---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When somebody tells me I cannot do…"
description: "\"When somebody tells me I cannot do something, that's when I do it,\" — Gertrude Ederle"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/gertrude-ederle-50326_funny_when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-somet_191312.png"
---

#  When somebody tells me I cannot do something, that's when…

![“When somebody tells me I cannot do something, that's when I do it,” quote by Gertrude Ederle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/gertrude-ederle-50326_funny_when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-somet_191312.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/gertrude-ederle-50326_funny_when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-somet_191312.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/gertrude-ederle-50326_funny_when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-somet_191312.png)

> “When somebody tells me I cannot do something, that's when I do it,”

[Gertrude Ederle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-ederle/)

## About This Quote

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

Defying others' doubts fuels determination, turning skepticism into personal triumph.

**In simple terms:** Ignore doubters, prove them wrong.

Key Takeaway

Use criticism as motivation.

Themes

determination confidence overcoming doubt

Mood

inspirational empowering

Type

motivational reflective

When to use this quote

- sports competition
- career advancement
- creative projects
- public speaking

Key Concepts

psychology of motivation self‑efficacy

Questions to Reflect On

- What goal have you delayed due to others' opinions?
- How can you turn criticism into fuel?

A Different Perspective

External pressure can cause stress; balance is needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Somebody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somebody/) [Somebody Tells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somebody-tells-1235028/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Tells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tells/)

## Related quotes

> [If somebody tells me what to do, I will do my best not to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroko-sakai/if-somebody-tells-me-what-to-do-i-will-do-my-best-not-to-do-it/)

[Hiroko Sakai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroko-sakai/)

> [“If somebody tells you there's a rule, break it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/if-somebody-tells-you-there-s-a-rule-break-it/)

[Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/)

> [If somebody tells you that after being champion you're not going to miss the attention, he's lying to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riddick-bowe/if-somebody-tells-you-that-after-being-champion-you-re-not-going-to/)

[Riddick Bowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riddick-bowe/)

> [“When somebody tells me they’ve had a bad day, I always respond in a somber voice, “Yes, I’ve had one of those too. August…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/when-somebody-tells-me-they-ve-had-a-bad-day-i-always-respond-in-a/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“If somebody tells you a rule, break it. That's the only way to move things forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/if-somebody-tells-you-a-rule-break-it-that-s-the-only-way-to-move/)

[Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/)

> [When somebody tells you they're not very smart, they're saying exactly the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/when-somebody-tells-you-they-re-not-very-smart-they-re-saying-exactly/)

[Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/)

> [I like it when somebody tells me a story, and I actually really feel that that's becoming like a lost art in American cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/i-like-it-when-somebody-tells-me-a-story-and-i-actually-really-feel/)

[Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/)

> [I think that when somebody tells you something of value, a lot of the time there's this thing that happens, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-spektor/i-think-that-when-somebody-tells-you-something-of-value-a-lot-of-the/)

[Regina Spektor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-spektor/)

> [When poems stop talking about the moon and begin to mention poverty, trade unions, color, color lines and colonies, somebody tells the police.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/when-poems-stop-talking-about-the-moon-and-begin-to-mention-poverty/)

[Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/)

> [I don't know what a monopoly is until somebody tells me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-somebody-tells-me/)

[Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/)

> [“If somebody tells you a rule, break it. That's the only thing to move things forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/if-somebody-tells-you-a-rule-break-it-that-s-the-only-thing-to-move/)

[Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/)

> [Even if somebody tells us something, the hit, the light goes on inside of us, not out there. We learn and understand everything within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/even-if-somebody-tells-us-something-the-hit-the-light-goes-on-inside/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

> [When somebody tells you they don't think you're good enough here, your face doesn't fit, you don't just roll over; you've got to back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-barry/when-somebody-tells-you-they-don-t-think-you-re-good-enough-here-your/)

[Gareth Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-barry/)

> [I don't look at ratings until somebody tells me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-lakshmi/i-don-t-look-at-ratings-until-somebody-tells-me/)

[Padma Lakshmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-lakshmi/)

> [Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you. You're gonna believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/cause-when-you-re-fifteen-and-somebody-tells-you-they-love-you-you-re/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

## More by Gertrude Ederle

> [I just knew if it could be done, it had to be done, and I did it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/i-just-knew-if-it-could-be-done-it-had-to-be-done-and-i-did-it/)

[Gertrude Ederle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-ederle/)

> [I have no complaints. I am comfortable and satisfied. I am not the kind of person who reaches for the moon as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/i-have-no-complaints-i-am-comfortable-and-satisfied-i-am-not-the-kind/)

[Gertrude Ederle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-ederle/)

> [When we're in the water, we're not in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/when-we-re-in-the-water-we-re-not-in-this-world/)

[Gertrude Ederle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-ederle/)

> [Slowly I came to know that the depth of our heartbreaks determines the depth of our faith. God gives us everything to conquer the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/slowly-i-came-to-know-that-the-depth-of-our-heartbreaks-determines/)

[Gertrude Ederle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-ederle/)

> [People said women couldn't swim the Channel, but I proved they could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/people-said-women-couldn-t-swim-the-channel-but-i-proved-they-could/)

[Gertrude Ederle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-ederle/)

> [To me, the sea is like a person - like a child that I've known a long time. It sounds crazy, I know, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/to-me-the-sea-is-like-a-person-like-a-child-that-i-ve-known-a-long/)

[Gertrude Ederle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-ederle/)

[Explore all 7 Gertrude Ederle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-ederle/)

## More Funny quotes

> [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/)

[Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/)

[Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/)

> [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [Sometimes I look at my awesome twitter followers &amp; think to myself, What the hell would I do without them :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/sometimes-i-look-at-my-awesome-twitter-followers-think-to-myself-what/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/)

[Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/)

> [Congratulations to Facebook on going public with all my private information...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/congratulations-to-facebook-on-going-public-with-all-my-private/)

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

> [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/)

[Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/)

> [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/)

[Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/)

> [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/)

[Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/)

> [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/)

[Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/)

> [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/)

[Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/)

> [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/)

[Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/)

[Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When somebody tells me I cannot do something, that's when I do it,",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gertrude Ederle"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-something-that-s-when-i-do-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Funny"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-something-that-s-when-i-do-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/gertrude-ederle-50326_funny_when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-somet_191312.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/gertrude-ederle-50326_funny_when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-somet_191312.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/071/gertrude-ederle-50326_funny_when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-somet_191312.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When somebody tells me I cannot do something, that's when I do it,” — Gertrude Ederle",
                "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": "Gertrude Ederle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-ederle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When somebody tells me I cannot...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-something-that-s-when-i-do-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-ederle/when-somebody-tells-me-i-cannot-do-something-that-s-when-i-do-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
