---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I kept a lot of my thoughts inside…"
description: "\"I kept a lot of my thoughts inside myself. So, perhaps more than is normal, I'm always questioning my role as a writer. I'm always stopping and asking ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/lauren-groff-2802_deserve_i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-mysel_660610.png"
---

#  I kept a lot of my thoughts inside myself. So, perhaps…

![“I kept a lot of my thoughts inside myself. So, perhaps more than is normal, I'm always questioning my role as a writer. I'm always stopping and asking myself: Do I have the right to tell this story? Is it a story that deserves to be heard? And as for whether I think of myself as a Writer with a…” quote by Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/lauren-groff-2802_deserve_i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-mysel_660610.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/lauren-groff-2802_deserve_i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-mysel_660610.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/lauren-groff-2802_deserve_i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-mysel_660610.png)

> “I kept a lot of my thoughts inside myself. So, perhaps more than is normal, I'm always questioning my role as a writer. I'm always stopping and asking myself: Do I have the right to tell this story? Is it a story that deserves to be heard? And as for whether I think of myself as a Writer with a capital "W," I very much hope I never do.”

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

## About This Quote

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

The writer questions their authority and worthiness to tell stories, fearing over‑identification with the role.

**In simple terms:** Self‑questioning about being a writer.

Key Takeaway

Seek authenticity over ego in storytelling.

Themes

authorship self‑critique identity

Mood

introspective serious

Type

philosophical creative

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- personal essays
- publishing
- teaching

Key Concepts

literary theory creative confidence

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you write for yourself or an audience?
- How does doubt shape your narrative choices?

A Different Perspective

Over‑identifying can stifle creativity; humility may enhance voice.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Questioning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questioning/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [You bring out a lot of your own thoughts and attitudes when acting. I think a great deal of it has to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginger-rogers/you-bring-out-a-lot-of-your-own-thoughts-and-attitudes-when-acting-i/)

[Ginger Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginger-rogers/)

> [“As a writer, I play with words all day long. I toy with them, listen for their overtones, crack them open, and try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/as-a-writer-i-play-with-words-all-day-long-i-toy-with-them-listen-for/)

[Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/)

> [It's one of those sleepless nights with a lot of thoughts going through my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-one-of-those-sleepless-nights-with-a-lot-of-thoughts-going/)

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

> [I internalize a lot of thoughts, and sometimes it seems like I'm not listening or totally zoned out, but I'm always on a loop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maren-morris/i-internalize-a-lot-of-thoughts-and-sometimes-it-seems-like-i-m-not/)

[Maren Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maren-morris/)

> [Wrong thoughts are inside us just because we identify ourselves with these thoughts. If we identify with something else, immediately they have to leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/wrong-thoughts-are-inside-us-just-because-we-identify-ourselves-with/)

[Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/)

> [“I am. I like my skull. It’s got all my thoughts inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-polansky/i-am-i-like-my-skull-it-s-got-all-my-thoughts-inside/)

[Daniel Polansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-polansky/)

> [“White sheets in front of me, So many thoughts inside me. My pen is shut, My hands stuck. Struggling to keep inside, Fighting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehreem-rahat/white-sheets-in-front-of-me-so-many-thoughts-inside-me-my-pen-is-shut/)

Tehreem Rahat

> [I have so many thoughts inside me that I want to say but I'm not sure hot to say them. So I just keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-so-many-thoughts-inside-me-that-i-want-to-say-but-i-m-not-sure/)

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

> [“The true thoughts that go on inside us are just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words to do more than barely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-true-thoughts-that-go-on-inside-us-are-just-too-fast-and-huge-and/)

[David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/)

> [“There is a beast in my gut, I can hear it scraping away at the inside of my ribs. Even if I dump the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/there-is-a-beast-in-my-gut-i-can-hear-it-scraping-away-at-the-inside/)

[Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/)

> [Do not suppress any thoughts inside you: instead, just let them run their course while you watch them and plan to deal with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/do-not-suppress-any-thoughts-inside-you-instead-just-let-them-run/)

Senoraroy

> [I know my head isn't screwed on straight. I want to leave, transfer, warp myself to another galaxy. I want to confess everything, hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-know-my-head-isn-t-screwed-on-straight-i-want-to-leave-transfer/)

[Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/)

> [“The sexiest part of a woman,’ Carlos said after considering her question for a few moments, ‘is her mind. Her thoughts. What is inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catriona-ross/the-sexiest-part-of-a-woman-carlos-said-after-considering-her/)

[Catriona Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catriona-ross/)

> [“If you keep all those thoughts inside, your brain will explode.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherise-sinclair/if-you-keep-all-those-thoughts-inside-your-brain-will-explode/)

[Cherise Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherise-sinclair/)

> [I am blessed to have so many great things in my life—family, friends and God. All will be in my thoughts daily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-kim/i-am-blessed-to-have-so-many-great-things-in-my-life-family-friends/)

[Lil' Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-kim/)

