--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know a few things to be true. I do not…" description: "\"I know a few things to be true. I do not know where I am going, where I have come from is disappearing, I am unwelcome and my beauty is not beauty here..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c6/warsan-shire-7647_beauty_i-know-a-few-things-to-be-true-i-do-not_3193743.jpg" --- # I know a few things to be true. I do not know where I am… ![“I know a few things to be true. I do not know where I am going, where I have come from is disappearing, I am unwelcome and my beauty is not beauty here. My body is burning with the shame of not belonging, my body is longing.” quote by Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c6/warsan-shire-7647_beauty_i-know-a-few-things-to-be-true-i-do-not_3193743.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c6/warsan-shire-7647_beauty_i-know-a-few-things-to-be-true-i-do-not_3193743.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c6/warsan-shire-7647_beauty_i-know-a-few-things-to-be-true-i-do-not_3193743.jpg) > “I know a few things to be true. I do not know where I am going, where I have come from is disappearing, I am unwelcome and my beauty is not beauty here. My body is burning with the shame of not belonging, my body is longing.” [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) ## 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 feels disoriented, alienated, and ashamed, yearning for belonging while recognizing their beauty is unappreciated. **In simple terms:** Feeling lost and unwanted, longing for acceptance. Key Takeaway Seek connection and self‑acceptance despite alienation. Themes identity belonging shame longing beauty Mood melancholic reflective Type poetic personal When to use this quote - immigration experience - mental health counseling - artistic expression - community building Key Concepts existential alienation self‑worth cultural displacement Questions to Reflect On - How can one cultivate belonging in hostile environments? - What practices help transform shame into self‑compassion? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize suffering, overlooking agency to change circumstances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Being true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-true/) [Belonging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonging/) [Belonging Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belonging-body-5900944/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Body Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-longing-3021203/) [Burning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burning/) [Disappear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappear/) [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Shame Belonging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame-belonging-5900943/) ## Related quotes > [“I think she would have preferred being spared from understanding all the physical signals one hopes the world will notice and reward with caresses.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-valeur/i-think-she-would-have-preferred-being-spared-from-understanding-all/) [Erik Valeur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-valeur/) > [My mind is full of secrets I'm too afraid to tell. 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Something not everyone knows how to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/you-are-terrifying-and-strange-and-beautiful-something-not-everyone/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [“the year of letting go, of understanding loss. grace. of the word ‘no’ and also being able to say ‘you are not kind’. the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/the-year-of-letting-go-of-understanding-loss-grace-of-the-word-no-and/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [How far have you walked for men who've never held your feet in their laps?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/how-far-have-you-walked-for-men-who-ve-never-held-your-feet-in-their/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [And you tried to change, didnt you? Closed your mouth more. 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