--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But if the words struck her only lightly…" description: "\"“But if the words struck her only lightly when she was nine, they stayed with her, gaining in density, to insinuate themselves whenever her performance..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/lynne-sharon-schwartz-23557_heart_but-if-the-words-struck-her-only-lightly_2324924.png" --- # But if the words struck her only lightly when she was… ![“But if the words struck her only lightly when she was nine, they stayed with her, gaining in density, to insinuate themselves whenever her performance fell short of perfection. They were less a mortification, she feared, than an actual statement of fact: B+ is all you deserve.” quote by Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/lynne-sharon-schwartz-23557_heart_but-if-the-words-struck-her-only-lightly_2324924.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/lynne-sharon-schwartz-23557_heart_but-if-the-words-struck-her-only-lightly_2324924.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/lynne-sharon-schwartz-23557_heart_but-if-the-words-struck-her-only-lightly_2324924.png) > ““But if the words struck her only lightly when she was nine, they stayed with her, gaining in density, to insinuate themselves whenever her performance fell short of perfection. They were less a mortification, she feared, than an actual statement of fact: B+ is all you deserve.”” [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early criticism can linger, growing stronger over time and influencing self‑esteem and performance expectations. **In simple terms:** Early criticism can become a lasting, heavy burden. Key Takeaway Address and reframe negative feedback early. Themes self‑esteem education psychology perfectionism growth Mood thoughtful empathetic Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - school counseling - parental guidance - personal journaling - coaching Key Concepts Cognitive bias self‑fulfilling prophecy feedback loops Questions to Reflect On - How does early criticism shape later confidence? - What strategies reduce its impact? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on grades can limit broader learning and creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ## Related quotes > [“ Nei mah-heepicut! ” Releasing her, he struck her lightly on the arm. 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Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“Only one statement about life is universally true: It's going to end badly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evans-light/only-one-statement-about-life-is-universally-true-it-s-going-to-end/) Evans Light > [“Nevertheless . . was a word, certainly, but much more than a word, it was a concept. 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Slow people, slow reading, slow traveling, slow eggs, and slow love. Everything good comes slow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/what-i-love-is-slowness-slow-people-slow-reading-slow-traveling-slow/) [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) > [The stillness and stasis of bed are the perfect opposite of travel: inertia is what I've come to consider the default mode, existentially and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/the-stillness-and-stasis-of-bed-are-the-perfect-opposite-of-travel/) [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) > [“Real, she imagined later on, was something else; it had nothing to do with things you could touch. Real was being seen, noticed, acknowledged,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/real-she-imagined-later-on-was-something-else-it-had-nothing-to-do/) [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) > [I have managed not to finish certain books. With barely a twinge of conscience, I hurl down what bores me or doesn't give what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/i-have-managed-not-to-finish-certain-books-with-barely-a-twinge-of/) [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) > [“But living amid so many words, I overestimated their power and breadth. The world does not turn on words alone; it only seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/but-living-amid-so-many-words-i-overestimated-their-power-and-breadth/) [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) > [How are we to spend our lives, anyway? That is the real question. 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Be ruthless and refuse to do what people ask of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/leave-the-dishes-unwashed-and-the-demands-on-your-time-unanswered-be/) [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) > [Getting away from being 'a good girl' is important because it's impossible to be a 'good girl' and a writer at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/getting-away-from-being-a-good-girl-is-important-because-it-s/) [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) > [My head aches, my eyes burn, my arms and legs have given up, and my face in the mirror has a grayish cast. 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