---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did what I felt that I wanted to do…"
description: "\"I did what I felt that I wanted to do. Fairly selfishly. I didn't know my kids as well as I should have.\" — Mike Wallace"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/mike-wallace-5222_did_i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fa_1391440.png"
---

#  I did what I felt that I wanted to do. Fairly selfishly. I…

![“I did what I felt that I wanted to do. Fairly selfishly. I didn't know my kids as well as I should have.” quote by Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/mike-wallace-5222_did_i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fa_1391440.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/mike-wallace-5222_did_i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fa_1391440.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/mike-wallace-5222_did_i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fa_1391440.png)

> “I did what I felt that I wanted to do. Fairly selfishly. I didn't know my kids as well as I should have.”

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

## About This Quote

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

A person acknowledges acting selfishly, realizing they neglected deeper understanding of their children

**In simple terms:** Admitting selfish actions and missed parental insight

Key Takeaway

Reflect on balancing self‑interest with family awareness

Themes

self‑awareness family responsibility

Mood

reflective regretful

Type

personal introspective

When to use this quote

- family gatherings
- parent‑child conversations
- self‑reflection sessions

Key Concepts

psychology personal growth parenting

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you better know your children's needs?
- What steps can you take to balance personal desires with family duties?

A Different Perspective

Self‑focus can harm relationships if not checked

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/)

## Related quotes

> [The things men did or felt they had to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/the-things-men-did-or-felt-they-had-to-do/)

[Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/)

> [She did as she felt, and she felt a great deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/she-did-as-she-felt-and-she-felt-a-great-deal/)

[Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/)

> [“She said to go ahead and feel the feelings. I did. They felt like shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/she-said-to-go-ahead-and-feel-the-feelings-i-did-they-felt-like-shit/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [It’s not about what we do, or what we feel, it’s about what He did and what He felt. It’s about what Christ has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-donehey/it-s-not-about-what-we-do-or-what-we-feel-it-s-about-what-he-did-and/)

[Mike Donehey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-donehey/)

> [I felt that everyone had the same sentiments when it came to love that I did. I felt like if you really cared for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/musiq-soulchild/i-felt-that-everyone-had-the-same-sentiments-when-it-came-to-love/)

[Musiq Soulchild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/musiq-soulchild/)

> [No one has the right to judge us because no one really knows what we have been through. They may have heard about our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/no-one-has-the-right-to-judge-us-because-no-one-really-knows-what-we/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

> [I did what I felt, and I felt what I did, at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/little-richard/i-did-what-i-felt-and-i-felt-what-i-did-at-all-costs/)

[Little Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/little-richard/)

> [I always worried someone would notice me, and then when no one did, I felt lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/i-always-worried-someone-would-notice-me-and-then-when-no-one-did-i/)

[Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/)

> [I've always felt a little different than everyone - you know, most of the other kids in my class - and I didn't quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-davie/i-ve-always-felt-a-little-different-than-everyone-you-know-most-of/)

[Erin Davie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-davie/)

> [The day I loved you, felt you, and wanted you so badly has gone, not because of me but you…Whenever I did show my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosebud/the-day-i-loved-you-felt-you-and-wanted-you-so-badly-has-gone-not/)

[Rosebud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosebud/)

> [And in the end, I lost him. I did it on purpose, the way Garance lost Baptiste in the crowd. I needed to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-kaysen/and-in-the-end-i-lost-him-i-did-it-on-purpose-the-way-garance-lost/)

[Susanna Kaysen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-kaysen/)

> [“I didn't think he was in love with me and I had no idea what I felt for him, but he wanted me, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-didn-t-think-he-was-in-love-with-me-and-i-had-no-idea-what-i-felt/)

[Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/)

> [Despite the miles between us, we remained friends. Not because we felt we had to, but because we wanted to be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/despite-the-miles-between-us-we-remained-friends-not-because-we-felt/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [There are things coming from me that I felt I wanted to talk about. My search for my own blend of spirituality, my acknowledgement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-castillo/there-are-things-coming-from-me-that-i-felt-i-wanted-to-talk-about-my/)

[Ana Castillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-castillo/)

> [“Jasper Kyelin was an overbearing, morally deficient asshole. But for that one moment when his lips took mine, he made me his. And for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nashoda-rose/jasper-kyelin-was-an-overbearing-morally-deficient-asshole-but-for/)

[Nashoda Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nashoda-rose/)

