---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only time I've ever been mistaken for…"
description: "\"The only time I've ever been mistaken for someone else is - and this arguable still - when a person came up to me on the boardwalk of Ocean City, New J..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-hodgman-1811_ads_the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-fo_1101560.jpg"
---

#  The only time I've ever been mistaken for someone else is…

![“The only time I've ever been mistaken for someone else is - and this arguable still - when a person came up to me on the boardwalk of Ocean City, New Jersey and said, &quot;You look a lot like that guy from computer ads&quot; and I said, &quot;There is a reason because I am that guy,&quot; and the guy looked at me…” quote by John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-hodgman-1811_ads_the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-fo_1101560.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-hodgman-1811_ads_the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-fo_1101560.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-hodgman-1811_ads_the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-fo_1101560.jpg)

> “The only time I've ever been mistaken for someone else is - and this arguable still - when a person came up to me on the boardwalk of Ocean City, New Jersey and said, "You look a lot like that guy from computer ads" and I said, "There is a reason because I am that guy," and the guy looked at me for a minute, laughed and said, "That's a funny joke, but you really do look like him." He thought I was not me.”

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

## About This Quote

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

Mistaken identity can be humorous but also highlights how we recognize and label others.

**In simple terms:** People often misidentify others.

Key Takeaway

Embrace humor in mistaken identity.

Themes

identity humor perception

Mood

lighthearted playful

Type

anecdotal entertaining

When to use this quote

- public events
- online profiles
- customer service

Key Concepts

social cognition self‑presentation

Questions to Reflect On

- When have you been misidentified?
- How do you correct it gracefully?

A Different Perspective

Misidentification can cause embarrassment or confusion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ads/) [Arguable Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguable-person-2890152/) [Boardwalks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boardwalks/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Funny jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-jokes/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Guy Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy-looked-1953512/) [Jersey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jersey/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Laughed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughed/) [Look like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-like/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Mistaken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistaken/) [Mistaken Arguable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistaken-arguable-2890153/) [New jersey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-jersey/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Only time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only-time/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [That guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/that-guy/)

## Related quotes

> [“Plus, once he did the requisite double-take and recognized me, he’d probably beat the crap out of any guy who looked at me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katja-millay/plus-once-he-did-the-requisite-double-take-and-recognized-me-he-d/)

[Katja Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katja-millay/)

> [“I didn't get to hear the rest, as the skipper poked a red, peeling face out of the wheelhouse and told Billy Lee to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-h-o-neil/i-didn-t-get-to-hear-the-rest-as-the-skipper-poked-a-red-peeling-face/)

[Vincent H. O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-h-o-neil/)

> [“Poison? Drugs?" "No chemical works that instantly. You saw the guy - it looked like he was still reading his program." "Then what, magical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-damico/poison-drugs-no-chemical-works-that-instantly-you-saw-the-guy-it/)

[Gina Damico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-damico/)

> [Adrian Dantley is a guy that I looked at . . . on how to maneuver my body around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/adrian-dantley-is-a-guy-that-i-looked-at-on-how-to-maneuver-my-body/)

[Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/)

> [“Of course, I’m not one to judge people by their appearances, Rhonda, but from how this guy looked I would have said he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/of-course-i-m-not-one-to-judge-people-by-their-appearances-rhonda-but/)

[Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/)

> [“Tuxedo Guy looked even better the closer he got to us- tall wide shoulders, smooth skin, those lips.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myra-mcentire/tuxedo-guy-looked-even-better-the-closer-he-got-to-us-tall-wide/)

[Myra McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myra-mcentire/)

> [“So,I'm curious." Alex dragged me from my pleasant contemplation of cowardice and back in the bathroom. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/so-i-m-curious-alex-dragged-me-from-my-pleasant-contemplation-of/)

[Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/)

> [“Close up, the guy looked like an oiled, airbrushed spawn of Steven Seagal and a Ken doll.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roe-horvat/close-up-the-guy-looked-like-an-oiled-airbrushed-spawn-of-steven/)

[Roe Horvat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roe-horvat/)

> [Today I saw a guy who looked like me in a funhouse mirror. He looked at me like, Hey, that's how I look reflected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-gould/today-i-saw-a-guy-who-looked-like-me-in-a-funhouse-mirror-he-looked/)

[Dana Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-gould/)

> [“I instantly thought the guy was cute, in that gaunt, never-sees-the-light-of-day, New York street urchin kind of way. And he never stood still for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/i-instantly-thought-the-guy-was-cute-in-that-gaunt-never-sees-the/)

[Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/)

> [The guy looked at the girl and said 'What would I ever do without you?' and the girl looked at him and said 'You'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savannah-sparrow/the-guy-looked-at-the-girl-and-said-what-would-i-ever-do-without-you/)

[Savannah Sparrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savannah-sparrow/)

> [Clearly, there's a real onus on you to do something correctly when everybody, at least in the United States, had a really clear, specific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/clearly-there-s-a-real-onus-on-you-to-do-something-correctly-when/)

[Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/)

> [Who was the guy who first looked at a cow and said 'I think I’ll drink whatever comes out of these when I squeeze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/who-was-the-guy-who-first-looked-at-a-cow-and-said-i-think-i-ll-drink/)

[Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/)

> [One weekend, I was driving and in the car next to me on the freeway was a guy who looked like a very conservative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/one-weekend-i-was-driving-and-in-the-car-next-to-me-on-the-freeway/)

[Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/)

> [“Avoiding the facility’s tangle of Life Cycles and Cybex machines, he had focused instead on a series of punches, blocks, and kicks to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/avoiding-the-facility-s-tangle-of-life-cycles-and-cybex-machines-he/)

