---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: (a) It shouldn't've even been a question…"
description: "\"“(a) It shouldn't've even been a question whether I wanted to kiss him, and (b) Kissing someone so that you can get a free trip is perilous close to fu..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e5/john-green-12_good-person_a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-w_793980.jpg"
---

#  (a) It shouldn't've even been a question whether I wanted…

![“(a) It shouldn't've even been a question whether I wanted to kiss him, and (b) Kissing someone so that you can get a free trip is perilous close to full on-hooking, and I have to confess that while I did not fancy myself a particularly good person, I never thought my first real sexual action would…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e5/john-green-12_good-person_a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-w_793980.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e5/john-green-12_good-person_a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-w_793980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e5/john-green-12_good-person_a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-w_793980.jpg)

> ““(a) It shouldn't've even been a question whether I wanted to kiss him, and (b) Kissing someone so that you can get a free trip is perilous close to full on-hooking, and I have to confess that while I did not fancy myself a particularly good person, I never thought my first real sexual action would be prostitutional.””

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

## About This Quote

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

The narrator reflects on using intimacy as a means to an end, recognizing the moral ambiguity and personal conflict involved.

**In simple terms:** Using a kiss for a free trip feels morally risky and confusing.

Key Takeaway

Consider motives before exploiting intimacy.

Themes

morality relationships self-awareness

Mood

conflicted reflective

Type

literary personal.

When to use this quote

- travel plans
- dating
- personal boundaries

Key Concepts

exploitation sexuality personal ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- Is the benefit worth the emotional cost?
- How do you reconcile personal values with opportunistic actions?

A Different Perspective

The line between genuine affection and transactional behavior can blur.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Action Prostitutional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action-prostitutional-1643426/) [Good person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-person/) [Hooking Confess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hooking-confess-6092677/) [Kissing Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissing-free-332696/) [Sexual Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-action-1409578/) [Wanted Kiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-kiss-337569/)

## Related quotes

> [“I have to confess that while I did not fancy myself a particularly good person, I never thought my first real sexual action would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-have-to-confess-that-while-i-did-not-fancy-myself-a-particularly/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [While I did not fancy myself a particularly good person, I never thought my first real sexual action would be prostitutional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/while-i-did-not-fancy-myself-a-particularly-good-person-i-never/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“and (b) Kissing someone so that you can get a free trip is perilously close to full-on hooking”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/and-b-kissing-someone-so-that-you-can-get-a-free-trip-is-perilously/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [I liked the way my character, Shane, was first introduced. You get introduced to her through this sexual action, and I thought that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-moennig/i-liked-the-way-my-character-shane-was-first-introduced-you-get/)

[Katherine Moennig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-moennig/)

> [“But the truth is that I had never wanted him to kiss me, not in the way you are supposed to want these things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/but-the-truth-is-that-i-had-never-wanted-him-to-kiss-me-not-in-the/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“Anyway,” Alaska said to me. “I thought the way he treated you was just awful. I wanted to cry. I just wanted to kiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/anyway-alaska-said-to-me-i-thought-the-way-he-treated-you-was-just/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“I am never going to get better at being a good person. I am always going to be the blood and shit of things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-am-never-going-to-get-better-at-being-a-good-person-i-am-always/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [I'm a good person but a shitty writer. You're a shitty person but a good writer. We'd make a good team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-m-a-good-person-but-a-shitty-writer-you-re-a-shitty-person-but-a/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“What she wanted was for him to kiss her again. But they should not be kissing at all!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-dickerson/what-she-wanted-was-for-him-to-kiss-her-again-but-they-should-not-be/)

[Melanie Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-dickerson/)

> [“...all this time I've been worshiping you - when other men wanted to kiss you, I've been offering the praise of my lips...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/all-this-time-i-ve-been-worshiping-you-when-other-men-wanted-to-kiss/)

[John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/)

> [“His body pressed against mine while he deepened the kiss. Tongues collided and breath was stolen. My senses were consumed completely by this man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-levine/his-body-pressed-against-mine-while-he-deepened-the-kiss-tongues/)

[Nina Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-levine/)

> [“Was it wrong that all I wanted to do was kiss her? I smiled, and Maggie blushed. Oh God. So cute. I knew then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-jackson/was-it-wrong-that-all-i-wanted-to-do-was-kiss-her-i-smiled-and-maggie/)

[A.L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-jackson/)

> [Around mile 20 I was feeling so good, I wanted to kiss everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-ritter/around-mile-20-i-was-feeling-so-good-i-wanted-to-kiss-everyone/)

[Josh Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-ritter/)

