--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Naval officers were not mother's sort…" description: "\"“Naval officers were not mother's sort; very few people were her sort in those days, and that was her trouble - a very authentic, human, and plausible ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/robert-lowell-6901_human-experience_naval-officers-were-not-mother-s-sort-ve_11927.jpg" --- # Naval officers were not mother's sort; very few people… ![“Naval officers were not mother's sort; very few people were her sort in those days, and that was her trouble - a very authentic, human, and plausible difficulty, which made Mother's life one of much suffering. She did not have the self-assurance for wide human experience; she needed to feel liked…” quote by Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/robert-lowell-6901_human-experience_naval-officers-were-not-mother-s-sort-ve_11927.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/robert-lowell-6901_human-experience_naval-officers-were-not-mother-s-sort-ve_11927.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80e/robert-lowell-6901_human-experience_naval-officers-were-not-mother-s-sort-ve_11927.jpg) > ““Naval officers were not mother's sort; very few people were her sort in those days, and that was her trouble - a very authentic, human, and plausible difficulty, which made Mother's life one of much suffering. She did not have the self-assurance for wide human experience; she needed to feel liked, admired, surrounded by the approved and familiar. Her haughtiness and chilliness came from apprehension. She would start talking like a grande dame and then stand back rigid and faltering, as if she feared being crushed by her own massively intimidating offensive.”” [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage depicts a mother whose lack of confidence and need for approval cause her to oscillate between pretentiousness and insecurity, leading to personal suffering. **In simple terms:** Insecurity drives her behavior. Key Takeaway Self‑esteem shapes social interaction. Themes Identity Gender roles Psychology Social conformity Power dynamics Mood Melancholic Reflective Type Literary excerpt Character study When to use this quote - Family dynamics - Workplace interactions - Social gatherings - Therapeutic settings Key Concepts Self‑esteem Approval seeking Authenticity Social pressure Practical Applications - Literary analysis - Character development guidance Questions to Reflect On - How does external validation affect personal growth? - What mechanisms can foster genuine self‑confidence? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-experience/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) ## Related quotes > [Japanese naval officers in dress whites are frequent guests at Pearl Harbor's officers' mess and are very polite. They always were. 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He had to leave in a hurry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/this-is-the-departure-strip-the-dream-road-whoever-built-it-left/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) > [“One universe, one body...in this urn the animal night sweats of the spirit burn”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/one-universe-one-body-in-this-urn-the-animal-night-sweats-of-the/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) [Explore all 96 Robert Lowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) ## More Human experience quotes > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) > [“There is no one way of seeing. Nor is there a right way of seeing. 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