--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’ve always been a sort of self-imposed…" description: "\"I’ve always been a sort of self-imposed outsider, not a geeky outsider or a snobby outsider but, I just have a natural desire to live on the fringe. I’..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/sara-quin-7966_coats_i-ve-always-been-a-sort-of-self-imposed_63700.jpg" --- # I’ve always been a sort of self-imposed outsider, not a… ![“I’ve always been a sort of self-imposed outsider, not a geeky outsider or a snobby outsider but, I just have a natural desire to live on the fringe. I’m not like a weirdo with a trench-coat but I just prefer to be alone or minimally surrounded by people.” quote by Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/sara-quin-7966_coats_i-ve-always-been-a-sort-of-self-imposed_63700.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/sara-quin-7966_coats_i-ve-always-been-a-sort-of-self-imposed_63700.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/sara-quin-7966_coats_i-ve-always-been-a-sort-of-self-imposed_63700.jpg) > “I’ve always been a sort of self-imposed outsider, not a geeky outsider or a snobby outsider but, I just have a natural desire to live on the fringe. I’m not like a weirdo with a trench-coat but I just prefer to be alone or minimally surrounded by people.” [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker embraces a self-chosen marginal position, valuing solitude and minimal social contact over conventional belonging. **In simple terms:** Prefers fringe solitude over mainstream socializing. Key Takeaway Choosing isolation can be a conscious lifestyle. Themes individualism social distance identity nonconformity solitude Mood reflective introspective quiet Type personal statement philosophical observation When to use this quote - working remotely - creative retreats - solo travel - quiet study environments Key Concepts self-imposed outsider personal autonomy social norms Practical Applications - designing personal spaces that support solitude - coaching clients on embracing their unique social preferences Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑imposed isolation affect personal growth? - What boundaries define healthy solitude versus loneliness? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coats/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desire to live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-to-live/) [Fringe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fringe/) [Geeky Outsider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geeky-outsider-857271/) [Imposed Outsider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imposed-outsider-857274/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Outsider Geeky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsider-geeky-857272/) [Outsider Snobby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsider-snobby-857275/) [Outsiders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsiders/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Snobby Outsider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snobby-outsider-857273/) [Trench coats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trench-coats/) [Trenches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trenches/) [Weirdo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weirdo/) ## Related quotes > [Media over here, coming to ya like a world premiere. Trench coat and my underwear, let's go with this freak show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britney-spears/media-over-here-coming-to-ya-like-a-world-premiere-trench-coat-and-my/) [Britney Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britney-spears/) > [Almost every man looks more so in a belted trench coat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/almost-every-man-looks-more-so-in-a-belted-trench-coat/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [The last time I wore an animal hide; but this time I settled for this." Eric had been wearing a long trench coat. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/the-last-time-i-wore-an-animal-hide-but-this-time-i-settled-for-this/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [Like all young reporters - brilliant or hopelessly incompetent - I dreamed of the glamorous life of the foreign correspondent: prowling Vienna in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/like-all-young-reporters-brilliant-or-hopelessly-incompetent-i/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [jace's clothes had been clean,stylish,ordinary. Sebastian had been wearing a long black wool trench coat that had looked expensive. Like an evil Burbeery ad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jace-s-clothes-had-been-clean-stylish-ordinary-sebastian-had-been/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm super into their trench coats. I've been wearing them for a while. Even my mom, she loves them. Definitely working with Burberry is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-wu/i-m-super-into-their-trench-coats-i-ve-been-wearing-them-for-a-while/) [Kris Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-wu/) > [You are a beautiful soul hidden by the trench coat of the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dolan/you-are-a-beautiful-soul-hidden-by-the-trench-coat-of-the-ego/) [Michael Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dolan/) > [I may not be funny. I may not be a singer. I may not be a damn seamstress. I may have diabetes. I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-johnson/i-may-not-be-funny-i-may-not-be-a-singer-i-may-not-be-a-damn/) [Justin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-johnson/) > [I