--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never really been afraid of how…" description: "\"I've never really been afraid of how people were going to define me, as long as I didn't write some cheaper song because people like that I'm depressed..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/phoebe-bridgers-11897_afraid_i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-peo_2730270.jpg" --- # I've never really been afraid of how people were going to… ![“I've never really been afraid of how people were going to define me, as long as I didn't write some cheaper song because people like that I'm depressed.” quote by Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/phoebe-bridgers-11897_afraid_i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-peo_2730270.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/phoebe-bridgers-11897_afraid_i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-peo_2730270.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/phoebe-bridgers-11897_afraid_i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-peo_2730270.jpg) > “I've never really been afraid of how people were going to define me, as long as I didn't write some cheaper song because people like that I'm depressed.” [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She resists letting others’ definitions dictate her art, refusing to create cheap, self‑deprecating work just to fit expectations. **In simple terms:** Don’t let others define your art; stay authentic. Key Takeaway Stay true to your artistic voice. Themes authenticity self‑expression resilience creativity Mood defiant introspective Type ly motivational When to use this quote - songwriting - public image - mental health - career decisions Key Concepts artistic integrity self‑identity Questions to Reflect On - What compromises are you willing to make for authenticity? - How does external judgment affect your creative process? A Different Perspective Risk of alienating audiences who expect a certain style. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) [Afraid People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-people/) [Cheaper Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheaper-song-2949014/) [Depressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressed/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Like Depressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-depressed-1086506/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [There is always a time when you feel like down and depressed and you have no idea why. But don't worry as someone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-d-roza/there-is-always-a-time-when-you-feel-like-down-and-depressed-and-you/) [Brad D'Roza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-d-roza/) > [I am not suicidal. Occasionally, like all of us, I get depressed and it was over a year ago and I had a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-love/i-am-not-suicidal-occasionally-like-all-of-us-i-get-depressed-and-it/) [Courtney Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-love/) > [People see everything through a filter of them, of their own selves. And it's like, you can't be depressed because somehow that has something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabourey-sidibe/people-see-everything-through-a-filter-of-them-of-their-own-selves/) [Gabourey Sidibe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabourey-sidibe/) > [“Earlier in the day, while killing some hours by circling in blue ballpoint ink every uppercase M in the front section of a month-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/earlier-in-the-day-while-killing-some-hours-by-circling-in-blue/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [I know some people are like "I'm depressed and I'm a struggling artist" and that really works for some people, but that doesn't work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charli-xcx/i-know-some-people-are-like-i-m-depressed-and-i-m-a-struggling-artist/) [Charli XCX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charli-xcx/) > [Others imply that they know what it is like to be depressed because they have gone through a divorce, lost a job, or broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/others-imply-that-they-know-what-it-is-like-to-be-depressed-because/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [I'm afraid of people, in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-haslam/i-m-afraid-of-people-in-a-way/) [Nicholas Haslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-haslam/) > [Consider what people think of you, but don't be afraid of what people think of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-holm/consider-what-people-think-of-you-but-don-t-be-afraid-of-what-people/) [Anders Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-holm/) > [Be honest about mistakes. Even if you are afraid of what people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/be-honest-about-mistakes-even-if-you-are-afraid-of-what-people-think/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“We don’t have to be so afraid of people. They are just people like us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/we-don-t-have-to-be-so-afraid-of-people-they-are-just-people-like-us/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [Sometimes I am afraid for people like you who have to know things. Your kind will dig and hunt and worry at it until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isobelle-carmody/sometimes-i-am-afraid-for-people-like-you-who-have-to-know-things/) [Isobelle Carmody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isobelle-carmody/) > [I've been afraid of people playing their life away with too many toys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-ve-been-afraid-of-people-playing-their-life-away-with-too-many-toys/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [For years I would sit on the side when my friends swam in the water. There is no feeling worse than that, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/netta-barzilai/for-years-i-would-sit-on-the-side-when-my-friends-swam-in-the-water/) [Netta Barzilai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/netta-barzilai/) > [I am not a bit afraid of Siegfried Sassoon. That man can think. I am afraid only of people who cannot think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-am-not-a-bit-afraid-of-siegfried-sassoon-that-man-can-think-i-am/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [I used to work in jobs I hated because I needed the money to buy a guitar. I know what it feels like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cornell/i-used-to-work-in-jobs-i-hated-because-i-needed-the-money-to-buy-a/) [Chris Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cornell/) ## More by Phoebe Bridgers > [I love going on walks and talking to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-love-going-on-walks-and-talking-to-people/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [I don't want to get all self-help on everyone. But I definitely think there was a period in my life where I thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-don-t-want-to-get-all-self-help-on-everyone-but-i-definitely-think/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [There is nothing more useless than an album that you don't feel strongly about, out in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/there-is-nothing-more-useless-than-an-album-that-you-don-t-feel/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [Joshua Kirk, the YouTube kid with the glasses who looks directly into the camera - I really love his album reviews. He's been doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/joshua-kirk-the-youtube-kid-with-the-glasses-who-looks-directly-into/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [I was actually with Conor Oberst on tour, and we were walking down the street getting a coffee. 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As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/none-of-my-family-are-musicians-but-there-was-a-lot-of-classic-rock/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [I didn't go to college and I worked so I could play music. That was my goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-didn-t-go-to-college-and-i-worked-so-i-could-play-music-that-was-my/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [I feel like 'Pitchfork' has a style, and you always know what they're gonna say and what they're gonna pick apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-feel-like-pitchfork-has-a-style-and-you-always-know-what-they-re/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [Boygenius' was the first time I produced without a producer-producer in the room. It's been crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/boygenius-was-the-first-time-i-produced-without-a-producer-producer/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [Often people have to wake me up from a nap to tell me to go on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/often-people-have-to-wake-me-up-from-a-nap-to-tell-me-to-go-on-stage/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [A lot of my close friends are musicians and are consumed by the idea of death; their heads are like a torture chamber. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/a-lot-of-my-close-friends-are-musicians-and-are-consumed-by-the-idea/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [People still kind of think of me as like a folk artist, but on the first record, I truly was deferring to other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/people-still-kind-of-think-of-me-as-like-a-folk-artist-but-on-the/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) > [I wanted to talk about how stupid music is. I wanted to talk about how awesome music is, and how depressing it is, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-wanted-to-talk-about-how-stupid-music-is-i-wanted-to-talk-about-how/) [Phoebe Bridgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) [Explore all 57 Phoebe Bridgers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/) ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) [Darlene Senger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-senger/) > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) [Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never really been afraid of how people were going to define me, as long as I didn't write some cheaper song because people like that I'm depressed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phoebe Bridgers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-people-were-going-to-define-me/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afraid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-people-were-going-to-define-me/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/phoebe-bridgers-11897_afraid_i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-peo_2730270.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/phoebe-bridgers-11897_afraid_i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-peo_2730270.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/060/phoebe-bridgers-11897_afraid_i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-peo_2730270.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've never really been afraid of how people were going to define me, as long as I didn't write some cheaper…” — Phoebe Bridgers", "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": "Phoebe Bridgers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-bridgers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've never really been afraid of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-people-were-going-to-define-me/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-bridgers/i-ve-never-really-been-afraid-of-how-people-were-going-to-define-me/#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 } } ] } ```