---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A very bland eleven-year-old, playing…"
description: "\"A very bland eleven-year-old, playing computer games. I went to a local primary school but I wasn't anything special or anything insanely interesting. ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/santan-dave-15009_book_a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-com_1376390.jpg"
---

#  A very bland eleven-year-old, playing computer games. I…

![“A very bland eleven-year-old, playing computer games. I went to a local primary school but I wasn't anything special or anything insanely interesting. I didn't have a crazy personality. I was somewhat book smart, but I wasn't hanging off the teacher, nor was I messing up in class. I wasn't doing…” quote by Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/santan-dave-15009_book_a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-com_1376390.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/santan-dave-15009_book_a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-com_1376390.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/santan-dave-15009_book_a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-com_1376390.jpg)

> “A very bland eleven-year-old, playing computer games. I went to a local primary school but I wasn't anything special or anything insanely interesting. I didn't have a crazy personality. I was somewhat book smart, but I wasn't hanging off the teacher, nor was I messing up in class. I wasn't doing much to disrupt anything. I was just there, existing.”

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

## About This Quote

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

The narrator describes feeling ordinary and unnoticed during school, lacking a standout personality or disruptive behavior, simply existing.

**In simple terms:** He felt like an average student who just existed.

Key Takeaway

Embrace your unique strengths beyond average.

Themes

identity self-esteem growth potential

Mood

introspective hopeful

Type

inspirational reflective

When to use this quote

- school environment
- career planning
- personal development
- creative pursuits

Key Concepts

psychology social dynamics self-concept

Questions to Reflect On

- What hidden strengths do you overlook?
- How can you move from existing to thriving?

A Different Perspective

Ordinariness can hide hidden talents; action is needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Computer games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-games/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Crazy person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy-person/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/)

## Related quotes

> [But, she knew, you didn’t have to marry your soulmate, and you didn’t even have to marry an Interesting. You didn’t always need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/but-she-knew-you-didn-t-have-to-marry-your-soulmate-and-you-didn-t/)

[Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/)

> ['The Company' was interesting. I didn't love it, although it might be compelling to someone who isn't a dancer. There wasn't a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/the-company-was-interesting-i-didn-t-love-it-although-it-might-be/)

[Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/)

> [The movie itself was very interesting, but I didn't think it was very good because I didn't really feel different when it was over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/the-movie-itself-was-very-interesting-but-i-didn-t-think-it-was-very/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [Who'd want a pony when you could have the whole universe? It was far more interesting and you didn't have to muck it out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/who-d-want-a-pony-when-you-could-have-the-whole-universe-it-was-far/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [I've always been really ambitious, whatever I do. At school, I always wanted to be the best in the class - no, it wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-myles/i-ve-always-been-really-ambitious-whatever-i-do-at-school-i-always/)

[Sophia Myles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-myles/)

> [What I remember most vividly was the sense of always being a little behind the other kids in class - that sense of I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/what-i-remember-most-vividly-was-the-sense-of-always-being-a-little/)

[John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/)

> [Students were pulled aside to spend more time in art class, and I wasn't one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-spade/students-were-pulled-aside-to-spend-more-time-in-art-class-and-i-wasn/)

[Kate Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-spade/)

> [I was a very earnest, hard working boy at school, but my parents were distressed because I was always bottom of the class. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/i-was-a-very-earnest-hard-working-boy-at-school-but-my-parents-were/)

[Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/)

> [All through college, I had frequently been the only girl in a science class - which wasn't such a bad deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/all-through-college-i-had-frequently-been-the-only-girl-in-a-science/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [There was a sort of chain in school. I wasn't, like, mad at the top, but I wasn't right at the bottom, either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/there-was-a-sort-of-chain-in-school-i-wasn-t-like-mad-at-the-top-but/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [Back in high school, I wasn't really taught anything. I had a lot of freedom in high school. They would just toss me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-chubb/back-in-high-school-i-wasn-t-really-taught-anything-i-had-a-lot-of/)

[Nick Chubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-chubb/)

> [I wasn't a good kid in school. I wasn't a bad kid. I just didn't focus. My grades weren't good. I mucked around, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacre-montgomery/i-wasn-t-a-good-kid-in-school-i-wasn-t-a-bad-kid-i-just-didn-t-focus/)

[Dacre Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacre-montgomery/)