love Yves Saint Laurent and Giambattista Valli and Givenchy, and I get given quite a lot, but perhaps nothing is as wonderful as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-vodianova/i-love-yves-saint-laurent-and-giambattista-valli-and-givenchy-and-i/) [Natalia Vodianova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-vodianova/) > [I'm a comic book artist. So I think to myself, what do I like to draw? I like to draw hot chicks, fast cars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/i-m-a-comic-book-artist-so-i-think-to-myself-what-do-i-like-to-draw-i/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [I'm definitely shy, so it was definitely acting for me to drop a trench coat and be in a bikini and try to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/i-m-definitely-shy-so-it-was-definitely-acting-for-me-to-drop-a/) [Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/) > [The clothes that fire up my emotions are colorful and 'different' pieces. My eye still picks out gilded-cloque glamour from among Burberry's streamlined trench…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-menkes/the-clothes-that-fire-up-my-emotions-are-colorful-and-different/) [Suzy Menkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-menkes/) > [I think bare legs in winter are idiotic. Unless your naked pins are toned, tanned and veinless, it's best to cover up. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/i-think-bare-legs-in-winter-are-idiotic-unless-your-naked-pins-are/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [For a long time, my uniform consisted of a trench coat, wide flared jeans, and little bottines - I copied a pair that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-ghesquiere/for-a-long-time-my-uniform-consisted-of-a-trench-coat-wide-flared/) [Nicolas Ghesquiere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-ghesquiere/) > [He crossed the street toward the man in the trench coat, which left me with two choices: follow my dad and see what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/he-crossed-the-street-toward-the-man-in-the-trench-coat-which-left-me/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) ## More by Sara Quin > [“Short on all the things I don't want, I'm full of love and longing. Take me by the hand and tell me, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/short-on-all-the-things-i-don-t-want-i-m-full-of-love-and-longing/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“I don't want to know that you don't want me. I don't want to know what you do without me. I don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/i-don-t-want-to-know-that-you-don-t-want-me-i-don-t-want-to-know-what/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [I don't think people understand how stressful it is to explain what's going on in your head when you don't even understand it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/i-don-t-think-people-understand-how-stressful-it-is-to-explain-what-s/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [I always say that if I end up in a relationship where I feel like seventy-five percent of what I was looking for is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/i-always-say-that-if-i-end-up-in-a-relationship-where-i-feel-like/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“I want to draw you a floorplan of my head and heart. I want to give directions, helpful hints. What you'll be looking for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/i-want-to-draw-you-a-floorplan-of-my-head-and-heart-i-want-to-give/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [Although we are Canadian, we have both vowed to remain unmarriad in solidarity with the millions who don't have the same rights as us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/although-we-are-canadian-we-have-both-vowed-to-remain-unmarriad-in/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“Stay, you'll leave me in the morning anyway. My heart, you'll cut it out you never liked me anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/stay-you-ll-leave-me-in-the-morning-anyway-my-heart-you-ll-cut-it-out/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“We're queer, but music doesn't have a sexuality. Even if it was more clearly written to women, I still think that music is still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/we-re-queer-but-music-doesn-t-have-a-sexuality-even-if-it-was-more/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“Oh, let's tell the world we're unheard. We're unsure.We're unstop, we're unstoppable. Oh let's tell the girls to be strong. To be sure. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/oh-let-s-tell-the-world-we-re-unheard-we-re-unsure-we-re-unstop-we-re/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“Go (please stay), Go (please stay), Go if you want to,I can't stop you. Just go if you want to I can't stop you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/go-please-stay-go-please-stay-go-if-you-want-to-i-can-t-stop-you-just/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“Why did you take me down this road if you don't want to walk with me? Why do you exist all alone, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/why-did-you-take-me-down-this-road-if-you-don-t-want-to-walk-with-me/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“I close my eyes I make myself unhappy so you'll go. Without me, oh what's wrong with you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/i-close-my-eyes-i-make-myself-unhappy-so-you-ll-go-without-me-oh-what/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [Sometimes I worry I'm not going to be the best parent