Let's face it. We're undone by each other. And if we're…
““Let's face it. We're undone by each other. And if we're not, we're missing something. If this seems so clearly the case with grief, it is only because it was already the case with desire. One does not always stay intact. It may be that one wants to, or does, but it may also be that despite one's best efforts, one is undone, in the face of the other, by the touch, by the scent, by the feel, by the prospect of the touch, by the memory of the feel. And so when we speak about my sexuality or my gender, as we do (and as we must), we mean something complicated by it. Neither of these is precisely a possession, but both are to be understood as modes of being dispossessed, ways of being for another, or, indeed, by virtue of another.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Human relationships and desire destabilize personal identity, making us interdependent and often incomplete.
In simple terms: Our identities are shaped and unsettled by others.
Key Takeaway
Embrace relationality and its impact on self.
Themes
identity
desire
interdependence
gender
sexuality
Mood
reflective
complex
empathetic
Type
theoretical
critical.
When to use this quote
- relationships
- grief
- self‑discovery
- activism
Key Concepts
philosophy
gender studies
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do others influence your sense of self?
- Can embracing interdependence empower you?
A Different Perspective
Identity may feel fragmented and vulnerable.