---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I occasionally experience the discomfort…"
description: "\"I occasionally experience the discomfort of people assuming my work is autobiographical.\" — Jonathan Tropper"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/jonathan-tropper-1555_assuming_i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort_150976.jpg"
---

#  I occasionally experience the discomfort of people…

![“I occasionally experience the discomfort of people assuming my work is autobiographical.” quote by Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/jonathan-tropper-1555_assuming_i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort_150976.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/jonathan-tropper-1555_assuming_i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort_150976.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/jonathan-tropper-1555_assuming_i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort_150976.jpg)

> “I occasionally experience the discomfort of people assuming my work is autobiographical.”

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

## About This Quote

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

Notes discomfort when audiences assume his work reflects his personal life.

**In simple terms:** People often think art is autobiographical.

Key Takeaway

Clarify boundaries between creator and creation.

Themes

privacy misinterpretation artist identity

Mood

thoughtful defensive

Type

literary personal

When to use this quote

- marketing interviews
- social media
- literary criticism

Key Concepts

authorial intent public perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you maintain personal privacy as a public figure?
- What strategies help separate your life from your work?

A Different Perspective

Risk of personal life being scrutinized despite intent.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Autobiographical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiographical/) [Discomfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discomfort/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [To ask an author who hopes to be a serious writer if his work is autobiographical is like asking a spider where he buys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/to-ask-an-author-who-hopes-to-be-a-serious-writer-if-his-work-is/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [. . . All artists’ work is autobiographical. Any writer’s work is a map of their psyche. You can really see what their concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-addonizio/all-artists-work-is-autobiographical-any-writer-s-work-is-a-map-of/)

[Kim Addonizio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-addonizio/)

> [My work has never been autobiographical. Although the subjects are driven on a personal perspective it's sort of elevated above me. I try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-neshat/my-work-has-never-been-autobiographical-although-the-subjects-are/)

[Shirin Neshat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-neshat/)

> [There's been such a pushback against political correctness, and I think that's due to the discomfort people feel talking about other people's issues that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-t-fagbenle/there-s-been-such-a-pushback-against-political-correctness-and-i/)

[O. T. Fagbenle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-t-fagbenle/)

> [I think the discomfort that some people feel in going to the monkey cages at the zoo is a warning sign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-think-the-discomfort-that-some-people-feel-in-going-to-the-monkey/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [We'd been assured it wouldn't be painful, though she might experience 'discomfort,' a term beloved of the medical profession that seems to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/we-d-been-assured-it-wouldn-t-be-painful-though-she-might-experience/)

[Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/)

> [“we must be willing to confront and experience the discomfort that accompanies internal change. Only then will we be able to live freely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lynn-andrews/we-must-be-willing-to-confront-and-experience-the-discomfort-that/)

Amy Lynn Andrews

> [I have this horrible sense of humor where I think discomfort is funny - partly because I experience discomfort a lot, and it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-have-this-horrible-sense-of-humor-where-i-think-discomfort-is-funny/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [It's actually easier to do autobiographical stories. The story is already there. It's a matter of carving away what doesn't fit rather than building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/it-s-actually-easier-to-do-autobiographical-stories-the-story-is/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [Autobiographical comics, I love them. I love them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/autobiographical-comics-i-love-them-i-love-them/)

[Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/)

> [Because of the wonderfully positive response to 'Life's That Way,' I am considering writing some more autobiographical stuff - maybe another book. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-beaver/because-of-the-wonderfully-positive-response-to-life-s-that-way-i-am/)

[Jim Beaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-beaver/)

> [Of necessity, the autobiographical self is not just about one individual but about all the others that an individual interacts with. Of necessity, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/of-necessity-the-autobiographical-self-is-not-just-about-one/)

[Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/)

> [Race as a subject only comes about because of what I look like. If I say something truthfully, people say "Oh, she's so angry."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/race-as-a-subject-only-comes-about-because-of-what-i-look-like-if-i/)

[Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/)

> [I'm always saying that my books are not autobiographical because they're not. I can't choose any one scene and say, 'Oh, this is exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-von-ziegesar/i-m-always-saying-that-my-books-are-not-autobiographical-because-they/)

[Cecily von Ziegesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-von-ziegesar/)

