--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because growing up means making tough…" description: "\"“Because growing up means making tough choices, and doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily mean doing the thing that feels good.”\" — Katie McGarry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/katie-mcgarry-456_doing-the-right-thin_because-growing-up-means-making-tough-ch_1225341.jpg" --- # Because growing up means making tough choices, and doing… ![“Because growing up means making tough choices, and doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily mean doing the thing that feels good.” quote by Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/katie-mcgarry-456_doing-the-right-thin_because-growing-up-means-making-tough-ch_1225341.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/katie-mcgarry-456_doing-the-right-thin_because-growing-up-means-making-tough-ch_1225341.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/katie-mcgarry-456_doing-the-right-thin_because-growing-up-means-making-tough-ch_1225341.jpg) > ““Because growing up means making tough choices, and doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily mean doing the thing that feels good.”” [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Growing up forces choices that may be uncomfortable but are morally right. **In simple terms:** Maturity requires hard, right choices. Key Takeaway Choose principle over comfort. Themes responsibility ethics growth Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career dilemmas - family conflicts - ethical dilemmas - leadership decisions Key Concepts moral decision making personal development Questions to Reflect On - What uncomfortable choice defines your integrity? - How do you balance personal comfort with moral duty? A Different Perspective Comfort can be a seductive but misleading guide. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices-doing-519163/) [Doing right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-right/) [Doing the right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-the-right-thing/) [Growing Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-means-1411655/) [Mean Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-doing-759064/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Tough choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough-choices/) ## Related quotes > [“ Doing the right thing doesn't necessarily mean doing the thing that feels good ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/doing-the-right-thing-doesn-t-necessarily-mean-doing-the-thing-that/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“Because respect doesn’t always mean doing what is right”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/because-respect-doesn-t-always-mean-doing-what-is-right/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-right-to-do-something-does-not-mean-that-doing-it-is-right/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [If you have a 2 or 3 year old who is not talking, you must start an early intervention program. The worst thing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/if-you-have-a-2-or-3-year-old-who-is-not-talking-you-must-start-an/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Life is a sum of all your choices". So, what are you doing today?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-a-sum-of-all-your-choices-so-what-are-you-doing-today/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Everything that we do, and every choice that we make that causes a bad reaction is an experience that we now have in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jsv/everything-that-we-do-and-every-choice-that-we-make-that-causes-a-bad/) [Jsv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jsv/) > [“We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, buy even that is a choice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-collins/we-can-try-to-avoid-making-choices-by-doing-nothing-buy-even-that-is/) [Gary Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-collins/) > [In life, everybody faces choices between doing what's popular, easy, and wrong vs. doing what's lonely, difficult, and right. These decisions intensify when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/in-life-everybody-faces-choices-between-doing-what-s-popular-easy-and/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [Use your past decisions to help guide you into making the correct choices now and in doing so you will set up an easier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/use-your-past-decisions-to-help-guide-you-into-making-the-correct/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-collins/we-can-try-to-avoid-making-choices-by-doing-nothing-but-even-that-is/) [Gary Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-collins/) > [As it turns out, one of the biggest choices we have doing the show is deciding the tangents we are allowed to take, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/as-it-turns-out-one-of-the-biggest-choices-we-have-doing-the-show-is/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [You should never be proud of doing the right thing. You should just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/you-should-never-be-proud-of-doing-the-right-thing-you-should-just-do/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [It's all about doing the right things at the right times and I believe I can win everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-cross/it-s-all-about-doing-the-right-things-at-the-right-times-and-i/) [Rob Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-cross/) > [Money will come to you when you are doing the right thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phillips/money-will-come-to-you-when-you-are-doing-the-right-thing/) [Michael Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phillips/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) ## More by Katie McGarry > [“This overwhelming, encompassing feeling is love. It's not perfect and it's messy as hell. And it's exactly what I need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/this-overwhelming-encompassing-feeling-is-love-it-s-not-perfect-and/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“It's our rain, Beth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/it-s-our-rain-beth/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?"No one ever asked that question.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/his-dark-brown-eyes-shifted-to-my-covered-arms-you-didn-t-do-that-did/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“I gazed into her beautiful green eyes and her fear melted. A shy smile tugged at her lips and at my heart. Fuck me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/i-gazed-into-her-beautiful-green-eyes-and-her-fear-melted-a-shy-smile/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“When i said nothing, the best thing that happened to me in three years left. Damn, i was an idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/when-i-said-nothing-the-best-thing-that-happened-to-me-in-three-years/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“I'm cold and clammy and hot at the same time, yet I'm free. I lift my head and the autumn breeze feels good against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/i-m-cold-and-clammy-and-hot-at-the-same-time-yet-i-m-free-i-lift-my/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“We’re stronger together, Drix. I promise we are. Please don’t give up on us. Please don’t give up on yourself.” “I don’t know,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/we-re-stronger-together-drix-i-promise-we-are-please-don-t-give-up-on/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“If I fall in, I’m going to drown. The weights upon me are too heavy to stay afloat. My only option is to sink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/if-i-fall-in-i-m-going-to-drown-the-weights-upon-me-are-too-heavy-to/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [ “Is this all we are? Continual actions and reactions? No control over our future? \[...