> [I was very academically inclined. But my inner life was in such turmoil. I'd go home and my home life was so miserable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-sohn/i-was-very-academically-inclined-but-my-inner-life-was-in-such/)

[Sonja Sohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonja-sohn/)

> [All I can really remember doing was listening to the radio and listening to records when I was at school. I wasn't very academic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/all-i-can-really-remember-doing-was-listening-to-the-radio-and/)

[Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/)

> [High school wasn't a trial by fire or some ordeal that had to be survived. It was all a big joke. You just had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/high-school-wasn-t-a-trial-by-fire-or-some-ordeal-that-had-to-be/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

## More by Santan Dave

> [I want to help people struggling with whatever it is they're going through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-want-to-help-people-struggling-with-whatever-it-is-they-re-going/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [Music and football are two industries where black people excel, because talent is undeniable. You can't deny an amazing voice. You can't deny amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/music-and-football-are-two-industries-where-black-people-excel/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [I think we internalise a great deal. Music can draw that stuff out of even the hardest person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-think-we-internalise-a-great-deal-music-can-draw-that-stuff-out-of/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [For a black person who's Senegalese, growing up in France, or a New York Jamaican, that's a completely different relationship with being black and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/for-a-black-person-who-s-senegalese-growing-up-in-france-or-a-new/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [It was a pleasure to work alongside Sir David Attenborough and Hans Zimmer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/it-was-a-pleasure-to-work-alongside-sir-david-attenborough-and-hans/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [I like soundtracks. I love Hans Zimmer, the score for 'The Dark Knight Rises' is one of my favourites. I also like 'Man of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-like-soundtracks-i-love-hans-zimmer-the-score-for-the-dark-knight/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [I couldn't care less about criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-couldn-t-care-less-about-criticism/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [I started my first year at college on May 10 2015, and dropped my first video, 'Black Box' on the same day, it's pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-started-my-first-year-at-college-on-may-10-2015-and-dropped-my/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [I just can't belong to a genre, because I don't know what I would want it to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-just-can-t-belong-to-a-genre-because-i-don-t-know-what-i-would-want/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [Prison hosts a lot of normal people, a lot of family men who were caught in a tight situation or in a dark place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/prison-hosts-a-lot-of-normal-people-a-lot-of-family-men-who-were/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [I think it's crucial to go out and explain to people who you are and where you come from, your hardships - that's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-think-it-s-crucial-to-go-out-and-explain-to-people-who-you-are-and/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [When it gets to that time to tell your mum that you're not going to university, which has been her grand plan for you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/when-it-gets-to-that-time-to-tell-your-mum-that-you-re-not-going-to/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [Black is confusing. Where does the line start and stop with what is black and what isn't black? People that are mixed-race, or, imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/black-is-confusing-where-does-the-line-start-and-stop-with-what-is/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [I learnt what I am not good at: listening, staying focused, turning up on time, following orders... I realised that I was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/i-learnt-what-i-am-not-good-at-listening-staying-focused-turning-up/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

> [The biggest lesson that I've learnt is that things can change so quickly, never get used to one thing because everything can flip on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/the-biggest-lesson-that-i-ve-learnt-is-that-things-can-change-so/)

[Santan Dave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

[Explore all 44 Santan Dave quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/)

## More Book quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/)

[Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/)

> [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/)

[Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/)

[Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/)

[Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/)

> [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/)

[Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/)

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A very bland eleven-year-old, playing computer games. I went to a local primary school but I wasn't anything special or anything insanely interesting. I didn't have a crazy personality. I was somewhat book smart, but I wasn't hanging off the teacher, nor was I messing up in class. I wasn't doing much to disrupt anything. I was just there, existing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Santan Dave"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-computer-games-i-went-to-a-local/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Book"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-computer-games-i-went-to-a-local/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/santan-dave-15009_book_a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-com_1376390.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/santan-dave-15009_book_a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-com_1376390.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/969/santan-dave-15009_book_a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-com_1376390.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A very bland eleven-year-old, playing computer games. I went to a local primary school but I wasn't anything…” — Santan Dave",
                "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": "Santan Dave",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santan-dave/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A very bland eleven-year-old, playing computer...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-computer-games-i-went-to-a-local/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santan-dave/a-very-bland-eleven-year-old-playing-computer-games-i-went-to-a-local/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