> [“I am not and autobiographical writer--one can't be without a solid and explicable self--and read all autobiographical writers with the same curiosity. What kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-am-not-and-autobiographical-writer-one-can-t-be-without-a-solid-and/)

[Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/)

## More by Jonathan Tropper

> [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“Phillip, who is congenitally incapable of moderation,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/phillip-who-is-congenitally-incapable-of-moderation/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“There's always a last time. If you could remember every last time, you'd never stop grieving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/there-s-always-a-last-time-if-you-could-remember-every-last-time-you/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“In my family, we don’t so much air our grievances as wallow in them. Anger and resentment are cumulative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/in-my-family-we-don-t-so-much-air-our-grievances-as-wallow-in-them/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“Do I really look so pathetic to all of you? Like I couldn't possibly meet someone on my own? Half the people in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/do-i-really-look-so-pathetic-to-all-of-you-like-i-couldn-t-possibly/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [I still enjoy the tactile sensation of holding a book. But when I need to read fast for work, I use the Kindle App…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-still-enjoy-the-tactile-sensation-of-holding-a-book-but-when-i-need/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“Being gay is like taking a crash course in human nature,” he says. “Your first real glimpse at the dirty underbelly of routine social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/being-gay-is-like-taking-a-crash-course-in-human-nature-he-says-your/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“It's just hard to see people from your past when your present is so cataclysmically fucked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/it-s-just-hard-to-see-people-from-your-past-when-your-present-is-so/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“Few things are more pathetic than an unemployed man with a business card. P.15”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/few-things-are-more-pathetic-than-an-unemployed-man-with-a-business/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“We knew marriage could be difficult in the same way that we knew there were starving children in Africa. It was a tragic fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/we-knew-marriage-could-be-difficult-in-the-same-way-that-we-knew/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“attractive women in the early stages of disrepair, fighting to keep age at bay with facials, compression undergarments, and aggressively fashionable skirts bought off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/attractive-women-in-the-early-stages-of-disrepair-fighting-to-keep/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [As far as rapprochements go, it's awkward and vague, but the advantage of being as emotionally inarticulate as we are is that it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/as-far-as-rapprochements-go-it-s-awkward-and-vague-but-the-advantage/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [I'm a big action junkie. I grew up on the '80s action movies - the bad ones and the good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-m-a-big-action-junkie-i-grew-up-on-the-80s-action-movies-the-bad/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“shudders and seems to sink a bit further. “And the contractor is running two other jobs in the neighborhood. The Jacobsons, he’s redoing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/shudders-and-seems-to-sink-a-bit-further-and-the-contractor-is/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [I wrote the screenplay for 'This Is Where I Leave You' - all 40 drafts of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-wrote-the-screenplay-for-this-is-where-i-leave-you-all-40-drafts-of/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

[Explore all 222 Jonathan Tropper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

## More Assuming quotes

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/)

James T. Conway

> [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/)

[Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/)

[Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/)

> [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/)

[Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/)

> [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/)

[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/)

> [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/)

[Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/)

> [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/)

[Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/)

> [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/)

[Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/)

> [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/)

[Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/)

> [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. Humans assume that alien life forms should conform to standards that match our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-perry/humans-suffer-from-self-centred-notions-as-to-the-nature-of-life/)

[Steve Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-perry/)

> [We can use our art to become political, to become something you want to talk about. We make clothes, but we have the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/we-can-use-our-art-to-become-political-to-become-something-you-want/)

[Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/)

> [Everyone seems to assume that the unscrupulous parts of journalism will be the frivolous or jocular parts. This is against all ethical experience. Jokes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/everyone-seems-to-assume-that-the-unscrupulous-parts-of-journalism/)

[Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/)

Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I occasionally experience the discomfort of people assuming my work is autobiographical.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Tropper"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort-of-people-assuming-my-work/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Assuming"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort-of-people-assuming-my-work/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/jonathan-tropper-1555_assuming_i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort_150976.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/jonathan-tropper-1555_assuming_i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort_150976.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/jonathan-tropper-1555_assuming_i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort_150976.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I occasionally experience the discomfort of people assuming my work is autobiographical.” — Jonathan Tropper",
                "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 Tropper",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I occasionally experience the discomfort of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort-of-people-assuming-my-work/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort-of-people-assuming-my-work/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
