--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't have a girlfriend until I was…" description: "\"I didn't have a girlfriend until I was 29, and I thought it was because I'm in a wheelchair. And I realized that it's not that, it's because I listened..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/zach-anner-4934_accepted_i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-2_2656716.jpg" --- # I didn't have a girlfriend until I was 29, and I thought… ![“I didn't have a girlfriend until I was 29, and I thought it was because I'm in a wheelchair. And I realized that it's not that, it's because I listened to what the dismissive part of society was telling me and accepted it as truth. There was nothing that was keeping me from dating or falling in…” quote by Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/zach-anner-4934_accepted_i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-2_2656716.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/zach-anner-4934_accepted_i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-2_2656716.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/zach-anner-4934_accepted_i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-2_2656716.jpg) > “I didn't have a girlfriend until I was 29, and I thought it was because I'm in a wheelchair. And I realized that it's not that, it's because I listened to what the dismissive part of society was telling me and accepted it as truth. There was nothing that was keeping me from dating or falling in love other than the fact that I was scared of being rejected. And everybody has that fear. That's a universal thing.” [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) ## 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 realized his dating anxiety stemmed from internalized societal dismissal, not his disability, highlighting universal fear of rejection. **In simple terms:** He blamed society, not his wheelchair, for his dating fears. Key Takeaway Challenge internalized doubts and seek connection. Themes self‑esteem disability social perception fear of rejection Mood reflective hopeful empowering Type personal motivational inspirational When to use this quote - dating - social events - online dating - support groups Key Concepts internalized stigma confidence building relationship dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What narratives have you accepted without questioning? - How can you reframe fear into motivation? A Different Perspective Self‑doubt can be reinforced by external narratives, requiring active self‑reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dating/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Falling in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling-in-love/) [Girlfriend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girlfriend/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Wheelchairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wheelchairs/) ## Related quotes > [I Wanna Say I love you but Im scared to be rejected. Your the reason I stay up at night and the reason I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-original-by-me/i-wanna-say-i-love-you-but-im-scared-to-be-rejected-your-the-reason-i/) An Original By Me > [There was an agent who wanted to book me for Glee. He lied and said I could sing. He was like, "If you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/there-was-an-agent-who-wanted-to-book-me-for-glee-he-lied-and-said-i/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [ When I read the script \[of Glee\], the whole premise was that all the high school kids were being cruel to this kid in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/when-i-read-the-script-of-glee-the-whole-premise-was-that-all-the/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [Technically I can get out of my wheelchair and crawl around and do things, but when I've traveled and they've lost my wheelchair in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/technically-i-can-get-out-of-my-wheelchair-and-crawl-around-and-do/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [What sense would it make to classify a man as handicapped because he is in a wheelchair today, if he is expected to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-sense-would-it-make-to-classify-a-man-as-handicapped-because-he/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Yes sir, yes madam, I entreat you, get out of those motorized wheelchairs, get off your foam rubber backsides, stand up straight like men!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/yes-sir-yes-madam-i-entreat-you-get-out-of-those-motorized/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [We settled Mama into the wheelchair and loaded her down with both our pocketbooks and a vase of flowers I had picked to present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-white/we-settled-mama-into-the-wheelchair-and-loaded-her-down-with-both-our/) [Bailey White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-white/) > [I can see myself as a very old man in a terrific wheelchair. Only, I won't be photographing the tree outside my window, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-avedon/i-can-see-myself-as-a-very-old-man-in-a-terrific-wheelchair-only-i/) [Richard Avedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-avedon/) > [He also said that if anyone did anything to mess up the rest of the testing, he was going to call 911 personally. Yeah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-sonnenblick/he-also-said-that-if-anyone-did-anything-to-mess-up-the-rest-of-the/) [Jordan Sonnenblick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-sonnenblick/) > [It was physically difficult, adjusting to wheelchair life, but I remember a great relief and happiness that I was finally getting somewhere, finding musicians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wyatt/it-was-physically-difficult-adjusting-to-wheelchair-life-but-i/) [Robert Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wyatt/) > [There are people I would like to work with. Its a bit harder, because I live out in the sticks anyway, and plus being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wyatt/there-are-people-i-would-like-to-work-with-its-a-bit-harder-because-i/) [Robert Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wyatt/) > [“How inappropriate,’ Lila said coldly. ‘Who’d ever dream of showing up at a dance in a wheelchair? What does she think she’s going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/how-inappropriate-lila-said-coldly-who-d-ever-dream-of-showing-up-at/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [I thought being in the wheelchair might be kind of limiting for me as an actor. It turned out cool in a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-beaver/i-thought-being-in-the-wheelchair-might-be-kind-of-limiting-for-me-as/) [Jim Beaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-beaver/) > [ It wasn't \[Barack\] Obama per se; it was the feeling on the ground; it was seeing an old black woman in a wheelchair being… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the-feeling-on-the-ground-it-was/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Old ladies in wheelchairs with blankets over their legs, I don't think so...retired mermaids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-jones/old-ladies-in-wheelchairs-with-blankets-over-their-legs-i-don-t-think/) [Milton Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-jones/) ## More by Zach Anner > [I just love all the music. My grandma was a church organist for 40 years, and she got me into jazz music and great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-just-love-all-the-music-my-grandma-was-a-church-organist-for-40/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [The most important thing is to have the conversation, and let people who do make mistakes feel comfortable enough to continue the conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/the-most-important-thing-is-to-have-the-conversation-and-let-people/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [I talk about Breaking Bad being the most brilliant show ever, and even minor characters have subtle nuances and are fully drawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-talk-about-breaking-bad-being-the-most-brilliant-show-ever-and-even/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [I used to be an insult comic, and I didn't end up liking the way that I felt about myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-used-to-be-an-insult-comic-and-i-didn-t-end-up-liking-the-way-that/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [Religion is such an important part