---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For a few months when I was about 17, I…"
description: "\"For a few months when I was about 17, I smoked a small cigar because I thought it looked cool and it would get me the girls. It didn't.\" — Jonathan Dim..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/jonathan-dimbleby-13595_about_for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-s_3221744.jpg"
---

#  For a few months when I was about 17, I smoked a small…

![“For a few months when I was about 17, I smoked a small cigar because I thought it looked cool and it would get me the girls. It didn't.” quote by Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/jonathan-dimbleby-13595_about_for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-s_3221744.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/jonathan-dimbleby-13595_about_for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-s_3221744.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/jonathan-dimbleby-13595_about_for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-s_3221744.jpg)

> “For a few months when I was about 17, I smoked a small cigar because I thought it looked cool and it would get me the girls. It didn't.”

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

## About This Quote

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

A teenager tried smoking to appear cool and attract girls, but the effort failed and taught a lesson about in‑based identity.

**In simple terms:** Smoking to look cool didn’t work.

Key Takeaway

Avoid using harmful habits for social approval.

Themes

identity peer pressure risk

Mood

reflective cautionary

Type

personal anecdote life lesson

When to use this quote

- teenage social life
- first romantic attempts
- health decisions

Key Concepts

selfesteem socialimage

Questions to Reflect On

- What image do you think you need to maintain?
- How can you seek validation without self‑harm?

A Different Perspective

The desire for acceptance can lead to harmful choices.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[17 Smoked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/17-smoked-6060069/) [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Cigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cigar/) [Cigar Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cigar-thought-6060070/) [Cool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cool/) [Few](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/few/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looked/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months/) [Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small/) [Small Cigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-cigar-6060068/) [Smoked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoked/) [Smoked Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoked-small-6060067/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/)

## Related quotes

> [Throughout my life, cigars have played different roles for me. They fit easily and well in the various stages and experiences Ive had --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/throughout-my-life-cigars-have-played-different-roles-for-me-they-fit/)

[LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/)

> [I always smoked cigars. I've smoked cigars with everybody in show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-hirt/i-always-smoked-cigars-i-ve-smoked-cigars-with-everybody-in-show/)

[Al Hirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-hirt/)

> [I just smoked a Cohiba the other day. It was great. You have to appreciate everything that cigar is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-fuentes/i-just-smoked-a-cohiba-the-other-day-it-was-great-you-have-to/)

[Daisy Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-fuentes/)

> [I never smoked a cigar in my life until I was nine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/i-never-smoked-a-cigar-in-my-life-until-i-was-nine/)

[W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/)

> [I smoked my first cigar in 1991, when we won the championship. Up to that point, I had never smoked a cigar, never smoked anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-smoked-my-first-cigar-in-1991-when-we-won-the-championship-up-to/)

[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [I smoked this joint and then it hit me. I thought, what you gotta do is play your own simply blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/i-smoked-this-joint-and-then-it-hit-me-i-thought-what-you-gotta-do-is/)

[Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/)

> [A deep, black grief gripped Robert Kennedy in the months following his brother's assassination. He lost weight, fell into melancholy silences, wore his brother's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurston-clarke/a-deep-black-grief-gripped-robert-kennedy-in-the-months-following-his/)

[Thurston Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurston-clarke/)

> [I haven't smoked marijuana since I was at NYU,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/i-haven-t-smoked-marijuana-since-i-was-at-nyu/)

[Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/)

> [I really love the smoked ice cream because it's so unexpected. Yet when you taste it, it's sort of familiar and otherworldly at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-raichlen/i-really-love-the-smoked-ice-cream-because-it-s-so-unexpected-yet/)

[Steven Raichlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-raichlen/)

> [“His hands slid around my head, pulling me back to his mouth. There was a cracking sound in the house. A fissure of electricity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/his-hands-slid-around-my-head-pulling-me-back-to-his-mouth-there-was/)

[Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/)

> [“I am a chimney which has been smoked. Out of breath and out of warmth. My air carries murky whispers and inky phantoms. Loneliness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iqra-iqbal/i-am-a-chimney-which-has-been-smoked-out-of-breath-and-out-of-warmth/)

[Iqra Iqbal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iqra-iqbal/)

