---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know if anyone has noticed but I…"
description: "\"I don't know if anyone has noticed but I only ever write about one thing: being alone. The fear of being alone, the desire to not be alone, the attempt..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/shonda-rhimes-1866_convince_i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i_277114.jpg"
---

#  I don't know if anyone has noticed but I only ever write…

![“I don't know if anyone has noticed but I only ever write about one thing: being alone. The fear of being alone, the desire to not be alone, the attempts we make to find our person, to keep our person, to convince our person to not leave us alone, the joy of being with our person and thus no longer…” quote by Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/shonda-rhimes-1866_convince_i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i_277114.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/shonda-rhimes-1866_convince_i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i_277114.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/shonda-rhimes-1866_convince_i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i_277114.jpg)

> “I don't know if anyone has noticed but I only ever write about one thing: being alone. The fear of being alone, the desire to not be alone, the attempts we make to find our person, to keep our person, to convince our person to not leave us alone, the joy of being with our person and thus no longer alone, the devastation of being left alone. The need to hear the words: You are not alone.”

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

## About This Quote

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

She explores the deep human need for connection and fear of isolation.

**In simple terms:** Fear of being alone drives many actions.

Key Takeaway

Seek meaningful connections.

Themes

loneliness relationships human need

Mood

empathetic hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- friendship
- romantic partnership
- mental health therapy

Key Concepts

psychology existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “not alone” mean to you?
- How can you find balance between independence and intimacy?

A Different Perspective

Over‑reliance on others can hinder self‑growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Devastation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devastation/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear of being alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-being-alone/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Not alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-alone/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [There was this interesting quote: try and live your life without fear and desire. It's this concept that's like when you look at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-snyder/there-was-this-interesting-quote-try-and-live-your-life-without-fear/)

[Zack Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-snyder/)

> [I've noticed that when I write I tend to have slightly poppier melodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-ledger/i-ve-noticed-that-when-i-write-i-tend-to-have-slightly-poppier/)

[Jen Ledger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-ledger/)

> [I've always had a huge fear of dying or becoming ill. The thing I'm most afraid of, though, is being alone, which I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/i-ve-always-had-a-huge-fear-of-dying-or-becoming-ill-the-thing-i-m/)

[Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/)

> [Finally I want to say this: if you are a kid and you are out there and you are chubby and not so cute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/finally-i-want-to-say-this-if-you-are-a-kid-and-you-are-out-there-and/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [“I guess everyone has a bird urge when they look down heights, a desire to jump, without wing or buoyant sail. Fear of heights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amruta-patil/i-guess-everyone-has-a-bird-urge-when-they-look-down-heights-a-desire/)

[Amruta Patil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amruta-patil/)

> [Most people's lives are run by desire and fear. Desire is the need to add something to yourself in order to be yourself more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/most-people-s-lives-are-run-by-desire-and-fear-desire-is-the-need-to/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Anxiety and desire are two, often conflicting, orientations to the unknown. Both are tilted toward the future. Desire implies a willingness, or a need,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-epstein/anxiety-and-desire-are-two-often-conflicting-orientations-to-the/)

[Mark Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-epstein/)

> [“Take your time in everything, until you feel the pull within yourself. Do not let yourself be guided by fear, or even by desire.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-white/take-your-time-in-everything-until-you-feel-the-pull-within-yourself/)

Jenny White

> [“They want you to be afraid. They want to believe, and they want to suffer, suffer, only suffer, and they choke the dying man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merce-rodoreda/they-want-you-to-be-afraid-they-want-to-believe-and-they-want-to/)

Mercè Rodoreda

> [What I fear and desire most in this world is passion. I fear it because it promises to be spontaneous, out of control, unnamed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-i-fear-and-desire-most-in-this-world-is-passion-i-fear-it/)

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

> [“Love,' Cardan goes on. 'That force that compels us to be sometimes better and often worse. That power by which we can all be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/love-cardan-goes-on-that-force-that-compels-us-to-be-sometimes-better/)

[Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/)

> [“Fear is always around some desire. You want to become a famous man, the most famous man in the world- then there is fear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/fear-is-always-around-some-desire-you-want-to-become-a-famous-man-the/)

[Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/)

> [“Whatwe fear we also desire, and what we desire we fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/whatwe-fear-we-also-desire-and-what-we-desire-we-fear/)

[Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/)

> [“As far as I can tell there are only two emotions that keep the world spinning year after year...One is fear. The other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/as-far-as-i-can-tell-there-are-only-two-emotions-that-keep-the-world/)

[Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/)

