"There are times in my life when I just want to be by myself"
About this Quote
The specific intent feels less like a confession and more like a quiet reclamation of agency. “There are times” frames it as cyclical and normal, not a crisis. “In my life” widens it beyond a bad day; it’s an ongoing condition of being a person with competing demands. The plainest words do the heavy lifting: “just want” signals desire without apology, and “by myself” lands as both refuge and resistance. For someone routinely photographed, interviewed, styled, and scheduled, being alone becomes a form of authorship.
Subtext hums underneath: intimacy fatigue, performance fatigue, the pressure to be endlessly accessible. It also hints at how women in pop are trained to soften their edges for palatability. Aaliyah doesn’t soften; she simplifies. That minimalism matches her broader persona, the cool control that made her seem unbothered while navigating an industry that thrives on overexposure.
Context matters too: Aaliyah’s career was defined by poise amid scrutiny, her private life often made public by others. Read this way, the quote isn’t isolation; it’s self-preservation. It’s the sound of someone protecting the part of herself that fame can’t monetize.
Quote Details
| Topic | Loneliness |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Aaliyah. (2026, January 17). There are times in my life when I just want to be by myself. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-are-times-in-my-life-when-i-just-want-to-be-40251/
Chicago Style
Aaliyah. "There are times in my life when I just want to be by myself." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-are-times-in-my-life-when-i-just-want-to-be-40251/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"There are times in my life when I just want to be by myself." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-are-times-in-my-life-when-i-just-want-to-be-40251/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.









