--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that when you emigrate, when…" description: "\"I think that when you emigrate, when everything you took for granted disappears, it's a kind of loss of innocence. When you're a kid, the world as you ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/masha-gessen-2322_i-think_i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-ever_3225043.png" --- # I think that when you emigrate, when everything you took… ![“I think that when you emigrate, when everything you took for granted disappears, it's a kind of loss of innocence. When you're a kid, the world as you know it is just there. Suddenly, you emigrate and that's no longer the case. It's a break in reality that parachutes you into adulthood.” quote by Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/masha-gessen-2322_i-think_i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-ever_3225043.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/masha-gessen-2322_i-think_i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-ever_3225043.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/masha-gessen-2322_i-think_i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-ever_3225043.png) > “I think that when you emigrate, when everything you took for granted disappears, it's a kind of loss of innocence. When you're a kid, the world as you know it is just there. Suddenly, you emigrate and that's no longer the case. It's a break in reality that parachutes you into adulthood.” [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving home forces a sudden loss of innocence, thrusting one into adult reality. **In simple terms:** Emigration shatters childhood innocence, prompting adulthood. Key Takeaway Recognize and adapt to the abrupt reality shift. Themes migration identity growth loss of innocence Mood nostalgic reflective Type memoir philosophical When to use this quote - immigration processes - family relocation - education abroad - career moves Key Concepts psychology cultural transition Questions to Reflect On - How does migration reshape personal identity? - What coping strategies help during this transition? A Different Perspective The experience varies; some may retain innocence despite migration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Emigrate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emigrate-1738493/) [Emigrate Longer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emigrate-longer-6078051/) [Emigrate Took](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emigrate-took-6078050/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Innocence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocence/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Loss of innocence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss-of-innocence/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Suddenly Emigrate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suddenly-emigrate-6078048/) [Think Emigrate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-emigrate-6078049/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [You don't need a passport and you don't need no visas, you don't need to designate or emigrate before you can see Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/you-don-t-need-a-passport-and-you-don-t-need-no-visas-you-don-t-need/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [I actually did try to emigrate to Australia a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-actually-did-try-to-emigrate-to-australia-a-long-time-ago/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [Canada is a place of infinite promise. We like the people, and if one ever had to emigrate, this would be the destination, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/canada-is-a-place-of-infinite-promise-we-like-the-people-and-if-one/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [“Culture! Yes—if we had it! But there are just a few little local patches, dying out here and there for lack of—well, hoeing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/culture-yes-if-we-had-it-but-there-are-just-a-few-little-local/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“I've been in love once and if I felt it coming on again I tell you I'd emigrate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-ve-been-in-love-once-and-if-i-felt-it-coming-on-again-i-tell-you-i/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [A lot of Polish and Russian Jews had this experience: they would emigrate, thinking they were on their way to New York. Then their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-mahoney/a-lot-of-polish-and-russian-jews-had-this-experience-they-would/) [Rosemary Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-mahoney/) > [I don't even see it as disputable that any other culture is in the same league as the West - that's why everyone wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-don-t-even-see-it-as-disputable-that-any-other-culture-is-in-the/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [Emigrate or Degenerate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/emigrate-or-degenerate/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I learned very quickly that when you emigrate, you lose the crutches that have been your support; you must begin from zero, because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-learned-very-quickly-that-when-you-emigrate-you-lose-the-crutches/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“This is what making love must be like, she thinks. At twelve years old, she understands little more than that it will begin with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-holman/this-is-what-making-love-must-be-like-she-thinks-at-twelve-years-old/) [Sheri Holman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-holman/) > [“More than anything, Natalie wanted to move to the bed, take Sophie's hand, sit beside her.Lay her head against her shoulder. But she didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-hirshberg/more-than-anything-natalie-wanted-to-move-to-the-bed-take-sophie-s/) [Glen Hirshberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-hirshberg/) > [So the city became the material expression of a particular loss of innocence – not sexual or political innocence but somehow a shared dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/so-the-city-became-the-material-expression-of-a-particular-loss-of/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [I can sing very comfortably from my vantage point because a lot of the music was about a loss of innocence, there's innocence contained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-can-sing-very-comfortably-from-my-vantage-point-because-a-lot-of/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“He noticed, without understanding, how the flames were visible now against the dull light. Evening was come, not with calm beauty but with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/he-noticed-without-understanding-how-the-flames-were-visible-now/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“The moment you killed something – a living creature or a false hope – was the moment you came of age. Loss of innocence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-miller/the-moment-you-killed-something-a-living-creature-or-a-false-hope-was/) [Jennifer Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-miller/) ## More by Masha Gessen > [There's this American pretense, which is the pretense of the journalist with the view from nowhere - which has somehow morphed into the journalist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/there-s-this-american-pretense-which-is-the-pretense-of-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Where incompetence is prized, it is ever-present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/where-incompetence-is-prized-it-is-ever-present/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Pussy Riot have certainly changed some people's assumptions about the role of political art and the relationship between the intelligentsia and the church. