--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As I sat down, though, I realized that…" description: "\"As I sat down, though, I realized that you can get used to certain luxuries that you start to think they're necessities, but when you have to forgo the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/jeannette-walls-1378_bigs_as-i-sat-down-though-i-realized-that-you_1822212.jpg" --- # As I sat down, though, I realized that you can get used to… ![“As I sat down, though, I realized that you can get used to certain luxuries that you start to think they're necessities, but when you have to forgo them, you come to see that you don't need them after all. There was a big difference between needing things and wanting things--though a lot of people…” quote by Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/jeannette-walls-1378_bigs_as-i-sat-down-though-i-realized-that-you_1822212.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/jeannette-walls-1378_bigs_as-i-sat-down-though-i-realized-that-you_1822212.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d76/jeannette-walls-1378_bigs_as-i-sat-down-though-i-realized-that-you_1822212.jpg) > “As I sat down, though, I realized that you can get used to certain luxuries that you start to think they're necessities, but when you have to forgo them, you come to see that you don't need them after all. There was a big difference between needing things and wanting things--though a lot of people had trouble telling the two apart--and at the ranch, I could see, we have pretty much everything we'd need but precious little else.” [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often mistake luxury for necessity; when stripped of excess, true needs become clear. **In simple terms:** Luxuries can feel essential but aren’t. Key Takeaway Simplify your life. Themes materialism contentment minimalism Mood thoughtful hopeful Type personal reflective When to use this quote - budgeting - travel - urban living - personal growth Key Concepts consumer culture psychological adaptation Questions to Reflect On - What comforts could you live without? - How does scarcity change your values? A Different Perspective Some comforts provide emotional security despite not being essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Luxury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luxury/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“I realized that you can get so used to certain luxuries that you start to think they’re necessities, but when you have to forgo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-realized-that-you-can-get-so-used-to-certain-luxuries-that-you/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“sat down, though, I realized that you can get so used to certain luxuries that you start to think they’re necessities, but when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/sat-down-though-i-realized-that-you-can-get-so-used-to-certain/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“...very few Westerners, I thought, could tolerate such a way of life- for it would mean having to forgo the luxuries which we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/very-few-westerners-i-thought-could-tolerate-such-a-way-of-life-for/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [I'm a great believer in needing things that give us some hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-lucas/i-m-a-great-believer-in-needing-things-that-give-us-some-hope/) [Caroline Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-lucas/) > [It was curious that when we had been able to buy new clothes when we wanted we had never really appreciated them nor enjoyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/it-was-curious-that-when-we-had-been-able-to-buy-new-clothes-when-we/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [We all think we're different, but when it comes around, we end up needing the same things. Somebody to love us. Somebody to respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/we-all-think-we-re-different-but-when-it-comes-around-we-end-up/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [“Essential to life, is desiring the things that you need, than needing the things you desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/essential-to-life-is-desiring-the-things-that-you-need-than-needing/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [I want you and I hate wanting things and I especially hate admitting I want them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/i-want-you-and-i-hate-wanting-things-and-i-especially-hate-admitting/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [...after you stop wanting things is when having them won't make you go crazy. After you stop wanting them is when you can handle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/after-you-stop-wanting-things-is-when-having-them-won-t-make-you-go/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [It's weak and despicable to go on wanting things and not trying to get them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/it-s-weak-and-despicable-to-go-on-wanting-things-and-not-trying-to/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“I’m extra good at wanting things. I want things until I feel sort of sick about them. I want enough for two normal people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/i-m-extra-good-at-wanting-things-i-want-things-until-i-feel-sort-of/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [Even when we get what we addictively want, our wanting to keep things that way automatically creates a new addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-keyes-jr/even-when-we-get-what-we-addictively-want-our-wanting-to-keep-things/) [Ken Keyes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-keyes-jr/) > [“And sometimes, sometimes , wanting things, wishing for, working for them, is a good thing. Otherwise, we become nothing but spoiled boys and girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tawn-bergren/and-sometimes-sometimes-wanting-things-wishing-for-working-for-them/) [Lisa Tawn Bergren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tawn-bergren/) > [“I wanted to write “I Want” because wanting is one of the things I want most in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wanted-to-write-i-want-because-wanting-is-one-of-the-things-i-want/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [It's about challenging yourself; wanting to do things that push you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/it-s-about-challenging-yourself-wanting-to-do-things-that-push-you/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) ## More by Jeannette Walls > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“You should never hate anyone, not even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You had to find the redeeming quality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-not-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [With a complicated childhood, you can either focus on the positive or the negative, and I chose to focus on the positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/with-a-complicated-childhood-you-can-either-focus-on-the-positive-or/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [She never felt sorry for herself, and that was something I decided I admired most in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/she-never-felt-sorry-for-herself-and-that-was-something-i-decided-i/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“If you want to live in the farmland, haul your sorry hide off to Pennsylvania.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/if-you-want-to-live-in-the-farmland-haul-your-sorry-hide-off-to/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“I WAS SITTING IN a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-was-sitting-in-a-taxi-wondering-if-i-had-overdressed-for-the/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I had the big shoulders; I had the big hair. I loved the '80s. It was all about power women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-had-the-big-shoulders-i-had-the-big-hair-i-loved-the-80s-it-was-all/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [Things usually work out in the end." "What if they don't?" "That just means you haven't come to the end yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/things-usually-work-out-in-the-end-what-if-they-don-t-that-just-means/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“That was the way man was meant to live, he’d say, in harmony with the wild, like the Indians, not this lords-of-the-earth crap, trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/that-was-the-way-man-was-meant-to-live-he-d-say-in-harmony-with-the/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [Sometimes you need a little crisis to get your adrenaline flowing and help you realize your potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/sometimes-you-need-a-little-crisis-to-get-your-adrenaline-flowing-and/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“Don’t be afraid of your dark places,” Mom told her. “If you can shine a light on them, you’ll find treasure there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/don-t-be-afraid-of-your-dark-places-mom-told-her-if-you-can-shine-a/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I hate Erma," I told Mom... "You have to show compassion for her..." She added that you should never hate anyone, even your worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-hate-erma-i-told-mom-you-have-to-show-compassion-for-her-she-added/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“Sad state to spend your life in. Being afraid of your own self." Rex Walls”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/sad-state-to-spend-your-life-in-being-afraid-of-your-own-self-rex/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I was so worried that people wouldn't like me or my story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-was-so-worried-that-people-wouldn-t-like-me-or-my-story/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“the surest way to feel rich was to invest in quality nonessentials.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/the-surest-way-to-feel-rich-was-to-invest-in-quality-nonessentials/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) [Explore all 247 Jeannette Walls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As I sat down, though, I realized that you can get used to certain luxuries that you start to think they're necessities, but when you have to forgo them, you come to see that you don't need them after all. 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