## More by Lauren Groff

> [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [You had to pick up a landline to make sure your best friend wore a matching outfit to school. I do remember people talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/you-had-to-pick-up-a-landline-to-make-sure-your-best-friend-wore-a/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“Then, when we had done so, we put our hands upon the freezing cold monster, our monster. And this is what we felt: vertigo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/then-when-we-had-done-so-we-put-our-hands-upon-the-freezing-cold/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [I see history as really cyclical in terms of the intense idealism, and the desire to create a better life outside of societal norms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-see-history-as-really-cyclical-in-terms-of-the-intense-idealism-and/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“He thinks of the rotten parachute they played with as kids in Arcadia: they hurtle through life aging unimaginably fast, but each grasps a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/he-thinks-of-the-rotten-parachute-they-played-with-as-kids-in-arcadia/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [I love writing from enclosed spaces: you really learn about your characters when they have tight walls to push against.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-love-writing-from-enclosed-spaces-you-really-learn-about-your/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [ “\[Still apparent in him, the tiny boy, mewling in cold and hunger. It’s less delicious, this badness bred from survival.\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/still-apparent-in-him-the-tiny-boy-mewling-in-cold-and-hunger-it-s/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [Even still, we run. We have not reached our average of 57.92 years without knowing that you run through it, and it hurts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/even-still-we-run-we-have-not-reached-our-average-of-57-92-years/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [I had a series of terrible jobs, whatever would allow me to write for four hours during the day. During that time I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-had-a-series-of-terrible-jobs-whatever-would-allow-me-to-write-for/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“The stories themselves aren't what moves him now...What moves him are the shadowy people behind the stories, the workers weary from their days, gathering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/the-stories-themselves-aren-t-what-moves-him-now-what-moves-him-are/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“Even still, we run. We have not reached our average of 57.92 years without knowing that you run through it, and it hurts worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/even-still-we-run-we-have-not-reached-our-average-of-57-92-years-2/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“Lugubrious and pretentious at the same time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/lugubrious-and-pretentious-at-the-same-time/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [But I've married a deeply sensible person who is extremely good at talking me down from my various ledges, and who takes care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-i-ve-married-a-deeply-sensible-person-who-is-extremely-good-at/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [Writing is the lonely sport of sad sacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/writing-is-the-lonely-sport-of-sad-sacks/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [“They sit here in the darkness, trusting. That the coffee will be hot and unpoisoned. That no raging madman will come in with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/they-sit-here-in-the-darkness-trusting-that-the-coffee-will-be-hot/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

[Explore all 149 Lauren Groff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

## More Deserve quotes

> [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/)

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

> [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [I am a millionaire today and my wife deserves all of the credit. Before I met her I was a multi-millionaire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chi-chi-rodriguez/i-am-a-millionaire-today-and-my-wife-deserves-all-of-the-credit/)

[Chi Chi Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chi-chi-rodriguez/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

> [If every nation gets the government it deserves, every generation writes the history which corresponds with its view of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-janeway/if-every-nation-gets-the-government-it-deserves-every-generation/)

[Elizabeth Janeway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-janeway/)

> [I used to hurt so badly that I'd ask God why, what have I done to deserve any of this? I feel now He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eden-phillpotts/i-used-to-hurt-so-badly-that-i-d-ask-god-why-what-have-i-done-to/)

[Eden Phillpotts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eden-phillpotts/)

> [I am encouraged President Obama now says he will fulfill his constitutional obligation to seek authorization for any potential military action in Syria. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-am-encouraged-president-obama-now-says-he-will-fulfill-his/)

[Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/)

> [My prayer to the Lord every day, is this-I have been a great sinner. I do not deserve Heaven. Let me stay here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andres-segovia/my-prayer-to-the-lord-every-day-is-this-i-have-been-a-great-sinner-i/)

[Andres Segovia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andres-segovia/)

> [Every girl deserves a guy who'll prove to her that not all guys are the same, a guy who'll love her just the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/every-girl-deserves-a-guy-who-ll-prove-to-her-that-not-all-guys-are/)

[Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/)

> [If you are a white male, you don't deserve to live. You are a cancer, you're a disease, white males have never contributed anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-ignatiev/if-you-are-a-white-male-you-don-t-deserve-to-live-you-are-a-cancer/)

[Noel Ignatiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-ignatiev/)

> [Singaporeans like Mr. Alfian Sa'at do not deserve to be admonished in Parliament on the basis of a selective reading of their works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pritam-singh/singaporeans-like-mr-alfian-sa-at-do-not-deserve-to-be-admonished-in/)

[Pritam Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pritam-singh/)

> [Use every man according to his desert and who should 'scape whipping? Use them after your own honor and dignity, the less they deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/use-every-man-according-to-his-desert-and-who-should-scape-whipping/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“We should not elevate anyone higher than our own heart. If you do not value what you have to give then no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-evangelou/we-should-not-elevate-anyone-higher-than-our-own-heart-if-you-do-not/)

[Christine Evangelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-evangelou/)

> [“I deserve you least of all. But I want you the most. And I won't give up. The lengths I'm willing to go to...One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-hazelwood/i-deserve-you-least-of-all-but-i-want-you-the-most-and-i-won-t-give/)

[Ali Hazelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-hazelwood/)

> [I am constantly nice to people. Sometimes they don't deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rylan-clark-neal/i-am-constantly-nice-to-people-sometimes-they-don-t-deserve-it/)

[Rylan Clark-Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rylan-clark-neal/)

Browse all 4,764 Deserve quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I kept a lot of my thoughts inside myself. So, perhaps more than is normal, I'm always questioning my role as a writer. I'm always stopping and asking myself: Do I have the right to tell this story? Is it a story that deserves to be heard? And as for whether I think of myself as a Writer with a capital \"W,\" I very much hope I never do.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lauren Groff"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-myself-so-perhaps-more-than-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Deserve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-myself-so-perhaps-more-than-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/lauren-groff-2802_deserve_i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-mysel_660610.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/lauren-groff-2802_deserve_i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-mysel_660610.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/678/lauren-groff-2802_deserve_i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-mysel_660610.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I kept a lot of my thoughts inside myself. So, perhaps more than is normal, I'm always questioning my role…” — Lauren Groff",
                "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": "Lauren Groff",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I kept a lot of my...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-myself-so-perhaps-more-than-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/i-kept-a-lot-of-my-thoughts-inside-myself-so-perhaps-more-than-is/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
