--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My parents have mellowed quite a bit…" description: "\"My parents have mellowed quite a bit, but, growing up, there was a sense that the only real professions were doctor, engineer, lawyer. Those were your ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/reggie-lee-15574_bit_my-parents-have-mellowed-quite-a-bit-but_1087580.jpg" --- # My parents have mellowed quite a bit, but, growing up… ![“My parents have mellowed quite a bit, but, growing up, there was a sense that the only real professions were doctor, engineer, lawyer. Those were your choices.” quote by Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/reggie-lee-15574_bit_my-parents-have-mellowed-quite-a-bit-but_1087580.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/reggie-lee-15574_bit_my-parents-have-mellowed-quite-a-bit-but_1087580.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb6/reggie-lee-15574_bit_my-parents-have-mellowed-quite-a-bit-but_1087580.jpg) > “My parents have mellowed quite a bit, but, growing up, there was a sense that the only real professions were doctor, engineer, lawyer. Those were your choices.” [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on how societal expectations once limited career choices to a few prestigious fields. **In simple terms:** He notes past pressure to choose only certain high‑status jobs. Key Takeaway Encourage diverse career exploration beyond traditional norms. Themes education career social pressure Mood reflective hopeful Type sociological motivational When to use this quote - school counseling - career fairs - family discussions Key Concepts social expectations career diversity parental influence Questions to Reflect On - What career paths feel undervalued today? - How can families support unconventional choices? A Different Perspective Changing norms may still face cultural resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Professions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professions/) ## Related quotes > [The announcement that I was going to be an actor was made when was I was 10 years old. And that didn't go down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/the-announcement-that-i-was-going-to-be-an-actor-was-made-when-was-i/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [Bill Phillips was this nervous, chain-smoking student. He had signed up to be an engineer, he had gone away to fight in the Second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/bill-phillips-was-this-nervous-chain-smoking-student-he-had-signed-up/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [Rapid development in areas like machine-to-machine communications and the Internet of Things, coupled with the proliferation of big data, means higher-skilled professions, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-dehaze/rapid-development-in-areas-like-machine-to-machine-communications-and/) [Alain Dehaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-dehaze/) > [There are professions more harmful than industrial design, but only a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-papanek/there-are-professions-more-harmful-than-industrial-design-but-only-a/) [Victor Papanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-papanek/) > [“Compared to art, all other professions are but chores.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-l-rese/compared-to-art-all-other-professions-are-but-chores/) [T.L. Rese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-l-rese/) > [Literature is the most noble of professions. In fact, it is about the only one fit for a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/literature-is-the-most-noble-of-professions-in-fact-it-is-about-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [I may have come into politics with an unacknowledged condescension toward the game and the people who played it, but I left with more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/i-may-have-come-into-politics-with-an-unacknowledged-condescension/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Art and relligion are not professions: they are not occupations for which men can be paid. The artist and the saint do what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/art-and-relligion-are-not-professions-they-are-not-occupations-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many in the creative professions were nerds in their pasts because they spent so long reading comics and using their imaginations when they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/many-in-the-creative-professions-were-nerds-in-their-pasts-because/) [Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/) > [Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-sutter/teaching-is-the-profession-that-teaches-all-the-other-professions/) [Rick Sutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-sutter/) > [Human nature is the same in all professions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/human-nature-is-the-same-in-all-professions/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [“As profession recognizes profession, so, too, does vice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/as-profession-recognizes-profession-so-too-does-vice/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [There are some professions that culturally and sociologically take a long time to change, and because of that, there's still sexism in comedy audiences.