---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I absorbed the lie that any smart woman…"
description: "\"I absorbed the lie that any smart woman would use birth control and be responsible for her body. Obviously that's not true.\" — Molly Crabapple"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3d/molly-crabapple-17140_being-responsible_i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman_1056638.jpg"
---

#  I absorbed the lie that any smart woman would use birth…

![“I absorbed the lie that any smart woman would use birth control and be responsible for her body. Obviously that's not true.” quote by Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3d/molly-crabapple-17140_being-responsible_i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman_1056638.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3d/molly-crabapple-17140_being-responsible_i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman_1056638.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3d/molly-crabapple-17140_being-responsible_i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman_1056638.jpg)

> “I absorbed the lie that any smart woman would use birth control and be responsible for her body. Obviously that's not true.”

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

## About This Quote

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

She challenges a stereotype that equates intelligence with specific reproductive choices, highlighting that personal responsibility varies.

**In simple terms:** Intelligence doesn't dictate birth control choices.

Key Takeaway

Question assumptions about women's choices.

Themes

gender stereotypes responsibility

Mood

critical reflective

Type

analytical social commentary

When to use this quote

- healthcare decisions
- personal autonomy
- media representation

Key Concepts

feminism social norms

Questions to Reflect On

- How do media narratives shape our views on women's bodies?
- What evidence challenges this belief?

A Different Perspective

Stereotypes can be deeply ingrained and hard to change.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Absorbed Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absorbed-lie-2557479/) [Being responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-responsible/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Birth control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth-control/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Lie Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie-smart-2557478/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsible/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smart Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-woman/) [Smart women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-women/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-birth-2417720/)

## Related quotes

> [People don't care how smart woman is as long as she's charming and gay and pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-brown/people-don-t-care-how-smart-woman-is-as-long-as-she-s-charming-and/)

[Sandra Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-brown/)

> [Sometimes along the way in my life I don't want a smart woman right now, I want a dumb woman. But then you think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-butler/sometimes-along-the-way-in-my-life-i-don-t-want-a-smart-woman-right/)

[Gerard Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-butler/)

> [She’s a smart woman. I love that. Intelligence is a wonderful and powerful aphrodisiac. To me, it enhances beauty, makes an ordinary woman look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-jerome-dickey/she-s-a-smart-woman-i-love-that-intelligence-is-a-wonderful-and/)

[Eric Jerome Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-jerome-dickey/)

> [A smart woman would have shut up. Did I? Hell no. Intelligence is overrated anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/a-smart-woman-would-have-shut-up-did-i-hell-no-intelligence-is/)

[Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/)

> [Oh, Mama was a smart woman. It takes a smart woman to fall in love with a good man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/oh-mama-was-a-smart-woman-it-takes-a-smart-woman-to-fall-in-love-with/)

[Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/)

> [Smart women don't believe everything they hear. A smart woman let's his action speak for him, not his words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/smart-women-don-t-believe-everything-they-hear-a-smart-woman-let-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I think a smart woman can sell the average man anything,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-burnett/i-think-a-smart-woman-can-sell-the-average-man-anything/)

[Leo Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-burnett/)

> [Smart women don't believe everything they hear. A smart woman lets his actions speak for him not his words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/smart-women-don-t-believe-everything-they-hear-a-smart-woman-lets-his/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I've never understood why it's a negative to showcase a talented, smart woman who also happens to be attractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-carlson/i-ve-never-understood-why-it-s-a-negative-to-showcase-a-talented/)

[Gretchen Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-carlson/)

> [Where is it written that a smart woman can't also be stacked?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-lakshmi/where-is-it-written-that-a-smart-woman-can-t-also-be-stacked/)

[Padma Lakshmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-lakshmi/)

> [Learn from your parents mistakes -- use birth control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/learn-from-your-parents-mistakes-use-birth-control/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To preserve yourself as the center of the world, to stay your own best authority on everything, your own expert on all topics, infallible,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/to-preserve-yourself-as-the-center-of-the-world-to-stay-your-own-best/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [So if we use birth control we don't need to be married?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/so-if-we-use-birth-control-we-don-t-need-to-be-married/)

[Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/)

> [“I'll take my chances. It has you." And when a great man says something smart like that a smart woman just shuts up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-castoro/i-ll-take-my-chances-it-has-you-and-when-a-great-man-says-something/)

[Laura Castoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-castoro/)

> [“My Lord..why did she run?" a bewildered voice asked. "Because she is a very smart woman...and because I am the biggest fool to ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-valiukas/my-lord-why-did-she-run-a-bewildered-voice-asked-because-she-is-a/)

[Joanne Valiukas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-valiukas/)

