--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe I was just flattering myself…" description: "\"“Maybe I was just flattering myself, thinking I'd be worth some sort of risk. Not that I'd wish that on anyone!\" he clarified. \"I don't mean that. It j..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/kiera-cass-496_first-time_maybe-i-was-just-flattering-myself-think_2248571.jpg" --- # Maybe I was just flattering myself, thinking I'd be worth… ![“Maybe I was just flattering myself, thinking I'd be worth some sort of risk. Not that I'd wish that on anyone!" he clarified. "I don't mean that. It just...I don't know. Don't you all see everything I'm risking?" "Umm, no. You're here with your family to give you advice, and we all live around…” quote by Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/kiera-cass-496_first-time_maybe-i-was-just-flattering-myself-think_2248571.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/kiera-cass-496_first-time_maybe-i-was-just-flattering-myself-think_2248571.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/765/kiera-cass-496_first-time_maybe-i-was-just-flattering-myself-think_2248571.jpg) > ““Maybe I was just flattering myself, thinking I'd be worth some sort of risk. Not that I'd wish that on anyone!" he clarified. "I don't mean that. It just...I don't know. Don't you all see everything I'm risking?" "Umm, no. You're here with your family to give you advice, and we all live around your schedule. Everything about your life stays the same, and ours changed overnight. What in the world could you possibly be risking?" Maxon looked shocked. "America, I might have my family, but imagine how embarrassing it is to have your parents watch as you attempt to date for the first time. And not just your parents-the whole country! Worse than that, it's not even a normal style of dating. "And living around my schedule? When I'm not with you all, I'm organizing troops, making laws, perfecting budgets...and all on my own these days, while my father watches me stumble in my own stupidity because I have none of his experience. And then, when I inevitably do things in a way he wouldn't, he goes and corrects my mistakes. And while I'm trying to do all this work, you-the girls, I mean-are all I can think about. I'm excited and terrified by the lot of you!" He was using his hands more than I'd ever seen, whipping them in the air and running them through his hair. "And you think my life isn't changing? What do you think my chances might be of finding a soul mate in the group of you? I'll be lucky if I can just find someone who'll be able to stand me for the rest of our lives. What if I've already sent her home because I was relying on some sort of spark I didn't feel? What if she's waiting to leave me at the first sign of adversity? What if I don't find anyone at all? What do I do then, America?" His speech had started out angered and impassioned, but by the end his questions weren't rhetorical anymore. He really wanted to know: What was he going to do if no one here was even close to being someone he could love? Though that didn't even seem to be his main concern; he was more worried that no one would love him. "Actually, Maxon, I think you will find your soul mate here. Honestly." "Really?" His voice charged with hope at my prediction. "Absolutely." I put a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to be comforted by that touch alone. I wondered how often people simply touched him. "If your life is as upside down as you say it is, then she has to be here somewhere. In my experience, true love is usually the most inconvenient kind.”” [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character wrestles with fear of love, family expectations, and personal ambition, seeking purpose. **In simple terms:** He fears love, family pressure, and his future. Key Takeaway Balance personal goals with relationships. Themes love family ambition fear identity Mood conflicted hopeful Type dramatic emotional When to use this quote - relationship counseling - career planning - self‑discovery Key Concepts psychological conflict coming‑of‑age Questions to Reflect On - What does he truly desire beyond external expectations? - How can one pursue love without losing self? A Different Perspective Risk of neglecting self‑care while chasing approval. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Risk Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-wish-5126694/) [Risking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risking/) [Risking Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risking-maxon-5126693/) [Soul mate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul-mate/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Worried Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worried-love-3387028/) ## Related quotes > [Every day I'm worried about you...but my love for you will forever be a muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-johnson/every-day-i-m-worried-about-you-but-my-love-for-you-will-forever-be-a/) [Natalya Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-johnson/) > [Too many teenagers are worried about love and finding it. 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Because LOVE is not a noun to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/stop-worrying-about-people-that-aren-t-worried-about-you-if-you-love/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [“Sometimes she worried that her love for Edgar was too strong, a covetous earthly love, a love against God, a love to reclaim lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lodato/sometimes-she-worried-that-her-love-for-edgar-was-too-strong-a/) [Victor Lodato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lodato/) > [I get jealous, I get mad, I get worried, that's only because I love you and don't want to lose you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-get-jealous-i-get-mad-i-get-worried-that-s-only-because-i-love-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You can't get there by bus, only by hard work, risking, and by not quite knowing what you're doing. What you'll discover