"You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable if you want to grow"
About this Quote
The intent is practical and performative at once. As a young actor navigating a hyper-scrutinized industry, Ortega is signaling discipline: growth isn’t a vibe, it’s a tolerance. There’s subtext about control in a world designed to take it from you. If you can choose discomfort - auditions, rejection, being misread online, taking a riskier role - you’re not just enduring the system; you’re shaping your relationship to it.
Context matters: Ortega comes of age in a celebrity ecosystem where identity is monetized and mistakes are immortalized. For Gen Z in particular, “uncomfortable” can mean everything from setting boundaries to speaking up at work to unplugging from the algorithm’s constant feedback. Her quote offers a counterprogram to perfection culture: progress will feel awkward, and the awkwardness is information, not failure.
It works culturally because it’s aspirational without being saccharine. It doesn’t promise glow-ups; it promises abrasion. And that’s closer to the truth of how people actually change.
Quote Details
| Topic | Self-Improvement |
|---|---|
| Source | Jenna Ortega, interview with POPSUGAR (Nov. 2022, Wednesday press) |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Ortega, Jenna. (2026, January 26). You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable if you want to grow. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-have-to-be-comfortable-with-being-184398/
Chicago Style
Ortega, Jenna. "You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable if you want to grow." FixQuotes. January 26, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-have-to-be-comfortable-with-being-184398/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable if you want to grow." FixQuotes, 26 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-have-to-be-comfortable-with-being-184398/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.









