---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At first it was exhilarating but when I…"
description: "\"At first it was exhilarating but when I realized it wasn't going away, it became scary and claustrophobic. Fame is a weird thing.\" — Sharon Stone"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/sharon-stone-2522_exhilarating_at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i_2093776.jpg"
---

#  At first it was exhilarating but when I realized it wasn't…

![“At first it was exhilarating but when I realized it wasn't going away, it became scary and claustrophobic. Fame is a weird thing.” quote by Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/sharon-stone-2522_exhilarating_at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i_2093776.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/sharon-stone-2522_exhilarating_at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i_2093776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/sharon-stone-2522_exhilarating_at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i_2093776.jpg)

> “At first it was exhilarating but when I realized it wasn't going away, it became scary and claustrophobic. Fame is a weird thing.”

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

## About This Quote

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

Initial excitement can turn into fear when fame becomes inescapable, leading to isolation.

**In simple terms:** Fame can feel both thrilling and suffocating.

Key Takeaway

Set boundaries to protect your wellbeing.

Themes

celebrity anxiety isolation

Mood

cautious introspective

Type

reflective cautionary

When to use this quote

- social media presence
- public speaking
- celebrity lifestyle

Key Concepts

psychology media culture personal limits

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you maintain authenticity under public scrutiny?
- What strategies keep you grounded?

A Different Perspective

Fame can also provide platforms for positive influence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Exhilarating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exhilarating/) [Fame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame/) [Going away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-away/)

## Related quotes

> [Fame is a weird thing. I think maybe I learned to never get too big for your boots. Keep your feet on the ground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-king/fame-is-a-weird-thing-i-think-maybe-i-learned-to-never-get-too-big/)

[Georgia King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-king/)

> [Fame is weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blackbear/fame-is-weird/)

[Blackbear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blackbear/)

> [Fame is weird and amorphous and unpredictable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/fame-is-weird-and-amorphous-and-unpredictable/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [Fame is a weird one. You need to distance yourself from it. People see a value in you that you don't see yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/fame-is-a-weird-one-you-need-to-distance-yourself-from-it-people-see/)

[Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/)

> [Fame is a weird thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-coughlan/fame-is-a-weird-thing/)

[Nicola Coughlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-coughlan/)

> [When you finally end something like Superman and then find yourself world-famous, it's pretty weird, lemme tell ya. Fame is weird, is what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-kidder/when-you-finally-end-something-like-superman-and-then-find-yourself/)

[Margot Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-kidder/)

> [I'm not claustrophobic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-grossman/i-m-not-claustrophobic/)

[Leslie Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-grossman/)

> [It's very claustrophobic to live a life which is not really how you wanted to live. You are forcing yourself to be quiet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taapsee-pannu/it-s-very-claustrophobic-to-live-a-life-which-is-not-really-how-you/)

[Taapsee Pannu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taapsee-pannu/)

> [“As a child when I visited my grandparents near the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming I felt claustrophobic. The mountains seemed to block the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-hoffert/as-a-child-when-i-visited-my-grandparents-near-the-bighorn-mountains/)

Melanie Hoffert

> [“If you've ever thought, 'The new Times Square is delightful but would be even better if it were more claustrophobic and nearly impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/if-you-ve-ever-thought-the-new-times-square-is-delightful-but-would/)

[Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/)

> [Because she favours solitude and indwelling, an artist can live a significantly more claustrophobic life that she had ever intended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/because-she-favours-solitude-and-indwelling-an-artist-can-live-a/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [I didn't want to be driving to work everyday and sending out my Starbucks order. I didn't want to be in New York or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-didn-t-want-to-be-driving-to-work-everyday-and-sending-out-my/)

[Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/)

> [What it was at the time was literally a plea for, to get the pressure off for a while, to give her space to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/what-it-was-at-the-time-was-literally-a-plea-for-to-get-the-pressure/)

[Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/)

> [The kinds of roles dogs fill can be hard to come by in human relationships. We touch the dog or the pet at whim.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/the-kinds-of-roles-dogs-fill-can-be-hard-to-come-by-in-human/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [Doing some of the 'Lord Of The Rings' press junkets got a bit claustrophobic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/doing-some-of-the-lord-of-the-rings-press-junkets-got-a-bit/)

[Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/)

