--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was eight when I found out I was…" description: "\"I was eight when I found out I was adopted. My step-brother told me. He'd overheard my mum and my stepdad at the time talking about it, and he threw it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/rj-mitte-14848_adopted_i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopt_275879.jpg" --- # I was eight when I found out I was adopted. My… ![“I was eight when I found out I was adopted. My step-brother told me. He'd overheard my mum and my stepdad at the time talking about it, and he threw it in my face. But I didn't really care. It didn't seem relevant, because I never once in my life felt unloved or like I was a burden.” quote by RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/rj-mitte-14848_adopted_i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopt_275879.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/rj-mitte-14848_adopted_i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopt_275879.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/rj-mitte-14848_adopted_i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopt_275879.jpg) > “I was eight when I found out I was adopted. My step-brother told me. He'd overheard my mum and my stepdad at the time talking about it, and he threw it in my face. But I didn't really care. It didn't seem relevant, because I never once in my life felt unloved or like I was a burden.” [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning about adoption at a young age did not affect self‑worth, showing resilience and the irrelevance of external labels. **In simple terms:** Adoption news didn't change his self‑esteem. Key Takeaway Self‑worth comes from within, not labels. Themes identity resilience family Mood introspective empowering Type personal psychological When to use this quote - adoption disclosure - family dynamics - personal growth Key Concepts psychology self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - How do you define self‑worth? - What role do family narratives play in identity? A Different Perspective May overlook long‑term emotional impacts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The most important thing in convoluted families, I learnt as I wrote, is that the child feels loved. I knew from a young age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-huston/the-most-important-thing-in-convoluted-families-i-learnt-as-i-wrote/) [Allegra Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-huston/) > [I dont know if I am depressed or not,its hard to say,but this loneliness and agony is unbearable¦im so hurt and I always tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemant-smarty/i-dont-know-if-i-am-depressed-or-not-its-hard-to-say-but-this/) [Hemant Smarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hemant-smarty/) > [My dad and my cousin and brother always told me try to get something from everyone. Don't get stuck in one player. Just learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-lindor/my-dad-and-my-cousin-and-brother-always-told-me-try-to-get-something/) [Francisco Lindor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-lindor/) > [My older brother told me, 'Stay away from women,' and I'm taking it to heart. I'm staying clear. It's kind of like a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elijah-wood/my-older-brother-told-me-stay-away-from-women-and-i-m-taking-it-to/) [Elijah Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elijah-wood/) > [At one time in my life, from the time I was seven until I was about 13, I didn't speak. I only spoke to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/at-one-time-in-my-life-from-the-time-i-was-seven-until-i-was-about-13/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“When I was younger, my brother told me that he had the power to shrink me to the size of an ant. In fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/when-i-was-younger-my-brother-told-me-that-he-had-the-power-to-shrink/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Churches in the outside world, my brother told me, were just the local stores that sold people lies made up in the distant factories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/churches-in-the-outside-world-my-brother-told-me-were-just-the-local/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I be speakin' to my brother He told me keep the pressure on these niggaz, never trust 'em They test you, muthafuck 'em](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-b/i-be-speakin-to-my-brother-he-told-me-keep-the-pressure-on-these/) [Max B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-b/) > [“Today, I slept in until 10, Cleaned every dish I own, Fought with the bank, Took care of paperwork. You and I might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kait-rokowski/today-i-slept-in-until-10-cleaned-every-dish-i-own-fought-with-the/) Kait Rokowski > [“Thank you for your offer, but I’m not interested.” “Come on,” Andrew said in a purposefully whiney voice. “My older brother told me you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wallace-knight/thank-you-for-your-offer-but-i-m-not-interested-come-on-andrew-said/) Jane Wallace-Knight > [“I love you, Clary wanted to say. And, I would do it again. I would always ask for you. But those weren’t the words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-love-you-clary-wanted-to-say-and-i-would-do-it-again-i-would-always/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I don’t like this,” his brother told him as they walked down the stairs. “You don’t like anything. I’ve heard you complain about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-a-aiken/i-don-t-like-this-his-brother-told-him-as-they-walked-down-the-stairs/) [G.A. Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-a-aiken/) > [My parents were fairly laid-back, but there were certain things about which they were very strict. My brother and I were told never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/my-parents-were-fairly-laid-back-but-there-were-certain-things-about/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [I used to believe everything my brother told me, because he was older and I figured he knew more about the world. But as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-used-to-believe-everything-my-brother-told-me-because-he-was-older/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“You see it is likely that, when my brother told the story, that night when we got home and my mother and sister sat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/you-see-it-is-likely-that-when-my-brother-told-the-story-that-night/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) ## More by RJ Mitte > [I didn't know anything was wrong with me when I was growing up. I thought everyone went to occupational and speech therapy, I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-didn-t-know-anything-was-wrong-with-me-when-i-was-growing-up-i/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [I personally don't like school, but you have to do it if you want to get through life, so pretty much I put up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-personally-don-t-like-school-but-you-have-to-do-it-if-you-want-to/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [I don't really say too much to my parents. If they ask me to do something I just do it and get it out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-don-t-really-say-too-much-to-my-parents-if-they-ask-me-to-do/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [I would love to switch on my TV and see a disabled person talking about something they are genuinely interested in or acting out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-would-love-to-switch-on-my-tv-and-see-a-disabled-person-talking/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [Breaking Bad' - I've heard that question phrased in many directions, and it always means the same thing. It's when someone can't... when a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/breaking-bad-i-ve-heard-that-question-phrased-in-many-directions-and/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [I try not to look back at anything I do. I avoid it like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-try-not-to-look-back-at-anything-i-do-i-avoid-it-like-the-plague/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [I hate being immobile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-hate-being-immobile/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [We know lots of progress is being made, but the industry must do more to help disabled people work both in front of and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/we-know-lots-of-progress-is-being-made-but-the-industry-must-do-more/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [People used to call the Paralympics the 'Special Olympics.' These men and women are athletes. They are warriors. They are people who are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/people-used-to-call-the-paralympics-the-special-olympics-these-men/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [People with disabilities can grow up thinking they have a weakness because they are told,You will never do this properly; you will never walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/people-with-disabilities-can-grow-up-thinking-they-have-a-weakness/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [I've always treated money with respect, but I don't really think about money - I try to avoid it, because I don't like what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-ve-always-treated-money-with-respect-but-i-don-t-really-think-about/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [I want to get my Masters in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-want-to-get-my-masters-in-business/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [A lot of people don't want to hire disabled actors. They think you're going to take twice as long over a shot, or they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/a-lot-of-people-don-t-want-to-hire-disabled-actors-they-think-you-re/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [I always wanted to go into the military or something like that - my whole family, all my friends are either Air Force, Navy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-always-wanted-to-go-into-the-military-or-something-like-that-my/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) > [The people that you have around you are your biggest influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/the-people-that-you-have-around-you-are-your-biggest-influence/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) [Explore all 45 RJ Mitte quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) ## More Adopted quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh's forces) and later started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serzh-sargsyan/azerbaijan-unleashed-the-war-and-was-defeated-in-that-war-azerbaijan/) [Serzh Sargsyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serzh-sargsyan/) > [I'm not at all against white people adopting black children, because we're all human beings who need to give love and be nurtured in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-m-not-at-all-against-white-people-adopting-black-children-because/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [Susan, an only child who never had any roots, and I, a lone wolf who got married 20 years to late, were adopted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harpo-marx/susan-an-only-child-who-never-had-any-roots-and-i-a-lone-wolf-who-got/) [Harpo Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harpo-marx/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [A son or daughter in any human family is either born to or adopted by the parents. By definition, a child can't be both.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-bridges/a-son-or-daughter-in-any-human-family-is-either-born-to-or-adopted-by/) [Jerry Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-bridges/) > [. . . by natural selection our mind has adapted itself to the conditions of the external world. It has adopted the geometry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/by-natural-selection-our-mind-has-adapted-itself-to-the-conditions-of/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [I was adopted my black Americans, I feel that I'm a 'Hybrid'. When I'm around Africans'I suddenly feel very black American. And when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-was-adopted-my-black-americans-i-feel-that-i-m-a-hybrid-when-i-m/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [I did this one movie with a great director named Wayne Kramer. It was 'Crossing Over,' and Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chon/i-did-this-one-movie-with-a-great-director-named-wayne-kramer-it-was/) [Justin Chon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chon/) > [I had severed relations with the Romanian exiles who had become politically conservative and even extremely right wing; I was giving chess lessons to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-had-severed-relations-with-the-romanian-exiles-who-had-become/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [People, the common people, can genuinely see what I'm doing. Moreover, people know that I have adopted four principles in living my life: simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/people-the-common-people-can-genuinely-see-what-i-m-doing-moreover/) [Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/) > [To a large extent, the American church has become merged with the world. It has adopted so many of the world's ideals and standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/to-a-large-extent-the-american-church-has-become-merged-with-the/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [When you're adopted, no matter what, you've got issues with unconditional love. And you find out you're the product of the worst situation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/when-you-re-adopted-no-matter-what-you-ve-got-issues-with/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) > [Capitalism justified itself and was adopted as an economic principle on the express ground that it provides selfish motives for doing good, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/capitalism-justified-itself-and-was-adopted-as-an-economic-principle/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) Browse all 735 Adopted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was eight when I found out I was adopted. My step-brother told me. He'd overheard my mum and my stepdad at the time talking about it, and he threw it in my face. But I didn't really care. It didn't seem relevant, because I never once in my life felt unloved or like I was a burden.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "RJ Mitte" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopted-my-step-brother-told-me-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adopted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopted-my-step-brother-told-me-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/rj-mitte-14848_adopted_i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopt_275879.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/rj-mitte-14848_adopted_i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopt_275879.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/rj-mitte-14848_adopted_i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopt_275879.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was eight when I found out I was adopted. My step-brother told me. He'd overheard my mum and my stepdad at…” — RJ Mitte", "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": "RJ Mitte", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was eight when I found...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopted-my-step-brother-told-me-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-was-eight-when-i-found-out-i-was-adopted-my-step-brother-told-me-he/#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 } } ] } ```