## More by Mike Wallace

> [It's astonishing what you learn and feel and see along the way. That's why a reporter's job, as you know, is such a joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/it-s-astonishing-what-you-learn-and-feel-and-see-along-the-way-that-s/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [“Residents grimly spoke of the crisis as “O Grab Me”—“embargo” spelled backward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/residents-grimly-spoke-of-the-crisis-as-o-grab-me-embargo-spelled/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [“The key to success in the Gold Room was information. Knowledge of a battle’s outcome obtained an hour before one’s competitors could be parlayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/the-key-to-success-in-the-gold-room-was-information-knowledge-of-a/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [“When the popular actor John Hodgkinson appeared in the red coat of a British officer, hecklers wouldn’t allow him to continue until he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/when-the-popular-actor-john-hodgkinson-appeared-in-the-red-coat-of-a/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [When I came to CBS it was the mother church. I mean that was - everybody wanted to go to work for CBS News.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/when-i-came-to-cbs-it-was-the-mother-church-i-mean-that-was-everybody/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [Even though Jack Kennedy and I were about the same age and lived in the same neighborhood and attended the same elementary school, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/even-though-jack-kennedy-and-i-were-about-the-same-age-and-lived-in/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [“Warner took to writing in hopes of making money and submitted a pious and sentimental novel to Harpers, which rebuffed it with the single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/warner-took-to-writing-in-hopes-of-making-money-and-submitted-a-pious/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [“Horace Greeley cautioned one upstate hopeful: “You do not realize how little the mere talent of writing well has to do with success or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/horace-greeley-cautioned-one-upstate-hopeful-you-do-not-realize-how/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [“Political editors were a truculent breed. Leggett’s boss, William Cullen Bryant, took a cowskin whip to William Leete Stone of the Commercial Advertiser in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/political-editors-were-a-truculent-breed-leggett-s-boss-william/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [But I was never, you know, when I see some kids today who are close to their parents, close to their friends... I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/but-i-was-never-you-know-when-i-see-some-kids-today-who-are-close-to/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [“And among the prissiest. Gilder’s method of raising public standards of taste and morality required the production of bloodless pages. As custodian of genteel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/and-among-the-prissiest-gilder-s-method-of-raising-public-standards/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [Covering Richard Nixon's triumphant run in 1968 turned out to be my last major assignment as a general correspondent for CBS News. In September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/covering-richard-nixon-s-triumphant-run-in-1968-turned-out-to-be-my/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [There's not a better job in journalism than the one we have, seriously on '60 Minutes' - not a better job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/there-s-not-a-better-job-in-journalism-than-the-one-we-have-seriously/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [Both my parents came from Russia and suddenly they wound up in Boston, Massachusetts, Brookline, Massachusetts and they felt the sun rose and set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/both-my-parents-came-from-russia-and-suddenly-they-wound-up-in-boston/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

> [“In the symphonic world, musically inclined industrialists and financiers were having problems of a different sort with the New York Philharmonic. The old German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/in-the-symphonic-world-musically-inclined-industrialists-and/)

[Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

[Explore all 102 Mike Wallace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/)

## More Did quotes

> [Hats off to starting a franchise younger than we all did in 'Twilight' and keeping your cool. The 'Harry Potter' men and women had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/hats-off-to-starting-a-franchise-younger-than-we-all-did-in-twilight/)

[Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

> [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/)

[David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/)

> [Here we are 17 years later. Those agencies never did come through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/here-we-are-17-years-later-those-agencies-never-did-come-through/)

[Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/)

> [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/)

[Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/)

> [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-doubleday/growing-up-i-did-commercials-and-things-like-that-but-nothing-serious/)

[Portia Doubleday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-doubleday/)

> [I am a big outliner. For my adult book, 'The Visibles,' I did not outline, and it took me two years to write because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/i-am-a-big-outliner-for-my-adult-book-the-visibles-i-did-not-outline/)

[Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/)

> [You didn't want to laugh, did you? It wasn't very funny, was it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-kennedy/you-didn-t-want-to-laugh-did-you-it-wasn-t-very-funny-was-it/)

[Graham Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-kennedy/)

> [I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and was raised by a man who did not emote, ever... I always cry at movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-grew-up-in-a-blue-collar-neighborhood-and-was-raised-by-a-man-who/)

[Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/)

> [I met Tyler Perry and we did 'House of Payne' and a movie. We've done a couple other films since then, but it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-gross/i-met-tyler-perry-and-we-did-house-of-payne-and-a-movie-we-ve-done-a/)

[Lance Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-gross/)

> [The whole nuclear-arms-control and non-proliferation policy of the nuclear powers is a fraud: The Americans could not prevent the Soviets from replicating their weaponry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-black/the-whole-nuclear-arms-control-and-non-proliferation-policy-of-the/)

[Conrad Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-black/)

> [I am excited to partner with Aeropostale for my very own collection. It was a great experience to be able to work with them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-mota/i-am-excited-to-partner-with-aeropostale-for-my-very-own-collection/)

[Bethany Mota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-mota/)

> [When we built Roomba, we explicitly designed it to not have a face. We didn't want to think it was cute; we wanted people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-angle/when-we-built-roomba-we-explicitly-designed-it-to-not-have-a-face-we/)

[Colin Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-angle/)

> [I turned to my mom and said, 'I'm going to be a martial arts movie star.' She didn't believe me, and neither did my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adkins/i-turned-to-my-mom-and-said-i-m-going-to-be-a-martial-arts-movie-star/)

[Scott Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adkins/)

Browse all 4,331 Did quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I did what I felt that I wanted to do. Fairly selfishly. I didn't know my kids as well as I should have.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mike Wallace"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fairly-selfishly-i-didn-t-know/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Did"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fairly-selfishly-i-didn-t-know/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/mike-wallace-5222_did_i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fa_1391440.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/mike-wallace-5222_did_i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fa_1391440.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/mike-wallace-5222_did_i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fa_1391440.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I did what I felt that I wanted to do. Fairly selfishly. I didn't know my kids as well as I should have.” — Mike Wallace",
                "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": "Mike Wallace",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I did what I felt that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fairly-selfishly-i-didn-t-know/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/i-did-what-i-felt-that-i-wanted-to-do-fairly-selfishly-i-didn-t-know/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