## More by Molly Crabapple

> [“Girls like me used the Web in all the ways our parents feared. We read anarchist manifestos and exchanged lurid porn with grown men.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/girls-like-me-used-the-web-in-all-the-ways-our-parents-feared-we-read/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [I didn't want to be beholden to one person. So I did something where I had hundreds of people who backed the work. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/i-didn-t-want-to-be-beholden-to-one-person-so-i-did-something-where-i/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [I love comics, but I'd rather cut off my thumbs than do nothing but.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/i-love-comics-but-i-d-rather-cut-off-my-thumbs-than-do-nothing-but/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [When I started my own business, I funded it as a naked model. I still think that the sex industry can, for some men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/when-i-started-my-own-business-i-funded-it-as-a-naked-model-i-still/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [I feel like the traditional patron system meant that you would kiss the ass of one rich person and then hide all of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/i-feel-like-the-traditional-patron-system-meant-that-you-would-kiss/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [I had difficulty being friends with women who hadn't worked in either the sex or beauty industries. I felt like other women sometimes overvalued…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/i-had-difficulty-being-friends-with-women-who-hadn-t-worked-in-either/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [The thing is, Guantánamo is also a naval base, and they're under the delusion - especially the people on the naval side who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/the-thing-is-guant-namo-is-also-a-naval-base-and-they-re-under-the/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [I can't reasonably pretend to be a transparent and omniscient narrator who brings no personal perspective. That person doesn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/i-can-t-reasonably-pretend-to-be-a-transparent-and-omniscient/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [Rohini Mohan read. While she did, I sketched her. She writes with such beauty and violence, and it seemed like the best way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/rohini-mohan-read-while-she-did-i-sketched-her-she-writes-with-such/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [Mainstream feminism might remember that the war on women always starts with the war on whores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/mainstream-feminism-might-remember-that-the-war-on-women-always/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [Innocence is always the state of being untouched. Sometimes it's synonymous with virginity, so sometimes it's quite literal, but sometimes it's more of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/innocence-is-always-the-state-of-being-untouched-sometimes-it-s/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [Working a model liberated me from ever having to hold a day job. I transitioned from doing that to working full-time as an artist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/working-a-model-liberated-me-from-ever-having-to-hold-a-day-job-i/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [When you hold a graphic novel in your hands, you're holding artist blood made ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/when-you-hold-a-graphic-novel-in-your-hands-you-re-holding-artist/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [Maybe you shouldn't be working as a jailer in Guantánamo. Maybe that's why you feel spiritually unhealthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/maybe-you-shouldn-t-be-working-as-a-jailer-in-guant-namo-maybe-that-s/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

> [Despite everything we know about photo manipulation, a photo is still considered an objective document.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/despite-everything-we-know-about-photo-manipulation-a-photo-is-still/)

[Molly Crabapple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

[Explore all 38 Molly Crabapple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/)

## More Being responsible quotes

> [We can only be responsible for what we ourselves do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-peterfreund/we-can-only-be-responsible-for-what-we-ourselves-do/)

[Diana Peterfreund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-peterfreund/)

> [I tried to just do things like make some money, be responsible, help out other artists who I see have had a similar path.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-pink/i-tried-to-just-do-things-like-make-some-money-be-responsible-help/)

[Ariel Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-pink/)

> [Taxpayers would likely be responsible for treating addicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warren-kindt/taxpayers-would-likely-be-responsible-for-treating-addicts/)

[John Warren Kindt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warren-kindt/)

> [I don't really think in terms of the future of literature. I think literature will be around "forever" - but in a relatively niche…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-really-think-in-terms-of-the-future-of-literature-i-think/)

[Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/)

> [This is a difference between being a governor and being in a legislature. Because when something doesn't work in New Jersey, they look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/this-is-a-difference-between-being-a-governor-and-being-in-a/)

[Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/)

> [I think labels for the most part want to sign new discoveries so that that label alone is seen to be responsible for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/i-think-labels-for-the-most-part-want-to-sign-new-discoveries-so-that/)

[Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/)

> [Clean your freakin' fryer. Be responsible for Christ's sake!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-taffer/clean-your-freakin-fryer-be-responsible-for-christ-s-sake/)

[Jon Taffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-taffer/)

> [When a health policy analyst went to heaven, he asked God the same question: 'Will America ever have a single-payer system?' And God said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-altman/when-a-health-policy-analyst-went-to-heaven-he-asked-god-the-same/)

[Stuart Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-altman/)

> [I am involved with so many charitable organizations. Lung Cancer because of my dad, Breast Cancer because as a woman and mother of two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-robbins/i-am-involved-with-so-many-charitable-organizations-lung-cancer/)

[Lois Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-robbins/)

> [People want a grounded government. They want a government that's going to be responsible to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-paladino/people-want-a-grounded-government-they-want-a-government-that-s-going/)

[Carl Paladino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-paladino/)

> [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/)

[Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/)

> [You cannot be responsible for Jim Crow. You can not be responsible for racism. This is much more a problem for the person exercising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-peck/you-cannot-be-responsible-for-jim-crow-you-can-not-be-responsible-for/)

[Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-peck/)

> [Let us be good stewards of the Earth we inherited. All of us have to share the Earth's fragile ecosystems and precious resources, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/let-us-be-good-stewards-of-the-earth-we-inherited-all-of-us-have-to/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [I think that today, more so than ever, corporate responsibility is the best strategic as well as financial path that most businesses can follow.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-hollender/i-think-that-today-more-so-than-ever-corporate-responsibility-is-the/)

[Jeffrey Hollender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-hollender/)

> [If you recognize that self-driving cars are going to prevent car accidents, AI will be responsible for reducing one of the leading causes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/if-you-recognize-that-self-driving-cars-are-going-to-prevent-car/)

[Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/)

[Browse all 281 Being responsible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-responsible/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I absorbed the lie that any smart woman would use birth control and be responsible for her body. Obviously that's not true.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Molly Crabapple"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman-would-use-birth-control-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Being responsible"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman-would-use-birth-control-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3d/molly-crabapple-17140_being-responsible_i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman_1056638.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3d/molly-crabapple-17140_being-responsible_i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman_1056638.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3d/molly-crabapple-17140_being-responsible_i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman_1056638.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I absorbed the lie that any smart woman would use birth control and be responsible for her body. Obviously…” — Molly Crabapple",
                "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": "Molly Crabapple",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-crabapple/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I absorbed the lie that any...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman-would-use-birth-control-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-crabapple/i-absorbed-the-lie-that-any-smart-woman-would-use-birth-control-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
