---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: can’t do this. I suck at this. Which is…"
description: "\"“can’t do this. I suck at this. Which is why they’re making me go. Not to improve my swimming—who cares about that?—but to work on that whole playing-w..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/lisa-gardner-7497_socialize_can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-wh_3196652.jpg"
---

#  can’t do this. I suck at this. Which is why they’re making…

![“can’t do this. I suck at this. Which is why they’re making me go. Not to improve my swimming—who cares about that?—but to work on that whole playing-well-with-others thing. Another one of my broken bits. I don’t want to socialize with other kids. I don’t trust ’em, I don’t like ’em, and best I can…” quote by Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/lisa-gardner-7497_socialize_can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-wh_3196652.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/lisa-gardner-7497_socialize_can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-wh_3196652.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/lisa-gardner-7497_socialize_can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-wh_3196652.jpg)

> ““can’t do this. I suck at this. Which is why they’re making me go. Not to improve my swimming—who cares about that?—but to work on that whole playing-well-with-others thing. Another one of my broken bits. I don’t want to socialize with other kids. I don’t trust ’em, I don’t like ’em, and best I can tell, the feeling’s mutual.””

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

## About This Quote

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

The narrator expresses deep social anxiety and distrust, seeing social interaction as a painful, broken part of themselves that they must confront.

**In simple terms:** Social anxiety feels like a broken part.

Key Takeaway

Work on social skills despite fear.

Themes

anxiety trust social isolation

Mood

anxious hopeful

Type

advice personal

When to use this quote

- school
- therapy
- group activities

Key Concepts

psychology self-esteem interpersonal skills

Questions to Reflect On

- What triggers your distrust?
- How can you safely practice socializing?

A Different Perspective

Social pressure can worsen anxiety.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [It wasn't easy for me to socialize with other kids when I got back from touring. I felt different. Like we all do, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn/it-wasn-t-easy-for-me-to-socialize-with-other-kids-when-i-got-back/)

[Robyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn/)

> [Sometimes I don't want to go out and socialize; I just want to watch my favorite shows and comedians. But then I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-peck/sometimes-i-don-t-want-to-go-out-and-socialize-i-just-want-to-watch/)

[Josh Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-peck/)

> [How can you lose something you never had, I tell myself when I'm feeling sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/how-can-you-lose-something-you-never-had-i-tell-myself-when-i-m/)

[Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/)

> [Some of the feeling can't tell but that feeling are still remain in my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene/some-of-the-feeling-can-t-tell-but-that-feeling-are-still-remain-in/)

[Eugene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene/)

> [Sometimes I don't tell you what I'm feeling, because I'm hoping the silence between us would give you a clue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-don-t-tell-you-what-i-m-feeling-because-i-m-hoping-the/)

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

> [I want to tell you what I'm feeling, but I don't know where to start, I want to tell you everything, but I'm afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-to-tell-you-what-i-m-feeling-but-i-don-t-know-where-to-start-i-2/)

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

> [I'm a strong-headed person, and you can always tell how I'm feeling in that moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-wagner/i-m-a-strong-headed-person-and-you-can-always-tell-how-i-m-feeling-in/)

[Ashley Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-wagner/)

> [“...I'll stumble through all the words, knowing I couldn't begin to tell her what I'm feeling. There're no words for that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-rachel-hooley/i-ll-stumble-through-all-the-words-knowing-i-couldn-t-begin-to-tell/)

[Maria Rachel Hooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-rachel-hooley/)

> [U may not understand my feelings but I never miss a chance to tell my feeling to u](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan/u-may-not-understand-my-feelings-but-i-never-miss-a-chance-to-tell-my/)

[Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan/)

> [I hate being manipulated by song. Don't tell me what I should be feeling. I don't want cellos or violins to be telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-farmiga/i-hate-being-manipulated-by-song-don-t-tell-me-what-i-should-be/)

[Vera Farmiga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-farmiga/)

