--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes he felt as if he'd been born in…" description: "\"“Sometimes he felt as if he'd been born in the wrong century. The people of this time were all wrong for him, and he was all wrong for them. But he ref..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/heather-massey-241912_approval-of-others_sometimes-he-felt-as-if-he-d-been-born-i_2237208.jpg" --- # Sometimes he felt as if he'd been born in the wrong… ![“Sometimes he felt as if he'd been born in the wrong century. The people of this time were all wrong for him, and he was all wrong for them. But he refused to become something he wasn't just for society's approval.” quote by Heather Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/heather-massey-241912_approval-of-others_sometimes-he-felt-as-if-he-d-been-born-i_2237208.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/heather-massey-241912_approval-of-others_sometimes-he-felt-as-if-he-d-been-born-i_2237208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/heather-massey-241912_approval-of-others_sometimes-he-felt-as-if-he-d-been-born-i_2237208.jpg) > ““Sometimes he felt as if he'd been born in the wrong century. The people of this time were all wrong for him, and he was all wrong for them. But he refused to become something he wasn't just for society's approval.”” Heather Massey ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling out of sync with one's era, one may reject societal expectations to stay true to self. **In simple terms:** Being true to yourself may mean defying norms. Key Takeaway Embrace your authentic era. Themes identity conformity time self‑acceptance rebellion Mood reflective defiant thoughtful Type Approval of others:1 Clockpunk:1 Steampunk:1 Time:1 Wrong Century:1 Time Wrong:1 Felt Born:1 Born Wrong:1 Wrong Refused:1 When to use this quote - career choices - creative expression - social activism Key Concepts existentialism cultural critique personal authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How do you cope with feeling out of place? - What steps help you align with your values? A Different Perspective Not everyone can change eras. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approval of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval-of-others/) [Steampunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steampunk/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I always felt that I was born in the wrong era. I wanted to be friends with John Garfield, for instance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/i-always-felt-that-i-was-born-in-the-wrong-era-i-wanted-to-be-friends-2/) [Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/) > [“Everything in the world had already been discovered. I'd been born in the wrong century, and I felt cheated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/everything-in-the-world-had-already-been-discovered-i-d-been-born-in/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [So one day my mother sat me down and explained that I couldn’t become an explorer because everything in the world had already been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/so-one-day-my-mother-sat-me-down-and-explained-that-i-couldn-t-become/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [I'd been born in the wrong century, and I felt cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-d-been-born-in-the-wrong-century-and-i-felt-cheated/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [In the history of science it has often happened that the majority was wrong and refused to listen to a minority that later turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/in-the-history-of-science-it-has-often-happened-that-the-majority-was/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [I don't know where things are going wrong. I refused 22 offers for lavani numbers and five films. I was not happy with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amruta-khanvilkar/i-don-t-know-where-things-are-going-wrong-i-refused-22-offers-for/) [Amruta Khanvilkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amruta-khanvilkar/) > [“Let us fly, Madam Harpy Queen. Show me how you dance on the wind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lita-burke/let-us-fly-madam-harpy-queen-show-me-how-you-dance-on-the-wind/) [Lita Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lita-burke/) > [“Goons were the lowest sort of homunculi, only superior to zombies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lita-burke/goons-were-the-lowest-sort-of-homunculi-only-superior-to-zombies/) [Lita Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lita-burke/) > [“Just roll me in fairy dust and call me a unicorn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lita-burke/just-roll-me-in-fairy-dust-and-call-me-a-unicorn/) [Lita Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lita-burke/) > [“he also felt that this was what he was born for, felt proud of himself for not giving into his fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-rice/he-also-felt-that-this-was-what-he-was-born-for-felt-proud-of-himself/) [Morgan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-rice/) > [“I lead a life of contradiction. I’ve experienced horrific pain, a non-caring medical system, and total loss of the career I felt I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-toussaint/i-lead-a-life-of-contradiction-i-ve-experienced-horrific-pain-a-non/) Cynthia Toussaint > [Having embraced Islam, I felt as if I were born again. I found in Islam the answers to those queries which I had failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-jackson/having-embraced-islam-i-felt-as-if-i-were-born-again-i-found-in-islam/) [Jermaine Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-jackson/) > [I always felt that I was born in the wrong era. I wanted to be friends with John Garfield, for instance. He was one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/i-always-felt-that-i-was-born-in-the-wrong-era-i-wanted-to-be-friends/) [Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/) > [He wanted to ask her what sound a heart made when it broke from pleasure, when just the sight of someone filled you the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/he-wanted-to-ask-her-what-sound-a-heart-made-when-it-broke-from/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [“It was a poor thing she felt for anyone to be born a foreigner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/it-was-a-poor-thing-she-felt-for-anyone-to-be-born-a-foreigner/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## More Approval of others quotes > [Some people lower their own self esteem simply by seeking approval of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-lower-their-own-self-esteem-simply-by-seeking-approval-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Lord help me to work on giving, praying and fasting without seeking approval of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lord-help-me-to-work-on-giving-praying-and-fasting-without-seeking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man doesn't require the approval of others. He's willing to follow his heart wherever it leads him. When a man is following his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/a-man-doesn-t-require-the-approval-of-others-he-s-willing-to-follow/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [No effective guidance will ever be achieved by seeking approval of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-effective-guidance-will-ever-be-achieved-by-seeking-approval-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Self-approval is acquired mainly from the approval of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/self-approval-is-acquired-mainly-from-the-approval-of-other-people/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It seemed so natural, receiving it, watching others receive it, assuming that the approval of others determined our worth. Then one day we found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-goff/it-seemed-so-natural-receiving-it-watching-others-receive-it-assuming/) [Lee Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-goff/) > [“My thoughts are my own—I will not modify them to receive the approval of others. My feelings are my own—I will not silence them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-lynn-reilly/my-thoughts-are-my-own-i-will-not-modify-them-to-receive-the-approval/) [Patricia Lynn Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-lynn-reilly/) > [Embrace fanaticism. Harness joie de vivre by pursuing insane interests, consuming passions, and constant sources of gratification that do not depend on the approval…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/embrace-fanaticism-harness-joie-de-vivre-by-pursuing-insane-interests/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [“The dismal fact is that self-respect has nothing to do with the approval of others — who are, after all, deceived easily enough; has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/the-dismal-fact-is-that-self-respect-has-nothing-to-do-with-the/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“A balanced inner calmness radiates from a peaceful centre. It neither craves others' approval nor rejects others' presence. It neither pulls towards nor pushes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/a-balanced-inner-calmness-radiates-from-a-peaceful-centre-it-neither/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [Seeking approval of others is away to avoid how deeply we disapprove of ourselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeking-approval-of-others-is-away-to-avoid-how-deeply-we-disapprove/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Too many people base their worth and value on what other people think of them. They worry if others like them, approve of them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/too-many-people-base-their-worth-and-value-on-what-other-people-think/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Happiness means loving yourself and being less concerned with the approval of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-barton/happiness-means-loving-yourself-and-being-less-concerned-with-the/) [Karina Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-barton/) > [“To be mad is to feel with excruciating intensity the sadness and joy of a time which has not arrived or has already been.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/to-be-mad-is-to-feel-with-excruciating-intensity-the-sadness-and-joy/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [Funny how my world improved immediately when I stopped seeking approval of others and began approving of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/funny-how-my-world-improved-immediately-when-i-stopped-seeking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 97 Approval of others quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval-of-others/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sometimes he felt as if he'd been born in the wrong century. 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