---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think people are surprised that I'm not…"
description: "\"I think people are surprised that I'm not - I think people come up to talk to me, and they think I'm going to be really morose. And I am, but I do that..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/perfume-genius-6519_hug_i-think-people-are-surprised-that-i-m-no_953249.png"
---

#  I think people are surprised that I'm not - I think people…

![“I think people are surprised that I'm not - I think people come up to talk to me, and they think I'm going to be really morose. And I am, but I do that by myself - no one wants to see that. It's not really a phoniness; I just kind of keep it to myself. So I think people are surprised when they…” quote by Perfume Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/perfume-genius-6519_hug_i-think-people-are-surprised-that-i-m-no_953249.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/perfume-genius-6519_hug_i-think-people-are-surprised-that-i-m-no_953249.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/180/perfume-genius-6519_hug_i-think-people-are-surprised-that-i-m-no_953249.png)

> “I think people are surprised that I'm not - I think people come up to talk to me, and they think I'm going to be really morose. And I am, but I do that by myself - no one wants to see that. It's not really a phoniness; I just kind of keep it to myself. So I think people are surprised when they come up to talk to me and I hug them.”

[Perfume Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perfume-genius/)

## About This Quote

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

People expect sadness from the artist, yet he hides his own sorrow, surprising them with affection when approached.

**In simple terms:** He hides his own sadness.

Key Takeaway

Share authentic feelings, not just expected ones.

Themes

vulnerability expectation authenticity

Mood

introspective hopeful

Type

personal reflective

When to use this quote

- public appearances
- personal relationships
- mental health discussions

Key Concepts

Self‑presentation emotional labor

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we assume artists must be melancholic?
- How does sharing joy affect others?

A Different Perspective

Maintaining a public image can suppress genuine emotion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Hug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hug/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/)

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> [English people are always surprised I'm English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-hunnam/english-people-are-always-surprised-i-m-english/)

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> [People are always so surprised when they meet me. Firstly, that I'm 'so tiny', and secondly that I'm 'so sweet'. They seem surprised that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/people-are-always-so-surprised-when-they-meet-me-firstly-that-i-m-so/)

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[James Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stewart/)

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## More by Perfume Genius

> [Hymns have always sounded like sung spells to me. I never felt included in the magic of the God songs I heard growing up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perfume-genius/hymns-have-always-sounded-like-sung-spells-to-me-i-never-felt/)

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> [I'm just very self-conscious about the way I look. I really am embarrassed of it, because I wish I wasn't like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perfume-genius/i-m-just-very-self-conscious-about-the-way-i-look-i-really-am/)

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> [I was really scared of the devil growing up: I was convinced I was going to be possessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perfume-genius/i-was-really-scared-of-the-devil-growing-up-i-was-convinced-i-was/)

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> [I like to have fun! And everything that's good for you is not fun, and that bores me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perfume-genius/i-like-to-have-fun-and-everything-that-s-good-for-you-is-not-fun-and/)

[Perfume Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perfume-genius/)

> [On the first two albums, I essentially began with lyrics and placed the music underneath or around the words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perfume-genius/on-the-first-two-albums-i-essentially-began-with-lyrics-and-placed/)

[Perfume Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perfume-genius/)

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[Explore all 99 Perfume Genius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perfume-genius/)

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