---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being the underachiever in a family of…"
description: "\"“Being the underachiever in a family of overachievers was hell.”\" — Sandra Marton"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/sandra-marton-38632_family_being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-o_566720.jpg"
---

#  Being the underachiever in a family of overachievers was…

![“Being the underachiever in a family of overachievers was hell.” quote by Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/sandra-marton-38632_family_being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-o_566720.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/sandra-marton-38632_family_being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-o_566720.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/sandra-marton-38632_family_being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-o_566720.jpg)

> ““Being the underachiever in a family of overachievers was hell.””

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

## About This Quote

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

Feeling out of sync with high‑achieving relatives creates intense personal pressure and isolation.

**In simple terms:** Being a low performer among high achievers feels painful.

Key Takeaway

Accept your pace and set personal standards.

Themes

family dynamics self‑esteem pressure

Mood

anxious reflective

Type

personal motivational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- family gatherings
- therapy sessions
- self‑reflection

Key Concepts

comparative achievement identity mental health

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you define success for yourself?
- What support could ease family pressure?

A Different Perspective

Not all families value diverse strengths equally.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Overachievers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overachievers/)

## Related quotes

> [We have always been dreamers, and we are admittedly overachievers, and coming out of high school, we didn't want to be struggling artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-scott/we-have-always-been-dreamers-and-we-are-admittedly-overachievers-and/)

[Jonathan Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-scott/)

> [“Overachievers, here's some good and some bad news. The good news is, that you're smart, special, and you're raising the bar. The bad news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-marques/overachievers-here-s-some-good-and-some-bad-news-the-good-news-is/)

[Joan Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-marques/)

> [“It's not about what you've done; it's how you've experienced whatever has happened to you. Matt Lawrence in The Overachievers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-robbins/it-s-not-about-what-you-ve-done-it-s-how-you-ve-experienced-whatever/)

[Alexandra Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-robbins/)

> [“Not only was he getting a new partner but he was getting an over-achieving new partner, a liberal, over-achieving new partner. He imagined him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michiko-katsu/not-only-was-he-getting-a-new-partner-but-he-was-getting-an-over/)

Michiko Katsu

> [“activity. So, what does all this tell us? First, that the seed of greatness exists in every human being. Whether it sprouts or not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick/activity-so-what-does-all-this-tell-us-first-that-the-seed-of/)

[Sean Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick/)

> [“She waited in the ward thinking what I had thought in the same circumstances, that this was not a place much designated to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincet/she-waited-in-the-ward-thinking-what-i-had-thought-in-the-same/)

Norah Vincet

> [He's probably the hardest-working guy I've been around who has great ability. Overachievers work hard because they have to. Peyton has rare talent, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/he-s-probably-the-hardest-working-guy-i-ve-been-around-who-has-great/)

[Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/)

> [“Ambition is a path, not a destination, and it is essentially the same path for everybody. No matter what the goal is, the path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/ambition-is-a-path-not-a-destination-and-it-is-essentially-the-same/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [“We like to stress the commonness of heroes. Essences seem undemocratic. We feel oppressed by the call to greatness. We regard an interest in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/we-like-to-stress-the-commonness-of-heroes-essences-seem-undemocratic/)

[Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/)

> [What turns ordinary people into overachievers is the way they use their minds when they are called on to perform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/what-turns-ordinary-people-into-overachievers-is-the-way-they-use/)

[John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/)

> [“Look, people need to conform the external reality they face daily with this subjective feeling they likewise experience constantly. To do this they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-de-la-pava/look-people-need-to-conform-the-external-reality-they-face-daily-with/)

[Sergio De La Pava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-de-la-pava/)

> [“Overachievers look forward to the finish line, underachievers look back to see who they are beating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-hoffman/overachievers-look-forward-to-the-finish-line-underachievers-look/)

Bobby Hoffman

> [Overachievers don't think reasonably, sensibly, or rationally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eliot/overachievers-don-t-think-reasonably-sensibly-or-rationally/)

[John Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eliot/)

> [“Mari was what was known as an underachiever, which even an underachiever knew was sociology code for "overfailer." She was famous in the Lore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/mari-was-what-was-known-as-an-underachiever-which-even-an/)

[Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/)

> [In school, I was an underachiever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/in-school-i-was-an-underachiever/)

[Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/)

## More by Sandra Marton

> [“She'd sighed the kind of long-suffering sigh he knew women gave when men were too thick-headed to understand the mysteries women were born understanding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/she-d-sighed-the-kind-of-long-suffering-sigh-he-knew-women-gave-when/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

> [“To the best of your knowledge, Charles, do villains ever permit themselves to be rained on?" "Not to my knowledge, no, sir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/to-the-best-of-your-knowledge-charles-do-villains-ever-permit/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

> [“I am what you see. A woman. Flawed. Imperfect. You can't label me. I'm not any one thing. I'm many things and not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/i-am-what-you-see-a-woman-flawed-imperfect-you-can-t-label-me-i-m-not/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

> [“He was meant for mistresses. Emily was a woman meant for one man, one love, forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/he-was-meant-for-mistresses-emily-was-a-woman-meant-for-one-man-one/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

> [“Given the choice between finding Godzilla and David Chambers on her doorstep, she'd have opted for the reptile, and never mind it wasn't the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/given-the-choice-between-finding-godzilla-and-david-chambers-on-her/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

> [“She sighed. "Have I ever told you that you're impossible?" His smile was wonderfully wicked. "Have I ever told you that there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/she-sighed-have-i-ever-told-you-that-you-re-impossible-his-smile-was/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

> [“And wasn't it amazing that an imperfection could make a perfect thing even more perfect?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/and-wasn-t-it-amazing-that-an-imperfection-could-make-a-perfect-thing/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

> [“It was Saturday night at the Tune-In Cafe and the only person inside its dingy walls who wasn't drunk was seriously starting to wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/it-was-saturday-night-at-the-tune-in-cafe-and-the-only-person-inside/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

> [“Time seemed to do that thing everyone knew was impossible. It stood still.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/time-seemed-to-do-that-thing-everyone-knew-was-impossible-it-stood/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

> [“And then we met." He wanted to laugh but his throat felt too tight for laughter. "The most wonderful woman imaginable, and a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/and-then-we-met-he-wanted-to-laugh-but-his-throat-felt-too-tight-for/)

[Sandra Marton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

[Explore all 11 Sandra Marton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/)

## More Family quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/)

[Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/)

Maureen Andeson

> [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/)

[Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/)

> [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/)

[Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/)

> [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/)

[Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/)

> [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/)

[Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/)

> [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/)

[Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/)

> [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/)

[Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/)

> [The people have always been family to me here in Las Vegas. The people have always been very, very kind to me, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/the-people-have-always-been-family-to-me-here-in-las-vegas-the-people/)

[Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/)

> [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/)

[Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/)

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

[Browse all 36,913 Family quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Being the underachiever in a family of overachievers was hell.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sandra Marton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-overachievers-was-hell/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Family"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-overachievers-was-hell/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/sandra-marton-38632_family_being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-o_566720.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/sandra-marton-38632_family_being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-o_566720.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/sandra-marton-38632_family_being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-o_566720.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Being the underachiever in a family of overachievers was hell.” — Sandra Marton",
                "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": "Sandra Marton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-marton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Being the underachiever in a family...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-overachievers-was-hell/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-marton/being-the-underachiever-in-a-family-of-overachievers-was-hell/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
