---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My parents instilled in me that life was…"
description: "\"My parents instilled in me that life was going to be very difficult and that I'd have to work for everything.\" — Joan Collins"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/joan-collins-3164_difficult_my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was_1447869.jpg"
---

#  My parents instilled in me that life was going to be very…

![“My parents instilled in me that life was going to be very difficult and that I'd have to work for everything.” quote by Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/joan-collins-3164_difficult_my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was_1447869.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/joan-collins-3164_difficult_my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was_1447869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/joan-collins-3164_difficult_my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was_1447869.jpg)

> “My parents instilled in me that life was going to be very difficult and that I'd have to work for everything.”

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

## About This Quote

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

Highlights a belief that life is hard and must be earned through hard work, shaping resilience.

**In simple terms:** Hard work is necessary for life’s challenges.

Key Takeaway

Embrace effort and resilience.

Themes

hard work resilience upbringing determination self‑reliance

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

personal philosophical

When to use this quote

- career advancement
- education
- entrepreneurship
- personal finance

Key Concepts

work ethic personal development adversity coping

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your upbringing affect your work ethic?
- What support could ease hard‑work burdens?

A Different Perspective

May undervalue systemic barriers and privilege.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-work/) [Everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Going Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-difficult/) [Instilled Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instilled-life-5199157/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Parents Instilled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-instilled-935683/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [Rumours are going around that I am difficult to work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-fricker/rumours-are-going-around-that-i-am-difficult-to-work-with/)

[Brenda Fricker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-fricker/)

> [“(My parents) had always instilled in me that it was way cooler to be an individual and to be unique and that you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/my-parents-had-always-instilled-in-me-that-it-was-way-cooler-to-be-an/)

[Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/)

> [My parents instilled a very strong work ethic in me from a young age, fortunately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-gray-gubler/my-parents-instilled-a-very-strong-work-ethic-in-me-from-a-young-age/)

[Matthew Gray Gubler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-gray-gubler/)

> [I was strong willed and my parents instilled this notion of hard graft. That's how you've got to get by - nothing is given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vick-hope/i-was-strong-willed-and-my-parents-instilled-this-notion-of-hard/)

[Vick Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vick-hope/)

> [My parents instilled a strong work ethic early on in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-devos/my-parents-instilled-a-strong-work-ethic-early-on-in-my-life/)

[Richard M. DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-devos/)

> [Our parents instilled in us a sense of community and how it takes a village to raise a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-watt/our-parents-instilled-in-us-a-sense-of-community-and-how-it-takes-a/)

[T. J. Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-watt/)

> [Both my parents instilled an interest in science and mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-smoot/both-my-parents-instilled-an-interest-in-science-and-mathematics/)

[George Smoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-smoot/)

> [My parents instilled a lot of American values in me. They encouraged me to work hard and told me that anything was possible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-guerrero/my-parents-instilled-a-lot-of-american-values-in-me-they-encouraged/)

[Diane Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-guerrero/)

> [Our blackness and how to survive being black in America was something that our parents instilled in us extraordinarily well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/our-blackness-and-how-to-survive-being-black-in-america-was-something/)

[Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/)

> [I have a strong Lutheran background, and my parents instilled in me strong morals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tippi-hedren/i-have-a-strong-lutheran-background-and-my-parents-instilled-in-me/)

[Tippi Hedren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tippi-hedren/)

> [Growing up as the youngest daughter to immigrant parents, it was instilled in me from an early age to not be wasteful and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konnie-huq/growing-up-as-the-youngest-daughter-to-immigrant-parents-it-was/)

[Konnie Huq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konnie-huq/)

> [My parents instilled in me a sense of self that I was more than just a diagnosis or a condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/my-parents-instilled-in-me-a-sense-of-self-that-i-was-more-than-just/)

[Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/)

> [I appreciate my parents for everything they instilled in me and my brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thundercat/i-appreciate-my-parents-for-everything-they-instilled-in-me-and-my/)

[Thundercat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thundercat/)

> [My parents instilled in me the value of learning and encouraged me to succeed in school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-brown/my-parents-instilled-in-me-the-value-of-learning-and-encouraged-me-to/)