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-hart/there-are-some-professions-that-culturally-and-sociologically-take-a/) [Miranda Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-hart/) > [The liberal professions, and in a wider sense the well-to-do classes, are certainly those with the liveliest taste for knowledge and the most active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-durkheim/the-liberal-professions-and-in-a-wider-sense-the-well-to-do-classes/) [Emile Durkheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-durkheim/) > [By liberating women from household work and helping to abolish professions such as domestic service, the washing machine and other household goods completely revolutionised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/by-liberating-women-from-household-work-and-helping-to-abolish/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) ## More by Reggie Lee > [I always tell Asian actors, especially Filipinos wanting to break into Hollywood, to study, study and study and show their best. I haven't stopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/i-always-tell-asian-actors-especially-filipinos-wanting-to-break-into/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [ More than anything, it's \[yoga\] really led to a solid belief in two fundamental things: that we have everything we will ever need, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/more-than-anything-it-s-yoga-really-led-to-a-solid-belief-in-two/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [The announcement that I was going to be an actor was made when was I was 10 years old. And that didn't go down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/the-announcement-that-i-was-going-to-be-an-actor-was-made-when-was-i/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [When I was growing up in the Philippines, the story that was read to me most was Pinocchio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/when-i-was-growing-up-in-the-philippines-the-story-that-was-read-to/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [Everything we will ever need, we already have within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/everything-we-will-ever-need-we-already-have-within-us/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [I don't play a regular guy at all - never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/i-don-t-play-a-regular-guy-at-all-never/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [How often, really, do you get a Filipino story line in a show? Not very often. I can't think of any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/how-often-really-do-you-get-a-filipino-story-line-in-a-show-not-very/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [The other day, a doughnut shop in Portland called Pip's Originals tweeted me telling me that they named a doughnut after me called the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/the-other-day-a-doughnut-shop-in-portland-called-pip-s-originals/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [Most of my background is Filipino and partly Chinese, but mostly Filipino.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/most-of-my-background-is-filipino-and-partly-chinese-but-mostly/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [I took the 'Lee' from my grandparents, who took care of me during the day while my mom was away working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/i-took-the-lee-from-my-grandparents-who-took-care-of-me-during-the/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [I have the biggest sweet tooth, and just recently a doughnut shop in Portland called Pip's Original introduced a doughnut inspired by me called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/i-have-the-biggest-sweet-tooth-and-just-recently-a-doughnut-shop-in/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [I cannot see myself sitting at a desk from nine to five!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/i-cannot-see-myself-sitting-at-a-desk-from-nine-to-five/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [I love being the character actor. I get to stretch my muscles a little more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/i-love-being-the-character-actor-i-get-to-stretch-my-muscles-a-little/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [There's this list on Internet Movie Database that I'm on, and it's called 'Actors with High Body Counts.' I'm always playing the bad guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/there-s-this-list-on-internet-movie-database-that-i-m-on-and-it-s/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [You want something? Go get it with single-minded devotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/you-want-something-go-get-it-with-single-minded-devotion/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) [Explore all 42 Reggie Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) ## More Bit quotes > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. 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I just used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-wogan/oh-i-m-a-great-believer-in-the-power-of-the-pause-radio-is-a-bit/) [Terry Wogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-wogan/) > [You have a little bit of talent, a certain amount of good fortune and a lot of hard work in pursuit of whatever truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/you-have-a-little-bit-of-talent-a-certain-amount-of-good-fortune-and/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [I was a bit overweight as a teenager, which may be why I'm more comfortable playing with clothes than showing my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orla-brady/i-was-a-bit-overweight-as-a-teenager-which-may-be-why-i-m-more/) [Orla Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orla-brady/) > [I love Christopher Bailey and Burberry, Mulberry for bags, and Hudson for jeans. I like a little bit of designer with a bit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-delevingne/i-love-christopher-bailey-and-burberry-mulberry-for-bags-and-hudson/) [Cara Delevingne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-delevingne/) > [I'm sure people see me as quiet and someone who keeps things to himself a little bit. I might be quiet, but there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-donald/i-m-sure-people-see-me-as-quiet-and-someone-who-keeps-things-to/) [Luke Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-donald/) > [I was a serious competitive figure skater and still ice-skate as much as I can. Anyway, I once brought a date to the rink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-serratos/i-was-a-serious-competitive-figure-skater-and-still-ice-skate-as-much/) [Christian Serratos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-serratos/) > [There's a difference between watching a film and watching a bit of cinema and enjoying a film as a piece of cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-frost/there-s-a-difference-between-watching-a-film-and-watching-a-bit-of/) [Nick Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-frost/) > [It's a bit cliche, but you can't go wrong by writing what you know. 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