> [I want to tell you what I'm feeling, but I don't know where to start. I want to tell you everything, but I'm afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-the-best/i-want-to-tell-you-what-i-m-feeling-but-i-don-t-know-where-to-start-i/)

SAM (THE BEST

> [I'm not good at expressing my feelings, so I keep everything bottled inside. Half the time, I want to tell someone what I'm feeling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-good-at-expressing-my-feelings-so-i-keep-everything-bottled/)

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

> [“And I'll try harder to always tell you what I'm feeling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaci-burton/and-i-ll-try-harder-to-always-tell-you-what-i-m-feeling/)

[Jaci Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaci-burton/)

> [Never bite your tounge for nobody,let peoples know whats on your mind in a professional way , 'IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN' ,it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fq/never-bite-your-tounge-for-nobody-let-peoples-know-whats-on-your-mind/)

Fq

> [That's something Mary Lou Williams used to tell me: If you're not feeling right about what you're doing and you play a minor tune…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-mcpartland/that-s-something-mary-lou-williams-used-to-tell-me-if-you-re-not/)

[Marian McPartland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-mcpartland/)

## More by Lisa Gardner

> [It's kind of the yin and yang that fascinate me. That for all the evil men do, there are also people who work obnoxiously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/it-s-kind-of-the-yin-and-yang-that-fascinate-me-that-for-all-the-evil/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [Everyone should say what they wanted. It saved time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/everyone-should-say-what-they-wanted-it-saved-time/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [You try as a parent. You love beyond reason. You fight beyond endurance. You hope beyond despair. You never think, until the very last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/you-try-as-a-parent-you-love-beyond-reason-you-fight-beyond-endurance/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [“The results are about as meaningful as a sixth toe - gives you something to look at, but doesn't do a damn thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/the-results-are-about-as-meaningful-as-a-sixth-toe-gives-you/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [Post-apocalyptic novels tell you that in the future there is some great war. I would tell you that most cops say that it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/post-apocalyptic-novels-tell-you-that-in-the-future-there-is-some/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [“Not the cute kind of cuckoo, or the lights-on-but-nobody's-home loony. She's really, genuinely, sold my-soul-to-the-devil crazy. She don't care about me or anyone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/not-the-cute-kind-of-cuckoo-or-the-lights-on-but-nobody-s-home-loony/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [“God give me the strength to change the things I can change, the courage to let go of the things I need to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/god-give-me-the-strength-to-change-the-things-i-can-change-the/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [If you choose to do something, do it with your utmost. And remember, expect nothing and life will be velvet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/if-you-choose-to-do-something-do-it-with-your-utmost-and-remember/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [I still read romance, and I read suspense. I read them both. And part of it is, I like stories with strong characters, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/i-still-read-romance-and-i-read-suspense-i-read-them-both-and-part-of/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [“MY PAIN IS NAMED”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/my-pain-is-named/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [You can be the hunter, or you can be the hunted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/you-can-be-the-hunter-or-you-can-be-the-hunted/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [“Alex said, his voice subdued, tense. “So it would seem,” D.D.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/alex-said-his-voice-subdued-tense-so-it-would-seem-d-d/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [All I've really ever done is write since I was 17, so I don't know anything about anything. For me to do a novel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/all-i-ve-really-ever-done-is-write-since-i-was-17-so-i-don-t-know/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [My secret vice is Sudoku puzzles. Can't stop playing them. My parents are accountants. I blame them entirely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/my-secret-vice-is-sudoku-puzzles-can-t-stop-playing-them-my-parents/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [“For a bit, he picked up the paperbacks, thumbed the worn edges. Military thrillers. Books with clear right and wrong where the good guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/for-a-bit-he-picked-up-the-paperbacks-thumbed-the-worn-edges-military/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

[Explore all 86 Lisa Gardner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

## More Socialize quotes

> [I don't want to be stuffing my face at a party - I just want to talk and socialize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rande-gerber/i-don-t-want-to-be-stuffing-my-face-at-a-party-i-just-want-to-talk/)

