Good enough Quote by Richard Rider
““Everyone always knows what they're doing," he says abruptly, still not looking up from his hands, the little plastic pot and the old tattoo and the new white dressing on his left wrist. "You know what you're doing, you got your work and your friends and everything and miserable headfucky little teenage girly boys think you're amazing and, I don't know, you might've saved my life, who knows? I might be dead if it weren't for you and Olly but people can't keep looking after me all the time cos that ain't healthy neither, that's just as bad as people not giving a fuck at all. And, like... I'm trying to sort my head out and be a proper grown-up and get my degree and go to work and look after them kids and make sure my dad ain't kicking my sister round the house like a football but it's just so hard all the time, and I know I ain't got no right to complain cos that's just life, ain't it? Everyone's the same, least I ain't got money worries or nothing. I just don't know what I'm doing, everything's too hard. I can try and try forever but I can't be good enough for no one so what the fuck's the point?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Unnamed contemporary fiction, 2021
A character expresses existential frustration, feeling inadequate despite effort, and questions life's purpose amid personal and family pressures.
In simple terms: Feeling lost and questioning purpose despite trying.
Accept imperfection and seek support.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- college life
- mental health
- family dynamics
- career planning
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What gives your life meaning now?
- How can you reframe “not good enough”?
May overlook resilience and potential for growth.