---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If my 18-year-old daughter asked me…"
description: "\"If my 18-year-old daughter asked me whether she should lead a truth-hunting, artistic, uncompromising life as I have done, I'd say no, don't do it. It'..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/viv-albertine-5176_children_if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whet_1982228.jpg"
---

#  If my 18-year-old daughter asked me whether she should…

![“If my 18-year-old daughter asked me whether she should lead a truth-hunting, artistic, uncompromising life as I have done, I'd say no, don't do it. It's a difficult and lonely path for a woman.” quote by Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/viv-albertine-5176_children_if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whet_1982228.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/viv-albertine-5176_children_if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whet_1982228.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/viv-albertine-5176_children_if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whet_1982228.jpg)

> “If my 18-year-old daughter asked me whether she should lead a truth-hunting, artistic, uncompromising life as I have done, I'd say no, don't do it. It's a difficult and lonely path for a woman.”

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

## About This Quote

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

She warns that a fiercely independent artistic life can be isolating and challenging for women, suggesting caution.

**In simple terms:** Independence may be lonely for women.

Key Takeaway

Consider the costs of uncompromising paths.

Themes

gender art loneliness

Mood

thoughtful cautious

Type

advisory philosophical

When to use this quote

- career choices
- artistic pursuits
- mental health
- support networks

Key Concepts

feminist critique creative sacrifice

Questions to Reflect On

- Is the price of artistic integrity worth personal sacrifice?
- How can women find balance between authenticity and community?

A Different Perspective

Not all women desire or can sustain such isolation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lonely path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely-path/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/)

## Related quotes

> [I've always liked to go down a different path. Being a woman of color, I never followed a cookie cutter way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halle-berry/i-ve-always-liked-to-go-down-a-different-path-being-a-woman-of-color/)

[Halle Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halle-berry/)

> [Art is uncompromising, and life is full of compromises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunter-grass/art-is-uncompromising-and-life-is-full-of-compromises/)

[Gunter Grass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunter-grass/)

> [“Why are you still here? And why won’t you give me back my key, dammit?” “Because your daughter asked me to check on you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-march/why-are-you-still-here-and-why-won-t-you-give-me-back-my-key-dammit/)

[Meghan March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-march/)

> [My daughter was asked by a little old lady in a London hotel restaurant what her daddy did. She answered, “He’s a pirate” -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/my-daughter-was-asked-by-a-little-old-lady-in-a-london-hotel/)

[Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/)

> [“My daughter asked if the boogie man was scary. I said, "Not as scary as the boogie woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-kagan/my-daughter-asked-if-the-boogie-man-was-scary-i-said-not-as-scary-as/)

[Randy Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-kagan/)

> [My daughter asked me when she came home from school, "What's the financial crisis?" and I said, it's something that happens every five to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/my-daughter-asked-me-when-she-came-home-from-school-what-s-the/)

[Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/)

> [Both my husband and I wanted a boy. I wasn't sure what I'd do with a daughter. What if she asked for a Barbie?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-marie-combs/both-my-husband-and-i-wanted-a-boy-i-wasn-t-sure-what-i-d-do-with-a/)

[Holly Marie Combs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-marie-combs/)

> [“My own daughter went through a teenage phase of testing her mom and me. She once brought home a young man to meet us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-schafer/my-own-daughter-went-through-a-teenage-phase-of-testing-her-mom-and/)

Jack Schafer

> [“Book: Ten Steps to Asexuality and Financial Freedom, by Lonely Path”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/book-ten-steps-to-asexuality-and-financial-freedom-by-lonely-path/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“Whom will you cry to, heart? More and more lonely, your path struggles on through incomprehensible mankind. All the more futile perhaps for keeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/whom-will-you-cry-to-heart-more-and-more-lonely-your-path-struggles/)

[Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/)

> [It's a lonely road for those of us who choose to be remarkable, and the path of convention can sometimes be appealing. That path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-guillebeau/it-s-a-lonely-road-for-those-of-us-who-choose-to-be-remarkable-and/)

[Chris Guillebeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-guillebeau/)