## More by Shonda Rhimes

> [My philosophy was always try to look like Whitney Houston at all times. That did not work out so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-philosophy-was-always-try-to-look-like-whitney-houston-at-all/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [“Being numb no longer suits me. It’s ill-fitting and I’m antsy about it. I find myself snapping back at people more. Or writing little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/being-numb-no-longer-suits-me-it-s-ill-fitting-and-i-m-antsy-about-it/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [You don't necessarily have to watch something for 14 seasons. It's not necessarily the way everything's supposed to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/you-don-t-necessarily-have-to-watch-something-for-14-seasons-it-s-not/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [We all think we’re going to be great and we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren’t met. But sometimes our expectations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/we-all-think-we-re-going-to-be-great-and-we-feel-a-little-bit-robbed/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [My worst trait is that I'm an introvert. When I've led stuff, the hardest thing for me to overcome has been my natural desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-worst-trait-is-that-i-m-an-introvert-when-i-ve-led-stuff-the/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [There are stories to be told that are still untold and characters to be portrayed that haven't been portrayed correctly. So there's work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/there-are-stories-to-be-told-that-are-still-untold-and-characters-to/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [I say it in the writers' room all the time: My black is not your black. What's terrifying is that, just the same way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-say-it-in-the-writers-room-all-the-time-my-black-is-not-your-black/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [I don't think of myself as a television producer. Obviously, that's crazy. Because I should. That's what I do. But I don't actually see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-television-producer-obviously-that-s/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [My father used to say to me, 'The only limit to your success is your own imagination.' I actually believed that - like, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-father-used-to-say-to-me-the-only-limit-to-your-success-is-your/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [I don't identify with her, but I highly admire Eleanor Roosevelt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-identify-with-her-but-i-highly-admire-eleanor-roosevelt/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [We spend our whole lives worrying about the future, planning for the future, trying to predict the future, as if figuring it out will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/we-spend-our-whole-lives-worrying-about-the-future-planning-for-the/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [What I found fascinating for me was, I've never gotten so much approval and accolades and warmth and congratulations as when I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/what-i-found-fascinating-for-me-was-i-ve-never-gotten-so-much/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [“Look. I will not be told what size to be. I do not care about anyone else’s judgment about my body. I am not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/look-i-will-not-be-told-what-size-to-be-i-do-not-care-about-anyone/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [My parents created a world in which the only ­barrier to your success is your own imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/my-parents-created-a-world-in-which-the-only-barrier-to-your-success/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

> [There have to be practical steps. There's no point in holding out for a magic door because there are no magic doors. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/there-have-to-be-practical-steps-there-s-no-point-in-holding-out-for/)

[Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

[Explore all 194 Shonda Rhimes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/)

## More Convince quotes

> [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/)

[Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/)

> [The privilege of prayer to me is one of the most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God himself sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-grenfell/the-privilege-of-prayer-to-me-is-one-of-the-most-cherished/)

[Wilfred Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-grenfell/)

> [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/)

[Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/)

> [The first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathies with their just feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-first-duty-of-a-wise-advocate-is-to-convince-his-opponents-that/)

[Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/)

> [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [The people on the QVC shopping channel convince me that life is worth living. They see the good in everything. People who go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-vegas/the-people-on-the-qvc-shopping-channel-convince-me-that-life-is-worth/)

[Johnny Vegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-vegas/)

> [“What can I say to convince you the Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisel-mueller/what-can-i-say-to-convince-you-the-houses-of-parliament-dissolve/)

[Lisel Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisel-mueller/)

> [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/)

[David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/)

> [“If you can convince yourself, you can convince the other fellow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/if-you-can-convince-yourself-you-can-convince-the-other-fellow/)

[Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/)

> [Don't lie to yourself about what you can't or can achieve. Convince yourself on a realistic level that you can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-lie-to-yourself-about-what-you-can-t-or-can-achieve-convince/)

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

> [“Don't ever let anyone convince you that your imagination is wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-bianco/don-t-ever-let-anyone-convince-you-that-your-imagination-is-wrong/)

[Giuseppe Bianco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-bianco/)

> [It's hard to convince your agents and managers to do theater, because it's not as financially rewarding and it takes up a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/it-s-hard-to-convince-your-agents-and-managers-to-do-theater-because/)

[Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/)

> [I guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-guess-that-is-the-strange-part-of-the-human-brain-that-people-have/)

[Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/)

> [I knew I shouldn't like him cause I know it's not working, and everybody tells me that, and I convince myself I don't... and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-knew-i-shouldn-t-like-him-cause-i-know-it-s-not-working-and/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

> [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

Browse all 1,431 Convince quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't know if anyone has noticed but I only ever write about one thing: being alone. The fear of being alone, the desire to not be alone, the attempts we make to find our person, to keep our person, to convince our person to not leave us alone, the joy of being with our person and thus no longer alone, the devastation of being left alone. The need to hear the words: You are not alone.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Shonda Rhimes"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i-only-ever-write-about-one/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Convince"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i-only-ever-write-about-one/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/shonda-rhimes-1866_convince_i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i_277114.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/shonda-rhimes-1866_convince_i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i_277114.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41d/shonda-rhimes-1866_convince_i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i_277114.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't know if anyone has noticed but I only ever write about one thing: being alone. The fear of being…” — Shonda Rhimes",
                "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": "Shonda Rhimes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't know if anyone has...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i-only-ever-write-about-one/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-know-if-anyone-has-noticed-but-i-only-ever-write-about-one/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
