---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once you've been painted as something…"
description: "\"Once you've been painted as something it's very hard, especially when you're young, to wash that off.\" — Oliver Sykes"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/oliver-sykes-4130_been_once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it_2655901.jpg"
---

#  Once you've been painted as something it's very hard…

![“Once you've been painted as something it's very hard, especially when you're young, to wash that off.” quote by Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/oliver-sykes-4130_been_once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it_2655901.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/oliver-sykes-4130_been_once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it_2655901.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/oliver-sykes-4130_been_once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it_2655901.jpg)

> “Once you've been painted as something it's very hard, especially when you're young, to wash that off.”

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

## About This Quote

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

Early labels stick, making it difficult for youth to shed imposed identities.

**In simple terms:** Labels are hard to remove.

Key Takeaway

Challenge and redefine early perceptions.

Themes

identity stigma youth

Mood

determined hopeful

Type

motivational psychological

When to use this quote

- school environments
- online personas
- career transitions

Key Concepts

self‑concept social labeling

Questions to Reflect On

- How can one actively rewrite a harmful label?
- What support systems aid identity change?

A Different Perspective

Societal pressure may reinforce labels despite effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [I had always been the hardest on myself when I drew and painted. I am not hard on myself when I write. I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carson-levine/i-had-always-been-the-hardest-on-myself-when-i-drew-and-painted-i-am/)

[Gail Carson Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carson-levine/)

> [Sometimes things get hard, especially if you are not having a great game or not feeling good within your cricket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofra-archer/sometimes-things-get-hard-especially-if-you-are-not-having-a-great/)

[Jofra Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofra-archer/)

> [Acting by yourself is pretty darn hard, especially having to do physical comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/acting-by-yourself-is-pretty-darn-hard-especially-having-to-do/)

[Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/)

> [Life is hard...Especially when you have to make decisions...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-hard-especially-when-you-have-to-make-decisions/)

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

> [Forgetting someone has always been hard for me, especially when I still want to be with that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgetting-someone-has-always-been-hard-for-me-especially-when-i/)

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

> [To be a two-way player on both sides of the ball is hard, especially in the NBA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaren-jackson-jr/to-be-a-two-way-player-on-both-sides-of-the-ball-is-hard-especially/)

[Jaren Jackson, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaren-jackson-jr/)

> [It might look like it's easy, but no one really knows how hard it is. Especially when you go from a college bars routine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mykayla-skinner/it-might-look-like-it-s-easy-but-no-one-really-knows-how-hard-it-is/)

[MyKayla Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mykayla-skinner/)

> [Juggling your personal life, your social life, and your work is hard, especially when you're in school like I am, but I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-lillis/juggling-your-personal-life-your-social-life-and-your-work-is-hard/)

[Sophia Lillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-lillis/)

> [Love's hard, especially for those who dont know how to trust, how to listen and how to forgive again and again...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-s-hard-especially-for-those-who-dont-know-how-to-trust-how-to/)

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

> [Predictions are hard, especially abot the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/predictions-are-hard-especially-abot-the-future/)

[Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/)

> [Running a business is incredibly hard, especially as a creative person, because you're extricated from the creative very quickly, and that is really hard.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leandra-medine/running-a-business-is-incredibly-hard-especially-as-a-creative-person/)

[Leandra Medine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leandra-medine/)

> [Keeping a promises was really hard especially when you yourself need to broke it for the sake of someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariejoie-uro/keeping-a-promises-was-really-hard-especially-when-you-yourself-need/)

[Mariejoie Uro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariejoie-uro/)

> [For me it's hard, especially being a young African-American woman. My dad doesn't look like what you might call the 'safe' African-American male that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/normani-kordei/for-me-it-s-hard-especially-being-a-young-african-american-woman-my/)

[Normani Kordei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/normani-kordei/)

> [Financing is always the hard part, especially if you don't have friends or family to back you, which was my case and the case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerby-jean-raymond/financing-is-always-the-hard-part-especially-if-you-don-t-have/)

[Kerby Jean-Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerby-jean-raymond/)

> [Playing normal is hard - especially playing normal that's not you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alycia-debnam-carey/playing-normal-is-hard-especially-playing-normal-that-s-not-you/)

[Alycia Debnam-Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alycia-debnam-carey/)

## More by Oliver Sykes

> [I have a penis tattooed on my leg, and high five tattooed on my palm. I don't regret them yet, but I'm sure when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/i-have-a-penis-tattooed-on-my-leg-and-high-five-tattooed-on-my-palm-i/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [The company is called Drop Dead, it makes me a lot a money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/the-company-is-called-drop-dead-it-makes-me-a-lot-a-money/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [Its all about the the worlds fucked up, people are taking us for a joke but youre not going to change the world by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/its-all-about-the-the-worlds-fucked-up-people-are-taking-us-for-a/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [What puts people off metal is they think it's all nutters and blood. We don't want to be seen that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/what-puts-people-off-metal-is-they-think-it-s-all-nutters-and-blood/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [You can compromise on anything else in your life but love. It's the one time where under no circumstances should you let yourself have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/you-can-compromise-on-anything-else-in-your-life-but-love-it-s-the/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [Vegitarians are sexier then meat eaters, we arent all greesy and shit. and we dont get all thoes diseases, like mad cow disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/vegitarians-are-sexier-then-meat-eaters-we-arent-all-greesy-and-shit/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [The only way I'll really smile is if you cut me ear to ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/the-only-way-i-ll-really-smile-is-if-you-cut-me-ear-to-ear/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [I think the fakest thing in the world is to judge someone on how they look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/i-think-the-fakest-thing-in-the-world-is-to-judge-someone-on-how-they/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [I'm just a would've been,Could've been,Should've been, Never was and Never will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/i-m-just-a-would-ve-been-could-ve-been-should-ve-been-never-was-and/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [It's quite an easy way to write a concept album about love. Everything boils down to love in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/it-s-quite-an-easy-way-to-write-a-concept-album-about-love-everything/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [I like how our records go from super poppy to heavy then electronic, and next I'd like to make a bunch of records where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/i-like-how-our-records-go-from-super-poppy-to-heavy-then-electronic/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [This hair, makes girls instantly wet, mothers cry, babies happy, it makes people in the army think…well why are we fighting?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/this-hair-makes-girls-instantly-wet-mothers-cry-babies-happy-it-makes/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [Well scummm my favorite band when I was young was Linkin Park.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/well-scummm-my-favorite-band-when-i-was-young-was-linkin-park/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [Save me from the ones that haunt me in the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/save-me-from-the-ones-that-haunt-me-in-the-night/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

> [Fuck you - oli sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/fuck-you-oli-sykes/)

[Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

[Explore all 114 Oliver Sykes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/)

## More Been quotes

> [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/)

[Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/)

> [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/)

[Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/)

[Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/)

> [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/)

> [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/)

[Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

> [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/)

[Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/)

[Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/)

> [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/)

[Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/)

> [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/)

[Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/)

> [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/)

[Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/)

Browse all 13,699 Been quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Once you've been painted as something it's very hard, especially when you're young, to wash that off.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Oliver Sykes"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it-s-very-hard-especially-when/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Been"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it-s-very-hard-especially-when/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/oliver-sykes-4130_been_once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it_2655901.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/oliver-sykes-4130_been_once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it_2655901.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/oliver-sykes-4130_been_once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it_2655901.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Once you've been painted as something it's very hard, especially when you're young, to wash that off.” — Oliver Sykes",
                "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": "Oliver Sykes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Once you've been painted as something...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it-s-very-hard-especially-when/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/once-you-ve-been-painted-as-something-it-s-very-hard-especially-when/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
