t-eve-eat-the-forbidden-fruit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If I tried to flirt with a woman and she didn't know who I was, she would run away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/if-i-tried-to-flirt-with-a-woman-and-she-didn-t-know-who-i-was-she/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) > [The reason God made man before woman was that he didn't want any suggestions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levenson/the-reason-god-made-man-before-woman-was-that-he-didn-t-want-any/) [Sam Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levenson/) > [Personally, especially as a young black woman, I didn't think that Los Angeles was a place for me to start. There's a certain type…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condola-rashad/personally-especially-as-a-young-black-woman-i-didn-t-think-that-los/) [Condola Rashad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condola-rashad/) > [“I am the woman you didn’t prepare for, the one you can’t quite grasp yet can’t forget.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/i-am-the-woman-you-didn-t-prepare-for-the-one-you-can-t-quite-grasp/) [Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [I might come across as a regular woman, but I didn't live my life by a format.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-bhasin/i-might-come-across-as-a-regular-woman-but-i-didn-t-live-my-life-by-a/) [Neha Bhasin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-bhasin/) > [“A woman didn’t get to tell a man she was smart. She had to prove she was smart, and then prove it wasn’t a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivian-arend/a-woman-didn-t-get-to-tell-a-man-she-was-smart-she-had-to-prove-she/) [Vivian Arend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivian-arend/) > [After all, a woman didn't leave much behind in the world to show she'd been there. Even the children she bore and raised got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-dallas/after-all-a-woman-didn-t-leave-much-behind-in-the-world-to-show-she-d/) [Sandra Dallas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-dallas/) > [“Mason was leaving her for a fifty-four-year-old woman who didn't moisturize”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-crusie/mason-was-leaving-her-for-a-fifty-four-year-old-woman-who-didn-t/) [Jennifer Crusie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-crusie/) > [“I never met a woman that didn’t know if she was good-looking or not without being told, and some of them give themselves credit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-never-met-a-woman-that-didn-t-know-if-she-was-good-looking-or-not/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“What kind of a modern woman was she, if she didn’t reach for her own dream? Maybe it was time to sweep the man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/what-kind-of-a-modern-woman-was-she-if-she-didn-t-reach-for-her-own/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [“She was always the woman he didn’t want to lose…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-reus/she-was-always-the-woman-he-didn-t-want-to-lose/) [Katie Reus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-reus/) ## More by Frances Arnold > [The real frontier is making these hybrid systems where you expand the capabilities of biology with chemistry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/the-real-frontier-is-making-these-hybrid-systems-where-you-expand-the/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [Instead of studying what biology has already made, we have to imagine what biology could make. You can say, 'Oh, I want a cure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/instead-of-studying-what-biology-has-already-made-we-have-to-imagine/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [We are going to see a steady stream, I predict, of Nobel prizes coming out of chemistry and given to women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/we-are-going-to-see-a-steady-stream-i-predict-of-nobel-prizes-coming/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [I decided that I wanted to become an engineer of the biological world, specifically a protein engineer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/i-decided-that-i-wanted-to-become-an-engineer-of-the-biological-world/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [There's plenty of ordinary Nobel laureates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/there-s-plenty-of-ordinary-nobel-laureates/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [When I started engineering proteins I didn't know how hard it would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/when-i-started-engineering-proteins-i-didn-t-know-how-hard-it-would-be/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [I get these students who come in and say, I want to help people. 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Why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/i-get-these-students-who-come-in-and-say-i-want-to-help-people-i-say/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [Pittsburgh was a wonderful place to grow up - diverse and complex, one could go from one culture to a completely different one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/pittsburgh-was-a-wonderful-place-to-grow-up-diverse-and-complex-one/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [I wanted to rewrite the code of life, to make new molecular machines that would solve human problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/i-wanted-to-rewrite-the-code-of-life-to-make-new-molecular-machines/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [I feel a responsibility to encourage everyone to excel in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/i-feel-a-responsibility-to-encourage-everyone-to-excel-in-science/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [To survive and even thrive in a changing world, nature offers another great lesson: the survivors are those who at the least adapt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/to-survive-and-even-thrive-in-a-changing-world-nature-offers-another/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [Enzymes are masters of chemistry. They evolved over billions of years to perform specific biological functions. They make complex materials with virtually no waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/enzymes-are-masters-of-chemistry-they-evolved-over-billions-of-years/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [This innovation machine that's evolution, we can use it to do all sorts of interesting things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/this-innovation-machine-that-s-evolution-we-can-use-it-to-do-all/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [Cellulose has physical and chemical properties that make it difficult to access and difficult to break down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/cellulose-has-physical-and-chemical-properties-that-make-it-difficult/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) > [Silicon-based life on Earth doesn't make sense, but perhaps it would in some totally different environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-arnold/silicon-based-life-on-earth-doesn-t-make-sense-but-perhaps-it-would/) [Frances Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) [Explore all 100 Frances Arnold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-arnold/) ## More Everything quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [My parents were not musical, and they were not effervescent people; everything was very quiet. 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