--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don’t think it ever occurred to me…" description: "\"“I don’t think it ever occurred to me before how much and how often women are praised for displaying traits that basically render them invisible.”\" — S..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/shonda-rhimes-1866_invisible_i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-bef_3028034.jpg" --- # I don’t think it ever occurred to me before how much and… ![“I don’t think it ever occurred to me before how much and how often women are praised for displaying traits that basically render them invisible.” quote by Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/shonda-rhimes-1866_invisible_i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-bef_3028034.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/shonda-rhimes-1866_invisible_i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-bef_3028034.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/shonda-rhimes-1866_invisible_i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-bef_3028034.jpg) > ““I don’t think it ever occurred to me before how much and how often women are praised for displaying traits that basically render them invisible.”” [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. Women often receive praise for traits that render them invisible, underscoring a paradox of visibility and erasure. **In simple terms:** Praise can mask underlying marginalization. Key Takeaway Recognize and celebrate visible contributions. Themes gender recognition invisibility Mood critical thought‑provoking Type analytical activist When to use this quote - workplace meetings - award ceremonies - media coverage - educational settings Key Concepts feminist theory social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What traits are praised that hide women’s impact? - How can we shift praise to acknowledge substantive contributions? A Different Perspective Praising invisibility can perpetuate marginalization. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Invisible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisible/) [Occurred Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occurred-women-4636621/) [Think Occurred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-occurred-4933164/) [Traits Basically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traits-basically-4933163/) [Women Praised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-praised-4933162/) ## Related quotes > [The world would be a better place if random animal sounds occurred when women rolled their eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/the-world-would-be-a-better-place-if-random-animal-sounds-occurred/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [With the search for the Higgs, we're involved with 5% of the visual universe, and now we have 95% of the invisible universe that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/with-the-search-for-the-higgs-we-re-involved-with-5-of-the-visual/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [How do you turn the invisible into the visible? The first step is to define your dream precisely; the only limit to what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/how-do-you-turn-the-invisible-into-the-visible-the-first-step-is-to/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Though an atom is invisible, unthinkable, yet in it are the whole power and potency of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/though-an-atom-is-invisible-unthinkable-yet-in-it-are-the-whole-power/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Bread is a second cause; the LORD Himself is the first source of our sustenance. He can work without the second cause as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bread-is-a-second-cause-the-lord-himself-is-the-first-source-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The technology involved in making anything invisible is so infinitely complex that nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-technology-involved-in-making-anything-invisible-is-so-infinitely/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“If you come anywhere near my daughter, I will see to it that you are taken apart piece by bloody piece. Do I make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/if-you-come-anywhere-near-my-daughter-i-will-see-to-it-that-you-are/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Death left its old tragic heaven and became the lyrical core of man: his invisible truth, his visible secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/death-left-its-old-tragic-heaven-and-became-the-lyrical-core-of-man/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Jesus' kingdom was not like the popular expectation. He used the phrase 'kingdom of God' with a different meaning. His kingdom was not of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-harpur/jesus-kingdom-was-not-like-the-popular-expectation-he-used-the-phrase/) [Tom Harpur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-harpur/) > [Inequality is pervasive but invisible. It's hard to see. You need a sort of tool to make it visible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hito-steyerl/inequality-is-pervasive-but-invisible-it-s-hard-to-see-you-need-a/) [Hito Steyerl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hito-steyerl/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## 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 Invisible quotes > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Inequality is pervasive but invisible. It's hard to see. You need a sort of tool to make it visible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hito-steyerl/inequality-is-pervasive-but-invisible-it-s-hard-to-see-you-need-a/) [Hito Steyerl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hito-steyerl/) > [Jesus' kingdom was not like the popular expectation. He used the phrase 'kingdom of God' with a different meaning. His kingdom was not of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-harpur/jesus-kingdom-was-not-like-the-popular-expectation-he-used-the-phrase/) [Tom Harpur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-harpur/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [Death left its old tragic heaven and became the lyrical core of man: his invisible truth, his visible secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/death-left-its-old-tragic-heaven-and-became-the-lyrical-core-of-man/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [“If you come anywhere near my daughter, I will see to it that you are taken apart piece by bloody piece. Do I make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/if-you-come-anywhere-near-my-daughter-i-will-see-to-it-that-you-are/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [The technology involved in making anything invisible is so infinitely complex that nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-technology-involved-in-making-anything-invisible-is-so-infinitely/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Bread is a second cause; the LORD Himself is the first source of our sustenance. He can work without the second cause as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bread-is-a-second-cause-the-lord-himself-is-the-first-source-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Though an atom is invisible, unthinkable, yet in it are the whole power and potency of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/though-an-atom-is-invisible-unthinkable-yet-in-it-are-the-whole-power/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [How do you turn the invisible into the visible? The first step is to define your dream precisely; the only limit to what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/how-do-you-turn-the-invisible-into-the-visible-the-first-step-is-to/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [With the search for the Higgs, we're involved with 5% of the visual universe, and now we have 95% of the invisible universe that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/with-the-search-for-the-higgs-we-re-involved-with-5-of-the-visual/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [When we pray, we must begin by conceiving God in full and vigorous images, but we must go on to acknowledge the inadequacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-farrer/when-we-pray-we-must-begin-by-conceiving-god-in-full-and-vigorous/) [Austin Farrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-farrer/) [Browse all 2,346 Invisible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisible/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I don’t think it ever occurred to me before how much and how often women are praised for displaying traits that basically render them invisible.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shonda Rhimes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-before-how-much-and-how-often/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Invisible" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-before-how-much-and-how-often/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/shonda-rhimes-1866_invisible_i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-bef_3028034.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/shonda-rhimes-1866_invisible_i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-bef_3028034.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc9/shonda-rhimes-1866_invisible_i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-bef_3028034.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don’t think it ever occurred to me before how much and how often women are praised for displaying traits…” — 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 think it ever occurred...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-before-how-much-and-how-often/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/i-don-t-think-it-ever-occurred-to-me-before-how-much-and-how-often/#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 } } ] } ```