When I learnt to write I became my own master, I became very strong, and that strength is with me to this very day.
V. S. NaipaulRead
One is made by all the things around one. There are many things that have made one. For a writer to go around looking for things that have made him is asking for trouble. It's like giving a character to yourself. Can't do it. Can't do it. These things are just there. Is that enough?
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our identity is shaped by our surroundings, and trying to define it too rigidly can lead to conflict.
This quote by V. S. Naipaul reflects on the complexity of identity and the external influences that shape an individual. It suggests that rather than seeking to categorize oneself based on arbitrary definitions or characteristics, we should accept the various elements of our lives and surroundings that contribute to who we are. The struggle to define oneself too rigidly can be troublesome, as identity is often fluid and interconnected with the world around us.
Themes
IdentitySurroundingsInfluenceSelfCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about personal development, the quote can illustrate how our environment affects our growth.
More from V. S. Naipaul
All quotes →It is wrong to have an ideal view of the world. That's where the mischief starts. That's where everything starts unravelling.
V. S. NaipaulRead
If you decide to move to another country and to live within its laws you don't express your disregard for the essence of the culture. It's a form of aggression.
V. S. NaipaulRead
One must always try to see the truth of a situation - it makes things universal.
V. S. NaipaulRead
His ignorance seemed to widen with everything he read.
V. S. NaipaulRead
I think when you see so many Hindu temples of the 10th century or earlier disfigured, defaced, you realise that something terrible happened. I feel the civilisation of that closed world was mortally wounded by those invasions the old world is destroyed. That has to be understood. Ancient Hindu India was destroyed.
V. S. NaipaulRead
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