---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being vulnerable is asking to get used."
description: "\"“Being vulnerable is asking to get used.”\" — John Green"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/john-green-12_quote_being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used-1_1327823.jpg"
---

#  Being vulnerable is asking to get used.

![“Being vulnerable is asking to get used.” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/john-green-12_quote_being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used-1_1327823.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/john-green-12_quote_being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used-1_1327823.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/john-green-12_quote_being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used-1_1327823.jpg)

> ““Being vulnerable is asking to get used.””

[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.

Vulnerability invites others to exploit one's openness, highlighting the risk of being taken advantage of.

**In simple terms:** Being open can lead to being used.

Key Takeaway

Guard openness with discernment.

Themes

vulnerability trust self‑protection

Mood

cautious inquisitive

Type

advice reflective

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- online interactions
- workplace dynamics
- emotional sharing

Key Concepts

psychology relationships

Questions to Reflect On

- When is it safe to be vulnerable?
- How do you protect yourself while staying authentic?

A Different Perspective

Complete openness can be dangerous without boundaries.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) [Asking Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking-used-4445074/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerable/) [Vulnerable Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerable-asking-4445073/)

## Related quotes

> [For me, being vulnerable is asking for help from other people whatever it may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-jennings/for-me-being-vulnerable-is-asking-for-help-from-other-people-whatever/)

[Mason Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-jennings/)

> [What can we do?" Mom asked again. I shrugged. But she kept asking, as if there were something she could do, until I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-can-we-do-mom-asked-again-i-shrugged-but-she-kept-asking-as-if/)

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

> [“Sex is one of those things that's complete loss of control. You give yourself up, in your most vulnerable state, to another person, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-m-cameron/sex-is-one-of-those-things-that-s-complete-loss-of-control-you-give/)

[Chelsea M. Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-m-cameron/)

> [We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/we-are-not-the-healers-we-are-not-the-reconcilers-we-are-not-the/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [To love is to be vulnerable: if God loves, then God is mortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-cupitt/to-love-is-to-be-vulnerable-if-god-loves-then-god-is-mortal/)

[Don Cupitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-cupitt/)

> [Woody Allen is a genius. His films are wonderful. He's poetic, but he's also a critic. He artfully steps back from a social setting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/woody-allen-is-a-genius-his-films-are-wonderful-he-s-poetic-but-he-s/)

[Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/)

> [She's lonely and wounded and very vulnerable and it really is a story about people at the heart of it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/she-s-lonely-and-wounded-and-very-vulnerable-and-it-really-is-a-story/)

[Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/)

> [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/)

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

> [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/)

[Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/)

> [When you really need help, people will respond. Sincerity means dropping the image facade and showing a willingness to be vulnerable. Tell it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/when-you-really-need-help-people-will-respond-sincerity-means/)

[Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/)

> [“If she wanted this man to trust her, to open up to her, she would have to strip every last piece of herself away,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianna-hardy/if-she-wanted-this-man-to-trust-her-to-open-up-to-her-she-would-have/)

[Dianna Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianna-hardy/)

> [I think being vulnerable paves the way for humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sadowski/i-think-being-vulnerable-paves-the-way-for-humility/)

[Jonathan Sadowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sadowski/)

> [As a new mother, you're so vulnerable and make mistakes all the time. I guess there's more pressure when you're in the public eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-marais/as-a-new-mother-you-re-so-vulnerable-and-make-mistakes-all-the-time-i/)

[Jessica Marais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-marais/)

> [It's shocking when someone who is really bad thinks they're really good. It's heartbreaking, because singing is such a vulnerable thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-camp/it-s-shocking-when-someone-who-is-really-bad-thinks-they-re-really/)

[Anna Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-camp/)

> [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/)

[Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/)

## 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 Asking quotes

> [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/)

[Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/)

> [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/)

[Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/)

> [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/)

[Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/)

> [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/)

[J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/)

> [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/)

[Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/)

> [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/)

[Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/)

> [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/)

[Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/)

> [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/)

[Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/)

> [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/)

[Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/)

> [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/)

[Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/)

> [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/)

[Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/)

> [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/)

[Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/)

> [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/)

[Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/)

[Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Being vulnerable is asking to get used.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Green"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Asking"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/john-green-12_quote_being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used-1_1327823.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/john-green-12_quote_being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used-1_1327823.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/john-green-12_quote_being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used-1_1327823.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Being vulnerable is asking to get used.” — 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": "“Being vulnerable is asking to get...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/being-vulnerable-is-asking-to-get-used/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