> [There was a young lady named Mae Who smoked without stopping all day; As pack followed pack, Her lungs first turned black, And eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/there-was-a-young-lady-named-mae-who-smoked-without-stopping-all-day/)

[Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/)

> [“She almost wished she smoked, so she could lie on the car’s hood, flick a lighter, and make up names for the constellations while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-kemmerer/she-almost-wished-she-smoked-so-she-could-lie-on-the-car-s-hood-flick/)

[Brigid Kemmerer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-kemmerer/)

> [“jed is not a smoker but he's smoked. i am not a smoker and i have never smoked”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/jed-is-not-a-smoker-but-he-s-smoked-i-am-not-a-smoker-and-i-have/)

[David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/)

> [“he smoked so much marijuana that his hair smelled like a cupboard crammed with oregano;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/he-smoked-so-much-marijuana-that-his-hair-smelled-like-a-cupboard/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

## More by Jonathan Dimbleby

> [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [Over the last two years, I have been able to comb through The Prince's archives. I have been free to read his journals, diaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/over-the-last-two-years-i-have-been-able-to-comb-through-the-prince-s/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [I hate flying. My stomach churns at the mere thought of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-hate-flying-my-stomach-churns-at-the-mere-thought-of-it/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [Travelling to make television programmes means I have some unusual food memories. In Pasto, Colombia, I was taken to a restaurant where I chose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/travelling-to-make-television-programmes-means-i-have-some-unusual/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [Rolling my trousers down to expose the upper part of my buttocks and having a knife pressed up and down my spine by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/rolling-my-trousers-down-to-expose-the-upper-part-of-my-buttocks-and/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [The challenge is the culture. You have to have a vision for the BBC-it can't merely be that it's big and has a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/the-challenge-is-the-culture-you-have-to-have-a-vision-for-the-bbc-it/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [My only real claim to fame is that I was southern England show-jumping champion in 1966. The day after my father died, 'Horse &amp;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/my-only-real-claim-to-fame-is-that-i-was-southern-england-show/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [My two great treats in life are baked beans and vanilla ice-cream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/my-two-great-treats-in-life-are-baked-beans-and-vanilla-ice-cream/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [I ought to rejoice in the fact that our principal rival has died, but I don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-ought-to-rejoice-in-the-fact-that-our-principal-rival-has-died-but/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [It is easy enough to hold an opinion, but rather more testing to act on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/it-is-easy-enough-to-hold-an-opinion-but-rather-more-testing-to-act/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [I fail to understand how you can justify a poll tax on the entire population, yet exclude a significant proportion of that population from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-fail-to-understand-how-you-can-justify-a-poll-tax-on-the-entire/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [The BBC produces wonderful programmes; it also produces a load of old rubbish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/the-bbc-produces-wonderful-programmes-it-also-produces-a-load-of-old/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [I have a great deal of joy in my life, and I'm very fortunate. That combination makes you aware of just how wonderful life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-have-a-great-deal-of-joy-in-my-life-and-i-m-very-fortunate-that/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [At home in Devon, my wife Jessica does a huge proportion of the cooking - I do the basics. My timing is extremely good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/at-home-in-devon-my-wife-jessica-does-a-huge-proportion-of-the/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [You have to be damn certain you're putting something better in its place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/you-have-to-be-damn-certain-you-re-putting-something-better-in-its/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

[Explore all 50 Jonathan Dimbleby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

[Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "For a few months when I was about 17, I smoked a small cigar because I thought it looked cool and it would get me the girls. It didn't.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Dimbleby"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-smoked-a-small-cigar-because-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-smoked-a-small-cigar-because-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/jonathan-dimbleby-13595_about_for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-s_3221744.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/jonathan-dimbleby-13595_about_for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-s_3221744.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/jonathan-dimbleby-13595_about_for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-s_3221744.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“For a few months when I was about 17, I smoked a small cigar because I thought it looked cool and it would…” — Jonathan Dimbleby",
                "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": "Jonathan Dimbleby",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "For a few months when I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-smoked-a-small-cigar-because-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/for-a-few-months-when-i-was-about-17-i-smoked-a-small-cigar-because-i/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