will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/you-can-t-get-there-by-bus-only-by-hard-work-risking-and-by-not-quite/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“Will you, Eva? WIll you risk everything to see David? Because that's what you'll be doing" "I'm not risking anything. Theres nothing here I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-k-pickett/will-you-eva-will-you-risk-everything-to-see-david-because-that-s/) [Michelle K. Pickett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-k-pickett/) > [“Gaining control isn't the exciting part. Sleeping with a minor isn't exciting because you get to boss them around. It's exciting because you're risking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/gaining-control-isn-t-the-exciting-part-sleeping-with-a-minor-isn-t/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [Am I more afraid Of taking a chance and learning I'm somebody I don't know, or of risking new territory, only to find I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/am-i-more-afraid-of-taking-a-chance-and-learning-i-m-somebody-i-don-t/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [“You are risking your life!" "Monsieur le maire," said the Bishop, "is that really all? I am not in the world to guard my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/you-are-risking-your-life-monsieur-le-maire-said-the-bishop-is-that/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Rather than risking feeling disappointed, they’re choosing to live disappointed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/rather-than-risking-feeling-disappointed-they-re-choosing-to-live/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [The most difficult idea to reconcile in war is the notion that anything is going to be solved by killing a stranger, or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/the-most-difficult-idea-to-reconcile-in-war-is-the-notion-that/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [I've said before, the number one thing that we have to work on is protecting the gay community from sharia law. Now, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foster-friess/i-ve-said-before-the-number-one-thing-that-we-have-to-work-on-is/) [Foster Friess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foster-friess/) > [Risking your life is not an easy thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/risking-your-life-is-not-an-easy-thing-to-do/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [I firmly believe that you can't get a good movie without risking a bad movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-firmly-believe-that-you-can-t-get-a-good-movie-without-risking-a/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## More by Kiera Cass > [“The summer was ending, and soon we’d be faced with cold. And worry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/the-summer-was-ending-and-soon-we-d-be-faced-with-cold-and-worry/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [You deserved to be loved. And I hope you get to marry for love and not a number.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/you-deserved-to-be-loved-and-i-hope-you-get-to-marry-for-love-and-not/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“You deserve better." Mercifully, he kept eating as he spoke. "You've got to stop thinking of me that way. When it's just you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/you-deserve-better-mercifully-he-kept-eating-as-he-spoke-you-ve-got/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“I love you beyond paint, beyond melodies, beyond words. And I hope you will always feel that, even when I'm not around to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/i-love-you-beyond-paint-beyond-melodies-beyond-words-and-i-hope-you/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“I was so over crying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/i-was-so-over-crying/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [Do you think, that I could still call you 'my dear'?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/do-you-think-that-i-could-still-call-you-my-dear/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [I let myself be sad. I let myself think of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/i-let-myself-be-sad-i-let-myself-think-of-him/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“I loved him. I couldn’t pinpoint what made me so certain, but I knew it then, as surely as I knew my name or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/i-loved-him-i-couldn-t-pinpoint-what-made-me-so-certain-but-i-knew-it/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“Don’t tug your ear with anyone else. That’s mine.” I gave him a tight smile. “A lot of things are yours, America.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/don-t-tug-your-ear-with-anyone-else-that-s-mine-i-gave-him-a-tight/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“I know. For all the planning I was doing to get you to show the people who you are, it turns out you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/i-know-for-all-the-planning-i-was-doing-to-get-you-to-show-the-people/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [It’s because I’m so good-looking, isn’t it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/it-s-because-i-m-so-good-looking-isn-t-it/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“But no matter what, I want you to be loved. You deserve to be loved. And I hope you get to marry for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/but-no-matter-what-i-want-you-to-be-loved-you-deserve-to-be-loved-and/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“Maxon, Tugging my ear whenever. - America”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/maxon-tugging-my-ear-whenever-america/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“One can never help being born into perfection.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/one-can-never-help-being-born-into-perfection/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [Could it be that simple? Tell one story to one generation and repeat it until it was accepted as fact?