of so many people's lives, and I don't understand it at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/religion-is-such-an-important-part-of-so-many-people-s-lives-and-i/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [My grandma was a church organist for 40 years, and she got me into jazz music and great songwriters, Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/my-grandma-was-a-church-organist-for-40-years-and-she-got-me-into/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [This country is pretty amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/this-country-is-pretty-amazing/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [You may not have a physical impairment, but you have things, whether it's finances, self-esteem, it doesn't matter. It's cut from the same cloth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/you-may-not-have-a-physical-impairment-but-you-have-things-whether-it/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [For me, cerebral palsy wasn't the biggest deal, because I always had it. You know, you always work with what you got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/for-me-cerebral-palsy-wasn-t-the-biggest-deal-because-i-always-had-it/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [I didn't feel like I was putting anything good into the world, even though it was funny. I wanted to do something more positive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-didn-t-feel-like-i-was-putting-anything-good-into-the-world-even/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [My parents instilled in me a sense of self that I was more than just a diagnosis or a condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/my-parents-instilled-in-me-a-sense-of-self-that-i-was-more-than-just/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [My parents and my brother instilled in me my sense of humor. That's kind of the way we communicate with each other, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/my-parents-and-my-brother-instilled-in-me-my-sense-of-humor-that-s/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [My stance has always been that my issue compared to everything else going on in the world is really, really small. Once you realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/my-stance-has-always-been-that-my-issue-compared-to-everything-else/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [Depending on where my self-confidence was, growing up, I would use humor either to bring people closer, or to keep them away from certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/depending-on-where-my-self-confidence-was-growing-up-i-would-use/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [I have one of the worst voices in the history of recorded time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-have-one-of-the-worst-voices-in-the-history-of-recorded-time/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) [Explore all 105 Zach Anner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) ## More Accepted quotes > [Merkel has realized that the euro is not working, but she cannot change the narrative she has created because that narrative has caught the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/merkel-has-realized-that-the-euro-is-not-working-but-she-cannot/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/) [Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/) > [Greatness is not guarding yourself from people. Greatness is being accepted by the people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/greatness-is-not-guarding-yourself-from-people-greatness-is-being/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [The idea that this world is a playground instead of a battleground has now been accepted in practice by the vast majority of Christians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-idea-that-this-world-is-a-playground-instead-of-a-battleground/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton i wish them cramps. i wish them a strange town and the last tampon. I wish them no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/wishes-for-sons-by-lucille-clifton-i-wish-them-cramps-i-wish-them-a/) [Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/) > [What our species needs, above all else, is a generally accepted ethical system that is compatible with the scientific knowledge we now possess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-our-species-needs-above-all-else-is-a-generally-accepted-ethical/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are a lot of movies about misfits that are quite cool, that kind of glamorize it on some level. I think there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/there-are-a-lot-of-movies-about-misfits-that-are-quite-cool-that-kind/) [Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/) > [In Quebec City many Muslims have said that they hide their faith because they know that if they don't, if they show that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-pratte/in-quebec-city-many-muslims-have-said-that-they-hide-their-faith/) Andre Pratte > [The rules and principles of case law have never been treated as final truths but as working hypotheses, continually retested in those great laboratories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-n-cardozo/the-rules-and-principles-of-case-law-have-never-been-treated-as-final/) [Benjamin N. Cardozo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-n-cardozo/) > [ We have reached a situation where a theory has been accepted as fact by some, and possible contrary evidence is shunted aside. \[This is\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shapiro/we-have-reached-a-situation-where-a-theory-has-been-accepted-as-fact/) [Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shapiro/) > [And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-if-all-others-accepted-the-lie-which-the-party-imposed-if-all/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I was in a conversation and someone said: "You know, we were talking about the whole issue of transgender and how it has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/i-was-in-a-conversation-and-someone-said-you-know-we-were-talking/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Divorce is so common and accepted in America that beating myself up over it may sound ridiculous. But I was raised to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trisha-yearwood/divorce-is-so-common-and-accepted-in-america-that-beating-myself-up/) [Trisha Yearwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trisha-yearwood/) > [Handicaps can be converted into stepping stones on which one may climb toward some worthy goal, unless they are accepted as obstacles, and used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/handicaps-can-be-converted-into-stepping-stones-on-which-one-may/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) Browse all 2,128 Accepted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I didn't have a girlfriend until I was 29, and I thought it was because I'm in a wheelchair. And I realized that it's not that, it's because I listened to what the dismissive part of society was telling me and accepted it as truth. There was nothing that was keeping me from dating or falling in love other than the fact that I was scared of being rejected. And everybody has that fear. That's a universal thing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zach Anner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-29-and-i-thought-it-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accepted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-29-and-i-thought-it-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/zach-anner-4934_accepted_i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-2_2656716.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/zach-anner-4934_accepted_i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-2_2656716.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d54/zach-anner-4934_accepted_i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-2_2656716.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I didn't have a girlfriend until I was 29, and I thought it was because I'm in a wheelchair. And I realized…” — Zach Anner", "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": "Zach Anner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I didn't have a girlfriend until...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-29-and-i-thought-it-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-didn-t-have-a-girlfriend-until-i-was-29-and-i-thought-it-was/#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 } } ] } ```