--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My childhood was appalling." description: "\"My childhood was appalling.\" — Taylor Caldwell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/taylor-caldwell-4748_appalling_my-childhood-was-appalling-2021974_2021974.png" --- # My childhood was appalling. ![“My childhood was appalling.” quote by Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/taylor-caldwell-4748_appalling_my-childhood-was-appalling-2021974_2021974.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/taylor-caldwell-4748_appalling_my-childhood-was-appalling-2021974_2021974.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/taylor-caldwell-4748_appalling_my-childhood-was-appalling-2021974_2021974.png) > “My childhood was appalling.” [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on a traumatic early life, indicating deep emotional scars. **In simple terms:** Childhood was painful. Key Takeaway Acknowledge past pain to heal. Themes trauma memory growth Mood somber hopeful introspective Type personal psychological When to use this quote - therapy - personal development - overcoming adversity - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology family dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What lessons have you drawn from early hardships? - How can you transform pain into strength? A Different Perspective Healing may be hindered by denial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appalling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appalling/) [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Childhood Appalling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood-appalling-3667168/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ## Related quotes > [The neglect this implied, the suffering and wasted quality of human life were appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hollows/the-neglect-this-implied-the-suffering-and-wasted-quality-of-human/) [Fred Hollows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hollows/) > [The economic and social decline of Zimbabwe is shocking and appalling. Life there is unrecognisable from that of the recent past. Each day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/the-economic-and-social-decline-of-zimbabwe-is-shocking-and-appalling/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [New York is appalling, fantastically charmless and elaborately dire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/new-york-is-appalling-fantastically-charmless-and-elaborately-dire/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“I’m tired of the news. I’m tired of the way it makes things spectacular that aren’t, and deals so simplistically with what’s truly appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/i-m-tired-of-the-news-i-m-tired-of-the-way-it-makes-things-2/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [All of television's appalling, but this is hardly a new statement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/all-of-television-s-appalling-but-this-is-hardly-a-new-statement/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“Life is short and the number of books is appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/life-is-short-and-the-number-of-books-is-appalling/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [Every other writer's process is sort of vaguely scary and appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/every-other-writer-s-process-is-sort-of-vaguely-scary-and-appalling/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [All my friends' mothers were appalling women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/all-my-friends-mothers-were-appalling-women/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [The quality of writing attracts me to films, also who the other actors are, who the director is, where it's being shot. Any or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/the-quality-of-writing-attracts-me-to-films-also-who-the-other-actors/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [Regret is an appalling waste of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/regret-is-an-appalling-waste-of-time/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [You never know with politicians what they are really saying. And I don't say that in a negative way-they have an appalling job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/you-never-know-with-politicians-what-they-are-really-saying-and-i-don/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The fictional narratives that television, film, and the news provide for girls and young women are appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-fictional-narratives-that-television-film-and-the-news-provide/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [What is this life but the sound of an appalling love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/what-is-this-life-but-the-sound-of-an-appalling-love/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [This new thing about liking yourself, I find that absolutely appalling. Anyone who likes themselves, I just can't go too close to them. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-bouquet/this-new-thing-about-liking-yourself-i-find-that-absolutely-appalling/) [Carole Bouquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-bouquet/) > [A female friend who caught me watching Fashion TV reckons its audience is largely made up of slobbering men who are just taking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-smith/a-female-friend-who-caught-me-watching-fashion-tv-reckons-its/) [Arthur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-smith/) ## More by Taylor Caldwell > [“It's a funny thing about love: you don't need to have it returned to love somebody. Loving's enough. -- A Prologue to Love ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/it-s-a-funny-thing-about-love-you-don-t-need-to-have-it-returned-to/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [If there is a God, then he was particularly harsh to me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/if-there-is-a-god-then-he-was-particularly-harsh-to-me/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/people-must-again-learn-to-work-instead-of-living-on-public-assistance/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [“What manner of men had lived in those days...who had so eagerly surrendered their sovereignty for a lie and a delusion? Why had they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/what-manner-of-men-had-lived-in-those-days-who-had-so-eagerly/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [I will know him by his eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/i-will-know-him-by-his-eyes/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [I am the skeptic of skeptics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/i-am-the-skeptic-of-skeptics/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [“Then, my sweet, you are still an innocent, and I am amazed. Lies are far more potent than the truth, and far ore dangerous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/then-my-sweet-you-are-still-an-innocent-and-i-am-amazed-lies-are-far/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [“Forests, hills, mountains, rivers, and green streams had no protection in the face of rapacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/forests-hills-mountains-rivers-and-green-streams-had-no-protection-in/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [Corrupt citizens breed corrupt rulers, and it is the mob who finally decides when virtue shall die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/corrupt-citizens-breed-corrupt-rulers-and-it-is-the-mob-who-finally/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [Man was the outlaw, the rebel, the distorted shape that scarred the earth, the voice that silenced the music of Eden, the hand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/man-was-the-outlaw-the-rebel-the-distorted-shape-that-scarred-the/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [At 8, I made a pact with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/at-8-i-made-a-pact-with-god/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [There is no solid satisfaction in any career for a woman like myself. There is no home, no true freedom, no hope, no joy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/there-is-no-solid-satisfaction-in-any-career-for-a-woman-like-myself/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [“On the day when you again allow abominable men to confiscate your freedom, your money, your lives, your private property, your manhood and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/on-the-day-when-you-again-allow-abominable-men-to-confiscate-your/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [No woman has ever been an authentic genius of the stature of men, but that does not enrage me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/no-woman-has-ever-been-an-authentic-genius-of-the-stature-of-men-but/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [Even the most malignant gods would not continue to inflict life upon humanity, time without end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/even-the-most-malignant-gods-would-not-continue-to-inflict-life-upon/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) [Explore all 105 Taylor Caldwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) ## More Appalling quotes > [The neglect this implied, the suffering and wasted quality of human life were appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hollows/the-neglect-this-implied-the-suffering-and-wasted-quality-of-human/) [Fred Hollows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hollows/) > [This new thing about liking yourself, I find that absolutely appalling. Anyone who likes themselves, I just can't go too close to them. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-bouquet/this-new-thing-about-liking-yourself-i-find-that-absolutely-appalling/) [Carole Bouquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-bouquet/) > [What is this life but the sound of an appalling love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/what-is-this-life-but-the-sound-of-an-appalling-love/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [The fictional narratives that television, film, and the news provide for girls and young women are appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-fictional-narratives-that-television-film-and-the-news-provide/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [You never know with politicians what they are really saying. And I don't say that in a negative way-they have an appalling job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/you-never-know-with-politicians-what-they-are-really-saying-and-i-don/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [Regret is an appalling waste of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/regret-is-an-appalling-waste-of-time/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [The quality of writing attracts me to films, also who the other actors are, who the director is, where it's being shot. Any or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/the-quality-of-writing-attracts-me-to-films-also-who-the-other-actors/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [All my friends' mothers were appalling women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/all-my-friends-mothers-were-appalling-women/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Every other writer's process is sort of vaguely scary and appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/every-other-writer-s-process-is-sort-of-vaguely-scary-and-appalling/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“Life is short and the number of books is appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cowper-powys/life-is-short-and-the-number-of-books-is-appalling/) [John Cowper Powys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cowper-powys/) > [All of television's appalling, but this is hardly a new statement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/all-of-television-s-appalling-but-this-is-hardly-a-new-statement/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“I’m tired of the news. I’m tired of the way it makes things spectacular that aren’t, and deals so simplistically with what’s truly appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/i-m-tired-of-the-news-i-m-tired-of-the-way-it-makes-things-2/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [New York is appalling, fantastically charmless and elaborately dire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/new-york-is-appalling-fantastically-charmless-and-elaborately-dire/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [The economic and social decline of Zimbabwe is shocking and appalling. Life there is unrecognisable from that of the recent past. Each day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/the-economic-and-social-decline-of-zimbabwe-is-shocking-and-appalling/) [Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/) > [A female friend who caught me watching Fashion TV reckons its audience is largely made up of slobbering men who are just taking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-smith/a-female-friend-who-caught-me-watching-fashion-tv-reckons-its/) [Arthur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-smith/) [Browse all 95 Appalling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appalling/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My childhood was appalling.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Taylor Caldwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/my-childhood-was-appalling/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appalling" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/my-childhood-was-appalling/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/taylor-caldwell-4748_appalling_my-childhood-was-appalling-2021974_2021974.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/taylor-caldwell-4748_appalling_my-childhood-was-appalling-2021974_2021974.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/taylor-caldwell-4748_appalling_my-childhood-was-appalling-2021974_2021974.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My childhood was appalling.” — Taylor Caldwell", "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": "Taylor Caldwell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My childhood was appalling.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/my-childhood-was-appalling/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/my-childhood-was-appalling/#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 } } ] } ```