---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She had just started living like a…"
description: "\"“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”\" — Jeffrey Eugenides"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_frightened_she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown_14590.png"
---

#  She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd…

![“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_frightened_she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown_14590.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_frightened_she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown_14590.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_frightened_she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown_14590.png)

> ““She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.””

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Transitioning into adult responsibilities can expose deep insecurities and disorientation, highlighting the emotional turbulence of newfound independence.

**In simple terms:** Adulting can feel unsettling and confusing.

Key Takeaway

Growth often brings vulnerability.

Themes

coming of age identity crisis vulnerability transition self-discovery emotional turbulence

Mood

reflective melancholic introspective

Type

narrative personal philosophical

When to use this quote

- starting a first job
- moving out alone
- entering college
- navigating relationships

Key Concepts

responsibility independence psychological stress self-awareness

Practical Applications

- therapy for young adults
- support groups for new graduates

Questions to Reflect On

- How does vulnerability shape personal growth?
- What strategies can ease the transition into adulthood?

A Different Perspective

Some argue that adulthood brings confidence, not vulnerability, but the quote emphasizes the initial disorientation before mastery.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [Performers are so vulnerable. They're frightened of humiliation, sure their work will be crap. I try to make an environment where it's warm, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-campion/performers-are-so-vulnerable-they-re-frightened-of-humiliation-sure/)

[Jane Campion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-campion/)

> [“She felt vulnerable and alone. Once again, she felt that life was not treating her as it treated other people - it gave her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-felt-vulnerable-and-alone-once-again-she-felt-that-life-was-not/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [In common with many who have a brain injury, I initially lost my confidence and felt very vulnerable, as if a protective layer of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryam-d-abo/in-common-with-many-who-have-a-brain-injury-i-initially-lost-my/)

[Maryam d'Abo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryam-d-abo/)

> [In my space journey, I felt vulnerable because we did not have anyone with medical background. When we make that big trip to Mars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunita-williams/in-my-space-journey-i-felt-vulnerable-because-we-did-not-have-anyone/)

[Sunita Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunita-williams/)

> [Living my truth was very hard - I felt vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriella-wilson/living-my-truth-was-very-hard-i-felt-vulnerable/)

[Gabriella Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriella-wilson/)

> [I have never felt vulnerable nor restricted in my movements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajiv-gandhi/i-have-never-felt-vulnerable-nor-restricted-in-my-movements/)

[Rajiv Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajiv-gandhi/)

> [“The hardest rule for me to keep at Onsite wasn’t about computers or cell phones. It was that we couldn’t tell people what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/the-hardest-rule-for-me-to-keep-at-onsite-wasn-t-about-computers-or/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“I wasn't so inclined to tell anyone else in my family about my plan. It was very new and felt about as vulnerable as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-ray/i-wasn-t-so-inclined-to-tell-anyone-else-in-my-family-about-my-plan/)

[Jeanne Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-ray/)

> [I felt very vulnerable after 'Sleeping with the Fishes'; I gained weight for the role. I felt a bit out of my skin in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-rodriguez/i-felt-very-vulnerable-after-sleeping-with-the-fishes-i-gained-weight/)

[Gina Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-rodriguez/)

> [I wanted to do standup, but I was too nervous. I felt it was too vulnerable basically to be yourself on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lolly-adefope/i-wanted-to-do-standup-but-i-was-too-nervous-i-felt-it-was-too/)

[Lolly Adefope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lolly-adefope/)

> [“Why didn’t you just come to my apartment?” He smiled. “Where you live is always where you are most vulnerable because it represents a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/why-didn-t-you-just-come-to-my-apartment-he-smiled-where-you-live-is/)

[Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/)

> [“...I've been ripped off, lied to, slandered, gossiped about slapped, falsely accused, and had my truths not believed. I've had my heart broken, had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-page-morrell/i-ve-been-ripped-off-lied-to-slandered-gossiped-about-slapped-falsely/)

Jessica Page Morrell

> [“Maybe that’s what everyone in the world was searching for—someone who, when they felt vulnerable and exposed and afraid, would meet them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marybeth-mayhew-whalen/maybe-that-s-what-everyone-in-the-world-was-searching-for-someone-who/)

[Marybeth Mayhew Whalen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marybeth-mayhew-whalen/)

> [“I suddenly felt vulnerable. Continuing the journey without Mr. Kadam left me anxious. It felt like the first day of high school all over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-houck/i-suddenly-felt-vulnerable-continuing-the-journey-without-mr-kadam/)

[Colleen Houck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-houck/)

> [“He threw her a crooked grin as he removed his shirt completely, revealing a torso that seemed too perfectly muscular and finely honed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/he-threw-her-a-crooked-grin-as-he-removed-his-shirt-completely/)

[Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/)

