--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here is what I think now, reading what I…" description: "\"“Here is what I think now, reading what I wrote down for the police at age fifteen, right after I was raped. I was a good girl. Always a good girl, eve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/jessica-stern-25042_good-enough_here-is-what-i-think-now-reading-what-i_123129.jpg" --- # Here is what I think now, reading what I wrote down for… ![“Here is what I think now, reading what I wrote down for the police at age fifteen, right after I was raped. I was a good girl. Always a good girl, even when I was bad. I did my homework. If I can only be good enough, someone will eventually notice that I am trying so hard, exhausting myself with…” quote by Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/jessica-stern-25042_good-enough_here-is-what-i-think-now-reading-what-i_123129.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/jessica-stern-25042_good-enough_here-is-what-i-think-now-reading-what-i_123129.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/jessica-stern-25042_good-enough_here-is-what-i-think-now-reading-what-i_123129.jpg) > ““Here is what I think now, reading what I wrote down for the police at age fifteen, right after I was raped. I was a good girl. Always a good girl, even when I was bad. I did my homework. If I can only be good enough, someone will eventually notice that I am trying so hard, exhausting myself with my effort to be good. This is true even today.”” [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A trauma survivor internalizes a relentless need for approval, leading to self‑exhaustion and persistent self‑criticism. **In simple terms:** Seeking validation fuels burnout. Key Takeaway Trauma‑driven perfectionism. Themes trauma self‑worth validation exhaustion Mood somber empathetic Type personal reflective When to use this quote - therapy sessions - support groups - self‑compassion exercises Key Concepts psychological coping identity conflict Practical Applications - recognize and challenge perfectionist thoughts - establish boundaries around self‑judgment Questions to Reflect On - What does 'being good enough' mean for you? - How can you honor yourself beyond external approval? A Different Perspective May simplify complex trauma dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) ## Related quotes > [“They say be a good girl, get good grades, be popular. They know nothing about me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/they-say-be-a-good-girl-get-good-grades-be-popular-they-know-nothing/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“Being proper and sweet and nice and pleasing is a fucking nightmare. It’s exhausting. As women, we get the message about how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-waller-bridge/being-proper-and-sweet-and-nice-and-pleasing-is-a-fucking-nightmare/) [Phoebe Waller-Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-waller-bridge/) > [“You’re a good girl. You’re so good, you’ve let the desire to be it overtake you. It’s defined who you are. …. You’ve always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latanya-mcqueen/you-re-a-good-girl-you-re-so-good-you-ve-let-the-desire-to-be-it/) LaTanya McQueen > [As women, we get the message about how to be a good girl - how to be a good, pretty girl - from such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-waller-bridge/as-women-we-get-the-message-about-how-to-be-a-good-girl-how-to-be-a/) [Phoebe Waller-Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-waller-bridge/) > [A good girl will do good and a bad girl will do bad, but it takes a bad girl for a good girl to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syntific/a-good-girl-will-do-good-and-a-bad-girl-will-do-bad-but-it-takes-a/) Syntific > [(Verse 1) Hey good girl, With your head in the clouds, I bet you I can tell you what you're thinkin' about. 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I'm the second choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-the-girl-who-is-never-good-enough-not-for-her-friends-her-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't think silicone makes a girl good or bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-caan/i-don-t-think-silicone-makes-a-girl-good-or-bad/) [James Caan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-caan/) > [“I think—I think it’s a big deal. Bigger for him and Eve than for most people.' Shane kept his eyes down, fixed on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-think-i-think-it-s-a-big-deal-bigger-for-him-and-eve-than-for-most/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) ## More by Jessica Stern > [“How much of what we think of as an admirable response to trauma - the "stiff upper lip" - is actually dissociation, the mind's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stern/how-much-of-what-we-think-of-as-an-admirable-response-to-trauma-the/) [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) > [“I often feel like nobody," Skip says. "I ask myself: Why would you want to talk to me? Why would anyone want to talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stern/i-often-feel-like-nobody-skip-says-i-ask-myself-why-would-you-want-to/) [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) > [“When I asked my father whether he thought that it was possible that his mother was raped behind that closed door, he said, "She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stern/when-i-asked-my-father-whether-he-thought-that-it-was-possible-that/) [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) > [“My breathe would catch at the sight of violets-so common in the woods at home, so surprising in the mountains. The violet's message was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stern/my-breathe-would-catch-at-the-sight-of-violets-so-common-in-the-woods/) [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) > [“What is courage?" I ask. "Bearing witness. 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You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stern/some-people-s-lives-seem-to-flow-in-a-narrative-mine-had-many-stops/) [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) > [“Other flowers came at the end of the summer, but by then the winter sadness had already dissipated, and the effect of the blooms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stern/other-flowers-came-at-the-end-of-the-summer-but-by-then-the-winter/) [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) > [“People say that rape is not sex, that it's violence," Lucy says, bitterly. "But it's also sex. You can't get around that," she says.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stern/people-say-that-rape-is-not-sex-that-it-s-violence-lucy-says-bitterly/) [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) > [“Denial helps the bystander. We don't want to know what the boys we send to Iraq have done to others out of terror, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stern/denial-helps-the-bystander-we-don-t-want-to-know-what-the-boys-we/) [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) > [“But in the mountains, I was forgiven. And my dad was forgiven, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stern/but-in-the-mountains-i-was-forgiven-and-my-dad-was-forgiven-too/) [Jessica Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) [Explore all 23 Jessica Stern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stern/) ## More Good enough quotes > [“Ain’t got no shit to fuckin worry on, dig. Ladybird good enough to handle any all comes she fuckin way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/ain-t-got-no-shit-to-fuckin-worry-on-dig-ladybird-good-enough-to/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [Don't listen to people who say trying your best is good enough, It's not. 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Sick is when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/something-had-been-confirmed-i-was-worth-giving-a-shit-about-i-was/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [The first thing you put on in the morning is your lingerie, and you have to look at yourself and tell yourself that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/the-first-thing-you-put-on-in-the-morning-is-your-lingerie-and-you/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I may never be good enough for everybody. 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