--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For two years, I'd lived in Silicon…" description: "\"For two years, I'd lived in Silicon Valley, surrounded by other highly educated transplants with seemingly perfect lives. It's jarring to live in a wor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/j-d-vance-2-3852_believe_for-two-years-i-d-lived-in-silicon-valle_492805.jpg" --- # For two years, I'd lived in Silicon Valley, surrounded by… ![“For two years, I'd lived in Silicon Valley, surrounded by other highly educated transplants with seemingly perfect lives. It's jarring to live in a world where every person feels his life will only get better when you came from a world where many rightfully believe that things have become worse.” quote by J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/j-d-vance-2-3852_believe_for-two-years-i-d-lived-in-silicon-valle_492805.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/j-d-vance-2-3852_believe_for-two-years-i-d-lived-in-silicon-valle_492805.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1a/j-d-vance-2-3852_believe_for-two-years-i-d-lived-in-silicon-valle_492805.jpg) > “For two years, I'd lived in Silicon Valley, surrounded by other highly educated transplants with seemingly perfect lives. It's jarring to live in a world where every person feels his life will only get better when you came from a world where many rightfully believe that things have become worse.” [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living among successful transplants creates cognitive dissonance, as personal optimism clashes with broader societal pessimism and perceived decline. **In simple terms:** Success around you can feel out of place when the world seems to be getting worse. Key Takeaway Balance personal hope with awareness of systemic challenges. Themes cognitive dissonance optimism societal decline identity community Mood thoughtful hopeful critical Type memoir social commentary psychological When to use this quote - career planning - community building - mental health support - policy advocacy Key Concepts socioeconomic disparity cultural alienation mental health Questions to Reflect On - What can individuals do to bridge personal optimism with collective reality? - How does community shape our perception of progress? A Different Perspective The perspective may overlook structural factors influencing collective sentiment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better/) [Educated Transplants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educated-transplants-4214479/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-better/) [Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live/) [Lives Jarring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-jarring-4214481/) [Silicon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silicon/) [Silicon valley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silicon-valley/) [Transplants Seemingly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transplants-seemingly-4214480/) [Two years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-years/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [It's jarring to live in a world where every person feels his life will only get better when you came from a world where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/it-s-jarring-to-live-in-a-world-where-every-person-feels-his-life/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [“Yes, we want a Silicon Valley,” she said, “but do we really want three hundred million people who actually think for themselves?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-berger/yes-we-want-a-silicon-valley-she-said-but-do-we-really-want-three/) [Warren Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-berger/) > [My sense is that we're ready for another industrial revolution in this country. The great minds and innovators of Silicon Valley would come through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/my-sense-is-that-we-re-ready-for-another-industrial-revolution-in/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [We need to think about what Silicon Valley can contribute to the country - not just that somehow government bureaucrats should listen to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ro-khanna/we-need-to-think-about-what-silicon-valley-can-contribute-to-the/) [Ro Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ro-khanna/) > [I would say Silicon Valley and New York have inflated salaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-reed/i-would-say-silicon-valley-and-new-york-have-inflated-salaries/) [Harper Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-reed/) > [I'm probably the worst Silicon Valley insider ever. I don't hang out with Silicon Valley people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/i-m-probably-the-worst-silicon-valley-insider-ever-i-don-t-hang-out/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [The point of Silicon Valley at least when I moved here was we're all trying to do stuff and none of us quite felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamath-palihapitiya/the-point-of-silicon-valley-at-least-when-i-moved-here-was-we-re-all/) [Chamath Palihapitiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamath-palihapitiya/) > [You look around the world at geniuses, and they don't appear randomly, they appear in genius clusters. Athens in 50 BC, Florence 1500, Silicon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/you-look-around-the-world-at-geniuses-and-they-don-t-appear-randomly/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [Silicon Valley is like Wall Street in that it will fill and pursue market opportunities to their logical extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-yang/silicon-valley-is-like-wall-street-in-that-it-will-fill-and-pursue/) [Andrew Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-yang/) > [Silicon Valley does not breed great technology. Instead, the smartest people from around the world tend to move to Silicon Valley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-collison/silicon-valley-does-not-breed-great-technology-instead-the-smartest/) [Patrick Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-collison/) > [I think there are four or five interesting pockets where a lot of cool technology companies are getting started. Chicago is one