--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You spend the first two-thirds of your…" description: "\"You spend the first two-thirds of your life asking to be left alone and the last third not having to ask.\" — Robert Breault" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/robert-breault-304_asking_you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-l_2821809.png" --- # You spend the first two-thirds of your life asking to be… ![“You spend the first two-thirds of your life asking to be left alone and the last third not having to ask.” quote by Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/robert-breault-304_asking_you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-l_2821809.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/robert-breault-304_asking_you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-l_2821809.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/robert-breault-304_asking_you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-l_2821809.png) > “You spend the first two-thirds of your life asking to be left alone and the last third not having to ask.” [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observes life stages: early desire for solitude, later need for connection, reflecting changing social needs. **In simple terms:** Early solitude, later connection. Key Takeaway Adapt relationships as life progresses. Themes life stages social needs growth Mood reflective insightful Type personal sociological When to use this quote - career planning - family life - retirement Key Concepts psychology sociology human development Questions to Reflect On - How have your social needs changed over time? - What drives the shift from independence to interdependence? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex social dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) [Asking Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking-left-3595844/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Having Ask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-ask-586035/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Left alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-alone/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-asking-971588/) [Spend Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-thirds-3595842/) [Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds/) [Thirds Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds-life-3595843/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) ## Related quotes > [I need guys who want to get it in with me or tell me, 'Hey, let's go do this,' instead of me having to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-arenado/i-need-guys-who-want-to-get-it-in-with-me-or-tell-me-hey-let-s-go-do/) [Nolan Arenado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-arenado/) > [Nothing makes your sense of humor disappear faster than having someone ask where it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivern-ball/nothing-makes-your-sense-of-humor-disappear-faster-than-having/) [Ivern Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivern-ball/) > [I hate having to ask permission to do everything, its one of those gay things that comes with being young & having caring parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-having-to-ask-permission-to-do-everything-its-one-of-those-gay/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Would you please put some pants on? I feel weird having to ask you twice. -Phil Wenneck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-hangover/would-you-please-put-some-pants-on-i-feel-weird-having-to-ask-you/) [The Hangover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-hangover/) > [Charm is getting people to say "yes" without ever having to ask them a question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-brockway/charm-is-getting-people-to-say-yes-without-ever-having-to-ask-them-a/) [Connie Brockway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-brockway/) > [Some of us are taught to ask for help. Some of us don't feel comfortable asking for help. 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Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-c-hunter/) > [Who is in your life asking you the tough questions?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-henderson/who-is-in-your-life-asking-you-the-tough-questions/) [Jeff Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-henderson/) > [“It is an awesome tragedy in this life that, when asking what a person is and they reply doctor or lawyer or engineer, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-botta/it-is-an-awesome-tragedy-in-this-life-that-when-asking-what-a-person/) [D.A. Botta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-botta/) > [“I don't want to go through the motions I don't want to go one more day Without your all-consuming Passion inside of me I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-west/i-don-t-want-to-go-through-the-motions-i-don-t-want-to-go-one-more/) [Matthew West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-west/) > [You cannot discover the purpose of life by asking someone else - the only way you'll ever get the right answer is by asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-guillemets/you-cannot-discover-the-purpose-of-life-by-asking-someone-else-the/) [Terri Guillemets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-guillemets/) > [“I know none of this seems very believable. It probably doesn't even make sense. But for once in your life, please, I am asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-yu/i-know-none-of-this-seems-very-believable-it-probably-doesn-t-even/) [Charles Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-yu/) > [“I love you," she says. "But that doesn't mean I'm ready to give up my life for you. I don't want to pull over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kacvinsky/i-love-you-she-says-but-that-doesn-t-mean-i-m-ready-to-give-up-my/) [Katie Kacvinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kacvinsky/) > [“I wasn't never gonna run off again, no matter how bad things got. But I wasn't gonna be too scared to love the folks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-wasn-t-never-gonna-run-off-again-no-matter-how-bad-things-got-but-i/) [Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) ## More by Robert Breault > [You will not find a soulmate in the quiet of your room. You must go to a noisy place and look in the quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/you-will-not-find-a-soulmate-in-the-quiet-of-your-room-you-must-go-to/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Never mind the odds against you. If you doubled your effort, what would the odds against you do — send for reinforcements?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/never-mind-the-odds-against-you-if-you-doubled-your-effort-what-would/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Retirement is having nothing to do and someone always keeping you from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/retirement-is-having-nothing-to-do-and-someone-always-keeping-you/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [There is in art the notion of less is more, which is to say, you don't torture a painting that has already confessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/there-is-in-art-the-notion-of-less-is-more-which-is-to-say-you-don-t/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [One's dream is defeated not by unsolvable problems, but by all the more-or-less satisfactory solutions that kill it forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/one-s-dream-is-defeated-not-by-unsolvable-problems-but-by-all-the/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [I cultivate my garden, and my garden cultivates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/i-cultivate-my-garden-and-my-garden-cultivates-me/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [In the end you regret less the things you believed that weren't true than the things that never came true because you didn't believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/in-the-end-you-regret-less-the-things-you-believed-that-weren-t-true/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The trick to getting ahead is to give it the same effort you give to getting even.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/the-trick-to-getting-ahead-is-to-give-it-the-same-effort-you-give-to/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Man will have replicated his own intelligence not when he teaches a computer to reason but when he teaches a computer to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/man-will-have-replicated-his-own-intelligence-not-when-he-teaches-a/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [To hurt someone you know will forgive you is the unkindiest thing of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/to-hurt-someone-you-know-will-forgive-you-is-the-unkindiest-thing-of/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [For every person who atones, a hundred others find regret sufficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/for-every-person-who-atones-a-hundred-others-find-regret-sufficient/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [As a means to success, determination has this advantage over talent - that it does not have to be recognized by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/as-a-means-to-success-determination-has-this-advantage-over-talent/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [As a gardener, I wonder if flowers really can't speak or just exercise unfailing good judgment in the matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/as-a-gardener-i-wonder-if-flowers-really-can-t-speak-or-just-exercise/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Genius is a plodding intellect, incapable of dreaming up the obstacles that stop the rest of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/genius-is-a-plodding-intellect-incapable-of-dreaming-up-the-obstacles/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) [Explore all 710 Robert Breault quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) [Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You spend the first two-thirds of your life asking to be left alone and the last third not having to ask.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Breault" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-life-asking-to-be-left-alone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-life-asking-to-be-left-alone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/robert-breault-304_asking_you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-l_2821809.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/robert-breault-304_asking_you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-l_2821809.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/robert-breault-304_asking_you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-l_2821809.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You spend the first two-thirds of your life asking to be left alone and the last third not having to ask.” — Robert Breault", "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": "Robert Breault", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You spend the first two-thirds of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-life-asking-to-be-left-alone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/you-spend-the-first-two-thirds-of-your-life-asking-to-be-left-alone/#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 } } ] } ```