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/could-it-be-that-simple-tell-one-story-to-one-generation-and-repeat/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) [Explore all 492 Kiera Cass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) ## More First time quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I’m so stressed that a weird Olympic-style commentary starts up in my head. And here we have Zelah Green, the fourteen-year-old champion of rituals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-curtis/i-m-so-stressed-that-a-weird-olympic-style-commentary-starts-up-in-my/) [Vanessa Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-curtis/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [“I’m waiting for you,” he murmured, smiling a slow, familiar grin that seemed to hint at a secret between them. And for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/i-m-waiting-for-you-he-murmured-smiling-a-slow-familiar-grin-that/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [“Treat every natural beauty you met as if you see them for the first and last time!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/treat-every-natural-beauty-you-met-as-if-you-see-them-for-the-first/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I won’t break your heart. For the first time in my life, I’ve found something worth fighting for, someone more important than me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelle-bliss/i-won-t-break-your-heart-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-ve-found/) [Chelle Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelle-bliss/) > [Life is like a parachute jump: you have to get it right the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/life-is-like-a-parachute-jump-you-have-to-get-it-right-the-first-time/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [When my kids were in the school play for the first time, I decided I had to make the costumes from scratch and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-alexander/when-my-kids-were-in-the-school-play-for-the-first-time-i-decided-i/) [Sarah Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-alexander/) > [“I will run every mile, i will save every line, i will say i reached the top and i will fall back down standing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mennah-al-refaey/i-will-run-every-mile-i-will-save-every-line-i-will-say-i-reached-the/) [Mennah al refaey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mennah-al-refaey/) > [“Or maybe your magic isn't that destructive after all. The rain of Doritos, the bed thing,this...Maybe it's just that you create too big, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawkins/or-maybe-your-magic-isn-t-that-destructive-after-all-the-rain-of/) [Rachel Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawkins/) > [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [I don't know why, but everybody thinks that I'm short. When they see me for the first time, women are always surprised to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-don-t-know-why-but-everybody-thinks-that-i-m-short-when-they-see-me/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [“I met Suffering on a quiet road, just as the sun was setting behind me. Its presence was heavy, like an old coat I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/i-met-suffering-on-a-quiet-road-just-as-the-sun-was-setting-behind-me/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [“You never talk to the pitcher when…” He shook his head. “You just never talk to the pitcher when--” “I just wanted to congratulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/you-never-talk-to-the-pitcher-when-he-shook-his-head-you-just-never/) [Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/) [Browse all 9,309 First time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Maybe I was just flattering myself, thinking I'd be worth some sort of risk. Not that I'd wish that on anyone!\" he clarified. \"I don't mean that. It just...I don't know. Don't you all see everything I'm risking?\" \"Umm, no. You're here with your family to give you advice, and we all live around your schedule. Everything about your life stays the same, and ours changed overnight. What in the world could you possibly be risking?\" Maxon looked shocked. \"America, I might have my family, but imagine how embarrassing it is to have your parents watch as you attempt to date for the first time. And not just your parents-the whole country! Worse than that, it's not even a normal style of dating. \"And living around my schedule? When I'm not with you all, I'm organizing troops, making laws, perfecting budgets...and all on my own these days, while my father watches me stumble in my own stupidity because I have none of his experience. And then, when I inevitably do things in a way he wouldn't, he goes and corrects my mistakes. And while I'm trying to do all this work, you-the girls, I mean-are all I can think about. I'm excited and terrified by the lot of you!\" He was using his hands more than I'd ever seen, whipping them in the air and running them through his hair. \"And you think my life isn't changing? What do you think my chances might be of finding a soul mate in the group of you? I'll be lucky if I can just find someone who'll be able to stand me for the rest of our lives. What if I've already sent her home because I was relying on some sort of spark I didn't feel? What if she's waiting to leave me at the first sign of adversity? What if I don't find anyone at all? What do I do then, America?\" His speech had started out angered and impassioned, but by the end his questions weren't rhetorical anymore. He really wanted to know: What was he going to do if no one here was even close to being someone he could love? Though that didn't even seem to be his main concern; he was more worried that no one would love him. \"Actually, Maxon, I think you will find your soul mate here. Honestly.\" \"Really?\" His voice charged with hope at my prediction. \"Absolutely.\" I put a hand on his shoulder. He seemed to be comforted by that touch alone. I wondered how often people simply touched him. \"If your life is as upside down as you say it is, then she has to be here somewhere. 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