--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It felt alien to be confronted so vocally…" description: "\"“It felt alien to be confronted so vocally and so publicly (and for such an arbitrary reason), but it also felt familiar. People say the same kind of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/lindy-west-7781_confronted_it-felt-alien-to-be-confronted-so-vocall_2893350.jpg" --- # It felt alien to be confronted so vocally and so publicly… ![“It felt alien to be confronted so vocally and so publicly (and for such an arbitrary reason), but it also felt familiar. People say the same kind of thing to me with their eyes on nearly every flight—this guy just chose to say it with his mouth. This is the subtext of my life: “You’re bigger than…” quote by Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/lindy-west-7781_confronted_it-felt-alien-to-be-confronted-so-vocall_2893350.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/lindy-west-7781_confronted_it-felt-alien-to-be-confronted-so-vocall_2893350.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/lindy-west-7781_confronted_it-felt-alien-to-be-confronted-so-vocall_2893350.jpg) > ““It felt alien to be confronted so vocally and so publicly (and for such an arbitrary reason), but it also felt familiar. People say the same kind of thing to me with their eyes on nearly every flight—this guy just chose to say it with his mouth. This is the subtext of my life: “You’re bigger than I’d like you to be.” “I dread being near you.” “Your body itself is a breach of etiquette.” “You are clearly a fucking fool who thinks that cheesecake is a vegetable.” “I know that you will fart on me.” Nobody wants to sit next to a fat person on a plane. Don’t think we don’t know. That’s”” [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public scrutiny can feel alien yet familiar, exposing personal insecurities and societal judgments. **In simple terms:** Public criticism feels both strange and known. Key Takeaway Navigate criticism with self‑awareness. Themes public scrutiny insecurity societal judgment identity Mood defiant reflective Type personal social When to use this quote - social media - public speaking - workplace feedback - personal relationships - online harassment Key Concepts psychology media studies social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate constructive feedback from harassment? - What strategies protect your mental health? A Different Perspective Criticism can reinforce negative self‑image. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I felt alien my whole life, but I didn't feel alien because of my gender. Other people made me aware of my gender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-felt-alien-my-whole-life-but-i-didn-t-feel-alien-because-of-my/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [“She hated the powerlessness. The feeling of weakness always lurking beneath the surface, making her confidence seem phony, making her feel like a fraud.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-griffin/she-hated-the-powerlessness-the-feeling-of-weakness-always-lurking/) [Laura Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-griffin/) > [From very early on in my childhood - four, five years old - I felt alien to the human race. I felt very comfortable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/from-very-early-on-in-my-childhood-four-five-years-old-i-felt-alien/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [“Nobody wants to sit next to a fat person on a plane. Don't think we don't know. That's why - to return to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/nobody-wants-to-sit-next-to-a-fat-person-on-a-plane-don-t-think-we/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“I sometimes think of people’s personalities as the negative space around their insecurities. 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It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/if-you-ve-been-fat-you-will-always-feel-and-see-the-world-as-a-fat/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [We feel it's unacceptable to be fat, when it has nothing to do with who the person actually is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/we-feel-it-s-unacceptable-to-be-fat-when-it-has-nothing-to-do-with/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [A fat person lives shorter but eats longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/a-fat-person-lives-shorter-but-eats-longer/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [Sometimes life is like being stuck in the middle-seat of an airplane, next to a ridiculously fat person and a crying baby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-life-is-like-being-stuck-in-the-middle-seat-of-an-airplane/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What could be funnier than a fat person trying to run a marathon?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-brand/what-could-be-funnier-than-a-fat-person-trying-to-run-a-marathon/) [Jo Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-brand/) ## More by Lindy West > [“Thanks for nothing, regular human mom. Footnote: nothing except for the unconditional love and support and meticulous care to make sure I faced the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/thanks-for-nothing-regular-human-mom-footnote-nothing-except-for-the/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [The messaging campaign that stigmatized the term feminist definitely worked on me when I was a teenager. I always believed in equality, but there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/the-messaging-campaign-that-stigmatized-the-term-feminist-definitely/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“Honestly, this 'Where do you get your confidence?' chapter could be sixteen words long. Because there was really only one step to my body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/honestly-this-where-do-you-get-your-confidence-chapter-could-be/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“I never did manage to lose weight, though - not significantly - and my minor "successes" weren't through any eating patterns that could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/i-never-did-manage-to-lose-weight-though-not-significantly-and-my/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [I don't want any woman to think that I don't have empathy and deep care for all women's body issues. I just want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/i-don-t-want-any-woman-to-think-that-i-don-t-have-empathy-and-deep/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“So, what do you do when you're too big, in a world where bigness is cast not only as aesthetically objectionable, but also as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/so-what-do-you-do-when-you-re-too-big-in-a-world-where-bigness-is/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“Privilege means that it’s easy for white women to do each other favors. Privilege means that those of us who need it the least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/privilege-means-that-it-s-easy-for-white-women-to-do-each-other/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [I've