--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes people go off in a slightly…" description: "\"Sometimes people go off in a slightly different direction of wanting to be different, of wanting to be special, of wanting to be more, and I think that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65d/katherine-dunn-2693_burden_sometimes-people-go-off-in-a-slightly-di_2739174.jpg" --- # Sometimes people go off in a slightly different direction… ![“Sometimes people go off in a slightly different direction of wanting to be different, of wanting to be special, of wanting to be more, and I think that those people are often - not always, but often - genuinely different in some way. Perhaps their gender orientation is not acceptable or popular…” quote by Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65d/katherine-dunn-2693_burden_sometimes-people-go-off-in-a-slightly-di_2739174.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65d/katherine-dunn-2693_burden_sometimes-people-go-off-in-a-slightly-di_2739174.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65d/katherine-dunn-2693_burden_sometimes-people-go-off-in-a-slightly-di_2739174.jpg) > “Sometimes people go off in a slightly different direction of wanting to be different, of wanting to be special, of wanting to be more, and I think that those people are often - not always, but often - genuinely different in some way. Perhaps their gender orientation is not acceptable or popular, not the norm. Or, their physical design is literally, in some way, setting them apart. Or, in many cases, they feel the burden of their ordinariness so dreadfully that they strive to find some way of being unique. I think that can be a very positive thing, but it also can be negative, destructive.” [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often seek uniqueness to escape feeling ordinary, which can be empowering or harmful depending on context. **In simple terms:** Seeking uniqueness can be empowering or harmful. Key Takeaway Embrace individuality while staying grounded. Themes identity conformity self‑esteem diversity Mood reflective hopeful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - creative work - social activism - mental health - relationship dynamics Key Concepts authenticity social pressure self‑acceptance Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal uniqueness with belonging? - When does the desire for difference become self‑sabotage? A Different Perspective Uniqueness can lead to isolation or conflict if not balanced with community. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-wanting-478878/) [Gender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender/) [Gender Orientation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gender-orientation-1741673/) [Negative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative/) [Norm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/norm/) [Ordinariness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinariness/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Special Wanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-wanting-1810236/) [Strive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strive/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique/) [Unique Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unique-think-628141/) [Very positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-positive/) [Wanting Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanting-different-1042421/) ## Related quotes > [“I would want things to be different than they were. The wanting was a wilderness and I had to find my own way out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/i-would-want-things-to-be-different-than-they-were-the-wanting-was-a/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [Many people have touched the edges of my life... coming and going, scarcely leaving an impression. But you're an uncommon person, someone who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-people-have-touched-the-edges-of-my-life-coming-and-going/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People stare at you, meaning either they know you or you have something special wanting them to look at you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mazher-mazher50/people-stare-at-you-meaning-either-they-know-you-or-you-have/) [Mazher (@mazher50](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mazher-mazher50/) > [The more a person can look beyond gender orientation, the happier and more fulfilling life is likely to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/the-more-a-person-can-look-beyond-gender-orientation-the-happier-and/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [There's no denial that one's gender orientation is certainly a core characteristic of any person, but it's not the only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/there-s-no-denial-that-one-s-gender-orientation-is-certainly-a-core/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [Ultimately, the wisest course for anybody who's afflicted with same-gender attraction is to strive to extend one's horizon beyond just one's sexual orientation, one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/ultimately-the-wisest-course-for-anybody-who-s-afflicted-with-same/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [“All human beings, independent of a dominant gender orientation, embody qualities of the masculine and feminine, and the whole of humanity has suffered from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-dulsky/all-human-beings-independent-of-a-dominant-gender-orientation-embody/) [Danielle Dulsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-dulsky/) > [We live in a society which is so saturated with sexuality that it perhaps is more troublesome now, because of that fact, for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-b-wickman/we-live-in-a-society-which-is-so-saturated-with-sexuality-that-it/) [Lance B. Wickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-b-wickman/) > [“However, current research in animal cognition, and on protolanguage, protomorality, ritual, and levels of consciousness, has shown that we may not be as unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-wentzel-van-huyssteen/however-current-research-in-animal-cognition-and-on-protolanguage/) [J. Wentzel van Huyssteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-wentzel-van-huyssteen/) > [We're all unique as actors. To yourself, you are unique, you have to think 'I'm me, I'm not going to bunch myself with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imelda-staunton/we-re-all-unique-as-actors-to-yourself-you-are-unique-you-have-to/) [Imelda Staunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imelda-staunton/) > [Don't let people change you or how you see yourself. You're amazing in your own ways and you are unique because no one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-let-people-change-you-or-how-you-see-yourself-you-re-amazing-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The world is so big, and there's so many people, and there's only one you, and that's so special and unique to think about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-vanderwaal/the-world-is-so-big-and-there-s-so-many-people-and-there-s-only-one/) [Grace VanderWaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-vanderwaal/) > [I know that me personally I'm different than anyone else, just like our mothers all tell us we're all very special and unique and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pratt/i-know-that-me-personally-i-m-different-than-anyone-else-just-like/) [Chris Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pratt/) > [The best way to describe my career is unique. I can't think of any other word. It's unique in every way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-smoltz/the-best-way-to-describe-my-career-is-unique-i-can-t-think-of-any/) [John Smoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-smoltz/) > [I think - I honestly think that my story is not 100 percent that unique. I think that I'm - just the whole rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/i-think-i-honestly-think-that-my-story-is-not-100-percent-that-unique/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) ## More by Katherine Dunn > [Though 'Fat City' was written long before cellphones or the Internet, its human apparatus is state of the art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/though-fat-city-was-written-long-before-cellphones-or-the-internet/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [A true freak cannot be made. A true freak must be born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/a-true-freak-cannot-be-made-a-true-freak-must-be-born/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [I think genetic research is a fascinating and fertile area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/i-think-genetic-research-is-a-fascinating-and-fertile-area/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [A boxing gym is a place where men are allowed to be kind to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/a-boxing-gym-is-a-place-where-men-are-allowed-to-be-kind-to-one/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [My own theory about the phlegmatic qualities and properties of the English is the mountain of pure white sugar hydrocarbons they consume every day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/my-own-theory-about-the-phlegmatic-qualities-and-properties-of-the/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [Sometimes we followed the crops, doing migrant labor. We did several years of tenant farming in Western Oregon starting in the early '50s. Later,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/sometimes-we-followed-the-crops-doing-migrant-labor-we-did-several/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [There should be unemployment insurance for fictional people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/there-should-be-unemployment-insurance-for-fictional-people/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [My handwriting was nothing to write home about, and I had this idea that calligraphy was like taking Latin in high school: that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/my-handwriting-was-nothing-to-write-home-about-and-i-had-this-idea/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [“There are those whose own vulgar normality is so apparent and stultifying that they strive to escape it. They affect flamboyant behavior and claim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/there-are-those-whose-own-vulgar-normality-is-so-apparent-and/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [Only a lunatic would want to be president. These lunatics are created deliberately by those who wish to be presided over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/only-a-lunatic-would-want-to-be-president-these-lunatics-are-created/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [In a really good, closely matched situation, the style of the boxer is every bit as explicit and specific to him as a painter's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/in-a-really-good-closely-matched-situation-the-style-of-the-boxer-is/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [But the animation has become very good, and I think that a movie is not a book, and a book is not a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/but-the-animation-has-become-very-good-and-i-think-that-a-movie-is/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [I'd always been fascinated by boxing and became very engaged with it through my husband, actually. But I started to write about it because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/i-d-always-been-fascinated-by-boxing-and-became-very-engaged-with-it/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [I thought that was actually kind of boring, that search for perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/i-thought-that-was-actually-kind-of-boring-that-search-for-perfection/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [American culture is torn between our long romance with violence and our terror of the devastation wrought by war and crime and environmental havoc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/american-culture-is-torn-between-our-long-romance-with-violence-and/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) [Explore all 154 Katherine Dunn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) ## More Burden quotes > [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. It's not a burden to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/everything-i-do-is-more-memorable-and-i-understand-music-more-than/) [Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/) > [I am at a point in my life where everything I have worked for starts to look like a burden, a weight on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-abou-samra/i-am-at-a-point-in-my-life-where-everything-i-have-worked-for-starts/) [Simone Abou Samra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-abou-samra/) > [Trump's enduring appeal is a resource to be harnessed by the Republican Party, not a burden to be jettisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/trump-s-enduring-appeal-is-a-resource-to-be-harnessed-by-the/) [Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/) > [We want to free our citizens from the burden of excessive paper documents in every office. We want paperless transactions. We will set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/we-want-to-free-our-citizens-from-the-burden-of-excessive-paper/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [The world around us is an increasingly hostile and sinful place. Occasionally that splashes onto us, and perhaps, in the case of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-world-around-us-is-an-increasingly-hostile-and-sinful-place/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [“What a burden it must be to know all the terrible things you've done and support it with arms unfit to carry it all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-weikel/what-a-burden-it-must-be-to-know-all-the-terrible-things-you-ve-done/) [K. Weikel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-weikel/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [Wherever I am, I see the yoke on women in some form or another. On some it sits easy for they are but beasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-may-alcott/wherever-i-am-i-see-the-yoke-on-women-in-some-form-or-another-on-some/) [Abby May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-may-alcott/) > [It's a burden trying to keep a secret. It's hard. It probably takes more out of you trying to hold it and keep it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/it-s-a-burden-trying-to-keep-a-secret-it-s-hard-it-probably-takes/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [I've always liked artists like Chris Burden, who would take performances, put them in galleries, and then do things that were on the edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blaine/i-ve-always-liked-artists-like-chris-burden-who-would-take/) [David Blaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blaine/) > [Our office...subjects us to great burdens and labors, dangers and temptations, with little reward or gratitude from the world. But Christ himself will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/our-office-subjects-us-to-great-burdens-and-labors-dangers-and/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The debt immense of endless gratitude, So burthensome, still paying, still to owe; Forgetful what from him I still receivd, And understood not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/the-debt-immense-of-endless-gratitude-so-burthensome-still-paying/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) [Browse all 2,567 Burden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes people go off in a slightly different direction of wanting to be different, of wanting to be special, of wanting to be more, and I think that those people are often - not always, but often - genuinely different in some way. 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