--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hate the fact that it obsesses me so…" description: "\"“I hate the fact that it obsesses me so much. Who're we gonna end up with? It's a race, and everyone else is on the tracks and I'm at the wrong venue, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/harriet-evans-13233_hanging-around_i-hate-the-fact-that-it-obsesses-me-so-m_1711985.jpg" --- # I hate the fact that it obsesses me so much. Who're we… ![“I hate the fact that it obsesses me so much. Who're we gonna end up with? It's a race, and everyone else is on the tracks and I'm at the wrong venue, with the wrong shoes on." "That's rubbish. He's out there, I promise." "How do you know?" " I don't," said Elle firmly. " I just like to kid myself…” quote by Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/harriet-evans-13233_hanging-around_i-hate-the-fact-that-it-obsesses-me-so-m_1711985.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/harriet-evans-13233_hanging-around_i-hate-the-fact-that-it-obsesses-me-so-m_1711985.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/harriet-evans-13233_hanging-around_i-hate-the-fact-that-it-obsesses-me-so-m_1711985.jpg) > ““I hate the fact that it obsesses me so much. Who're we gonna end up with? It's a race, and everyone else is on the tracks and I'm at the wrong venue, with the wrong shoes on." "That's rubbish. He's out there, I promise." "How do you know?" " I don't," said Elle firmly. " I just like to kid myself that he is. And if he's not, well, there's more to life than just hanging around ruining your life waiting for him. Much more.”” [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describing the frustration of feeling out of sync with life's expectations and the struggle to move beyond idealized love. **In simple terms:** Feeling misplaced in love and life. Key Takeaway Accept reality and seek personal growth. Themes identity expectations disillusionment Mood conflicted hopeful Type narrative reflective When to use this quote - dating - career choices - self‑discovery Key Concepts self‑esteem relationship dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What expectations are you holding onto? - How can you create your own path? A Different Perspective Idealizing love may hinder personal progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elle Firmly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elle-firmly-1255497/) [Hanging around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hanging-around/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Obsesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsesses-502249/) [Obsesses Gonna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsesses-gonna-1255496/) [Ruining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruining/) [Said Elle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-elle-1255495/) [Uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty/) ## Related quotes > [“She stood firm, biting her lip. "I asked you a question, Rory. Yes, or no?" He hesitated. "It's not as easy as that." 'It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/she-stood-firm-biting-her-lip-i-asked-you-a-question-rory-yes-or-no/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [Well, language seems to be something that obsesses me. I'm always writing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisel-mueller/well-language-seems-to-be-something-that-obsesses-me-i-m-always/) [Lisel Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisel-mueller/) > [Death obsesses me, yes it does. I can't really understand why it doesn't obsess everyone - I think it does really, I'm just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/death-obsesses-me-yes-it-does-i-can-t-really-understand-why-it-doesn/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [“Ruining people. I love the way the phrase rolls around on my tongue and inside my mouth. Ruining people is delicious. We're all hungry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/ruining-people-i-love-the-way-the-phrase-rolls-around-on-my-tongue/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [What you must accept as a parent is that you cannot always be there for your child without sometimes ruining everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/what-you-must-accept-as-a-parent-is-that-you-cannot-always-be-there/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Stupid human voices always ruining everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/stupid-human-voices-always-ruining-everything/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Katie McGrath got me hooked on the 'Great British Bake Off.' It's ruining my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-de-gouw/katie-mcgrath-got-me-hooked-on-the-great-british-bake-off-it-s/) [Jessica De Gouw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-de-gouw/) > [“Stupid Josh, ruining me for all other men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-noelle/stupid-josh-ruining-me-for-all-other-men/) [Amy Noelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-noelle/) > [The biggest thing I’ve heard for the last four months is, ‘Thanks for ruining my childhood,’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/the-biggest-thing-i-ve-heard-for-the-last-four-months-is-thanks-for/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [Being angry and ruining everything around you is always not a good idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-hayward/being-angry-and-ruining-everything-around-you-is-always-not-a-good/) [Courtney Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-hayward/) > [We've all been disappointed by new installments of the stories we love. But with all this talk of filmmakers 'ruining our childhood,' we forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-trevorrow/we-ve-all-been-disappointed-by-new-installments-of-the-stories-we/) [Colin Trevorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-trevorrow/) > [I remember being banned from other houses as a younger child during the winter holiday season; I was the only one who didn't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-attenberg/i-remember-being-banned-from-other-houses-as-a-younger-child-during/) [Jami Attenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-attenberg/) > [“Those who are quoting Justin Bieber are ruining this site.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-munn/those-who-are-quoting-justin-bieber-are-ruining-this-site/) [Michael Munn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-munn/) > [Oh! You're the people ruining the rivers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/oh-you-re-the-people-ruining-the-rivers/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [I’ve blamed her for all of this, for leaving, for ruining me. And maybe that was the seed of it, but from that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/i-ve-blamed-her-for-all-of-this-for-leaving-for-ruining-me-and-maybe/) [Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/) ## More by Harriet Evans > [“Elle wondered if he had regrets. But she didn't let herself wonder for too long. She had locked her heart up against him, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/elle-wondered-if-he-had-regrets-but-she-didn-t-let-herself-wonder-for/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“She didn't realise it, for a long time, and it wasn't until they were having dinner one evening that he said something that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/she-didn-t-realise-it-for-a-long-time-and-it-wasn-t-until-they-were/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“She wanted to sit in the pub with him the way Sam did with Steve, the way Matty and Karen had done last weekend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/she-wanted-to-sit-in-the-pub-with-him-the-way-sam-did-with-steve-the/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“Because if you love someone, you have to be brave and tell them. Don't let them go. And if you say no I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/because-if-you-love-someone-you-have-to-be-brave-and-tell-them-don-t/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“I want to be happy. To make someone else happy. To do my job well, be a good person”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/i-want-to-be-happy-to-make-someone-else-happy-to-do-my-job-well-be-a/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“She stood firm, biting her lip. "I asked you a question, Rory. Yes, or no?" He hesitated. "It's not as easy as that." 