--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know if it's better to be close…" description: "\"I don't know if it's better to be close with your daughter or make sure that she has a better life than you do.\" — Stephen Chbosky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d53/stephen-chbosky-387_better-life_i-don-t-know-if-it-s-better-to-be-close_2718843.png" --- # I don't know if it's better to be close with your daughter… ![“I don't know if it's better to be close with your daughter or make sure that she has a better life than you do.” quote by Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d53/stephen-chbosky-387_better-life_i-don-t-know-if-it-s-better-to-be-close_2718843.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d53/stephen-chbosky-387_better-life_i-don-t-know-if-it-s-better-to-be-close_2718843.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d53/stephen-chbosky-387_better-life_i-don-t-know-if-it-s-better-to-be-close_2718843.png) > “I don't know if it's better to be close with your daughter or make sure that she has a better life than you do.” [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing personal closeness with providing a better future creates a moral dilemma for parents. **In simple terms:** Choosing between closeness and better life for child. Key Takeaway Weigh love against aspirations. Themes family parenting ethics sacrifice Mood conflicted reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - parent‑child decisions - career planning - financial support - education choices Key Concepts intergenerational responsibility emotional labor Questions to Reflect On - How do you define “better life” for your child? - Can closeness and opportunity coexist? A Different Perspective Balancing both may be possible with open communication. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Better Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-close-1866782/) [Better life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-life/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Close Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-daughter-2146164/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Know Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-better-252514/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Your daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-daughter/) ## Related quotes > [The more space you give Joanna, the better for her. 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Have a good one," I said and walked away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-sorry-i-bothered-you-susan-i-m-just-having-a-tough-time-that-s/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [When we were all getting ready to leave, I walked up to my grandfather and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/when-we-were-all-getting-ready-to-leave-i-walked-up-to-my-grandfather/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [It's like he would take a photograph of Sam, and the photograph would be beautiful. 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And I want you to know I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/so-this-is-my-life-and-i-want-you-to-know-i-am-both-happy-and-sad-and/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [If you care about somebody, you should want them to be happy. Even if you wind up being left out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/if-you-care-about-somebody-you-should-want-them-to-be-happy-even-if/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I wasn't raised very religiously because my parents went to Catholic school, but I do believe in God very much. I just never gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-wasn-t-raised-very-religiously-because-my-parents-went-to-catholic/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) [Explore all 558 Stephen Chbosky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) ## More Better life quotes > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [A faithfully kept program of savings and conservative investments can give you more money and a better life than that of your neighbors who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-bryant-quinn/a-faithfully-kept-program-of-savings-and-conservative-investments-can/) [Jane Bryant Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-bryant-quinn/) > [“There is no greater force for change than people inspired to live a better life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/there-is-no-greater-force-for-change-than-people-inspired-to-live-a/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [If you want to live a meaningfully better life, you're going to have to make the dangerous choice to dissent. 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