always been an escapist, I guess, and I spend so much time on the internet absorbing ideas and processing the horrors of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/i-ve-always-been-an-escapist-i-guess-and-i-spend-so-much-time-on-the/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“We do not stigmatize people with stomach flu. The active ingredient in period stigma is misogyny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/we-do-not-stigmatize-people-with-stomach-flu-the-active-ingredient-in/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“Don’t tell thin women to eat a cheeseburger. Don’t tell fat women to put down the fork. Don’t tell underweight men to bulk up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/don-t-tell-thin-women-to-eat-a-cheeseburger-don-t-tell-fat-women-to/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [Indignation and determination are much more constructive emotions than shame and embarrassment. And feminism was this engine that turned one into the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/indignation-and-determination-are-much-more-constructive-emotions/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“I hate being fat. I hate the way people look at me, or don't. I hate being a joke; I hate the disorienting limbo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/i-hate-being-fat-i-hate-the-way-people-look-at-me-or-don-t-i-hate/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“To be shrill is to reach above your station; to abandon your duty to soothe and please; in short, to be heard. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/to-be-shrill-is-to-reach-above-your-station-to-abandon-your-duty-to/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“There are no “good” abortions and “bad” abortions, there are only pregnant people who want them and pregnant people who don’t, pregnant people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/there-are-no-good-abortions-and-bad-abortions-there-are-only-pregnant/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) > [“No, no one thought that a spontaneous gang rape was going to take place just then on the stage of the Laugh Factory. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-west/no-no-one-thought-that-a-spontaneous-gang-rape-was-going-to-take/) [Lindy West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) [Explore all 87 Lindy West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-west/) ## More Confronted quotes > [“in town. She confronted him and he protested too much for her comfort. Mum had very good intuition, and her suspicions were soon confirmed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-rockefeller/in-town-she-confronted-him-and-he-protested-too-much-for-her-comfort/) Eileen Rockefeller > [“Like so many champions of justice, she possessed empathy in the abstract, but sometimes fell short when confronted with the flesh-and-blood reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-valeur/like-so-many-champions-of-justice-she-possessed-empathy-in-the/) [Erik Valeur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-valeur/) > [We only think when we are confronted with a problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/we-only-think-when-we-are-confronted-with-a-problem/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“We only think when confronted with a problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/we-only-think-when-confronted-with-a-problem/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [I discovered that I was 'different' in the third grade. As the new kid at school, I was trying hard to find my footing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-harlow/i-discovered-that-i-was-different-in-the-third-grade-as-the-new-kid/) [Winnie Harlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-harlow/) > [“One day she marched around the side of the house and confronted me. "I've seen you out there every day for the past week,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/one-day-she-marched-around-the-side-of-the-house-and-confronted-me-i/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [I've taken control on a very personal level to reach out to a lot of the people who have hurt me or crossed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raye/i-ve-taken-control-on-a-very-personal-level-to-reach-out-to-a-lot-of/) [Raye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raye/) > [The virus that causes AIDS is the trickiest pathogen scientists have ever confronted. It mutates furiously, it has decoys to evade the immune system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-berkley/the-virus-that-causes-aids-is-the-trickiest-pathogen-scientists-have/) [Seth Berkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-berkley/) > [“So Finley did what so many rich girls did when confronted with a situation they did not want to face. She rolled her eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kady-cross/so-finley-did-what-so-many-rich-girls-did-when-confronted-with-a/) [Kady Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kady-cross/) > [Sometimes it's strange being me. I travel the world meeting people, I'm surrounded with friends and my life is full, but all the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/sometimes-it-s-strange-being-me-i-travel-the-world-meeting-people-i-m/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Dickinson is my hero because she was a joker, because she would never explain, because as a poet she confronted pain, dread and death,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/dickinson-is-my-hero-because-she-was-a-joker-because-she-would-never/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [I don't know the literary world; I was scared of being confronted with famous names, not knowing what they had written. It was occupied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/i-don-t-know-the-literary-world-i-was-scared-of-being-confronted-with/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“...now that I had finally confronted him, he had lost his power over me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-kehret/now-that-i-had-finally-confronted-him-he-had-lost-his-power-over-me/) [Peg Kehret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-kehret/) > [“When I’d confronted him, he’d left me and, like a parasite finding a fresh host, moved in with her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fleur-gaskin/when-i-d-confronted-him-he-d-left-me-and-like-a-parasite-finding-a/) Fleur Gaskin > [“When they confronted her like this, she felt like a delicate freaking time bomb just waiting for a time and a place to explode.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missy-lyons/when-they-confronted-her-like-this-she-felt-like-a-delicate-freaking/) [Missy Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missy-lyons/) Browse all 81 Confronted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It felt alien to be confronted so vocally and so publicly (and for such an arbitrary reason), but it also felt familiar. 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