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If you tell me how you get your feeling of importance, I'll tell you what you are.
Dale Carnegie
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes that a person's sense of self-worth and importance is intrinsically linked to their values and actions.

Dale Carnegie's quote reflects the idea that understanding how individuals derive their feelings of importance can reveal much about their character and priorities. It implies that everyone's self-esteem originates from different sources—some may find it through their achievements, relationships, or contributions to others. Therefore, by examining what elevates one’s sense of importance, we can gain insight into their true nature and motivations.

Themes

Self-WorthImportanceCharacterValuesMotivation

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about self-esteem, you might say, 'If you tell me how you get your feeling of importance, I'll tell you what you are, which highlights the role of personal values in shaping our identity.'

More from Dale Carnegie

When I asked him -Mr.Henry Ford- if he ever worried, he replied: "No. I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe that every-thing will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?
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Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.
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By talking to yourself about the things you have to be grateful for you can fill your mind with thoughts that soar and sing.
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It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.
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I can look back at my own life and see where a few words of praise have sharply changed my entire future. Can't you say the same thing about your life?
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Instead of worrying about what people say of you, why not spend time trying to accomplish something they will admire.
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