[Rande Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rande-gerber/)

> [I think I should go out and socialize more, meet more people. But I don't do that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaheer-sheikh/i-think-i-should-go-out-and-socialize-more-meet-more-people-but-i-don/)

[Shaheer Sheikh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaheer-sheikh/)

> [“When you walk with trash, you end up smelling the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/when-you-walk-with-trash-you-end-up-smelling-the-same/)

[Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/)

> [By the time I was 29 I'd spent eight years with someone else's group of friends. I had no idea what it was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hunter/by-the-time-i-was-29-i-d-spent-eight-years-with-someone-else-s-group/)

[Rachel Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hunter/)

> [A lot of athletes are stuck on themselves and don't want to socialize and that kind of thing. When I see that, I hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-henry/a-lot-of-athletes-are-stuck-on-themselves-and-don-t-want-to-socialize/)

[Mark Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-henry/)

> [Men socialize by insulting each other but they really don't mean it. Women socialize by complimenting each other, they don't mean it either!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-socialize-by-insulting-each-other-but-they-really-don-t-mean-it/)

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

> [“Most human beings would have never been pained by the death of a human being if they had never seen a human being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-human-beings-would-have-never-been-pained-by-the-death-of-a/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Personally, I don't want to own a dog that inspires fear. I choose my dogs carefully, have their temperaments observed and evaluated, train and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-katz/personally-i-don-t-want-to-own-a-dog-that-inspires-fear-i-choose-my/)

[Jon Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-katz/)

> [Users socialize to figure out what they're going to do on the weekend. They use MySpace to discover new music and post events. Musicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-dewolfe/users-socialize-to-figure-out-what-they-re-going-to-do-on-the-weekend/)

[Chris DeWolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-dewolfe/)

> [I've been home-schooled since third grade, so it's definitely, you know - I don't know sometimes how to socialize, I guess, in a normal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-gauff/i-ve-been-home-schooled-since-third-grade-so-it-s-definitely-you-know/)

[Coco Gauff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-gauff/)

> [Reagan didn't socialize with the press. He spent his evenings with Nancy, watching TV with dinner trays. But he knew that to transcend, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-dowd/reagan-didn-t-socialize-with-the-press-he-spent-his-evenings-with/)

[Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-dowd/)

> [I spent most of my time in my room staring at a mirror. I never knew I was supposed to socialize. I just spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-spent-most-of-my-time-in-my-room-staring-at-a-mirror-i-never-knew-i/)

[Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/)

> [The strange anthropological lesson of social media is that human beings, if given a choice, often prefer to socialise alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/the-strange-anthropological-lesson-of-social-media-is-that-human/)

[Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/)

> [I don't go out and socialize much, that's true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikitin-dheer/i-don-t-go-out-and-socialize-much-that-s-true/)

[Nikitin Dheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikitin-dheer/)

> [We can't socialize the doctors without socializing the patients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-can-t-socialize-the-doctors-without-socializing-the-patients/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

Browse all 54 Socialize quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“can’t do this. I suck at this. Which is why they’re making me go. Not to improve my swimming—who cares about that?—but to work on that whole playing-well-with-others thing. Another one of my broken bits. I don’t want to socialize with other kids. I don’t trust ’em, I don’t like ’em, and best I can tell, the feeling’s mutual.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lisa Gardner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-why-they-re-making-me-go-not-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Socialize"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-why-they-re-making-me-go-not-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/lisa-gardner-7497_socialize_can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-wh_3196652.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/lisa-gardner-7497_socialize_can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-wh_3196652.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/921/lisa-gardner-7497_socialize_can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-wh_3196652.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“can’t do this. I suck at this. Which is why they’re making me go. Not to improve my swimming—who cares about…” — Lisa Gardner",
                "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": "Lisa Gardner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“can’t do this. I suck at...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-why-they-re-making-me-go-not-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/can-t-do-this-i-suck-at-this-which-is-why-they-re-making-me-go-not-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