[Bruce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-brown/)

> [You have to work hard if you want something, and my parents instilled that into me when I was really young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/you-have-to-work-hard-if-you-want-something-and-my-parents-instilled/)

[Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/)

## More by Joan Collins

> [Of course it does on opening night, but I've never had that devastating stage fright that some people get, but apparently, you can develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/of-course-it-does-on-opening-night-but-i-ve-never-had-that/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [Hair, in fact, is probably the bane of most women's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/hair-in-fact-is-probably-the-bane-of-most-women-s-lives/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [There's something about the air and the sky and the atmosphere in the South of France that must be very conducive to work, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/there-s-something-about-the-air-and-the-sky-and-the-atmosphere-in-the/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [I don't look my age, I don't feel my age and I don't act my age. To me age is just a number.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-don-t-look-my-age-i-don-t-feel-my-age-and-i-don-t-act-my-age-to-me/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [When I was at school, I was terrible at algebra and arithmetic, but I was always the best at English and literature. And acting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/when-i-was-at-school-i-was-terrible-at-algebra-and-arithmetic-but-i/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [Having had five husbands, I guess I should know a thing or two about marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/having-had-five-husbands-i-guess-i-should-know-a-thing-or-two-about/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [According to my sister Jackie, most men stray. And sex doesn't mean anything to most men. But I wouldn't date a man who slept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/according-to-my-sister-jackie-most-men-stray-and-sex-doesn-t-mean/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [I think, Larry, one of the things is I'm a very active person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-think-larry-one-of-the-things-is-i-m-a-very-active-person/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [I used to go over to Gene Kelly's house and play volleyball, and Paul Newman and Marlon Brando were always there. You kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-used-to-go-over-to-gene-kelly-s-house-and-play-volleyball-and-paul/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [Doing 20 minutes of stretching, light weights and floor exercises three times a week takes the same amount of time as a long coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/doing-20-minutes-of-stretching-light-weights-and-floor-exercises/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [I don't know why people are so obsessed with age anyway. I mean, 90 is the new 70 70 is the new 50 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-don-t-know-why-people-are-so-obsessed-with-age-anyway-i-mean-90-is/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [The body is like a car: the older you become the more care you have to take care of it - and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/the-body-is-like-a-car-the-older-you-become-the-more-care-you-have-to/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [And we have not found any generational gap at all. If he wants to go a football game, he goes. If I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/and-we-have-not-found-any-generational-gap-at-all-if-he-wants-to-go-a/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [When I was 49, I posed for Playboy - I was very flattered to be asked. I was quite honoured, really, considering that most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/when-i-was-49-i-posed-for-playboy-i-was-very-flattered-to-be-asked-i/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

> [I say, 'Use it or lose it.' I have my own fitness regime, which is centred around stretching, free-weights and fast walking. I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-say-use-it-or-lose-it-i-have-my-own-fitness-regime-which-is-centred/)

[Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

[Explore all 138 Joan Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/)

## More Difficult quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/)

[Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/)

> [It is extremely difficult to do anything constructive, let alone deep, on daily commercial television, especially on a talk show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/it-is-extremely-difficult-to-do-anything-constructive-let-alone-deep/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/)

[Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/)

> [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/)

[Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/)

> [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/)

[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/)

> [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/)

[Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/)

[Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/)

> [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/)

[Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/)

> [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/)

[Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/)

> [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/)

[Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/)

[Browse all 13,132 Difficult quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My parents instilled in me that life was going to be very difficult and that I'd have to work for everything.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joan Collins"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was-going-to-be-very-difficult/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Difficult"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was-going-to-be-very-difficult/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/joan-collins-3164_difficult_my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was_1447869.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/joan-collins-3164_difficult_my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was_1447869.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de8/joan-collins-3164_difficult_my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was_1447869.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My parents instilled in me that life was going to be very difficult and that I'd have to work for everything.” — Joan Collins",
                "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": "Joan Collins",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My parents instilled in me that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was-going-to-be-very-difficult/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/my-parents-instilled-in-me-that-life-was-going-to-be-very-difficult/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
