---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Somewhere around the 5th or 7th grade, I…"
description: "\"Somewhere around the 5th or 7th grade, I figured out that I could ingratiate myself to people by making them laugh. Essentially, I was just trying to m..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e24/tina-fey-484_7th-grade_somewhere-around-the-5th-or-7th-grade-i_3178850.jpg"
---

#  Somewhere around the 5th or 7th grade, I figured out that…

![“Somewhere around the 5th or 7th grade, I figured out that I could ingratiate myself to people by making them laugh. Essentially, I was just trying to make them like me, but after awhile, it became part of my identity.” quote by Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e24/tina-fey-484_7th-grade_somewhere-around-the-5th-or-7th-grade-i_3178850.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e24/tina-fey-484_7th-grade_somewhere-around-the-5th-or-7th-grade-i_3178850.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e24/tina-fey-484_7th-grade_somewhere-around-the-5th-or-7th-grade-i_3178850.jpg)

> “Somewhere around the 5th or 7th grade, I figured out that I could ingratiate myself to people by making them laugh. Essentially, I was just trying to make them like me, but after awhile, it became part of my identity.”

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

## About This Quote

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

Using humor to gain acceptance becomes a personal brand, showing how social tactics can evolve into core identity.

**In simple terms:** Humor used for acceptance becomes identity.

Key Takeaway

Leverage humor wisely.

Themes

humor social dynamics identity branding

Mood

playful insightful

Type

personal professional

When to use this quote

- team building
- public speaking
- networking events

Key Concepts

psychology social influence self-presentation

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you still enjoy humor for its own sake?
- How does humor shape your relationships?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on humor may mask authenticity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/)

## Related quotes

> [Somewhere around the fifth or seventh grade I figured out that I could ingratiate myself to people by making them laugh. Essentially, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/somewhere-around-the-fifth-or-seventh-grade-i-figured-out-that-i/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [Whenever I've tried to ingratiate myself to an existing community, I tend to give too much, to become whatever it is they want me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitski/whenever-i-ve-tried-to-ingratiate-myself-to-an-existing-community-i/)

[Mitski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitski/)

> [A lot of women seem to think the way to ingratiate themselves is to put down other women or backstab.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle/a-lot-of-women-seem-to-think-the-way-to-ingratiate-themselves-is-to-2/)

[Gabrielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle/)

> [A lot of women seem to think the way to ingratiate themselves is to put down other women or backstab. That's the quickest way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/a-lot-of-women-seem-to-think-the-way-to-ingratiate-themselves-is-to/)

[Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/)

> [You must ingratiate yourself with those who can help you. Flatter them to their faces. Praise them to others who will carry your words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chin-ning-chu/you-must-ingratiate-yourself-with-those-who-can-help-you-flatter-them/)

[Chin-Ning Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chin-ning-chu/)

> [It's hard when you are trying to ingratiate yourself in a completely foreign world. It takes a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-blagden/it-s-hard-when-you-are-trying-to-ingratiate-yourself-in-a-completely/)

[George Blagden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-blagden/)

> [A teacher asked us if anybody knew the names of the continents. I was sooo excited. I was like, Damn it! It's my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/a-teacher-asked-us-if-anybody-knew-the-names-of-the-continents-i-was/)

[Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/)

> [When I was in 7th grade, we were all given an exam. It was science and math, and the boys who did well were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/when-i-was-in-7th-grade-we-were-all-given-an-exam-it-was-science-and/)

[Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/)

> [In 7th grade, I believe, I wrote my first rap song. It was about everything I was seeing, everything that was going on around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gates/in-7th-grade-i-believe-i-wrote-my-first-rap-song-it-was-about/)

[Kevin Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gates/)

> [I've been wearing lipstick since I was in 7th grade. That was our form of daring self-expression, because we had to wear uniforms in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/i-ve-been-wearing-lipstick-since-i-was-in-7th-grade-that-was-our-form/)

[Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/)

> [I was a baseball guy. Mom wouldn't let me play football when I was little because she was scared I'd get hurt. So, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-johnson/i-was-a-baseball-guy-mom-wouldn-t-let-me-play-football-when-i-was/)

[Calvin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-johnson/)

> [In the 7th grade, I made a 20-foot long mural of the Lewis and Clark Trail while we were studying that in history because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/in-the-7th-grade-i-made-a-20-foot-long-mural-of-the-lewis-and-clark/)

[Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/)

> [My best friend from up the street, another really tough kid, we'd box every day after school, starting around 6th or 7th grade. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-condit/my-best-friend-from-up-the-street-another-really-tough-kid-we-d-box/)

[Carlos Condit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-condit/)

> [My dad has had a rare form of leukemia since I was in about 7th grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delonge/my-dad-has-had-a-rare-form-of-leukemia-since-i-was-in-about-7th-grade/)

[Tom DeLonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delonge/)

> [I've only been in one fight in my whole life... in 7th grade, yet everyone thinks I'm a maniac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-liotta/i-ve-only-been-in-one-fight-in-my-whole-life-in-7th-grade-yet/)

[Ray Liotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-liotta/)