\] If that's true, then life is one pathetic and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/is-this-all-we-are-continual-actions-and-reactions-no-control-over/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“Last night, the two of us said too much, felt too much, and I had somehow convinced myself that the moment we shared would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/last-night-the-two-of-us-said-too-much-felt-too-much-and-i-had/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“She pressed her hands against my chest and tried to push me away. "I can't think straight when you 're this close." I backed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/she-pressed-her-hands-against-my-chest-and-tried-to-push-me-away-i/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“Eli bought the flat-screen television and sectional couch for Olivia, his mother, after his stint in prison. There’s a throw rug on the wooden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/eli-bought-the-flat-screen-television-and-sectional-couch-for-olivia/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“I love you enough to never make you choose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/i-love-you-enough-to-never-make-you-choose/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“You deserve better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/you-deserve-better/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“I think of the hundreds of lights dancing across the night sky. "I knew you were watching. I know it sounds stupid, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/i-think-of-the-hundreds-of-lights-dancing-across-the-night-sky-i-knew/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) [Explore all 521 Katie McGarry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) ## More Doing right quotes > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [Money will come to you when you are doing the right thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phillips/money-will-come-to-you-when-you-are-doing-the-right-thing/) [Michael Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phillips/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [Any artist can't get away from the way the world works, which is that it wants to know what you did, and you're only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stella/any-artist-can-t-get-away-from-the-way-the-world-works-which-is-that/) [Frank Stella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stella/) > [Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/quality-means-doing-it-right-when-no-one-is-looking/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [“Because doing what is right is in your bones. Just follow where your bones take you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-x-stork/because-doing-what-is-right-is-in-your-bones-just-follow-where-your/) [Francisco X. Stork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-x-stork/) > [It's all about doing the right things at the right times and I believe I can win everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-cross/it-s-all-about-doing-the-right-things-at-the-right-times-and-i/) [Rob Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-cross/) > [You should never be proud of doing the right thing. You should just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/you-should-never-be-proud-of-doing-the-right-thing-you-should-just-do/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [“Management is about doing things right; leadership is about doing the right things. Peter Drucker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-banfield/management-is-about-doing-things-right-leadership-is-about-doing-the/) [Richard Banfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-banfield/) > [Audiences are hungry for something different. With binge-watching, they're hungry for interesting content they haven't seen before, and they want to be entertained. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-millar/audiences-are-hungry-for-something-different-with-binge-watching-they/) [Miles Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-millar/) > [“Doing better is creativity, doing faster is creativity, doing smarter is creativity, doing right is creativity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/doing-better-is-creativity-doing-faster-is-creativity-doing-smarter/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I went to Oregon to study permaculture and lived in an eco-village for a month outside Eugene. Its called Lost Valley. It was amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/i-went-to-oregon-to-study-permaculture-and-lived-in-an-eco-village/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [Never let making a profit stand in the way of doing the right thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-jenkins/never-let-making-a-profit-stand-in-the-way-of-doing-the-right-thing/) [George W. Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-jenkins/) > [Knowing what is right is not the same as doing what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-caine/knowing-what-is-right-is-not-the-same-as-doing-what-is-right/) [Christine Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-caine/) [Browse all 734 Doing right quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-right/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Because growing up means making tough choices, and doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily mean doing the thing that feels good.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Katie McGarry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/because-growing-up-means-making-tough-choices-and-doing-the-right/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doing right" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/because-growing-up-means-making-tough-choices-and-doing-the-right/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/katie-mcgarry-456_doing-the-right-thin_because-growing-up-means-making-tough-ch_1225341.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/katie-mcgarry-456_doing-the-right-thin_because-growing-up-means-making-tough-ch_1225341.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da9/katie-mcgarry-456_doing-the-right-thin_because-growing-up-means-making-tough-ch_1225341.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Because growing up means making tough choices, and doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily mean doing the…” — Katie McGarry", "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": "Katie McGarry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Because growing up means making tough...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/because-growing-up-means-making-tough-choices-and-doing-the-right/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/because-growing-up-means-making-tough-choices-and-doing-the-right/#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 } } ] } ```