> [“What if I turned out to be a great kisser, and suddenly, girls everywhere wanted to kiss me? Did I really want to risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-l-madden/what-if-i-turned-out-to-be-a-great-kisser-and-suddenly-girls/)

[S.L. Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-l-madden/)

> [One time I was hanging out with a girl and I wanted to kiss her. I was too nervous to do it, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/one-time-i-was-hanging-out-with-a-girl-and-i-wanted-to-kiss-her-i-was/)

[Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/)

## More by John Green

> [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

[Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

## More Good person quotes

> [I feel like I've made good friends with people I've worked with, but in terms of lasting inspiration, it is probably Matthew Vaughn who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/i-feel-like-i-ve-made-good-friends-with-people-i-ve-worked-with-but/)

[Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/)

> [“Claiming to be offended is a great way to elevate yourself at the expense of others: “Look at me! I'm a much better person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/claiming-to-be-offended-is-a-great-way-to-elevate-yourself-at-the/)

[Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/)

> [Being a good person does not depend on you religion, status in life, race, skin color, political views, or culture. It depends on how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/being-a-good-person-does-not-depend-on-you-religion-status-in-life/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

> [I think being raised within a Mexican Catholic family made magical realism a very natural part of who I am as a person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-olivas/i-think-being-raised-within-a-mexican-catholic-family-made-magical/)

[Daniel Olivas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-olivas/)

> [“Isn’t everyone on the planet or at least everyone on the planet called me stuck between the two impulses of wanting to walk away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/isn-t-everyone-on-the-planet-or-at-least-everyone-on-the-planet/)

[Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/)

> [When I was younger, Lisa Leslie inspired me a whole lot. She was someone I looked up to and wanted to be like. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-jackson/when-i-was-younger-lisa-leslie-inspired-me-a-whole-lot-she-was/)

[Lauren Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-jackson/)

> [You don't have to be a good person to be a good writer--history shows it's better if you're not--but you have to understand your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-abrahams/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-good-person-to-be-a-good-writer-history-shows/)

[Peter Abrahams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-abrahams/)

> [It changed me. Couple of my friends visited me, but they had enough of their problems, so they did not come here often. Alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-plackovic/it-changed-me-couple-of-my-friends-visited-me-but-they-had-enough-of/)

[Dejan Plackovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-plackovic/)

> [When you think you're a really good person, you're actually capable of doing some real harm to people, either knowingly or unknowingly. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-tupper/when-you-think-you-re-a-really-good-person-you-re-actually-capable-of/)

[James Tupper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-tupper/)

> [“May 30 A Prayer about Healing Words The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Prov.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/may-30-a-prayer-about-healing-words-the-words-of-the-reckless-pierce/)

[Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/)

> [My belief is that the various religious traditions have great potential to increase compassion, the sense of caring for one another, and the spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/my-belief-is-that-the-various-religious-traditions-have-great/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [I guess I define myself as a mother, a wife, kind of a nutty person. A good person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-vieira/i-guess-i-define-myself-as-a-mother-a-wife-kind-of-a-nutty-person-a/)

[Meredith Vieira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-vieira/)

> [I learned to care people not because I'm a good person, but I know how it feels when no one cares..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-learned-to-care-people-not-because-i-m-a-good-person-but-i-know-how/)

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

> [Being a good person is appreciable. But doing good things in life is what shows others who really you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/being-a-good-person-is-appreciable-but-doing-good-things-in-life-is/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [Of Moving Forward With Your Life In Spite Of Your Past.. Forgiving Yourself Even When Other's Won't. Waking Up Everyday With The Intention Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/of-moving-forward-with-your-life-in-spite-of-your-past-forgiving/)

[Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/)

[Browse all 1,093 Good person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-person/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“(a) It shouldn't've even been a question whether I wanted to kiss him, and (b) Kissing someone so that you can get a free trip is perilous close to full on-hooking, and I have to confess that while I did not fancy myself a particularly good person, I never thought my first real sexual action would be prostitutional.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Green"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-whether-i-wanted-to-kiss-him/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Good person"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-whether-i-wanted-to-kiss-him/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e5/john-green-12_good-person_a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-w_793980.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e5/john-green-12_good-person_a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-w_793980.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e5/john-green-12_good-person_a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-w_793980.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“(a) It shouldn't've even been a question whether I wanted to kiss him, and (b) Kissing someone so that you…” — John Green",
                "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": "John Green",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“(a) It shouldn't've even been a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-whether-i-wanted-to-kiss-him/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-it-shouldn-t-ve-even-been-a-question-whether-i-wanted-to-kiss-him/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