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

## More by John Hodgman

> [Life may be miraculous in its unlikelihood in the universe, but it would be a fallacy to suggest that its rareness makes it inextinguishable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/life-may-be-miraculous-in-its-unlikelihood-in-the-universe-but-it/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [I navigated the world as a hedge maze of constant fear and worry in which I might take the wrong turn and jeopardize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-navigated-the-world-as-a-hedge-maze-of-constant-fear-and-worry-in/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [“There are transitions in life whether we want them or not. You get older. You lose jobs and loves and people. The story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/there-are-transitions-in-life-whether-we-want-them-or-not-you-get/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald meet in hell and team up to assassinate Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/john-wilkes-booth-and-lee-harvey-oswald-meet-in-hell-and-team-up-to/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [I think in American culture, we put value on economic success but tell people you don't have to be economically successful to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-think-in-american-culture-we-put-value-on-economic-success-but-tell/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [If you look in the dictionary under 'perfectionist,' you see Henry Selick correcting the definition of perfectionist in the dictionary. I mean, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/if-you-look-in-the-dictionary-under-perfectionist-you-see-henry/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [Lies are just another kind of storytelling, but with the very distinct and enlivening motive of desperation. Since writers are by nature desperate creatures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/lies-are-just-another-kind-of-storytelling-but-with-the-very-distinct/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [I've made my evolutionary purpose and had children. I don't care if anybody likes me, I'm going to do what I want to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-ve-made-my-evolutionary-purpose-and-had-children-i-don-t-care-if/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [“When you live in New York or any big city, it is easy to fail at growing up. The city is designed to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/when-you-live-in-new-york-or-any-big-city-it-is-easy-to-fail-at/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [I don't wish to brag, but I'm very intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-don-t-wish-to-brag-but-i-m-very-intelligent/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [You wouldn't want to live a life in which you are loved or approved by all people on Earth or even within your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/you-wouldn-t-want-to-live-a-life-in-which-you-are-loved-or-approved/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [Well, I always had this desire to celebrate and somehow be a part of things that I thought were really great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/well-i-always-had-this-desire-to-celebrate-and-somehow-be-a-part-of/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [I would be good for maybe not the center square but an upper square on 'Hollywood Squares.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-would-be-good-for-maybe-not-the-center-square-but-an-upper-square/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [One of the things about crowd work that's so exciting is when you discover a character in the audience who's interesting or funny, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/one-of-the-things-about-crowd-work-that-s-so-exciting-is-when-you/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

> [“Maine is not a death cult. I mean, it is, but it's a slow one. It creeps in like the tide, and without your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/maine-is-not-a-death-cult-i-mean-it-is-but-it-s-a-slow-one-it-creeps/)

[John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

[Explore all 207 John Hodgman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/)

## More Ads quotes

> [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/)

[Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/)

> [As a Fundamentalist I had discovered while I was in college that it is possible to dismiss the entire Church as having gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/as-a-fundamentalist-i-had-discovered-while-i-was-in-college-that-it/)

[Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-howard-3rd-duke-of-norfolk/)

> [ The most recent incarnation of \[Bob\] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan-has-been-the-traveling/)

[Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/)

> [One performer whose band played my music better than I could myself was Art Farmer. He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/one-performer-whose-band-played-my-music-better-than-i-could-myself/)

[Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/)

> [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. Animal protein is bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/what-every-human-being-should-do-is-eat-a-vegetarian-diet-based-on/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/)

[Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/)

> [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/)

[Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/)

> [There is nothing personal about a personal ad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-smith/there-is-nothing-personal-about-a-personal-ad/)

[Wes Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-smith/)

> [Google has - at least at this point - maintained the line where it keeps organic results separate from the advertisements. But over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/google-has-at-least-at-this-point-maintained-the-line-where-it-keeps/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [I am terrible at memorizing things. Hence, ad-libbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-weatherly/i-am-terrible-at-memorizing-things-hence-ad-libbing/)

[Michael Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-weatherly/)

> [In a recent attack ad, the NRA claims that President Obama cares about his own children more than he cares about other children. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/in-a-recent-attack-ad-the-nra-claims-that-president-obama-cares-about/)

[Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/)

> [Nothing's going to keep me from making music. If I were in the want-ads in the back of the paper or playing to six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/nothing-s-going-to-keep-me-from-making-music-if-i-were-in-the-want/)

[Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/)

> [For me, being on set is no different than being at a dinner table or riding the subway next to someone; inevitably their life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-mahoney/for-me-being-on-set-is-no-different-than-being-at-a-dinner-table-or/)

[Victoria Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-mahoney/)

> [We assumed the customers were smart and that they'll buy what they like, not what the ads tell them to buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-rosso/we-assumed-the-customers-were-smart-and-that-they-ll-buy-what-they/)

[Renzo Rosso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-rosso/)

[Browse all 856 Ads quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ads/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The only time I've ever been mistaken for someone else is - and this arguable still - when a person came up to me on the boardwalk of Ocean City, New Jersey and said, \"You look a lot like that guy from computer ads\" and I said, \"There is a reason because I am that guy,\" and the guy looked at me for a minute, laughed and said, \"That's a funny joke, but you really do look like him.\" He thought I was not me.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Hodgman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-for-someone-else-is-and-this/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ads"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-for-someone-else-is-and-this/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-hodgman-1811_ads_the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-fo_1101560.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-hodgman-1811_ads_the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-fo_1101560.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aab/john-hodgman-1811_ads_the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-fo_1101560.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The only time I've ever been mistaken for someone else is - and this arguable still - when a person came up…” — John Hodgman",
                "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 Hodgman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The only time I've ever been...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-for-someone-else-is-and-this/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/the-only-time-i-ve-ever-been-mistaken-for-someone-else-is-and-this/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
