--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I trailed off and he didn't push me to…" description: "\"I trailed off and he didn't push me to finish. I was finding that I liked that.\" — Sarah Dessen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/sarah-dessen-110_findings_i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-f_1754476.png" --- # I trailed off and he didn't push me to finish. I was… ![“I trailed off and he didn't push me to finish. I was finding that I liked that.” quote by Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/sarah-dessen-110_findings_i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-f_1754476.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/sarah-dessen-110_findings_i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-f_1754476.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/sarah-dessen-110_findings_i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-f_1754476.png) > “I trailed off and he didn't push me to finish. I was finding that I liked that.” [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## 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 enjoys the freedom of not being pressured to complete a task, finding comfort in the lack of external push. **In simple terms:** Enjoying autonomy when not forced to finish. Key Takeaway Embrace self‑directed pacing. Themes autonomy comfort self‑regulation Mood reflective calm Type personal motivational When to use this quote - creative projects - personal goals - learning Key Concepts psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - What does this reveal about your need for external pressure? - How can you balance freedom with productivity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Yeah, I was going to follow her.  Staying away from her was not an option.  I would have to staple myself to the damn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-zolendz/yeah-i-was-going-to-follow-her-staying-away-from-her-was-not-an/) [Christine Zolendz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-zolendz/) > [“The officious swagger in her gait might have been some flavor of self-possession or the cool skedaddle of a shoplifter making for the door.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/the-officious-swagger-in-her-gait-might-have-been-some-flavor-of-self/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [The man who walks alone is soon trailed by the F.B.I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wright-morris/the-man-who-walks-alone-is-soon-trailed-by-the-f-b-i/) [Wright Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wright-morris/) > [“During the siege of Panama, he trailed behind his comrades, picking up shreds of purple wool which had once been blue. The fighting was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-hughes/during-the-siege-of-panama-he-trailed-behind-his-comrades-picking-up/) [Rhys Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-hughes/) > [“You will walk backward in your footsteps and go forward a new way?” “I--” He slid her hand upward so it rested on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-will-walk-backward-in-your-footsteps-and-go-forward-a-new-way-i/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [Come on," I said, taking his hand. Clutching the afghan with the other hand, he trailed down the hall after me, a snow white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/come-on-i-said-taking-his-hand-clutching-the-afghan-with-the-other/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [He trailed off as he saw the books. Piles and stacks of them beside the sofa, another stack on the coffee table, a sea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/he-trailed-off-as-he-saw-the-books-piles-and-stacks-of-them-beside/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [“He trailed off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-wood/he-trailed-off/) Randall Wood > [I didn't push Cory. I wanted him to decide if he wanted to go into boxing and he did. Can't blame it on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-spinks/i-didn-t-push-cory-i-wanted-him-to-decide-if-he-wanted-to-go-into/) [Leon Spinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-spinks/) > [Because no, I didn’t push her away. I didn’t add to her pain or do anything to hurt her. Instead, I left her alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/because-no-i-didn-t-push-her-away-i-didn-t-add-to-her-pain-or-do/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [My family didn't push me into the music industry; they just wanted me to do something I loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid/my-family-didn-t-push-me-into-the-music-industry-they-just-wanted-me/) [Sigrid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid/) > [I didn't push any of my kids into golf, and they played golf because they wanted to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-didn-t-push-any-of-my-kids-into-golf-and-they-played-golf-because/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [“This time, she didn’t push me back, and I entered her fully .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-l-hunt/this-time-she-didn-t-push-me-back-and-i-entered-her-fully/) Ashley L. Hunt > [When I was going through transition, I didn't push it on everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoey-tur/when-i-was-going-through-transition-i-didn-t-push-it-on-everyone/) [Zoey Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoey-tur/) > [We were on Island Records for five or six years and we kinda just got tired of them always wanting to use our connections,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-margera/we-were-on-island-records-for-five-or-six-years-and-we-kinda-just-got/) [Jess Margera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-margera/) ## More by Sarah Dessen > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“if i were a book i would be so open”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/if-i-were-a-book-i-would-be-so-open/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Harder to get in than out, like so little else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/harder-to-get-in-than-out-like-so-little-else/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“At times, I found myself questioning his very existence, even though I knew I had, in fact, spotted him, with my own eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/at-times-i-found-myself-questioning-his-very-existence-even-though-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [No