--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always felt alienated. I realized…" description: "\"I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been terrified my entire life. So I can identify that fear which drives so many of the people that I w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/hubert-selby-jr-12027_alienated_i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-th_364873.png" --- # I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been… ![“I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been terrified my entire life. So I can identify that fear which drives so many of the people that I write about.” quote by Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/hubert-selby-jr-12027_alienated_i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-th_364873.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/hubert-selby-jr-12027_alienated_i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-th_364873.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/hubert-selby-jr-12027_alienated_i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-th_364873.png) > “I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been terrified my entire life. So I can identify that fear which drives so many of the people that I write about.” [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker recognizes lifelong fear that isolates them, which fuels their creative work about similar alienated characters. **In simple terms:** Fear of alienation drives the writer’s empathy for others. Key Takeaway Acknowledge fear to deepen artistic insight. Themes alienation fear creativity Mood introspective somber Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - writing - therapy - personal growth - community building Key Concepts psychology empathy self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape your expression? - Can alienation be transformed into connection? A Different Perspective Fear can also paralyze rather than inspire. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Entire life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire-life/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Terrified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrified/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I felt alienated by the experience and decided to stay away from corporate employment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/i-felt-alienated-by-the-experience-and-decided-to-stay-away-from/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [I am a star because I have always felt so alienated and I project this feeling to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candy-darling/i-am-a-star-because-i-have-always-felt-so-alienated-and-i-project/) [Candy Darling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candy-darling/) > [I felt alienated at school, and I never did well with girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-bacharach/i-felt-alienated-at-school-and-i-never-did-well-with-girls/) [Burt Bacharach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-bacharach/) > [I nearly drowned in a park pond when I was six years old and I've been terrified of water ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-odudu/i-nearly-drowned-in-a-park-pond-when-i-was-six-years-old-and-i-ve/) [A. J. Odudu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-odudu/) > [Fear is a stranger to the ways of love. Identify with fear, and you will be a stranger to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/fear-is-a-stranger-to-the-ways-of-love-identify-with-fear-and-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“You become fearful the moment you identify with fear. But once you begin seeing it as an impersonal changing phenomenon, you become free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvan-byeajee/you-become-fearful-the-moment-you-identify-with-fear-but-once-you/) [Yvan Byeajee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvan-byeajee/) > [Lots of people can identify with a fear of abandonment because of childhood stuff. They say you're either afraid of abandonment or engulfment in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-lou-wood/lots-of-people-can-identify-with-a-fear-of-abandonment-because-of/) [Aimee Lou Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-lou-wood/) > [I'm terrified of men these days. If someone asked me out now, I don't know what I'd say, how I'd react. But I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-keeler/i-m-terrified-of-men-these-days-if-someone-asked-me-out-now-i-don-t/) [Christine Keeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-keeler/) > [I'm terrified of learning lines, and I've always been terrified that I won't learn them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/i-m-terrified-of-learning-lines-and-i-ve-always-been-terrified-that-i/) [Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/) > [In some ways I've lived my life like a man, made my own decisions, etc. I've been as terrified as the next person, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/in-some-ways-i-ve-lived-my-life-like-a-man-made-my-own-decisions-etc/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [Ever since I was a little kid, there was something about change that scared me so much, but, at the same time, I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo/ever-since-i-was-a-little-kid-there-was-something-about-change-that/) MO > [“I can’t tell her that our recent troubles have tilted my entire world off its axis. I can’t tell her that for the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lane/i-can-t-tell-her-that-our-recent-troubles-have-tilted-my-entire-world/) [Nina Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lane/) > [I've been terrified of the water, and yet it seems I'm forced to go into in on every movie that I make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-wood/i-ve-been-terrified-of-the-water-and-yet-it-seems-i-m-forced-to-go/) [Natalie Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-wood/) > [Hearing that I'd come so close to dying should've terrified me, but all I could muster up was a weary "This day sucks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/hearing-that-i-d-come-so-close-to-dying-should-ve-terrified-me-but/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [I've never been more terrified than when I learned how to paramotor. They attached this machine to my back, as if I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konnie-huq/i-ve-never-been-more-terrified-than-when-i-learned-how-to-paramotor/) [Konnie Huq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konnie-huq/) ## More by Hubert Selby, Jr > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [But to believe that getting stuff is the purpose and aim of life is madness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/but-to-believe-that-getting-stuff-is-the-purpose-and-aim-of-life-is/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [I'm focusing on writing the best story I can write. Which means I'm doing everything I can to give the artist within me as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-m-focusing-on-writing-the-best-story-i-can-write-which-means-i-m/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [I certainly do attempt to live according to spiritual principles. That's always the foundation of each and every day. I have experienced some things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-certainly-do-attempt-to-live-according-to-spiritual-principles-that/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [Sometimes it seems to stand still. Like you’re in a bag and you can’t get out and somebody’s always telling you that it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-it-seems-to-stand-still-like-you-re-in-a-bag-and-you-can-t/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [There's a sorrow and pain in everyone's life, but every now and then there's a ray of light that melts the loneliness in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/there-s-a-sorrow-and-pain-in-everyone-s-life-but-every-now-and-then/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [The resistance and the degree of the resistance to the natural phenomenon of life causes tremendous suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/the-resistance-and-the-degree-of-the-resistance-to-the-natural/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [We all need a meaning to our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/we-all-need-a-meaning-to-our-life/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [I have to have a meaning in my life. If I roam around without some meaning in my life, I'm in deep and serious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-have-to-have-a-meaning-in-my-life-if-i-roam-around-without-some/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [It seems to me that what the artist sees is the simple and obvious that is invisible to everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/it-seems-to-me-that-what-the-artist-sees-is-the-simple-and-obvious/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [I don't know how to make the critics happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-don-t-know-how-to-make-the-critics-happy/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [Obviously, I believe that to pursue the American Dream is not only futile but self-destructive because ultimately it destroys everything and everyone involved with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/obviously-i-believe-that-to-pursue-the-american-dream-is-not-only/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [My writing is inspired by just about everything, yet I am unaware of so much of the process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/my-writing-is-inspired-by-just-about-everything-yet-i-am-unaware-of/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [thats why you cant be worried about the world. theyll just do you in anyway. you can't depend on them because sooner or later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/thats-why-you-cant-be-worried-about-the-world-theyll-just-do-you-in/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [As Lao Tzu says, "The Tao that can be named is not the true Tao".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/as-lao-tzu-says-the-tao-that-can-be-named-is-not-the-true-tao/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) [Explore all 56 Hubert Selby, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) ## More Alienated quotes > [I alienated myself from the academic world almost entirely because it's a left-wing world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/i-alienated-myself-from-the-academic-world-almost-entirely-because-it/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [It took me a long time to realize that being alienated and not fitting in is not only OK, it's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realize-that-being-alienated-and-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A consequence of this alienation of humans from their own nature is that they are also alienated from each other. Productive activity becomes ‘activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/a-consequence-of-this-alienation-of-humans-from-their-own-nature-is/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [I've put out a lot of stuff that just confused and alienated people: a huge chunk of songs that were verbal and musical challenges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-ve-put-out-a-lot-of-stuff-that-just-confused-and-alienated-people-a/) [Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/) > [“Of course I alienate myself from society. It's the only way I know of not being constantly reminded of all the ways I'm alienated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/of-course-i-alienate-myself-from-society-it-s-the-only-way-i-know-of/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) > [Almost every truly creative being alienated & expatriated in his own country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-ferlinghetti/almost-every-truly-creative-being-alienated-expatriated-in-his-own/) [Lawrence Ferlinghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-ferlinghetti/) > [“The alienated audiences was one that was aware of the performance as an arbitrary construction of the real, of the difference between players and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fiske/the-alienated-audiences-was-one-that-was-aware-of-the-performance-as/) [John Fiske](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fiske/) > [I had no work after 'Gangster' for two years, and my sister Rangoli met with an accident that destroyed her looks. My struggle with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangna-ranaut/i-had-no-work-after-gangster-for-two-years-and-my-sister-rangoli-met/) [Kangna Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangna-ranaut/) > [I think I felt pretty alienated, being bigger, being mixed race, being of lower socioeconomic standing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-elsesser/i-think-i-felt-pretty-alienated-being-bigger-being-mixed-race-being/) [Paloma Elsesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-elsesser/) > [“Indeed, a great deal of pathological drug use is driven by unmet social needs, by being alienated and having difficulty connecting with others. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hart/indeed-a-great-deal-of-pathological-drug-use-is-driven-by-unmet/) [Carl Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hart/) > [I think a lot of us feel, when we look at the Dow Jones plunging, alienated - you do feel as if we're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/i-think-a-lot-of-us-feel-when-we-look-at-the-dow-jones-plunging/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He never cared too much for parties or people, but misanthropy could easily be cured by several alcoholic drinks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-rice/he-never-cared-too-much-for-parties-or-people-but-misanthropy-could/) [Daniel J. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-rice/) > [When you stop to think about it, so many films today where we don't have that kind of contact are films about alienation. About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-bernstein/when-you-stop-to-think-about-it-so-many-films-today-where-we-don-t/) [Elmer Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-bernstein/) > [“I was not descending in a plane, coming Home. I was watching an alien world as it ascended towards me - and one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/i-was-not-descending-in-a-plane-coming-home-i-was-watching-an-alien/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) > [But sometimes in the midst of worry, anxiety and hard work, it has been pretty hard to bear all these false reports going about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harvey-kellogg/but-sometimes-in-the-midst-of-worry-anxiety-and-hard-work-it-has-been/) [John Harvey Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harvey-kellogg/) Browse all 78 Alienated quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been terrified my entire life. So I can identify that fear which drives so many of the people that I write about.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hubert Selby, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-that-i-ve-been-terrified-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alienated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-that-i-ve-been-terrified-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/hubert-selby-jr-12027_alienated_i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-th_364873.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/hubert-selby-jr-12027_alienated_i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-th_364873.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/hubert-selby-jr-12027_alienated_i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-th_364873.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been terrified my entire life. So I can identify that fear…” — Hubert Selby, Jr", "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": "Hubert Selby, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've always felt alienated. I realized...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-that-i-ve-been-terrified-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-that-i-ve-been-terrified-my/#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 } } ] } ```