of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lefkofsky/i-think-there-are-four-or-five-interesting-pockets-where-a-lot-of/) [Eric Lefkofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-lefkofsky/) > [Autism is a big continuum, going from someone who remains nonverbal, all the way up to geniuses on Silicon Valley. And some kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/autism-is-a-big-continuum-going-from-someone-who-remains-nonverbal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [The reason why Silicon Valley is a worldwide innovation center is because it is a open culture that embraces diversity. You see people from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-yuan/the-reason-why-silicon-valley-is-a-worldwide-innovation-center-is/) [Eric Yuan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-yuan/) > [Sometimes it feels hard to remember that Silicon Valley is an actual place, a collage of parched suburbs, and not just the collective noun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/sometimes-it-feels-hard-to-remember-that-silicon-valley-is-an-actual/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [Some article called me the most feared man in Silicon Valley. Good Lord! Why? My teenage boys got a kick out of it: 'Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/some-article-called-me-the-most-feared-man-in-silicon-valley-good/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) ## More by J. D. Vance > [Undoubtedly, church fish fries and picnics help build social cohesion. It was at my dad's medium-size evangelical church - my first real exposure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/undoubtedly-church-fish-fries-and-picnics-help-build-social-cohesion/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I almost failed out of high school. I nearly gave in to the deep anger and resentment harbored by everyone around me... Whatever talents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-almost-failed-out-of-high-school-i-nearly-gave-in-to-the-deep-anger/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [Airing the family's laundry can make people upset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/airing-the-family-s-laundry-can-make-people-upset/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [Liberals have to get more comfortable with dealing with the poor as they actually are. I admire their refusal to look down on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/liberals-have-to-get-more-comfortable-with-dealing-with-the-poor-as/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I happen to be a conservative, but one need not accept the Right's theories wholesale to acknowledge the sometimes negative effects of government action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-happen-to-be-a-conservative-but-one-need-not-accept-the-right-s/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [Trump's voters loathe Jeb Bush because their lives are falling apart, and they blame people like him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/trump-s-voters-loathe-jeb-bush-because-their-lives-are-falling-apart/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [What unites Trump's voters is a sense of alienation from America's wealthy and powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/what-unites-trump-s-voters-is-a-sense-of-alienation-from-america-s/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [The subsidy for employer-sponsored coverage has tethered health care to employment in a way that virtually no economist endorses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/the-subsidy-for-employer-sponsored-coverage-has-tethered-health-care/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I don't think that 60-70 percent of working-class white voters would have supported a Muslim ban before Donald Trump said something about a Muslim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-don-t-think-that-60-70-percent-of-working-class-white-voters-would/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [It would be great if people returned to areas of the country that need talented people with good economic prospects. Our country would really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/it-would-be-great-if-people-returned-to-areas-of-the-country-that/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [My military service is the thing I'm most proud of, but when I think of everything happening in the Middle East, I can't help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/my-military-service-is-the-thing-i-m-most-proud-of-but-when-i-think/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I could never understand why our lives felt like a struggle while those living off government largesse enjoyed trinkets that I only dreamed about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-could-never-understand-why-our-lives-felt-like-a-struggle-while/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I think running a small nonprofit to work on the opioid crisis and bring interesting new businesses to the so-called Rust Belt - all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-think-running-a-small-nonprofit-to-work-on-the-opioid-crisis-and/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [People listen to what their political leaders are telling them, and my view is both that Trump is tapping into some racially ugly attitudes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/people-listen-to-what-their-political-leaders-are-telling-them-and-my/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [The most depressing part of the 2016 election is that the candidates often failed to show any cultural leadership: any recognition that the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/the-most-depressing-part-of-the-2016-election-is-that-the-candidates/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) [Explore all 121 J. D. Vance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For two years, I'd lived in Silicon Valley, surrounded by other highly educated transplants with seemingly perfect lives. It's jarring to live in a world where every person feels his life will only get better when you came from a world where many rightfully believe that things have become worse.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. D. 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