And enough for me that when my hand touched your shoulder, you leaned on me; and when you felt me slip away, you called my name.
Orson Scott CardRead
Human beings do metamorphose. They change their identity constantly. However, each new identity thrives on the delusion that it was always in possession of the body it has just conquered.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Human beings constantly change their identities while believing those identities have always been part of them.
In this quote, Orson Scott Card explores the concept of personal transformation and the fluid nature of identity. He suggests that individuals often undergo significant changes throughout their lives, adopting new identities. However, these new identities carry with them a sense of ownership over past experiences and attributes, leading individuals to believe that their new selves were always a part of their existence, even when they may have dramatically shifted from who they were before.
Themes
IdentityChangeTransformationSelfDelusion
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about personal growth after a major life event.
More from Orson Scott Card
All quotes →The world is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
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Never mind that the story had turned out to be lies and foolishness—there was always folks stupid enough to say, Where there's smoke there's fire, when the saying should have been, Where there's scandalous lies there's always malicious believers and spreaders-around, regardless of evidence.
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The lives of all people flow through time, and, regardless of how brutal one moment may be, how filled with grief or pain or fear, time flows through all lives equally.
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You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind.
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I've had your tears with mine, and you've had mine with yours. I think that's more intimate even than a kiss.
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