## More by Tina Fey

> [I really like John McCain. He's an awesome dude and was a lot of fun when he hosted "SNL." I'd love to see a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-really-like-john-mccain-he-s-an-awesome-dude-and-was-a-lot-of-fun/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [You mostly know that you want to be funny, know that you have the desire. It's not like people who grow up beautiful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/you-mostly-know-that-you-want-to-be-funny-know-that-you-have-the/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [I was a very confident little kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-was-a-very-confident-little-kid/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [You can tell how smart people are by what they laugh at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/you-can-tell-how-smart-people-are-by-what-they-laugh-at/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/whatever-the-problem-be-part-of-the-solution-don-t-just-sit-around/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [Pentagon records show that at least 8,000 members of the all-volunteer U.S. Army have deserted since the Iraq war began. Hey, at least somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/pentagon-records-show-that-at-least-8-000-members-of-the-all/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [“That summer I got to know four families in which half the children were gay. In case you’re interested from a sociological point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/that-summer-i-got-to-know-four-families-in-which-half-the-children/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [The topic of working moms is a tap-dance recital in a minefield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/the-topic-of-working-moms-is-a-tap-dance-recital-in-a-minefield/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [You can be a little bit darker and rougher on the stage, partly because when you're in the theater, people have come to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/you-can-be-a-little-bit-darker-and-rougher-on-the-stage-partly/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [ \[...\] things most people do naturally are often inexplicably difficult for me. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/things-most-people-do-naturally-are-often-inexplicably-difficult-for/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [“To this day, all I know is there are between two and four openings down there and that the set up inside looks vaguely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/to-this-day-all-i-know-is-there-are-between-two-and-four-openings/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [Wafah Dufour bin Laden, niece of Osama bin Laden has signed a contract to star in a reality show... called Skating with the Nieces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/wafah-dufour-bin-laden-niece-of-osama-bin-laden-has-signed-a-contract/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [It's not vanity, because if you look weird, it will distract from what your trying to do. If you look as good as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/it-s-not-vanity-because-if-you-look-weird-it-will-distract-from-what/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [Sometimes, you can feel or see how a movie can... how you can do it. Sometimes it's just like seeing, "Can that work? Will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/sometimes-you-can-feel-or-see-how-a-movie-can-how-you-can-do-it/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

> [“forward, women embraced their diversity and realized that all shapes and sizes are beautiful. Ah ha ha. No. I’m totally messing with you. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/forward-women-embraced-their-diversity-and-realized-that-all-shapes/)

[Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

[Explore all 527 Tina Fey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/)

## More 7th grade quotes

> [I've only been in one fight in my whole life... in 7th grade, yet everyone thinks I'm a maniac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-liotta/i-ve-only-been-in-one-fight-in-my-whole-life-in-7th-grade-yet/)

[Ray Liotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-liotta/)

> [My dad has had a rare form of leukemia since I was in about 7th grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delonge/my-dad-has-had-a-rare-form-of-leukemia-since-i-was-in-about-7th-grade/)

[Tom DeLonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delonge/)

> [My best friend from up the street, another really tough kid, we'd box every day after school, starting around 6th or 7th grade. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-condit/my-best-friend-from-up-the-street-another-really-tough-kid-we-d-box/)

[Carlos Condit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-condit/)

> [In the 7th grade, I made a 20-foot long mural of the Lewis and Clark Trail while we were studying that in history because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/in-the-7th-grade-i-made-a-20-foot-long-mural-of-the-lewis-and-clark/)

[Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/)

> [I was a baseball guy. Mom wouldn't let me play football when I was little because she was scared I'd get hurt. So, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-johnson/i-was-a-baseball-guy-mom-wouldn-t-let-me-play-football-when-i-was/)

[Calvin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-johnson/)

> [I've been wearing lipstick since I was in 7th grade. That was our form of daring self-expression, because we had to wear uniforms in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/i-ve-been-wearing-lipstick-since-i-was-in-7th-grade-that-was-our-form/)

[Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/)

> [In 7th grade, I believe, I wrote my first rap song. It was about everything I was seeing, everything that was going on around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gates/in-7th-grade-i-believe-i-wrote-my-first-rap-song-it-was-about/)

[Kevin Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gates/)

> [When I was in 7th grade, we were all given an exam. It was science and math, and the boys who did well were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-pollack/when-i-was-in-7th-grade-we-were-all-given-an-exam-it-was-science-and/)

[Eileen Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-pollack/)

> [A teacher asked us if anybody knew the names of the continents. I was sooo excited. I was like, Damn it! It's my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/a-teacher-asked-us-if-anybody-knew-the-names-of-the-continents-i-was/)

[Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/)

> [The guy who enters pro sports hasn't run scared from the 7th grade on. Until he enters the pros, it's been nothing but roses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-finks/the-guy-who-enters-pro-sports-hasn-t-run-scared-from-the-7th-grade-on/)

[Jim Finks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-finks/)

> [Ive been wearing lipstick since I was in 7th grade. That was our form of daring self-expression, because we had to wear uniforms in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/ive-been-wearing-lipstick-since-i-was-in-7th-grade-that-was-our-form/)

[Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/)

> [I'm a kid from Kansas, so J.C. Penney was where I got all my clothes from kindergarten to around 7th grade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-wooster/i-m-a-kid-from-kansas-so-j-c-penney-was-where-i-got-all-my-clothes/)

[Nick Wooster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-wooster/)

> [7th grade is hard, just always play your part!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawnn-gee/7th-grade-is-hard-just-always-play-your-part/)

Shawnn Gee

> [I'm getting paid to do what I got in trouble for in the 7th grade. I absolutely love what I do and thank my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-paulsen/i-m-getting-paid-to-do-what-i-got-in-trouble-for-in-the-7th-grade-i/)

[Rob Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-paulsen/)

> [I'm stuck in 7th grade &amp; I just keep getting let back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-m-stuck-in-7th-grade-i-just-keep-getting-let-back/)

[Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/)

Browse all 23 7th grade quotes

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