--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was overlooked long before anyone knew…" description: "\"I was overlooked long before anyone knew who I was.\" — Paul Desmond" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/paul-desmond-29592_anyone_i-was-overlooked-long-before-anyone-knew_1982989.jpg" --- # I was overlooked long before anyone knew who I was. ![“I was overlooked long before anyone knew who I was.” quote by Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/paul-desmond-29592_anyone_i-was-overlooked-long-before-anyone-knew_1982989.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/paul-desmond-29592_anyone_i-was-overlooked-long-before-anyone-knew_1982989.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ad/paul-desmond-29592_anyone_i-was-overlooked-long-before-anyone-knew_1982989.jpg) > “I was overlooked long before anyone knew who I was.” [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He felt unnoticed before achieving fame, highlighting early struggles of recognition. **In simple terms:** He was ignored before fame. Key Takeaway Persist despite early neglect. Themes recognition career perseverance music Mood reflective determined Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - early gigs - record deals - publicity campaigns Key Concepts self-worth visibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated when unseen? - What defines true recognition? A Different Perspective Recognition often follows sustained effort, not instant. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anyone/) [Before](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/before/) [Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-knew-786919/) [Overlooked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overlooked/) [Overlooked Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overlooked-long-3395385/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [For too long, I have been overlooked. For too long, I have been disrespected. For too long, I had been too good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville/for-too-long-i-have-been-overlooked-for-too-long-i-have-been/) [Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville/) > [“...I had been with my father so constantly for so long that I knew less and less about him with every passing year. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/i-had-been-with-my-father-so-constantly-for-so-long-that-i-knew-less/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [Long before you knew what death was you were wishing it on someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/long-before-you-knew-what-death-was-you-were-wishing-it-on-someone/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Our souls fell in love long before we ever knew.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-r-hart/our-souls-fell-in-love-long-before-we-ever-knew/) [N.R.Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-r-hart/) > [“With a good friend it’s not always how long you knew them, but how well you did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-gurtler-the-truth-about-us/with-a-good-friend-it-s-not-always-how-long-you-knew-them-but-how/) [Janet Gurtler The Truth About Us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-gurtler-the-truth-about-us/) > [Because I've been doing my practice for so long, I knew what to do even under really hard circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/because-i-ve-been-doing-my-practice-for-so-long-i-knew-what-to-do/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [I knew it was called 'Dunkirk,' Christopher Nolan was directing it, and it was a war film. That was all anyone knew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fionn-whitehead/i-knew-it-was-called-dunkirk-christopher-nolan-was-directing-it-and/) [Fionn Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fionn-whitehead/) > [When I first began visiting West Germany in the early 1980s, I was startled by the contrast between Birmingham, where I went to school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-harding/when-i-first-began-visiting-west-germany-in-the-early-1980s-i-was/) [Luke Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-harding/) > [Before the Internet, all most people cared about was Office. And Office was really the only reason anyone wanted Windows machines instead of Macs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arrington/before-the-internet-all-most-people-cared-about-was-office-and-office/) [Michael Arrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arrington/) > [I hope that more children have the same opportunities as me, with the same parents as me, that let me be an individual, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-weir/i-hope-that-more-children-have-the-same-opportunities-as-me-with-the/) [Johnny Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-weir/) > [Ive always loved the power of stories to transport me to another world, to imagine extraordinary possibilities, to experience things I may not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kandyse-mcclure/ive-always-loved-the-power-of-stories-to-transport-me-to-another/) [Kandyse McClure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kandyse-mcclure/) > [I was in fittings for the first costume even before I knew I was even going to be 'Deathlok.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-august-richards/i-was-in-fittings-for-the-first-costume-even-before-i-knew-i-was-even/) [J. August Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-august-richards/) > [I knew boxing before I knew anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-mayweather-jr/i-knew-boxing-before-i-knew-anything-else/) [Floyd Mayweather, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-mayweather-jr/) > [I'd had episodes before, but I swept them under the carpet. This time, I couldn't do that because everyone knew. I got on with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-kidder/i-d-had-episodes-before-but-i-swept-them-under-the-carpet-this-time-i/) [Margot Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-kidder/) > [For the Russian masses, the proletarians, knew for certain, and already saw during the war, and in part before their very