--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I wasn't working I didn't know what…" description: "\"When I wasn't working I didn't know what to do with myself and sort of didn't exist, in a way, when I wasn't working, so I was like two different peopl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/michelle-pfeiffer-3639_am_when-i-wasn-t-working-i-didn-t-know-what_2524329.jpg" --- # When I wasn't working I didn't know what to do with myself… ![“When I wasn't working I didn't know what to do with myself and sort of didn't exist, in a way, when I wasn't working, so I was like two different people. I am not like that anymore.” quote by Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/michelle-pfeiffer-3639_am_when-i-wasn-t-working-i-didn-t-know-what_2524329.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/michelle-pfeiffer-3639_am_when-i-wasn-t-working-i-didn-t-know-what_2524329.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb0/michelle-pfeiffer-3639_am_when-i-wasn-t-working-i-didn-t-know-what_2524329.jpg) > “When I wasn't working I didn't know what to do with myself and sort of didn't exist, in a way, when I wasn't working, so I was like two different people. I am not like that anymore.” [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identity tied to work can cause a sense of emptiness when idle, leading to fragmented self‑concepts. **In simple terms:** Work defined self; without work felt lost. Key Takeaway Separate self‑worth from job role. Themes identity work self‑concept psychology Mood reflective introspective Type personal psychological When to use this quote - career transition - retirement - unemployment - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism role theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you define yourself outside of work? - What activities nurture your non‑work identity? A Different Perspective May ignore other aspects of self beyond professional identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/am/) [Anymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anymore/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-people/) [Different peoples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-peoples/) [Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist/) [I am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-am/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-different/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sort/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Wasn Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-working-321574/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/) [Working Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-didn-326694/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes I pretend not to look at my own characters, because that's like different people getting off with your girlfriend or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/sometimes-i-pretend-not-to-look-at-my-own-characters-because-that-s/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [I want to be different. Just like all the other different people I want to be like. I want to be just like all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-s-hall/i-want-to-be-different-just-like-all-the-other-different-people-i/) [John S. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-s-hall/) > [The older that we get and the different stages we go through in life, it seems like we become different people. But I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-rue/the-older-that-we-get-and-the-different-stages-we-go-through-in-life/) [Sara Rue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-rue/) > [I'm turned on by diversity. I'm turned on by things that are different. I like different animals, I like different ways of travel, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-monaghan/i-m-turned-on-by-diversity-i-m-turned-on-by-things-that-are-different/) [Dominic Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-monaghan/) > [I feel like I can be six different people in one day sometimes. Which is fun but also really strange in my own brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charli-xcx/i-feel-like-i-can-be-six-different-people-in-one-day-sometimes-which/) [Charli XCX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charli-xcx/) > [“He's like several different people in one body. Isn't that a symptom of schizophrenia? I must Google that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james/he-s-like-several-different-people-in-one-body-isn-t-that-a-symptom/) [E.L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james/) > [I think the idea is that every time we perform Big Red Machine music it should be different somehow - like, different people, different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-dessner/i-think-the-idea-is-that-every-time-we-perform-big-red-machine-music/) [Aaron Dessner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-dessner/) > [“And I fancy, besides, that we seem like such different people ... through various circumstances, that we cannot perhaps have many points in common.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/and-i-fancy-besides-that-we-seem-like-such-different-people-through/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [I like being different people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stokes-mitchell/i-like-being-different-people/) [Brian Stokes Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stokes-mitchell/) > [When I first started working it was as if I didn't understand myself. The fact that I didn't understand myself was tied up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rirkrit-tiravanija/when-i-first-started-working-it-was-as-if-i-didn-t-understand-myself/) [Rirkrit Tiravanija](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rirkrit-tiravanija/) > [“spent my whole life working toward didn’t exist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-colfer/spent-my-whole-life-working-toward-didn-t-exist/) [Chris Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-colfer/) > [Stylists aren't for me. I tried to use one when I first started working in the US, but I didn't click with anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/stylists-aren-t-for-me-i-tried-to-use-one-when-i-first-started-2/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) > [Anchoring is a different medium. I wanted to try it and not stop working, I didn't want to sit at home and say, 'Will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-wahi/anchoring-is-a-different-medium-i-wanted-to-try-it-and-not-stop/) [Karan Wahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-wahi/) > [“I was working, but I didn't have anything like enough to do, and the bad times came in the evenings, when I went back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-laing/i-was-working-but-i-didn-t-have-anything-like-enough-to-do-and-the/) [Olivia Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-laing/) > [Stylists aren't for me. I tried to use one when I first started working in the U.S., but I didn't click with anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/stylists-aren-t-for-me-i-tried-to-use-one-when-i-first-started/) [Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/) ## More by Michelle Pfeiffer > [I don't know if it's naivete or just narcissism, but I start out with this notion that I can do anything. It's not until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-naivete-or-just-narcissism-but-i-start-out-with/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [Being from Orange County is in a lot ways very much like being from the Midwest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/being-from-orange-county-is-in-a-lot-ways-very-much-like-being-from/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [People who are rude to waiters... I don't like that sort of thing. People who take cuts in line... it doesn't fly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/people-who-are-rude-to-waiters-i-don-t-like-that-sort-of-thing-people/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [For me, getting comfortable with being famous was hard - that whole side of it, the loss of anonymity, the loss of privacy. Giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/for-me-getting-comfortable-with-being-famous-was-hard-that-whole-side/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [I've always had a very extreme personality, which gets me into major trouble, I'm always all or nothing, and I don't know the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/i-ve-always-had-a-very-extreme-personality-which-gets-me-into-major/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [If I really want to do something, I'll go in and do whatever the director feels that he needs me to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/if-i-really-want-to-do-something-i-ll-go-in-and-do-whatever-the/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [You know, when I am working, I take really, really good care of myself. I eat really well, and I exercise, and again, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/you-know-when-i-am-working-i-take-really-really-good-care-of-myself-i/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [I still think people will find out that I’m really not very talented. I’m really not very good. It’s all been a big sham.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/i-still-think-people-will-find-out-that-i-m-really-not-very-talented/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [If you think hitting 40 is liberating, wait until you hit 50; and I was surprised at how liberating it was. The anticipation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/if-you-think-hitting-40-is-liberating-wait-until-you-hit-50-and-i-was/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [Men do not take to vanity, because they are taught at an early age that it is wrong to be vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/men-do-not-take-to-vanity-because-they-are-taught-at-an-early-age/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [Where I came from, the idea of going into show business was just ridiculous; in fact I didn't tell anybody because I knew people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/where-i-came-from-the-idea-of-going-into-show-business-was-just/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [Every time I set up an interview, I say, "That's it, this is my last one. 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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 am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Any incarnation of 'Batman' I am delighted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/any-incarnation-of-batman-i-am-delighted-to-do/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/) [Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/) > [I am on sabbatical as of right now, been too busy to think of about my OWN needs as of late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-diamond/i-am-on-sabbatical-as-of-right-now-been-too-busy-to-think-of-about-my/) [Jim Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-diamond/) > [I am strongly opposed to any form of amnesty, including, especially, executive amnesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/i-am-strongly-opposed-to-any-form-of-amnesty-including-especially/) [Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. 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