--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was such a nerd. It just wasn't…" description: "\"I was such a nerd. It just wasn't something I would have wanted. And I didn't want to act like an adult.\" — Mara Wilson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/mara-wilson-4981_adults_i-was-such-a-nerd-it-just-wasn-t-somethi_462892.png" --- # I was such a nerd. It just wasn't something I would have… ![“I was such a nerd. It just wasn't something I would have wanted. And I didn't want to act like an adult.” quote by Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/mara-wilson-4981_adults_i-was-such-a-nerd-it-just-wasn-t-somethi_462892.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/mara-wilson-4981_adults_i-was-such-a-nerd-it-just-wasn-t-somethi_462892.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/mara-wilson-4981_adults_i-was-such-a-nerd-it-just-wasn-t-somethi_462892.png) > “I was such a nerd. It just wasn't something I would have wanted. And I didn't want to act like an adult.” [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑acceptance includes embracing one’s nerdiness and rejecting adult stereotypes. **In simple terms:** Own your nerdiness. Key Takeaway Celebrate your true self. Themes identity self‑acceptance authenticity Mood playful introspective Type personal reflective When to use this quote - school - career - social circles Key Concepts stereotypes growth Questions to Reflect On - How does labeling yourself affect confidence? - What steps help you integrate adult responsibilities while staying true? A Different Perspective Fear of judgment may persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Nerd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nerd/) ## Related quotes > [Im not a nerd I'm just smarter than you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-darlington/im-not-a-nerd-i-m-just-smarter-than-you/) [Millie Darlington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-darlington/) > [“You called the guy you’re supposed to rescue a nerd, and you just referenced Star Trek. You don’t find that a bit nerdy?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-wiliams/you-called-the-guy-you-re-supposed-to-rescue-a-nerd-and-you-just/) AJ Wiliams > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Just because you liked something as a youngster doesn't mean you have to like it as an adult. You can change your taste a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-ditka/just-because-you-liked-something-as-a-youngster-doesn-t-mean-you-have/) [Mike Ditka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-ditka/) > [I hated it that she had you in a way I wanted you, that she could wake up every single morning with that beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-van-den-abeele/i-hated-it-that-she-had-you-in-a-way-i-wanted-you-that-she-could-wake/) [Elisabeth Van Den Abeele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-van-den-abeele/) > [What China has done for me, it was something that I needed. It wasn't something that I wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephon-marbury/what-china-has-done-for-me-it-was-something-that-i-needed-it-wasn-t/) [Stephon Marbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephon-marbury/) > [“It wasn't that Lorrie Ann was becoming a Goody Two-shoes. It wasn't that she wanted to be perfect or loved or approved of. No.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufi-thorpe/it-wasn-t-that-lorrie-ann-was-becoming-a-goody-two-shoes-it-wasn-t/) [Rufi Thorpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufi-thorpe/) > [“And there wasn’t anything he wanted to do that he couldn’t make time for. What did he have to mope about, really? What more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/and-there-wasn-t-anything-he-wanted-to-do-that-he-couldn-t-make-time/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [It's funny because TV wasn't something that I wanted to do. I wanted to do movies. I'd said a lot of no's to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alycia-debnam-carey/it-s-funny-because-tv-wasn-t-something-that-i-wanted-to-do-i-wanted/) [Alycia Debnam-Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alycia-debnam-carey/) > [“Thought he had it all before they called his bluff Found out that his skin just wasn't thick enough Wanted to go back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nine-inch-nails/thought-he-had-it-all-before-they-called-his-bluff-found-out-that-his/) [Nine Inch Nails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nine-inch-nails/) > [“I had gotten exactly what I had wanted, and still it wasn't enough. I had wanted. And now I wanted more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-paige/i-had-gotten-exactly-what-i-had-wanted-and-still-it-wasn-t-enough-i/) [Danielle Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-paige/) > [Going to the pen was something I had to learn to do. It wasn't something I wanted to do. If it made our team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-smoltz/going-to-the-pen-was-something-i-had-to-learn-to-do-it-wasn-t/) [John Smoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-smoltz/) > [They wanted to force me to be someone that I wasn't. They wanted me to delegitimize myself as a trans woman and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cece-mcdonald/they-wanted-to-force-me-to-be-someone-that-i-wasn-t-they-wanted-me-to/) [CeCe McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cece-mcdonald/) > [“This was hers and hers alone. Forevermore. Or at least so I thought… but shit didn’t work out that way, and then you came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/this-was-hers-and-hers-alone-forevermore-or-at-least-so-i-thought-but/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“But she also sensed it wasn't enough. She wanted something else, something different, something more. Passion and romance, perhaps, or maybe quiet