## More by Jeffrey Eugenides

> [“Only the Lisbon house remained dark, a tunnel, an emptiness, past our smoke and flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/only-the-lisbon-house-remained-dark-a-tunnel-an-emptiness-past-our/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [It's often said that a traumatic experience early in life marks a person forever, pulls her out of line, saying, "Stay there. Don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-s-often-said-that-a-traumatic-experience-early-in-life-marks-a/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/adolescents-tend-to-seek-love-where-they-can-find-it/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“The window was still open,” Mr Lisbon said. “I don’t think we’d ever remembered to shut it. It was all clear to me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-window-was-still-open-mr-lisbon-said-i-don-t-think-we-d-ever/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to-write-about-suburbia-that-it/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Within five minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/dr-armonson-stitched-up-her-wrist-wounds-within-five-minutes-of-the/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“I don't approve of women driving, mind you. And now they get to vote!" He grumbled to himself. "Remember that play we saw ("The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-don-t-approve-of-women-driving-mind-you-and-now-they-get-to-vote-he/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“Her face was calm, but inside she was tense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/her-face-was-calm-but-inside-she-was-tense/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [I know that attaching memories to books may be going out of the world, but while it lasts, it's a strong record of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-know-that-attaching-memories-to-books-may-be-going-out-of-the-world/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [I spend most of every day writing. I like to write every day if I can. I don't start extremely early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-spend-most-of-every-day-writing-i-like-to-write-every-day-if-i-can/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [We knew that Cecilia had killed herself because she was a misfit, because the beyond called to her, and we knew that her sisters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-that-cecilia-had-killed-herself-because-she-was-a-misfit/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [You can tell when something's not moving forward anymore. When the doubts you have about it don't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/you-can-tell-when-something-s-not-moving-forward-anymore-when-the/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [Normality wasn't normal. It couldn't be. If normality were normal, everybody could leave it alone. They could sit back and let normality manifest itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/normality-wasn-t-normal-it-couldn-t-be-if-normality-were-normal/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“And he rose, brontosaurus-like, to his place among the treetops.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/and-he-rose-brontosaurus-like-to-his-place-among-the-treetops/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

[Explore all 516 Jeffrey Eugenides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

## More Frightened quotes

> [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/)

[Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/)

> [“and I actually talked about God, the one who had abandoned me when I was very little, very frightened, and very hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alcoholics-anonymous/and-i-actually-talked-about-god-the-one-who-had-abandoned-me-when-i/)

[Alcoholics Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alcoholics-anonymous/)

> [I don't think kids have a problem with death. It's us older ones who are nearer to it, that start being frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/i-don-t-think-kids-have-a-problem-with-death-it-s-us-older-ones-who/)

[Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/)

> [American imperialism has always been the imperialism that has been frightened of speaking its name. Now it's beginning to do so. In a way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/american-imperialism-has-always-been-the-imperialism-that-has-been/)

[Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/)

> [We all have prejudices to dispel: the need to get away from thinking that 'I' am important and special and 'you' are not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/we-all-have-prejudices-to-dispel-the-need-to-get-away-from-thinking/)

[Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/)

> [Megachurches. I can't be the only one frightened when our houses of worship sound like they could take on Godzilla.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/megachurches-i-can-t-be-the-only-one-frightened-when-our-houses-of/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [No one seems to have learned, or can remember, the magic words that calm people when they are frightened or threatened: "I'm sorry; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-tavris/no-one-seems-to-have-learned-or-can-remember-the-magic-words-that/)

[Carol Tavris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-tavris/)

> [Or why it is acceptable to train fast runners and high jumpers but not to breed them. I can think of some answers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/or-why-it-is-acceptable-to-train-fast-runners-and-high-jumpers-but/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [I can't help it when people are frightened," says Merricat. "I always want to frighten them more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/i-can-t-help-it-when-people-are-frightened-says-merricat-i-always/)

[Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/)

> [Soothing touch, whether it be applied to a ruffled cat, a crying infant, or a frightened child, has a universally recognized power to ameliorate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deane-juhan/soothing-touch-whether-it-be-applied-to-a-ruffled-cat-a-crying-infant/)

[Deane Juhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deane-juhan/)

> [Sometimes I've been to a party where no one spoke to me for a whole evening. The men, frightened by their wives or sweeites...the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/sometimes-i-ve-been-to-a-party-where-no-one-spoke-to-me-for-a-whole/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [All your names I and my friend approve of or nearly all as to sense & expression, but I am frightened by their length…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-faraday/all-your-names-i-and-my-friend-approve-of-or-nearly-all-as-to-sense/)

[Michael Faraday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-faraday/)

> [I was hit by a car. I almost died. My show was taken away from me. I was frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-brennan/i-was-hit-by-a-car-i-almost-died-my-show-was-taken-away-from-me-i-was/)

[Eileen Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-brennan/)

> [“She was using the water as she had used the fruit earlier—to calm herself, to assure herself of the possibility of normality. Yet all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/she-was-using-the-water-as-she-had-used-the-fruit-earlier-to-calm/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [Frightened of change? But what can exist without it? What's closer to nature's heart? Can you take a hot bath and leave the firewood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/frightened-of-change-but-what-can-exist-without-it-what-s-closer-to/)

[Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/)

Browse all 1,303 Frightened quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Frightened"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_frightened_she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown_14590.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_frightened_she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown_14590.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_frightened_she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown_14590.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in…” — Jeffrey Eugenides",
                "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": "Jeffrey Eugenides",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“She had just started living like...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```