---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is it really so terrible being around…"
description: "\"Is it really so terrible being around us?\" I blushed. \"No,\" I said. \"But . . . it's complicated. I've been taught certain things my entire life. Those ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/richelle-mead-46_able_is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us_2688267.jpg"
---

#  Is it really so terrible being around us?" I blushed…

![“Is it really so terrible being around us?&quot; I blushed. &quot;No,&quot; I said. &quot;But . . . it's complicated. I've been taught certain things my entire life. Those are hard to shake.&quot; &quot;The greatest changes in history have come because people were able to shake off what others told them to do.” quote by Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/richelle-mead-46_able_is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us_2688267.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/richelle-mead-46_able_is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us_2688267.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/richelle-mead-46_able_is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us_2688267.jpg)

> “Is it really so terrible being around us?" I blushed. "No," I said. "But . . . it's complicated. I've been taught certain things my entire life. Those are hard to shake." "The greatest changes in history have come because people were able to shake off what others told them to do.”

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

## About This Quote

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

Explores the difficulty of breaking free from ingrained teachings.

**In simple terms:** Breaking old teachings is hard.

Key Takeaway

Challenge learned beliefs.

Themes

growth freedom education

Mood

introspective inspirational

Type

fiction personal

When to use this quote

- self‑reflection
- mentorship

Key Concepts

personal development cultural norms

Questions to Reflect On

- What beliefs limit you?
- How can you unlearn them?

A Different Perspective

Change can be painful.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Entire life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire-life/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/)

## Related quotes

> [“The greatest changes in history have come because people were able to shake off what others told them to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/the-greatest-changes-in-history-have-come-because-people-were-able-to/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [The greatest changes in history have come when people were able to shake off what others told them to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/the-greatest-changes-in-history-have-come-when-people-were-able-to/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [If you read the life of great men and women who made important changes in history, there are two common features: One, they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leymah-gbowee/if-you-read-the-life-of-great-men-and-women-who-made-important/)

[Leymah Gbowee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leymah-gbowee/)

> [“ "You see, I do a little in this way myself," he explained; "here is my most prized piece." He took from his pocket…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/you-see-i-do-a-little-in-this-way-myself-he-explained-here-is-my-most/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [“Fairy tales, as Nell had said, are always complicated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-atherton/fairy-tales-as-nell-had-said-are-always-complicated/)

[Nancy Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-atherton/)

> [“Start here &amp; go until you die, he said. What's so complicated about that? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/start-here-go-until-you-die-he-said-what-s-so-complicated-about-that/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [I Am... I Said is a very complicated song and its complicated probably because my feelings were very complicated when I wrote it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-diamond/i-am-i-said-is-a-very-complicated-song-and-its-complicated-probably/)

[Neil Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-diamond/)

> [Surveillance changes history. We know this through examples of corrupt presidents like Nixon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikko-hypponen/surveillance-changes-history-we-know-this-through-examples-of-corrupt/)

[Mikko Hypponen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikko-hypponen/)

> [“Jesus changes our history from a random series of sad incidents and accidents into a constant opportunity for a change of heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-j-m-nouwen/jesus-changes-our-history-from-a-random-series-of-sad-incidents-and/)

[Henri J.M. Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-j-m-nouwen/)

> [Regarding the children in Israel who made the first known world change in history using the Bible Code, they left a statement which they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drunvalo-melchizedek/regarding-the-children-in-israel-who-made-the-first-known-world/)

[Drunvalo Melchizedek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drunvalo-melchizedek/)

> [Conformity may give you a quiet life; it may even bring you to a University Chair. But all change in history, all advance, comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-p-taylor/conformity-may-give-you-a-quiet-life-it-may-even-bring-you-to-a/)

[A. J. P. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-p-taylor/)

> [Optimists are usually wrong. But all the great change in history, positive change, was done by optimists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/optimists-are-usually-wrong-but-all-the-great-change-in-history/)

[Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/)

> [The introduction of the Christian religion into the world has produced an incalculable change in history. There had previously been only a history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-henri-merle-d-aubigne/the-introduction-of-the-christian-religion-into-the-world-has/)