> [Being flawed is the perfect recipe for beauty for nothing in nature is perfect. Striving for perfection will lead you down a dark and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-lee-beckwith-powell/being-flawed-is-the-perfect-recipe-for-beauty-for-nothing-in-nature/)

[Rosa-Lee Beckwith-Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-lee-beckwith-powell/)

> [“Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/brothers-and-sisters-one-of-the-great-consolations-of-this-easter/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [Do not let your fire go out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/do-not-let-your-fire-go-out/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [I say that they can be solved; there is no problem that cannot be, but faith is necessary. Think of the faith I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-say-that-they-can-be-solved-there-is-no-problem-that-cannot-be-but/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

## More by Viv Albertine

> [I have a lot of empathy, and I think that's where mothering starts. You are there to empathise and facilitate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-have-a-lot-of-empathy-and-i-think-that-s-where-mothering-starts-you/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [I get the same lurching thrill now when I'm about to sit down to an egg mayonnaise sandwich and a packet of plain crisps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-get-the-same-lurching-thrill-now-when-i-m-about-to-sit-down-to-an/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [I have a daughter. I have my imagination. I have friends. I, in no way, am going to louse that up with some idiot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-have-a-daughter-i-have-my-imagination-i-have-friends-i-in-no-way-am/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [I don't believe in an afterlife. You live on in the people you influence during your lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-don-t-believe-in-an-afterlife-you-live-on-in-the-people-you/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [Women are constantly taught to think about what other people are thinking, from those 'Jackie' magazine quizzes - 'What's he thinking?' - to being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/women-are-constantly-taught-to-think-about-what-other-people-are/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [Most female artists - to do what you have to do and to be as honest as you have to be, to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/most-female-artists-to-do-what-you-have-to-do-and-to-be-as-honest-as/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [I'm not a gifted storyteller, so I write what I know and hope that honesty resonates with other people's experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-m-not-a-gifted-storyteller-so-i-write-what-i-know-and-hope-that/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [The more blows you have in life, the better, because it means you're challenging yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/the-more-blows-you-have-in-life-the-better-because-it-means-you-re/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [I'd like to be with someone kind who can hold a conversation and is in my age group. If that's too much to ask,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-d-like-to-be-with-someone-kind-who-can-hold-a-conversation-and-is/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [I think, often, people who do something new creatively don't benefit financially from it - it's the people who come after and make them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-think-often-people-who-do-something-new-creatively-don-t-benefit/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [If I didn't live in London, I would live in Glasgow. I love the colour of the brick and the black ironwork. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/if-i-didn-t-live-in-london-i-would-live-in-glasgow-i-love-the-colour/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [We used to have massively long discussions about how we should stand on stage. Should we stand with our legs apart? No, all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/we-used-to-have-massively-long-discussions-about-how-we-should-stand/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [I'm the angriest and most empathetic person you'll ever meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-m-the-angriest-and-most-empathetic-person-you-ll-ever-meet/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [“At last there is an unknown element back in my life. This is how it used to be. This is how I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/at-last-there-is-an-unknown-element-back-in-my-life-this-is-how-it/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [I think I am the Elizabeth Barrett of 2015. Not in terms of genius but in bed a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-think-i-am-the-elizabeth-barrett-of-2015-not-in-terms-of-genius-but/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

[Explore all 103 Viv Albertine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If my 18-year-old daughter asked me whether she should lead a truth-hunting, artistic, uncompromising life as I have done, I'd say no, don't do it. It's a difficult and lonely path for a woman.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Viv Albertine"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whether-she-should-lead-a-truth/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whether-she-should-lead-a-truth/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/viv-albertine-5176_children_if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whet_1982228.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/viv-albertine-5176_children_if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whet_1982228.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/viv-albertine-5176_children_if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whet_1982228.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If my 18-year-old daughter asked me whether she should lead a truth-hunting, artistic, uncompromising life…” — Viv Albertine",
                "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": "Viv Albertine",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If my 18-year-old daughter asked me...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whether-she-should-lead-a-truth/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/if-my-18-year-old-daughter-asked-me-whether-she-should-lead-a-truth/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