conversation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/but-she-also-sensed-it-wasn-t-enough-she-wanted-something-else/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) ## More by Mara Wilson > [I remember reading To Kill A Mockingbird when I was 12. What I liked about it is that it was all seen through a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-remember-reading-to-kill-a-mockingbird-when-i-was-12-what-i-liked/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [“Depriving myself of joys is one of the great joys of my subconscious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/depriving-myself-of-joys-is-one-of-the-great-joys-of-my-subconscious/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [I'm pretty cautious and not very athletic, so I've only had really dumb injuries, like sprained ankles and allergic reactions. I did have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-m-pretty-cautious-and-not-very-athletic-so-i-ve-only-had-really/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [“People may have to die, but morbidity will live forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/people-may-have-to-die-but-morbidity-will-live-forever/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [I think that when I was child, acting was mostly just a hobby for me. It was something that my parents encouraged me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-think-that-when-i-was-child-acting-was-mostly-just-a-hobby-for-me/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [I get a lot of "Shut up, Matilda." I probably get as many "Shut up, Matildas" as Wil Wheaton gets "Shut up, Wesleys." That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-get-a-lot-of-shut-up-matilda-i-probably-get-as-many-shut-up/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [Here is something no real celebrity will ever tell you: film acting is not very fun. Doing the same thing over and over again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/here-is-something-no-real-celebrity-will-ever-tell-you-film-acting-is/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [“Children all over the world do ridiculous, borderline dangerous things, and no one around them questions it, because it's ingrained in their culture. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/children-all-over-the-world-do-ridiculous-borderline-dangerous-things/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [I've always really loved stories told from the point of view of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-ve-always-really-loved-stories-told-from-the-point-of-view-of/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [ For me \[being a kid actor\], it's a bit like when you see your mom's friends, and they're like, "I remember when you were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/for-me-being-a-kid-actor-it-s-a-bit-like-when-you-see-your-mom-s/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [ I'm surprised by how much I remember \[on childhood on film\]. I think it's just because I had these interesting moments. Of course, you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-m-surprised-by-how-much-i-remember-on-childhood-on-film-i-think-it/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [Assume everything you put on the Internet can and will be seen not only by the person you're talking about, but your future romantic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/assume-everything-you-put-on-the-internet-can-and-will-be-seen-not/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > ['Mrs. Doubtfire' is still a fun movie, and it's still fun to watch, but it is hard to watch myself sometimes. I get very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/mrs-doubtfire-is-still-a-fun-movie-and-it-s-still-fun-to-watch-but-it/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [I would like people to know me for who I am, especially since I think people have a very skewed image of me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-would-like-people-to-know-me-for-who-i-am-especially-since-i-think/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [No, you will never see me on 'Dancing With the Stars.' Sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/no-you-will-never-see-me-on-dancing-with-the-stars-sorry/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) [Explore all 104 Mara Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) ## More Adults quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. Anders Ericsson > [Part of life is doing stuff that you don't want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-who-does-not-wish-to-be-named/part-of-life-is-doing-stuff-that-you-don-t-want-to-do/) One Who Does Not Wish To Be Named > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [Kids, if anything, are harder to write for because they are a more discerning audience. They will not stay with you if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-if-anything-are-harder-to-write-for-because-they-are-a-more/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [On the one hand, we had great filmic spectacles that brought in big audiences, adults as well as primary and secondary school students. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-wajda/on-the-one-hand-we-had-great-filmic-spectacles-that-brought-in-big/) [Andrzej Wajda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-wajda/) > [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [When I was a child at sixteen, I was just a child. All sixteen year-olds are just children. As much as we like them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-i-was-a-child-at-sixteen-i-was-just-a-child-all-sixteen-year/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) [Browse all 3,113 Adults quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was such a nerd. It just wasn't something I would have wanted. 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