--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had always thought that if I just did…" description: "\"“I had always thought that if I just did something extraordinary enough, then people would like me. But that wasn't true. You will drive away everyone ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abb/leila-sales-7674_society-thinking_i-had-always-thought-that-if-i-just-did_1733348.jpg" --- # I had always thought that if I just did something… ![“I had always thought that if I just did something extraordinary enough, then people would like me. But that wasn't true. You will drive away everyone by being extraordinary…. But you, you will never learn your lesson. The world embraces ordinary. The world will never embrace you.” quote by Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abb/leila-sales-7674_society-thinking_i-had-always-thought-that-if-i-just-did_1733348.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abb/leila-sales-7674_society-thinking_i-had-always-thought-that-if-i-just-did_1733348.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abb/leila-sales-7674_society-thinking_i-had-always-thought-that-if-i-just-did_1733348.jpg) > ““I had always thought that if I just did something extraordinary enough, then people would like me. But that wasn't true. You will drive away everyone by being extraordinary…. But you, you will never learn your lesson. The world embraces ordinary. The world will never embrace you.”” [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Extraordinary acts can alienate others; ordinary authenticity is valued. **In simple terms:** Being too extraordinary pushes people away. Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity over excess. Themes self-esteem authenticity social acceptance excellence Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal relationships - career development - creative expression - public speaking Key Concepts identity social dynamics self-acceptance Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance uniqueness with belonging? - What does ‘ordinary’ mean to you? A Different Perspective Extraordinary achievements can be isolating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Embrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embrace/) [Embraces Ordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embraces-ordinary-1451063/) [Ordinary world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-world/) [Society-thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-thinking/) [World Embrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-embrace-1451062/) [World Embraces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-embraces-643900/) ## Related quotes > [I can't wait 'til the world embraces Chicago - not only for our talent, but just to visit our city and not be so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremih/i-can-t-wait-til-the-world-embraces-chicago-not-only-for-our-talent/) [Jeremih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremih/) > [“When we embrace who we are the world embraces us right back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-leigh-mercree/when-we-embrace-who-we-are-the-world-embraces-us-right-back/) [Amy Leigh Mercree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-leigh-mercree/) > [The Bachelor' has always been a great show that embraces what's happening in the world and embraces pop culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-harrison/the-bachelor-has-always-been-a-great-show-that-embraces-what-s/) [Chris Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-harrison/) > [We hope that audiences around the world embrace the picture in the same way they have the books and that hopefully Disney will allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bruckheimer/we-hope-that-audiences-around-the-world-embrace-the-picture-in-the/) [Jerry Bruckheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bruckheimer/) > [O Christmas Sun! 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Observation with an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/we-shouldn-t-judge-people-but-there-s-a-difference-between-judging/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“Every action that you take - that your disorder tells you to take - is self-harming in the short and long term.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyavrat-thareja/every-action-that-you-take-that-your-disorder-tells-you-to-take-is/) [Priyavrat Thareja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyavrat-thareja/) > [“Pop culture mirrored the segregation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pop-culture-mirrored-the-segregation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“They were determined to find something mechanically wrong with him - because broken machines are easier to fix. p303”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/they-were-determined-to-find-something-mechanically-wrong-with-him/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) ## More by Leila Sales > [“Which to you have?' Mel asked, blocking the entry with his body. 'Talent or issues?' I paused for a moment, thought about this. 'Both,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/which-to-you-have-mel-asked-blocking-the-entry-with-his-body-talent/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“Anyone who said I believe in you obviously didn't know me very well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/anyone-who-said-i-believe-in-you-obviously-didn-t-know-me-very-well/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“I am a good person. I like myself the way I am. Many people love and care about me. I have a purpose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/i-am-a-good-person-i-like-myself-the-way-i-am-many-people-love-and/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/those-who-do-not-learn-from-the-past-are-doomed-to-repeat-it/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“It was a ridiculous question. Did I \_love\_ Char? Did I feel about Char the same way I feel about the Beatles, string