'It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/she-stood-firm-biting-her-lip-i-asked-you-a-question-rory-yes-or-no/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“Life would be easier for some people if it wasn't such a big deal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/life-would-be-easier-for-some-people-if-it-wasn-t-such-a-big-deal/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“She was different. She liked hearing it, because she wanted to recall just enough of it to remember that she never wanted to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/she-was-different-she-liked-hearing-it-because-she-wanted-to-recall/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“I'm not going to tell you how I think you should live your life, or what I think you should do," said Mary. "Now's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/i-m-not-going-to-tell-you-how-i-think-you-should-live-your-life-or/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“I think you might have missed the right person, your true love, because you have spent your life looking too hard for him. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/i-think-you-might-have-missed-the-right-person-your-true-love-because/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“It was completely still, not a sound within or outside. As if it was just the two of them, nothing more in the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/it-was-completely-still-not-a-sound-within-or-outside-as-if-it-was/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“I fell in love with you that summer all those years ago. I never really told you, because of everything that happened. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/i-fell-in-love-with-you-that-summer-all-those-years-ago-i-never/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“What she didn't say was: "Can I punch both your sisters?" "How do you cope with this, all the time?" "Why can't it be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/what-she-didn-t-say-was-can-i-punch-both-your-sisters-how-do-you-cope/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“I'm not weird,' Elle said defensively. 'I mean in a good way. All the best people are.' He swallowed, as if he were thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/i-m-not-weird-elle-said-defensively-i-mean-in-a-good-way-all-the-best/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) > [“Elle Remembered Yorkshire road and the flat he shared with Caitlin and their daughter, and she almost stopped and turned back, and then she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-evans/elle-remembered-yorkshire-road-and-the-flat-he-shared-with-caitlin/) [Harriet Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) [Explore all 51 Harriet Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-evans/) ## More Hanging around quotes > [“It made sense, and I felt kind of stupid. I’d been hanging around dryads”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/it-made-sense-and-i-felt-kind-of-stupid-i-d-been-hanging-around-dryads/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [It is easy to have a lot of paintings or projects hanging around that are 'almost done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-kinkade/it-is-easy-to-have-a-lot-of-paintings-or-projects-hanging-around-that/) [Thomas Kinkade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-kinkade/) > [I didn't go to university. They offered me a job as a junior reporter and I went off to work for the Southern Reporter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-douglas/i-didn-t-go-to-university-they-offered-me-a-job-as-a-junior-reporter/) [Jill Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-douglas/) > [You can tell when someone is just trying to use you. It becomes just someone who's hanging around. Whenever someone sucks up to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/topher-grace/you-can-tell-when-someone-is-just-trying-to-use-you-it-becomes-just/) [Topher Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/topher-grace/) > [“What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by. I mean I've left schools and places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/what-i-was-really-hanging-around-for-i-was-trying-to-feel-some-kind/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [At some point I was hanging around with the Butchies - a band I ended up playing with a lot - and it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-ray/at-some-point-i-was-hanging-around-with-the-butchies-a-band-i-ended/) [Amy Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-ray/) > [The most dangerous kind of girl involvement with gangs is one where the girls are just sort of hanging around the gang boys or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meda-chesney-lind/the-most-dangerous-kind-of-girl-involvement-with-gangs-is-one-where/) [Meda Chesney-Lind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meda-chesney-lind/) > [“He changed his final wad up at the train station. Which was a sad place now. There were homeless people and disturbed people hanging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/he-changed-his-final-wad-up-at-the-train-station-which-was-a-sad/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [If smiling makes you live longer, then Im never gonna die if I keep hanging around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-smiling-makes-you-live-longer-then-im-never-gonna-die-if-i-keep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We get so many people saying short fiction is not economical, that it doesn't sell; but there are so many of us enjoying writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/we-get-so-many-people-saying-short-fiction-is-not-economical-that-it/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Guys like Otis Blackwell and Bobby Darin, and all the guys who were writing songs for Elvis at the time, just hanging around, writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/guys-like-otis-blackwell-and-bobby-darin-and-all-the-guys-who-were/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Faculty Psychology is getting to be respectable again after centuries of hanging around with phrenologists and other dubious types. By faculty psychology I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-fodor/faculty-psychology-is-getting-to-be-respectable-again-after-centuries/) [Jerry Fodor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-fodor/) > [I'm calling for all responsible Americans to fight back and punish Pepsi for using a man who degrades women, who encourages substance abuse, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/i-m-calling-for-all-responsible-americans-to-fight-back-and-punish/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [There was always a guitar hanging around the house when I was a kid. It was a much lower impact instrument than me playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rzeznik/there-was-always-a-guitar-hanging-around-the-house-when-i-was-a-kid/) [John Rzeznik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rzeznik/) > [“It seemed my whole life was composed of these disjointed fractions of time, hanging around in one public place and then another, as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/it-seemed-my-whole-life-was-composed-of-these-disjointed-fractions-of/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) [Browse all 287 Hanging around quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hanging-around/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I hate the fact that it obsesses me so much. Who're we gonna end up with? It's a race, and everyone else is on the tracks and I'm at the wrong venue, with the wrong shoes on.\" \"That's rubbish. He's out there, I promise.\" \"How do you know?\" \" I don't,\" said Elle firmly. \" I just like to kid myself that he is. And if he's not, well, there's more to life than just hanging around ruining your life waiting for him. 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