--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was good at school but I thought I…" description: "\"I was good at school but I thought I sucked at everything else. I was socially scared of making relationships. High school was a big fail as the social..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/jonny-kim-19754_failure_i-was-good-at-school-but-i-thought-i-suc_934012.jpg" --- # I was good at school but I thought I sucked at everything… ![“I was good at school but I thought I sucked at everything else. I was socially scared of making relationships. High school was a big fail as the social experiment that it is.” quote by Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/jonny-kim-19754_failure_i-was-good-at-school-but-i-thought-i-suc_934012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/jonny-kim-19754_failure_i-was-good-at-school-but-i-thought-i-suc_934012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e1/jonny-kim-19754_failure_i-was-good-at-school-but-i-thought-i-suc_934012.jpg) > “I was good at school but I thought I sucked at everything else. I was socially scared of making relationships. High school was a big fail as the social experiment that it is.” [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He excelled academically but felt inadequate socially, viewing high school as a failed social experiment. **In simple terms:** Good at school, felt socially awkward. Key Takeaway Recognize strengths and work on social skills. Themes self‑esteem social anxiety identity growth Mood reflective hopeful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - school - workplace - friendships - dating - personal development Key Concepts confidence building social learning self‑acceptance Questions to Reflect On - What strengths can you leverage to improve social interactions? - How can you reframe past failures as learning opportunities? A Different Perspective Social confidence often requires practice and supportive environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationships/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [I was a really low-confident kid. I did have friends from playing sports - I played water polo and I swam. 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I've won the Olympics, NCAAs, and World Championships, but none of those can truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/i-have-wrestled-in-almost-every-tournament-in-the-world-i-ve-won-the/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [In high school, I did some musicals, but I never took acting until college. I was studying opera, classical voice, and a speech teacher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/in-high-school-i-did-some-musicals-but-i-never-took-acting-until/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [I remember throughout middle school and high school how excited my mom, sister and I would be when a UNC game was on TV.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/i-remember-throughout-middle-school-and-high-school-how-excited-my/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [“This was going to be worse than the time I table danced in the diner in high school!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bryson/this-was-going-to-be-worse-than-the-time-i-table-danced-in-the-diner/) [Kathy Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bryson/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/high-school-sucked-it-was-a-universal-truth-and-whoever-said-these/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) ## More by Jonny Kim > [If there was a time machine and I could tell my younger self what I'd be doing in 2020, there's no way I'd believe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/if-there-was-a-time-machine-and-i-could-tell-my-younger-self-what-i-d/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [My only expectation, which I tell my kids very, very often, is that they follow their heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/my-only-expectation-which-i-tell-my-kids-very-very-often-is-that-they/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [For me... after having some intense wartime experiences where I lost a lot of good friends that I've loved, I made a promise to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/for-me-after-having-some-intense-wartime-experiences-where-i-lost-a/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [You're going to learn a lot every time you fail. So embrace that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/you-re-going-to-learn-a-lot-every-time-you-fail-so-embrace-that/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [I didn't have the confidence from my childhood, but dreams are possible and all good things in life are hard to get, so persevere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/i-didn-t-have-the-confidence-from-my-childhood-but-dreams-are/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [My father was the classic epitome of a very hard immigrant-worker. He made up for his lack of education by working really hard... He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/my-father-was-the-classic-epitome-of-a-very-hard-immigrant-worker-he/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [Going into the Navy was the best decision I ever made in my life because it completely transformed that scared boy who didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/going-into-the-navy-was-the-best-decision-i-ever-made-in-my-life/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [Don't let that hunger for the unknown go away. That curiosity is so important, so you should maintain that passion for what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/don-t-let-that-hunger-for-the-unknown-go-away-that-curiosity-is-so/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [My parents were South Korean immigrants who came to America in the early 80s for the hope of a better life for their children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/my-parents-were-south-korean-immigrants-who-came-to-america-in-the/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [Once someone is no longer a threat, you look at them like anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/once-someone-is-no-longer-a-threat-you-look-at-them-like-anybody-else/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [I know certainly that my parents sacrificed a lot to come to America, and to... start a new life for their family and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/i-know-certainly-that-my-parents-sacrificed-a-lot-to-come-to-america/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [All things that are worthwhile are very difficult to obtain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/all-things-that-are-worthwhile-are-very-difficult-to-obtain/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [Ego is probably one of the biggest poisons we can have - it's toxic to any environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/ego-is-probably-one-of-the-biggest-poisons-we-can-have-it-s-toxic-to/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [I live in Boston so I'm used to small spaces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/i-live-in-boston-so-i-m-used-to-small-spaces/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [I never want my children to ever feel like they need to be a SEAL, or that they need to go into medicine, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/i-never-want-my-children-to-ever-feel-like-they-need-to-be-a-seal-or/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) [Explore all 32 Jonny Kim quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was good at school but I thought I sucked at everything else. 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