because if my baby gets a skin fungus I might sell him at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/sometimes-i-worry-i-m-not-going-to-be-the-best-parent-because-if-my/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“Feeling like I am now lighting up the hall. I was used to standing in the shadow of a damaged heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/feeling-like-i-am-now-lighting-up-the-hall-i-was-used-to-standing-in/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) > [“And I never wanted Tegan to not get what I was gonna get. It’s something that goes very, very much back to a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-quin/and-i-never-wanted-tegan-to-not-get-what-i-was-gonna-get-it-s/) [Sara Quin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) [Explore all 85 Sara Quin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-quin/) ## More Coats quotes > [“coats every surface. The heat builds up and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gruber/coats-every-surface-the-heat-builds-up-and/) [Michael Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gruber/) > [I got Mary pregnant and man that's all she wrote. And for my 19th birthday, I got a union card and a factory coat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-got-mary-pregnant-and-man-that-s-all-she-wrote-and-for-my-19th/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > ['You spin in the sky, the world spins under you, and you step from land to land, while we . . .' She turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/you-spin-in-the-sky-the-world-spins-under-you-and-you-step-from-land/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [I do believe at the end of the night when you're with your family, the character gets hung up on the door like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-do-believe-at-the-end-of-the-night-when-you-re-with-your-family-the/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > ['The Matrix' is a movie that is all about glamour. I could do a whole talk on 'The Matrix' and glamour. It was criticized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-matrix-is-a-movie-that-is-all-about-glamour-i-could-do-a-whole/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [Today at school I will learn to read at once; then tomorrow I will begin to write, and the day after tomorrow to cipher.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-collodi/today-at-school-i-will-learn-to-read-at-once-then-tomorrow-i-will/) [Carlo Collodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-collodi/) > [Characterization is not divorced from plot, not a coat of paint you slap on after the structure of events is already built. Rather characterization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-kress/characterization-is-not-divorced-from-plot-not-a-coat-of-paint-you/) [Nancy Kress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-kress/) > [By a man's finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser-knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/by-a-man-s-finger-nails-by-his-coat-sleeve-by-his-boots-by-his/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Dan Coats, retiring senator from Indiana, a mild-mannered man, a former United States ambassador to Germany, former congressman, said of Ted Cruz he's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/dan-coats-retiring-senator-from-indiana-a-mild-mannered-man-a-former/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [You must have had such a great childhood with a man like that for your father. (Delphine) Yeah. All puppy dogs and rainbows and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/you-must-have-had-such-a-great-childhood-with-a-man-like-that-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Randall laid his hand on Stella's, but only to remove it from his sleeve. "My precious, you really must have some regard for my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgette-heyer/randall-laid-his-hand-on-stella-s-but-only-to-remove-it-from-his/) [Georgette Heyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgette-heyer/) > [Do you know, I always imagine that the subway trains are dragons,' Rose said to Bear as they clung to his coat for support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-doman/do-you-know-i-always-imagine-that-the-subway-trains-are-dragons-rose/) [Regina Doman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-doman/) > [Nice creepy reptile,” Frank said, very aware of the driftwood in his coat pocket. “Nice poisonous, fire-breathing reptile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/nice-creepy-reptile-frank-said-very-aware-of-the-driftwood-in-his/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [If Under fell, if Over leaped, If death was life and Death life reaped, Something rises from the gloom, To make the Underland a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/if-under-fell-if-over-leaped-if-death-was-life-and-death-life-reaped/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [At the drabber moments of my life (swilling some excrement from the steps, for instance, or rooting with a bent coat-hanger down a blocked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/at-the-drabber-moments-of-my-life-swilling-some-excrement-from-the/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) [Browse all 623 Coats quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coats/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I’ve always been a sort of self-imposed outsider, not a geeky outsider or a snobby outsider but, I just have a natural desire to live on the fringe. 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