--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There’s no magic ruler by which we’re all…" description: "\"“There’s no magic ruler by which we’re all judged and weighed, not in this life. If you wait for someone to tell you it’s time to grow up, you’ll wait ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/heidi-cullinan-7824_growing-up_there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-al_2052654.jpg" --- # There’s no magic ruler by which we’re all judged and… ![“There’s no magic ruler by which we’re all judged and weighed, not in this life. If you wait for someone to tell you it’s time to grow up, you’ll wait forever. Some people, quite happily, do just that. They don’t do anything until they’re forced to by circumstance” quote by Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/heidi-cullinan-7824_growing-up_there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-al_2052654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/heidi-cullinan-7824_growing-up_there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-al_2052654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/heidi-cullinan-7824_growing-up_there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-al_2052654.jpg) > ““There’s no magic ruler by which we’re all judged and weighed, not in this life. If you wait for someone to tell you it’s time to grow up, you’ll wait forever. Some people, quite happily, do just that. They don’t do anything until they’re forced to by circumstance”” [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Growth cannot be postponed; waiting for external permission stalls progress. **In simple terms:** Don’t wait for others to tell you to grow. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for your own development. Themes self‑growth responsibility agency Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - education - health habits - relationship building - life transitions Key Concepts psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What internal cues signal it’s time to change? - How can you create self‑driven milestones? A Different Perspective External pressures may cause premature decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Ruler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruler/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Responsibilities have weighed on me my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jackson/responsibilities-have-weighed-on-me-my-whole-life/) [Stephen Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jackson/) > [“You can have all the time that you need, Mila. I'll wait forever if I have to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-cole/you-can-have-all-the-time-that-you-need-mila-i-ll-wait-forever-if-i/) [Courtney Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-cole/) > [“I’m here. And I’m not going to rush you. And I’m not even asking anything of you. But I’m here whenever you need me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittainy-c-cherry/i-m-here-and-i-m-not-going-to-rush-you-and-i-m-not-even-asking/) [Brittainy C. Cherry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittainy-c-cherry/) > [“I'll wait for you forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-allison-moulton/i-ll-wait-for-you-forever/) [Courtney Allison Moulton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-allison-moulton/) > [“I'm here, Andrea. I'm here. And I'm not going to rush you. And I'm not even asking anything of you. But I'm here whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittainy-c-cherry/i-m-here-andrea-i-m-here-and-i-m-not-going-to-rush-you-and-i-m-not/) [Brittainy C. Cherry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittainy-c-cherry/) > [“Tamani:" "I can't just storm in and proclaim my intentions. I can't 'steal' you away. I just have to wait and hope that, someday,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/tamani-i-can-t-just-storm-in-and-proclaim-my-intentions-i-can-t-steal/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [I'll wait for you, but I can't wait forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hawthorne-heights/i-ll-wait-for-you-but-i-can-t-wait-forever/) [Hawthorne Heights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hawthorne-heights/) > [“A lover is the one who waits,” he paraphrases. “Then, I’ll wait. Forever”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saffron-a-kent/a-lover-is-the-one-who-waits-he-paraphrases-then-i-ll-wait-forever/) [Saffron A. Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saffron-a-kent/) > [I'm not going to wait forever, but I'll wait as long as you want me to wait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/i-m-not-going-to-wait-forever-but-i-ll-wait-as-long-as-you-want-me-to/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [“As long as I know this" - he lifted our joined hands - "is mine to hold, I'll wait for you forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jus-accardo/as-long-as-i-know-this-he-lifted-our-joined-hands-is-mine-to-hold-i/) [Jus Accardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jus-accardo/) > [If you want to talk about it, I got the time When you're looking so enchanted, you cover my mind If you think I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-ocasek/if-you-want-to-talk-about-it-i-got-the-time-when-you-re-looking-so/) [Ric Ocasek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-ocasek/) > [“I’ll wait for you,” he said as his hand dropped to his side, as his eyes began to dim. “I think I could wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-klune/i-ll-wait-for-you-he-said-as-his-hand-dropped-to-his-side-as-his-eyes/) [T.J. Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-klune/) > [“Can I trust him again? Even after all he said? If I do and I'm wrong, the cost is too high. My life. "You'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-jordan/can-i-trust-him-again-even-after-all-he-said-if-i-do-and-i-m-wrong/) [Sophie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-jordan/) > [I can wait forever if you say you'll be there too. I can wait forever if you will. I know it's worth it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/air-supply/i-can-wait-forever-if-you-say-you-ll-be-there-too-i-can-wait-forever/) [Air Supply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/air-supply/) > [“Lore, if you wait for the right moment, you'll wait forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-griffith/lore-if-you-wait-for-the-right-moment-you-ll-wait-forever/) [Nicola Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-griffith/) ## More by Heidi Cullinan > [“Adam could imagine what he looked like: a debauched nerd.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/adam-could-imagine-what-he-looked-like-a-debauched-nerd/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“I don’t know who I am.” “You’re Skylar Stone. You’re charming, kind, clever, helpful, beautiful inside and out. You don’t give up. You bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/i-don-t-know-who-i-am-you-re-skylar-stone-you-re-charming-kind-clever/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“Bitch, have you been getting collagen in those lips? You look like you gave a blow job to a Hoover attachment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/bitch-have-you-been-getting-collagen-in-those-lips-you-look-like-you/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“Everything will change, if you wait long enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/everything-will-change-if-you-wait-long-enough/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“I just want to find a way to be with you that doesn’t hurt you. Because I didn’t realize it until Unc asked. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/i-just-want-to-find-a-way-to-be-with-you-that-doesn-t-hurt-you/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“You have no idea how impossible your job is going to be.” “You have no idea how much I love overturning impossible.” The smile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/you-have-no-idea-how-impossible-your-job-is-going-to-be-you-have-no/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“Jesus, Steve hated cats. “They’re so precious.” Chenco crouched to love on the calico’s belly. “I always wanted one, but my mom said no,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/jesus-steve-hated-cats-they-re-so-precious-chenco-crouched-to-love-on/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“What if his advisor found out? Would getting caught having public sex do something to his teaching assistantship? Would he still be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/what-if-his-advisor-found-out-would-getting-caught-having-public-sex/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“What did I do to deserve you?” “You told me not to throw away my work. You chased me down and made me open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/what-did-i-do-to-deserve-you-you-told-me-not-to-throw-away-my-work/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“When life fucks you over, you don’t slow down. You just keep going, keep moving, eyes peeled for the next opportunity, the next dance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/when-life-fucks-you-over-you-don-t-slow-down-you-just-keep-going-keep/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“That's it, he rasped. Hump me. Are you a dog? Are you a dog in heat? You my dog? He slapped me again. Speak,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/that-s-it-he-rasped-hump-me-are-you-a-dog-are-you-a-dog-in-heat-you/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“Louisa raised an eyebrow. "Is he—how shall I put it delicately—a simple man?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/louisa-raised-an-eyebrow-is-he-how-shall-i-put-it-delicately-a-simple/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“He wanted to be loved and cherished, yes. But he also wanted to be fucked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/he-wanted-to-be-loved-and-cherished-yes-but-he-also-wanted-to-be/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“Everybody's got dirty laundry they don't want other people to see. The trick is figuring out how to not care about it. Make peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/everybody-s-got-dirty-laundry-they-don-t-want-other-people-to-see-the/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) > [“Absolutely no slouching, Ed. You're the frame. You're the stem to my flower. Quit giving me crooked pictures and wilted flowers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/absolutely-no-slouching-ed-you-re-the-frame-you-re-the-stem-to-my/) [Heidi Cullinan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) [Explore all 87 Heidi Cullinan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/) ## More Growing up quotes > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I think kids growing up, if they were picked on and feeling inferior at 12, they're going to feel that way at 72. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-think-kids-growing-up-if-they-were-picked-on-and-feeling-inferior/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [We all got driven out of Manhattan. It was a very conducive place for artists when I was growing up, and now it's definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/we-all-got-driven-out-of-manhattan-it-was-a-very-conducive-place-for/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wasn't a kid growing up thinking, 'One day I'll get an Oscar and make a speech.' That wasn't on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sandler/i-wasn-t-a-kid-growing-up-thinking-one-day-i-ll-get-an-oscar-and-make/) [Adam Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sandler/) > [I was young, but to me that was underground music. I had never heard anything like Venom or any of that stuff growing up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-pajo/i-was-young-but-to-me-that-was-underground-music-i-had-never-heard/) [David Pajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-pajo/) > [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-doubleday/growing-up-i-did-commercials-and-things-like-that-but-nothing-serious/) [Portia Doubleday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-doubleday/) > [How am I supposed to make life choices when I still use my fingers to count and sing the whole alphabet to see what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-am-i-supposed-to-make-life-choices-when-i-still-use-my-fingers-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Grow up? Get herself straightened out? Her mind reeled from the verbal battering. No matter what she did, her father would tell her she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/grow-up-get-herself-straightened-out-her-mind-reeled-from-the-verbal/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [“The whole idea of it makes me feel Like I’m coming down with something, Something worse than any stomach ache Or the headaches I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like-i-m-coming-down-with/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) [Browse all 7,738 Growing up quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There’s no magic ruler by which we’re all judged and weighed, not in this life. If you wait for someone to tell you it’s time to grow up, you’ll wait forever. Some people, quite happily, do just that. They don’t do anything until they’re forced to by circumstance”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Heidi Cullinan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-all-judged-and-weighed-not-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Growing up" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-all-judged-and-weighed-not-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/heidi-cullinan-7824_growing-up_there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-al_2052654.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/heidi-cullinan-7824_growing-up_there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-al_2052654.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bc/heidi-cullinan-7824_growing-up_there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-al_2052654.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There’s no magic ruler by which we’re all judged and weighed, not in this life. If you wait for someone to…” — Heidi Cullinan", "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": "Heidi Cullinan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-cullinan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There’s no magic ruler by which...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-all-judged-and-weighed-not-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-cullinan/there-s-no-magic-ruler-by-which-we-re-all-judged-and-weighed-not-in/#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 } } ] } ```