eyes, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-gorter/for-the-russian-masses-the-proletarians-knew-for-certain-and-already/) [Herman Gorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-gorter/) ## More by Paul Desmond > [I tried practicing for a few weeks and ended up playing too fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/i-tried-practicing-for-a-few-weeks-and-ended-up-playing-too-fast/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [The qualities in music which I considered most important - and still do - were beauty, simplicity, originality, discrimination, and sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/the-qualities-in-music-which-i-considered-most-important-and-still-do/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [ I'm glad \[Ornette Coleman\] is such an individualist. I like the firmness of thought and purpose that goes into what he's doing, even though… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/i-m-glad-ornette-coleman-is-such-an-individualist-i-like-the-firmness/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [We used to get on planes, and they'd ask who we were, and we'd say, 'The Dave Brubeck Quartet', and they'd say, 'Who?' In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/we-used-to-get-on-planes-and-they-d-ask-who-we-were-and-we-d-say-the/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [I would like to thank my father who discouraged me from playing the violin at an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/i-would-like-to-thank-my-father-who-discouraged-me-from-playing-the/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [I would also like to thank my father who discouraged me from playing the violin at an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/i-would-also-like-to-thank-my-father-who-discouraged-me-from-playing/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [We're working as if it were going out of style-which of course it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/we-re-working-as-if-it-were-going-out-of-style-which-of-course-it-is/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [Sometimes I get the feeling that there are orgies going on all over new York City, and somebody says, 'Let's call Desmond,' and somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/sometimes-i-get-the-feeling-that-there-are-orgies-going-on-all-over/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [I was unfashionable before anyone knew who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/i-was-unfashionable-before-anyone-knew-who-i-was/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [Our basic audience begins with creaking elderly types of twenty-three and above.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/our-basic-audience-begins-with-creaking-elderly-types-of-twenty-three/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [Not for me. If I want to tune everybody out, I just take off my glasses and enjoy the haze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/not-for-me-if-i-want-to-tune-everybody-out-i-just-take-off-my-glasses/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [I discovered early in life that if you take gym first period, you can go into the wrestling room and sit in the corner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/i-discovered-early-in-life-that-if-you-take-gym-first-period-you-can/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [It was never supposed to be a hit. It was supposed to be a Joe Morello drum solo,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/it-was-never-supposed-to-be-a-hit-it-was-supposed-to-be-a-joe-morello/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [Milton, of all people, gave the most perfect definition of the state of mind required to play jazz: ' with wanton heed and giddy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/milton-of-all-people-gave-the-most-perfect-definition-of-the-state-of/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) > [I think I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to sound like a dry martini.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-desmond/i-think-i-had-it-in-the-back-of-my-mind-that-i-wanted-to-sound-like-a/) [Paul Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) [Explore all 18 Paul Desmond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-desmond/) ## More Anyone quotes > [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/) > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. 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I guess there's more pressure when you're in the public eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-marais/as-a-new-mother-you-re-so-vulnerable-and-make-mistakes-all-the-time-i/) [Jessica Marais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-marais/) > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [I don't have any regrets or hold any grudge against anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/i-don-t-have-any-regrets-or-hold-any-grudge-against-anyone/) [Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/) > [When you rely on incentives, you undermine virtues. Then when you discover that you actually need people who want to do the right thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/when-you-rely-on-incentives-you-undermine-virtues-then-when-you/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [We cannot stop anyone from criticising us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/we-cannot-stop-anyone-from-criticising-us/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [Don't compare your career to anyone else's. It's tough when you're in a business that's competitive. I was having a difficult time with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-brooks/don-t-compare-your-career-to-anyone-else-s-it-s-tough-when-you-re-in/) [Danielle Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-brooks/) > [The Syrians are better suited to sort out their internal divisions than anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/the-syrians-are-better-suited-to-sort-out-their-internal-divisions/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [I haven't talked to any young artists for a long time. But if we did sit down, I'd definitely tell them my viewpoint. 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