relationship is perfect, ever. There are always some ways you have to bend, to compromise, to give something up in order to gain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/no-relationship-is-perfect-ever-there-are-always-some-ways-you-have/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [When you had to do something, you had to do it. And eventually, if you were lucky, you did it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/when-you-had-to-do-something-you-had-to-do-it-and-eventually-if-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [the truth about forever is that it is happening right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/the-truth-about-forever-is-that-it-is-happening-right-now/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I jammed my hand in my jacket pocket, bracing myself fo the next hit, and fel something. Something grainy and samll, sticking to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-jammed-my-hand-in-my-jacket-pocket-bracing-myself-fo-the-next-hit/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I had no illusions about love anymore. It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-had-no-illusions-about-love-anymore-it-came-it-went-it-left/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“But maybe that isn't so bad. You can't love anyone that way more than once in a lifetime. It's too hard and it hurts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/but-maybe-that-isn-t-so-bad-you-can-t-love-anyone-that-way-more-than/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [This was just one night, one chance to vary and see where it took me. The fireflies were probably already out: maybe it wasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/this-was-just-one-night-one-chance-to-vary-and-see-where-it-took-me/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [“For me, however, it was a mix of the two, this constant push and pull. I loved it here. But I'd been in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/for-me-however-it-was-a-mix-of-the-two-this-constant-push-and-pull-i/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I think whenever a writer is really enjoying themselves and liking what they are doing, that shows on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-think-whenever-a-writer-is-really-enjoying-themselves-and-liking/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) [Explore all 1,251 Sarah Dessen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More Findings quotes > [“We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. Every single one of us. We shouldn't spend our time trying to avoid falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/we-will-all-at-some-point-in-our-lives-fall-every-single-one-of-us-we/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [I kind of pride myself on coming onto things that are well-oiled machines and finding a way to bring what I bring and fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-kind-of-pride-myself-on-coming-onto-things-that-are-well-oiled/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [But there is a different between mending someone who's broken and finding someone who makes you complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/but-there-is-a-different-between-mending-someone-who-s-broken-and/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Max—you have a bigger mission than finding the flock's parents. Focus on helping the whole world, not just your friends. I held my wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-you-have-a-bigger-mission-than-finding-the-flock-s-parents-focus/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seeking-means-to-have-a-goal-but-finding-means-to-be-free-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What is entrepreneurship, after all? Bigness is not the issue. Poor people are the ones who take challenges every day. The guy who sells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/what-is-entrepreneurship-after-all-bigness-is-not-the-issue-poor/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [What I search for continuously in my art is adequate language, language I hope can stand beyond any particular occasion. What I'm finding is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/what-i-search-for-continuously-in-my-art-is-adequate-language/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Miriam realizes she is a broken vessel, pieces of her scattered everywhere. She has been finding those pieces, in their many forms, and bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myla-goldberg/miriam-realizes-she-is-a-broken-vessel-pieces-of-her-scattered/) [Myla Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myla-goldberg/) > [A girl who would fall in love so easily or want a man to love her so easily would probably get over it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-girl-who-would-fall-in-love-so-easily-or-want-a-man-to-love-her-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 3,236 Findings quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I trailed off and he didn't push me to finish. I was finding that I liked that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Dessen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-finish-i-was-finding-that-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Findings" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-finish-i-was-finding-that-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/sarah-dessen-110_findings_i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-f_1754476.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/sarah-dessen-110_findings_i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-f_1754476.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/sarah-dessen-110_findings_i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-f_1754476.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I trailed off and he didn't push me to finish. I was finding that I liked that.” — Sarah Dessen", "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": "Sarah Dessen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I trailed off and he didn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-finish-i-was-finding-that-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-trailed-off-and-he-didn-t-push-me-to-finish-i-was-finding-that-i/#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 } } ] } ```