--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was limited by stories that came before…" description: "\"“I was limited by stories that came before mine. We are so often limited by our own expectations of stories, by the stories that came before, by the he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/kameron-hurley-2960_books_i-was-limited-by-stories-that-came-befor_1635458.jpg" --- # I was limited by stories that came before mine. We are so… ![“I was limited by stories that came before mine. We are so often limited by our own expectations of stories, by the stories that came before, by the heroes who came before.… How is it we can bear to live with ourselves, as readers and storytellers, if we swallow those limitations without…” quote by Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/kameron-hurley-2960_books_i-was-limited-by-stories-that-came-befor_1635458.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/kameron-hurley-2960_books_i-was-limited-by-stories-that-came-befor_1635458.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/kameron-hurley-2960_books_i-was-limited-by-stories-that-came-befor_1635458.jpg) > ““I was limited by stories that came before mine. We are so often limited by our own expectations of stories, by the stories that came before, by the heroes who came before.… How is it we can bear to live with ourselves, as readers and storytellers, if we swallow those limitations without questioning them?”” [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Past narratives limit us; questioning them frees creativity and self‑acceptance. **In simple terms:** Stories can limit us. Key Takeaway Question inherited narratives. Themes creativity stories expectations self acceptance Mood thoughtful encouraging Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing workshops - education - personal growth - media analysis Key Concepts literary theory psychology Questions to Reflect On - Which narratives have you challenged? - How can new stories reshape identity? A Different Perspective Some stories also inspire and guide positively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Expectations Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations-stories-520872/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Geek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geek/) [Limitations Questioning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitations-questioning-520874/) [Limited Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limited-stories-520871/) [Readers Storytellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readers-storytellers-520875/) [Stories Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories-came-520873/) ## Related quotes > [I come from a family of great readers and storytellers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/i-come-from-a-family-of-great-readers-and-storytellers/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [In my judgement, this new paradigm renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-gonzales/in-my-judgement-this-new-paradigm-renders-obsolete-geneva-s-strict/) [Alberto Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-gonzales/) > [We didn't have any books at home. Not even children's books or fairy tales. The only 'fantastic' stories came from religion class. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herta-m-ller/we-didn-t-have-any-books-at-home-not-even-children-s-books-or-fairy/) [Herta Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herta-m-ller/) > [Many stories came to me but I was not happy with the roles that were assigned to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupama-parameswaran/many-stories-came-to-me-but-i-was-not-happy-with-the-roles-that-were/) [Anupama Parameswaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupama-parameswaran/) > [“Where do you get your stories?" the interviewer asked. It was a typical question. Ben had answered it himself once. He believed that writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jacob-knight/where-do-you-get-your-stories-the-interviewer-asked-it-was-a-typical/) [David Jacob Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jacob-knight/) > [Everybody has different stories about where I came from. Nobody really knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-horowitz/everybody-has-different-stories-about-where-i-came-from-nobody-really/) [Mitch Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-horowitz/) > [My mama loved books; I became fascinated by the wonderful stories that came out of these things she held in her hand - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-smith/my-mama-loved-books-i-became-fascinated-by-the-wonderful-stories-that/) [Wilbur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-smith/) > [I consider myself a writer. I don't favour any type of writing. I sometimes wish short stories came more easily to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lasdun/i-consider-myself-a-writer-i-don-t-favour-any-type-of-writing-i/) [James Lasdun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lasdun/) > [“Often, then, the stories came pouring out, and often they were set before us slowly and quietly like tea. These slow stories were told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daoud-hari/often-then-the-stories-came-pouring-out-and-often-they-were-set/) [Daoud Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daoud-hari/) > [“On reflection, looking at shows like this and considering my own experiences, what fascinated me was that we have so many stories like this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/on-reflection-looking-at-shows-like-this-and-considering-my-own/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [“You’re the witch, dude.  I’m the data geek. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-geary/you-re-the-witch-dude-i-m-the-data-geek/) [Debora Geary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-geary/) > [Being a geek is extremely liberating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/being-a-geek-is-extremely-liberating/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [I'm a geek - I read fantasy novels, I play 'World of Warcraft,' I'm a massive gamer, I have 'Star Trek' outfits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kazinsky/i-m-a-geek-i-read-fantasy-novels-i-play-world-of-warcraft-i-m-a/) [Robert Kazinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kazinsky/) > [I cant believe I just gave my panties to a geek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sixteen-candles/i-cant-believe-i-just-gave-my-panties-to-a-geek/) [Sixteen Candles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sixteen-candles/) > [“Holy hell, Trev! What kind of move was that?” Trevor leaned over her with a big smile on his face. “You really thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecilia-aubrey-chris-almeida/holy-hell-trev-what-kind-of-move-was-that-trevor-leaned-over-her-with/) [Cecilia Aubrey & Chris Almeida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecilia-aubrey-chris-almeida/) ## More by Kameron Hurley > [I'm terribly particular about what I read: lush writing, secondary world or seriously far-out science fiction, strong worldbuilding, dynamic characters. I need to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-m-terribly-particular-about-what-i-read-lush-writing-secondary/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [“Living is the purpose, Roh. For however long we have to do it, we live. That's all. That's all the ever was." "We aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/living-is-the-purpose-roh-for-however-long-we-have-to-do-it-we-live/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [“Nyx was a lot of things, but forgettable wasn't one of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/nyx-was-a-lot-of-things-but-forgettable-wasn-t-one-of-them/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > ['The Stars are Legion' is part space opera, part thriller, about two warring families battling it out for control over a legion of organic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/the-stars-are-legion-is-part-space-opera-part-thriller-about-two/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [“Nyx was not a nice woman. She knew she didn’t deal with nice women. 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My mother was obsessed with the show, as it was a staple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/when-i-was-a-kid-i-watched-a-lot-of-twilight-zone-my-mother-was/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [Short fiction isn't my natural form. It's taken a lot of work over the years to finally feel more comfortable writing stories under 80,000 words!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/short-fiction-isn-t-my-natural-form-it-s-taken-a-lot-of-work-over-the/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [Know that you're gonna screw up, and be OK with it, and do better next time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/know-that-you-re-gonna-screw-up-and-be-ok-with-it-and-do-better-next/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [I don't like to write about things that bore me, and that means I steer far clear of writing books that are just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-don-t-like-to-write-about-things-that-bore-me-and-that-means-i/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [“Rumour has it you've turned castration into an occupation." "You go cutting one guy's cock off and you never hear the end of it,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/rumour-has-it-you-ve-turned-castration-into-an-occupation-you-go/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [“Perhaps every society is a utopia when you fail to peel up all the layers and look at what's underneath”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/perhaps-every-society-is-a-utopia-when-you-fail-to-peel-up-all-the/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) [Explore all 144 Kameron Hurley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I was limited by stories that came before mine. 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