--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I felt I would live a long, lonely…" description: "\"“I felt I would live a long, lonely, useless life and die alone and unmissed (did I mention that I never bothered filling out any grad-school applicati..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/jon-fasman-64707_children_i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useles_238938.jpg" --- # I felt I would live a long, lonely, useless life and die… ![“I felt I would live a long, lonely, useless life and die alone and unmissed (did I mention that I never bothered filling out any grad-school applications?) It’s self-indulgent, I know, but this is what happens to the overachieving but essentially useless children of parents who raised their…” quote by Jon Fasman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/jon-fasman-64707_children_i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useles_238938.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/jon-fasman-64707_children_i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useles_238938.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/jon-fasman-64707_children_i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useles_238938.jpg) > ““I felt I would live a long, lonely, useless life and die alone and unmissed (did I mention that I never bothered filling out any grad-school applications?) It’s self-indulgent, I know, but this is what happens to the overachieving but essentially useless children of parents who raised their children to do well on tests but failed to equip them with the poison-tipped spurs of true ambition.”” [Jon Fasman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fasman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overachievers may feel purposeless without true ambition, leading to loneliness. **In simple terms:** Success without purpose feels empty. Key Takeaway Seek meaningful goals beyond grades. Themes self-worth ambition loneliness Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - counseling - education - family discussions Key Concepts purpose identity mental health career fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What drives your true ambition? - How can you cultivate purpose? A Different Perspective Pressure to succeed can mask deeper needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Die Alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/die-alone/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Overachieving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overachieving/) [Useless life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless-life/) ## Related quotes > [“Truisms, my young friend, are the useless children of hindsight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-brooks/truisms-my-young-friend-are-the-useless-children-of-hindsight/) [Terry Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-brooks/) > [But whoever gives birth to useless children, what would you say of him except that he has bred sorrows for himself, and furnishes laughter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/but-whoever-gives-birth-to-useless-children-what-would-you-say-of-him/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [People who get to the top of any organisation are generally dysfunctional human beings who are overachieving, overcompensating or overbearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-browning/people-who-get-to-the-top-of-any-organisation-are-generally/) [Guy Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-browning/) > [Would you rather have an overachieving 3-Star, or an underachieving 5-Star?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-bielema/would-you-rather-have-an-overachieving-3-star-or-an-underachieving-5/) [Bret Bielema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-bielema/) > [I felt like in Tampa Bay a lot of people thought we were overachieving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-zobrist/i-felt-like-in-tampa-bay-a-lot-of-people-thought-we-were-overachieving/) [Ben Zobrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-zobrist/) > [We are so used to multitasking, we are so addicted to overachieving that we forget that real happiness lies in simple things that take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumesh-nair/we-are-so-used-to-multitasking-we-are-so-addicted-to-overachieving/) [Sumesh Nair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumesh-nair/) > [That overachieving, ambitious, nobody-can-hold-me-down attitude I had, which came from a place of anger and aggression, has transformed into feeling like I will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-aguilera/that-overachieving-ambitious-nobody-can-hold-me-down-attitude-i-had/) [Christina Aguilera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-aguilera/) > [I think that that's part of how people have responded to The Tiger Rising. 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That's just achieving, not overachieving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/i-work-my-hardest-at-everything-that-s-just-achieving-not/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [“While Daniel disappeared into his room, probably to limn the contours of some exquisite constellation of philosophical nonsense for his internship applications and gasp…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-hodkin/while-daniel-disappeared-into-his-room-probably-to-limn-the-contours/) [Michelle Hodkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-hodkin/) > [“I am overachieving at aimlessness, I am a type-A, alpha-girl lollygagger, the leader of a gang of heartbroken kids, running wild across this lonely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/i-am-overachieving-at-aimlessness-i-am-a-type-a-alpha-girl/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Anything worth achieving is worth overachieving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/anything-worth-achieving-is-worth-overachieving/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Even though I was manically overachieving and involved in everything, I still never felt like I belonged. That's definitely affected my whole life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-mitchell/even-though-i-was-manically-overachieving-and-involved-in-everything/) [Penelope Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-mitchell/) > [I was that overachieving, annoying kid who was always trying to win some contest or win the role. I look back on it now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-was-that-overachieving-annoying-kid-who-was-always-trying-to-win/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [Music is essentially useless, as is life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/music-is-essentially-useless-as-is-life/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) ## More by Jon Fasman > [“They call it 'the whispering of the stars.' Listen," he said, raising a finger for silence. I could still hear the tinkling and craned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fasman/they-call-it-the-whispering-of-the-stars-listen-he-said-raising-a/) [Jon Fasman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fasman/) > [“Shall I tell you a joke about languages? Abulfaz asked. A joke. Yes, okay. What do you call a Russian who speaks four languages?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fasman/shall-i-tell-you-a-joke-about-languages-abulfaz-asked-a-joke-yes-okay/) [Jon Fasman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fasman/) > [“Rainbow dust?" sneered Joe, drawing out each syllable until it snapped from the weight of his contempt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fasman/rainbow-dust-sneered-joe-drawing-out-each-syllable-until-it-snapped/) [Jon Fasman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fasman/) > [“But it had grown into something else, something that thrilled me even as it frightened me, made me feel that I had finally cracked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fasman/but-it-had-grown-into-something-else-something-that-thrilled-me-even/) [Jon Fasman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fasman/) [Explore all 5 Jon Fasman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fasman/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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It’s self-indulgent, I know, but this is what happens to the overachieving but essentially useless children of parents who raised their children to do well on tests but failed to equip them with the poison-tipped spurs of true ambition.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Fasman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fasman/i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useless-life-and-die-alone-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fasman/i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useless-life-and-die-alone-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/jon-fasman-64707_children_i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useles_238938.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/jon-fasman-64707_children_i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useles_238938.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f91/jon-fasman-64707_children_i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useles_238938.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I felt I would live a long, lonely, useless life and die alone and unmissed (did I mention that I never…” — Jon Fasman", "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": "Jon Fasman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-fasman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I felt I would live a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fasman/i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useless-life-and-die-alone-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-fasman/i-felt-i-would-live-a-long-lonely-useless-life-and-die-alone-and/#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 } } ] } ```