In my mind, as long as I did what was right for me, I was cool. But that’s not the way it works. You have to think about other people and take their feelings into account.

Nichols contrasts a youthful, self-justifying ethic—equating “doing what was right for me” with being “cool”—with a more mature moral awareness. The pivot (“But that’s not the way it works”) signals a lesson learned: personal authenticity is not sufficient if it ignores the emotional realities of others. The quote frames ethical behavior as relational rather than purely individual, implying that freedom and self-expression carry social consequences. It also suggests accountability: one’s intentions or self-perception do not erase the impact of one’s actions. In a broader sense, it’s a concise statement about empathy as a necessary corrective to self-centered decision-making.