--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never contemplated any kind of…" description: "\"I never contemplated any kind of existence or identity after my career. I never thought at some point the entertainment industry is going to be through..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/steve-o-14524_after_i-never-contemplated-any-kind-of-existen_223785.png" --- # I never contemplated any kind of existence or identity… ![“I never contemplated any kind of existence or identity after my career. I never thought at some point the entertainment industry is going to be through with me. And when it first occurred to me that my career was going to cease to be ascendant, then I freaked out.” quote by Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/steve-o-14524_after_i-never-contemplated-any-kind-of-existen_223785.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/steve-o-14524_after_i-never-contemplated-any-kind-of-existen_223785.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/220/steve-o-14524_after_i-never-contemplated-any-kind-of-existen_223785.png) > “I never contemplated any kind of existence or identity after my career. I never thought at some point the entertainment industry is going to be through with me. And when it first occurred to me that my career was going to cease to be ascendant, then I freaked out.” [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing the end of a career can cause fear, but confronting mortality prompts personal growth. **In simple terms:** Career endings cause fear and growth. Key Takeaway Accept career change as part of life. Themes career transition fear identity growth Mood anxious hopeful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - retirement planning - career pivot - mental health - creative reinvention Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does identity mean beyond work? - How can you find purpose after a career ends? A Different Perspective Fear may paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment/) [Entertainment industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment-industry/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes early in my career I thought what I did was who I was. As you mature, I've learned that is not the case.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/sometimes-early-in-my-career-i-thought-what-i-did-was-who-i-was-as/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) > [My career is not well thought out. Every choice has been instinctive and, quite literally, impulsive in many ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-power/my-career-is-not-well-thought-out-every-choice-has-been-instinctive/) [Samantha Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-power/) > [I never thought modeling would become my career. I thought it was something I'd do to pay my way through college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liya-kebede/i-never-thought-modeling-would-become-my-career-i-thought-it-was/) [Liya Kebede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liya-kebede/) > [I really just wanted to be a writer, but people tell you, 'You should have a backup career,' so I thought, 'OK, I'll act.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-davis/i-really-just-wanted-to-be-a-writer-but-people-tell-you-you-should/) [Patti Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-davis/) > [I wanted to have a political career. I thought studying political science would be the best way to achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-jagger/i-wanted-to-have-a-political-career-i-thought-studying-political/) [Bianca Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-jagger/) > [I had this wonderful career and thought I would retire as a teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/i-had-this-wonderful-career-and-thought-i-would-retire-as-a-teacher/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [In my career, I thought I've never wanted to get anywhere in particular. I just wanted to work with interesting people on interesting projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/in-my-career-i-thought-i-ve-never-wanted-to-get-anywhere-in/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [A few years ago, when I had no work and started believing that films weren't a viable career, I thought of finding another job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randeep-hooda/a-few-years-ago-when-i-had-no-work-and-started-believing-that-films/) [Randeep Hooda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randeep-hooda/) > [The first time in my career I thought it makes no sense anymore, that I'll retire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/per-mertesacker/the-first-time-in-my-career-i-thought-it-makes-no-sense-anymore-that/) [Per Mertesacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/per-mertesacker/) > [When I started acting, I didn't think of it as a career. 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Now I've learned that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/there-were-points-in-my-career-where-i-thought-maybe-i-m-done-maybe-i/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [I first went into social services, and when I did my Ph.D. I looked at intellectual diversity rights as they apply to biological material.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-fowler/i-first-went-into-social-services-and-when-i-did-my-ph-d-i-looked-at/) [Cary Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-fowler/) > [I love my career. I thought, if I was lucky, I would retire as a senior intelligence officer, still working on the issues of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-plame/i-love-my-career-i-thought-if-i-was-lucky-i-would-retire-as-a-senior/) [Valerie Plame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-plame/) ## More by Steve-O > [It's commonly said that if slaughterhouses had clear glass walls, nobody would eat meat. I think people go out of their way to remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/it-s-commonly-said-that-if-slaughterhouses-had-clear-glass-walls/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [I think people will be surprised to find that I'm not as much of an idiot as they think I am. I'm not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/i-think-people-will-be-surprised-to-find-that-i-m-not-as-much-of-an/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [I don't go around lecturing people and telling them they shouldn't eat meat. I just don't think that's terribly effective. I just try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/i-don-t-go-around-lecturing-people-and-telling-them-they-shouldn-t/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [I don't think I'm a gay icon. I have no axe to grind. I mean, I'm clearly not homophobic! I'm not pro or con.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/i-don-t-think-i-m-a-gay-icon-i-have-no-axe-to-grind-i-mean-i-m/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [When I was fifteen years old, my dad won a video camera in a corporate golf tournament. I snatched it from his closet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/when-i-was-fifteen-years-old-my-dad-won-a-video-camera-in-a-corporate/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [I'm the perfect kind of personality for making YouTube videos. I deal in short attention span theater. I do wild things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/i-m-the-perfect-kind-of-personality-for-making-youtube-videos-i-deal/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [When I first became involved with PETA, it was on an 'issue-by-issue' basis - they interviewed me in my old apartment about animal abuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/when-i-first-became-involved-with-peta-it-was-on-an-issue-by-issue/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [Anybody that's not supportive of me staying sober obviously has to go. But on the other hand, there are not really a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/anybody-that-s-not-supportive-of-me-staying-sober-obviously-has-to-go/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [I came to San Antonio, and it's known for the River Walk. So I was just doing some sightseeing, I looked at the bridge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/i-came-to-san-antonio-and-it-s-known-for-the-river-walk-so-i-was-just/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [The psychiatric ward was a really creepy place and, hindsight being 20/20, the creepiest thing about it was that I truly belonged there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/the-psychiatric-ward-was-a-really-creepy-place-and-hindsight-being-20/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [Almost as soon as I went vegan, people started telling me that my skin looked great, and that I appeared younger, slimmer, and healthier.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/almost-as-soon-as-i-went-vegan-people-started-telling-me-that-my-skin/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [I don't care if people think I'm boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/i-don-t-care-if-people-think-i-m-boring/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [At this point, I've really failed at a lot of things. It's nice to be able to say that, in a way. I've failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/at-this-point-i-ve-really-failed-at-a-lot-of-things-it-s-nice-to-be/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [I wouldn't have really committed myself to any kind of spiritual lifestyle, I don't think, if I had not endured great suffering. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/i-wouldn-t-have-really-committed-myself-to-any-kind-of-spiritual/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) > [Let's just say that I've had my heart broken more than once, and never learned a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-o/let-s-just-say-that-i-ve-had-my-heart-broken-more-than-once-and-never/) [Steve-O](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) [Explore all 46 Steve-O quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-o/) ## More After quotes > [At the drop of a hat, people will say there are no roles for women after 40. 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But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) > [After I finished college, I got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader, but after a couple years of it, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/after-i-finished-college-i-got-a-job-on-wall-street-as-a-derivatives/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Markets are designed to allow individuals to look after their private needs and to pursue profit. It's really a great invention and I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/markets-are-designed-to-allow-individuals-to-look-after-their-private/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [I have a lot of success and make a good living, but after while, you start going 'Why? Why are you doing all this?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyra-banks/i-have-a-lot-of-success-and-make-a-good-living-but-after-while-you/) [Tyra Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyra-banks/) > [See to do good, and you will find that happiness will run after you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-freeman-clarke/see-to-do-good-and-you-will-find-that-happiness-will-run-after-you/) [James Freeman Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-freeman-clarke/) > [I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. 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