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/pussy-riot-have-certainly-changed-some-people-s-assumptions-about-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Trump, like Putin, has a demonstrably thin skin and short temper when it comes to being criticized by journalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/trump-like-putin-has-a-demonstrably-thin-skin-and-short-temper-when/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [You risk everything if you so much as join a legal protest demonstration in Russia. It raises the stakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/you-risk-everything-if-you-so-much-as-join-a-legal-protest/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Donald Trump creates word salads. And that is awful to language, because we try to parse out what he's saying and try to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/donald-trump-creates-word-salads-and-that-is-awful-to-language/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [It is the first time since 1993 that Russians have come out into the streets without an explicit permission from the government to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/it-is-the-first-time-since-1993-that-russians-have-come-out-into-the/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I think Donald Trump was brought to power by Americans. They voted for him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-donald-trump-was-brought-to-power-by-americans-they-voted-for/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [In the 1990s, there was a lot of reform, and there was a lot of forward movement on a lot of fronts in Russia.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/in-the-1990s-there-was-a-lot-of-reform-and-there-was-a-lot-of-forward/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Poverty and scarcity are actually very good for totalitarian societies. They maintain that sense of mobilization that's essential for totalitarian societies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/poverty-and-scarcity-are-actually-very-good-for-totalitarian/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I think that Putin's strategy has been throwing a lot of money, fairly haphazardly, at a lot of projects aimed at disrupting Western relations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-putin-s-strategy-has-been-throwing-a-lot-of-money-fairly/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Both Trump and Putin use language primarily to communicate not facts or opinions but power: it's not what the words mean that matters but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/both-trump-and-putin-use-language-primarily-to-communicate-not-facts/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I worked both as a Russian journalist and an American journalist and ran a bunch of magazines in Moscow over the course of about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-worked-both-as-a-russian-journalist-and-an-american-journalist-and/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [I have no doubt that there are Russian efforts to disturb the fabric of American democracy, but they're disruption efforts. They're troublemaking efforts. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-have-no-doubt-that-there-are-russian-efforts-to-disturb-the-fabric/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [For years I was the only publicly out gay person who was not a full-time gay activist: my position as a quasi-foreigner gave me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/for-years-i-was-the-only-publicly-out-gay-person-who-was-not-a-full/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) [Explore all 171 Masha Gessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) ## More I think quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. I think every Christian needs to make up his own mind about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-m-not-here-trying-to-convince-anybody-to-vote-for-donald-trump-i/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I think a person has to just be herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-nixon/i-think-a-person-has-to-just-be-herself/) [Pat Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-nixon/) > [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/) [Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/) > [I think taking a hookline of a hit song and making a new song is fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-kumar/i-think-taking-a-hookline-of-a-hit-song-and-making-a-new-song-is-fun/) [Tulsi Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-kumar/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I think it's a wonderful thing, turning 50. I think everyone should do it at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-duran/i-think-it-s-a-wonderful-thing-turning-50-i-think-everyone-should-do/) [Elvis Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-duran/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) [Browse all 29,267 I think quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that when you emigrate, when everything you took for granted disappears, it's a kind of loss of innocence. When you're a kid, the world as you know it is just there. Suddenly, you emigrate and that's no longer the case. It's a break in reality that parachutes you into adulthood.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Masha Gessen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-everything-you-took-for-granted/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "I think" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-everything-you-took-for-granted/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/masha-gessen-2322_i-think_i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-ever_3225043.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/masha-gessen-2322_i-think_i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-ever_3225043.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7b/masha-gessen-2322_i-think_i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-ever_3225043.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that when you emigrate, when everything you took for granted disappears, it's a kind of loss of…” — Masha Gessen", "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": "Masha Gessen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think that when you emigrate,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-everything-you-took-for-granted/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-everything-you-took-for-granted/#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 } } ] } ```