instruments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/it-was-a-ridiculous-question-did-i-love-char-did-i-feel-about-char/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“I do want to believe that there's some place in the world that's more mature than high school," Vicky said. "But I haven't found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/i-do-want-to-believe-that-there-s-some-place-in-the-world-that-s-more/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“If Dan had ever wanted anything more, then I had killed that by ignoring him at Abbott's. That had been my one chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/if-dan-had-ever-wanted-anything-more-then-i-had-killed-that-by/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“The thing about being an artist," Dad said, folding his newspaper and setting it down on the table, "is that there are always going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/the-thing-about-being-an-artist-dad-said-folding-his-newspaper-and/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“. . . and even the worst ice cream is better than no ice cream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/and-even-the-worst-ice-cream-is-better-than-no-ice-cream/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“I glared at him. “You came all the way to Essex just to spy on us?” “Yeah.” He smirked. “I crossed the street. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/i-glared-at-him-you-came-all-the-way-to-essex-just-to-spy-on-us-yeah/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“ United we stand, divided we fall Just watch us as we beat ya’ll. You say ‘brother against brother’? Well, my brother screwed your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/united-we-stand-divided-we-fall-just-watch-us-as-we-beat-ya-ll-you/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“I was smiling like a crazy person because I has just made a hundred people dance, I had just made a hundred people scream,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/i-was-smiling-like-a-crazy-person-because-i-has-just-made-a-hundred/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“Throughout it all, you are still, always, you: beautiful and bruised, known and unknowable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/throughout-it-all-you-are-still-always-you-beautiful-and-bruised/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“If you can swing it, getting arrested is the high point of the Fourth of July. Also, the reading of the Declaration of Independence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/if-you-can-swing-it-getting-arrested-is-the-high-point-of-the-fourth/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“Fiona says that I have trouble moving on. That I cling to the past...I knew that I would miss it. I'd miss the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/fiona-says-that-i-have-trouble-moving-on-that-i-cling-to-the-past-i/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) [Explore all 88 Leila Sales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) ## More Embrace quotes > [I had to get to the point where I just had to embrace carrying the torch for the traditional girls out there. I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-mowry/i-had-to-get-to-the-point-where-i-just-had-to-embrace-carrying-the/) [Tamera Mowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-mowry/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [Strong brows is what I have, and I embrace them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-connelly/strong-brows-is-what-i-have-and-i-embrace-them/) [Jennifer Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-connelly/) > [Stop chasing the things you want and embrace all that you already have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/stop-chasing-the-things-you-want-and-embrace-all-that-you-already-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A man of power should embrace his Shadow, or if he cannot embrace it, at least accept it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-lampe/a-man-of-power-should-embrace-his-shadow-or-if-he-cannot-embrace-it/) [Katherine Lampe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-lampe/) > [“His hands on my waist he gently pulled me n embrace. I could feel his breath on my face our lips were about to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-eglinger/his-hands-on-my-waist-he-gently-pulled-me-n-embrace-i-could-feel-his/) [Nicole Eglinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-eglinger/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [To re-embrace what I once loved about music has been a warming process for me, because it's a good, earned feeling now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/to-re-embrace-what-i-once-loved-about-music-has-been-a-warming/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [I've certainly seen a lot of my cartoonist friends embrace 'Little Lulu' in a much deeper way because their kids love it so much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/i-ve-certainly-seen-a-lot-of-my-cartoonist-friends-embrace-little/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [Sometimes, Ms. Lane," he said, "one must break with one's past to embrace one's future. It is never an easy thing to do. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sometimes-ms-lane-he-said-one-must-break-with-one-s-past-to-embrace/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“Those who embrace prejudice doom themselves to live in ignorance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-lintz-sr/those-who-embrace-prejudice-doom-themselves-to-live-in-ignorance/) [John P Lintz Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-lintz-sr/) > [Life is a climb and it's a struggle getting to the top but the drop to the bottom can be quick and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/life-is-a-climb-and-it-s-a-struggle-getting-to-the-top-but-the-drop/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Everything is a part of what God's up to in your life, so I think our job is to embrace it. Everything. 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