## More by Sharon Stone

> [I like to be bought flowers and taken out for dinner. I like a man to be a gentleman. I don't like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-like-to-be-bought-flowers-and-taken-out-for-dinner-i-like-a-man-to/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [India has an enormous amount of AIDS awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/india-has-an-enormous-amount-of-aids-awareness/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [People are really emotionally affected by actors. And it's hard to know how to behave in a way that doesn't impose or withdraw. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/people-are-really-emotionally-affected-by-actors-and-it-s-hard-to/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [I am ready for love but I'm not desperately seeking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-am-ready-for-love-but-i-m-not-desperately-seeking-it/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [My personal style and public style are very different. When I go out, I play dress up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/my-personal-style-and-public-style-are-very-different-when-i-go-out-i/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [There are a lot of good things about being famous but there are a few not so good things too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/there-are-a-lot-of-good-things-about-being-famous-but-there-are-a-few/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [To really achieve any level of greatness, you have to be willing to say yes no matter who says no, and to say no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/to-really-achieve-any-level-of-greatness-you-have-to-be-willing-to/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [When you're a regular gal, you look in the rearview mirror, and in the bright daylight you see that line around your mouth, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/when-you-re-a-regular-gal-you-look-in-the-rearview-mirror-and-in-the/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [A truly beautiful woman is always good and the other women, and to people in general. She rejects rivalry, intrigue and dirty tricks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/a-truly-beautiful-woman-is-always-good-and-the-other-women-and-to/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [I could make Basic Instinct 16. If guys will keep thinking I'm hot, I might turn it into a TV series.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-could-make-basic-instinct-16-if-guys-will-keep-thinking-i-m-hot-i/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [It's funny, but I never knew I was hot or could be beautiful until I saw 'Basic Instinct,' and I was so shocked when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/it-s-funny-but-i-never-knew-i-was-hot-or-could-be-beautiful-until-i/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [The doctor told Phil, my then husband, that my condition was really bad news. They had found an artery tearing and said I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/the-doctor-told-phil-my-then-husband-that-my-condition-was-really-bad/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [I failed at the biggest things there are in life. I failed in my health, I failed in my marriage, I failed in everything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-failed-at-the-biggest-things-there-are-in-life-i-failed-in-my/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [I loved the movies and I wanted to be like Marilyn Monroe. I thought she was so glamorous and everyone seemed to love her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-loved-the-movies-and-i-wanted-to-be-like-marilyn-monroe-i-thought/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [I did a guest appearance on The Practice and loved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-did-a-guest-appearance-on-the-practice-and-loved-it/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

[Explore all 162 Sharon Stone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

## More Claustrophobic quotes

> [Doing some of the 'Lord Of The Rings' press junkets got a bit claustrophobic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/doing-some-of-the-lord-of-the-rings-press-junkets-got-a-bit/)

[Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/)

> [The kinds of roles dogs fill can be hard to come by in human relationships. We touch the dog or the pet at whim.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/the-kinds-of-roles-dogs-fill-can-be-hard-to-come-by-in-human/)

[Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/)

> [What it was at the time was literally a plea for, to get the pressure off for a while, to give her space to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/what-it-was-at-the-time-was-literally-a-plea-for-to-get-the-pressure/)

[Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/)

> [I didn't want to be driving to work everyday and sending out my Starbucks order. I didn't want to be in New York or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-didn-t-want-to-be-driving-to-work-everyday-and-sending-out-my/)

[Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/)

> [Because she favours solitude and indwelling, an artist can live a significantly more claustrophobic life that she had ever intended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-maisel/because-she-favours-solitude-and-indwelling-an-artist-can-live-a/)

[Eric Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-maisel/)

> [“If you've ever thought, 'The new Times Square is delightful but would be even better if it were more claustrophobic and nearly impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-adams/if-you-ve-ever-thought-the-new-times-square-is-delightful-but-would/)

[Mark Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-adams/)

> [“As a child when I visited my grandparents near the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming I felt claustrophobic. The mountains seemed to block the sky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-hoffert/as-a-child-when-i-visited-my-grandparents-near-the-bighorn-mountains/)

Melanie Hoffert

> [It's very claustrophobic to live a life which is not really how you wanted to live. You are forcing yourself to be quiet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taapsee-pannu/it-s-very-claustrophobic-to-live-a-life-which-is-not-really-how-you/)

[Taapsee Pannu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taapsee-pannu/)

> [I'm not claustrophobic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-grossman/i-m-not-claustrophobic/)

[Leslie Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-grossman/)

> [“Wanting to fall in love and being totally unable to trust, hungering for connection and always finding it claustrophobic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/wanting-to-fall-in-love-and-being-totally-unable-to-trust-hungering/)

[Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/)

> [I have a fear of heights and I'm claustrophobic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-nayyar/i-have-a-fear-of-heights-and-i-m-claustrophobic/)

[Kunal Nayyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-nayyar/)

> [New York is a nice place." "If you like concrete, crowds, and that claustrophobic, closed-in feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janette-rallison/new-york-is-a-nice-place-if-you-like-concrete-crowds-and-that/)

[Janette Rallison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janette-rallison/)

> [I've fixed the toilet. And I've been crawling in claustrophobic places... you have to deal with that when you become a homeowner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-pritzker/i-ve-fixed-the-toilet-and-i-ve-been-crawling-in-claustrophobic-places/)

[J. B. Pritzker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-pritzker/)

> [I always think that the exceptional people are those who remain outsiders but still communicate on a grand scale. I think I want everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bat-for-lashes/i-always-think-that-the-exceptional-people-are-those-who-remain/)

[Bat for Lashes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bat-for-lashes/)

> [“I’m not a fan of the jungle. It’s claustrophobic. And I don’t trust that monkey behind you. He looks shifty, and I think he’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liliana-hart/i-m-not-a-fan-of-the-jungle-it-s-claustrophobic-and-i-don-t-trust/)

[Liliana Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liliana-hart/)

Browse all 80 Claustrophobic quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "At first it was exhilarating but when I realized it wasn't going away, it became scary and claustrophobic. Fame is a weird thing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sharon Stone"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i-realized-it-wasn-t-going-away/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Claustrophobic"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i-realized-it-wasn-t-going-away/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/sharon-stone-2522_exhilarating_at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i_2093776.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/sharon-stone-2522_exhilarating_at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i_2093776.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ed/sharon-stone-2522_exhilarating_at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i_2093776.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“At first it was exhilarating but when I realized it wasn't going away, it became scary and claustrophobic…” — Sharon Stone",
                "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": "Sharon Stone",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "At first it was exhilarating but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i-realized-it-wasn-t-going-away/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/at-first-it-was-exhilarating-but-when-i-realized-it-wasn-t-going-away/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
