A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick -- a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.
Neil GaimanRead
I wondered, as I wondered so often when I was that age, who I was, and what exactly was looking at the face in the mirror. If the face I was looking at wasn't me, and I knew it wasn't, because I would still be me whatever happened to my face, then what was me? And what was watching?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the nature of self-identity and consciousness.
In this quote, Neil Gaiman delves into profound questions of identity and the essence of the self. The contemplation of who one truly is beyond physical appearance and the distinction between the observer and the observed highlights the complexity of human existence and self-awareness. It invites the reader to consider what constitutes the core of one's being, separate from the external attributes that may change over time.
Themes
SelfIdentityConsciousnessExistencePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture discussing the nature of self and consciousness, this quote could help illustrate complex philosophical ideas.
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As a teenager I wrote to R.A. Lafferty. And he responded, too, with letters that were like R.A. Lafferty short stories, filled with elliptical answers to straight questions and simple answers to complicated ones.
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Nothing’s changed. You’ll go home. You’ll be bored. You’ll be ignored. No one will listen to you, really listen to you. You’re too clever and too quiet for them to understand. They don’t even get your name right.
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I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend.
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