---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live in such hypersexualised yet…"
description: "\"We live in such hypersexualised yet totally prudish times. People have this expectation about everyone else's relationship to their own bodies.'Surely ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/katherine-waterston-8062_believe_we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-tota_442519.jpg"
---

#  We live in such hypersexualised yet totally prudish times…

![“We live in such hypersexualised yet totally prudish times. People have this expectation about everyone else's relationship to their own bodies.'Surely you must have shame about your body? Surely what's scariest for you as actor would be to stand in a room naked?' Believe me, I've been in so many…” quote by Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/katherine-waterston-8062_believe_we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-tota_442519.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/katherine-waterston-8062_believe_we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-tota_442519.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/katherine-waterston-8062_believe_we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-tota_442519.jpg)

> “We live in such hypersexualised yet totally prudish times. People have this expectation about everyone else's relationship to their own bodies.'Surely you must have shame about your body? Surely what's scariest for you as actor would be to stand in a room naked?' Believe me, I've been in so many more terrifying situations as a performer than that.”

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

## About This Quote

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

Society paradoxically mixes overt sexualization with strict modesty, creating pressure on personal body perception.

**In simple terms:** Sexualized culture clashes with prudish norms, causing shame.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and challenge contradictory norms.

Themes

culture body image shame sexuality

Mood

conflicted critical

Type

observational reflective

When to use this quote

- public discourse
- personal relationships
- media consumption

Key Concepts

social pressure identity performance

Questions to Reflect On

- How does media influence your body confidence?
- What personal boundaries can you set?

A Different Perspective

Not all societies experience this tension equally; some cultures are more open.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Nudity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nudity/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't have shame with my body. I don't find a breast more vulnerable than an elbow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-don-t-have-shame-with-my-body-i-don-t-find-a-breast-more-vulnerable/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [Let me ask you something, in all the years that you have undressed in front of a gentleman has he ever asked you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/let-me-ask-you-something-in-all-the-years-that-you-have-undressed-in-2/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [“So there were people who got up at noon, pared their toenails, and sat naked in hotel rooms without regarding each day as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/so-there-were-people-who-got-up-at-noon-pared-their-toenails-and-sat/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [“Aelin would likely laughed to see him now. The man who had stumbled out of her room after she’d declared that her cycle had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/aelin-would-likely-laughed-to-see-him-now-the-man-who-had-stumbled/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [“It's a shame when a body like that doesn't come with any brains.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/it-s-a-shame-when-a-body-like-that-doesn-t-come-with-any-brains/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“There is an important insight contained in the book of Genesis, concerning the loss of eros when the body takes over. Adam and Eve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/there-is-an-important-insight-contained-in-the-book-of-genesis/)

[Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/)

> [Shame on the body for breaking down while the spirit perseveres.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/shame-on-the-body-for-breaking-down-while-the-spirit-perseveres/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [I believe we all have lists of shame. Long lists. We live with our constellation of shames quite privately. But they weigh us down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-redel/i-believe-we-all-have-lists-of-shame-long-lists-we-live-with-our/)

[Victoria Redel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-redel/)

> [I'm much more self-conscious clothed than unclothed. I'm a frustrated Page Three girl. I have no shame about my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-constantine/i-m-much-more-self-conscious-clothed-than-unclothed-i-m-a-frustrated/)

[Susannah Constantine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-constantine/)

> [I feel that nudity is sort of what we do as actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-feel-that-nudity-is-sort-of-what-we-do-as-actors/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [All acting is nudity. It's all vulnerable - and a little bit scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/all-acting-is-nudity-it-s-all-vulnerable-and-a-little-bit-scary/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [We have come into the world naked, and all the animals are naked, why should man hide his body behind clothes?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/we-have-come-into-the-world-naked-and-all-the-animals-are-naked-why/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [“The hot water pools are steaming, Fagan and Monsanto and the others are all sitting peacefully up to their necks, they're all naked, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-hot-water-pools-are-steaming-fagan-and-monsanto-and-the-others/)

[Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/)

> [Girls spend hours deciding what to wear, and all guys do is try to picture us naked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/girls-spend-hours-deciding-what-to-wear-and-all-guys-do-is-try-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/)

[James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/)

## More by Katherine Waterston

> [I generally don't like to talk too much about the character unless I feel stuck or in some trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-generally-don-t-like-to-talk-too-much-about-the-character-unless-i/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [What's comforting about coming from a family of actors is I don't have to explain the struggle. I can just sigh to my sister,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/what-s-comforting-about-coming-from-a-family-of-actors-is-i-don-t/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [I think everything happens organically. You mine for clues. It's all immersive, and stuff you can use comes out of that immersion. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-think-everything-happens-organically-you-mine-for-clues-it-s-all/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [I don't think Paul Thomas Anderson has a standard approach to anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-don-t-think-paul-thomas-anderson-has-a-standard-approach-to-anything/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [There are people who have really high expectations for what we're doing. I have to not think about that so that I can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/there-are-people-who-have-really-high-expectations-for-what-we-re/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [I have been a scrappy actor for 10-plus years, and when you're playing supporting roles, your relationship with the costume designer is very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-have-been-a-scrappy-actor-for-10-plus-years-and-when-you-re-playing/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [There's something particular about the way Los Angeles feels in the summertime. It slows down and is hazy and dreamy, and you can put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/there-s-something-particular-about-the-way-los-angeles-feels-in-the/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [ What I love about the way they both \[Paul Thomas Anderson and Joaquin Phoenix\] work is that all of the monkey business is on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/what-i-love-about-the-way-they-both-paul-thomas-anderson-and-joaquin/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [Obviously, as an actor, you have to embrace your imagination all the time, but when you're doing one of these films, you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/obviously-as-an-actor-you-have-to-embrace-your-imagination-all-the/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [I've always wanted to play the villain. But the young girl is never the villain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-ve-always-wanted-to-play-the-villain-but-the-young-girl-is-never/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [The minute you get cast, you worry they've made the most terrible mistake. There's a really awkward stage between being hired and doing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/the-minute-you-get-cast-you-worry-they-ve-made-the-most-terrible/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [I dont think Paul Thomas Anderson has a standard approach to anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-dont-think-paul-thomas-anderson-has-a-standard-approach-to-anything/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [Ive always wanted to play the villain. But the young girl is never the villain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/ive-always-wanted-to-play-the-villain-but-the-young-girl-is-never-the/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [There's kind of no rhyme or reason to what is appealing to any given actor. It just is, or it isn't. It's kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/there-s-kind-of-no-rhyme-or-reason-to-what-is-appealing-to-any-given/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

> [I feel a kind of permission and freedom in my work that I might not allow myself in my real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-feel-a-kind-of-permission-and-freedom-in-my-work-that-i-might-not/)

[Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

[Explore all 84 Katherine Waterston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/)

## More Believe quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/)

[Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/)

[Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/)

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We live in such hypersexualised yet totally prudish times. People have this expectation about everyone else's relationship to their own bodies.'Surely you must have shame about your body? Surely what's scariest for you as actor would be to stand in a room naked?' Believe me, I've been in so many more terrifying situations as a performer than that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Katherine Waterston"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-totally-prudish-times-people-have/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Believe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-totally-prudish-times-people-have/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/katherine-waterston-8062_believe_we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-tota_442519.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/katherine-waterston-8062_believe_we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-tota_442519.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/katherine-waterston-8062_believe_we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-tota_442519.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We live in such hypersexualised yet totally prudish times. People have this expectation about everyone…” — Katherine Waterston",
                "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": "Katherine Waterston",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We live in such hypersexualised yet...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-totally-prudish-times-people-have/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-totally-prudish-times-people-have/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