Jean-Henri Merle d'Aubigne

> [You keep plugging away--that's the way social change takes place. That's the way every social change in history has taken place: by a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-keep-plugging-away-that-s-the-way-social-change-takes-place-that/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [No real change in history has ever been achieved by discussions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-real-change-in-history-has-ever-been-achieved-by-discussions/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Richelle Mead

> [“Jerome shrugged. “We’re back to the part where I don’t give a fuck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/jerome-shrugged-we-re-back-to-the-part-where-i-don-t-give-a-fuck/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“A piece of heaven?" I managed to ask. He slowly shook his head. "No. The other place. The one I'm going to burn in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/a-piece-of-heaven-i-managed-to-ask-he-slowly-shook-his-head-no-the/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [When I talked to him earlier, he said he had to work tonight,” Peter explained, “but that we should go ahead and draw for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/when-i-talked-to-him-earlier-he-said-he-had-to-work-tonight-peter/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [It was a nephilim.” “A nephi-what?” asked Hugh, startled. “Isn’t that a character on Sesame Street?” Peter spoke up for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-was-a-nephilim-a-nephi-what-asked-hugh-startled-isn-t-that-a/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Life and death were so unpredictable. So close to each other. We existed moment to moment, never knowing who would be the next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-and-death-were-so-unpredictable-so-close-to-each-other-we/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“I watched, enthralled, as he painted a large silver heart with flames edging one side. The whole design was Celtic in style. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-watched-enthralled-as-he-painted-a-large-silver-heart-with-flames/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“I loved Aeson. You have no idea what love is.” “Oh, I do. I know that it’s the best high and the worst hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-loved-aeson-you-have-no-idea-what-love-is-oh-i-do-i-know-that-it-s/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Why would you do that? Why would you act like you didn't know how to drive?" "Isn't it obvious, Sage? No, of course it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/why-would-you-do-that-why-would-you-act-like-you-didn-t-know-how-to/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Everything I’d fought for, every challenge, every victory … all of it was empty if anything happened to him. Without him, I wouldn’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/everything-i-d-fought-for-every-challenge-every-victory-all-of-it-was/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Is it true? You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?" I Swallowed. "It wouldn't have been a clean getaway without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-true-you-had-a-clean-getaway-and-risked-it-all-for-me-i/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, "Mmm. O positive, my favorite." Keith sprayed out the wine he'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/keith-was-just-bringing-the-glass-to-his-lips-when-adrian-said-mmm-o/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Life’s like that. As we grow and change, some things we’ve experienced before take on new meaning. It’ll happen for the rest of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-s-like-that-as-we-grow-and-change-some-things-we-ve-experienced/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Hey Sydney," she said, giving me a small, crooked smile as she entered the room. Her flashing, dark eyes were friendly, but they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/hey-sydney-she-said-giving-me-a-small-crooked-smile-as-she-entered/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Sydney Katherine Sage,” he said, his green eyes full of love and earnestness. “Would you do a brooding, deadbeat Moroi the honor of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/sydney-katherine-sage-he-said-his-green-eyes-full-of-love-and/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

[Explore all 2,001 Richelle Mead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

## More Able quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/)

[Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/)

[Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/)

> [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/)

Greg Perry

> [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/)

[Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/)

> [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

Browse all 17,257 Able quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Is it really so terrible being around us?\" I blushed. \"No,\" I said. \"But . . . it's complicated. I've been taught certain things my entire life. Those are hard to shake.\" \"The greatest changes in history have come because people were able to shake off what others told them to do.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richelle Mead"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us-i-blushed-no-i-said-but-it-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Able"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us-i-blushed-no-i-said-but-it-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/richelle-mead-46_able_is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us_2688267.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/richelle-mead-46_able_is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us_2688267.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/richelle-mead-46_able_is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us_2688267.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Is it really so terrible being around us?\" I blushed. \"No,\" I said. \"But . . . it's complicated. I've been…” — Richelle Mead",
                "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": "Richelle Mead",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Is it really so terrible being...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us-i-blushed-no-i-said-but-it-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-really-so-terrible-being-around-us-i-blushed-no-i-said-but-it-s/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
