For she had a great variety of selves to call upon, far…
““For she had a great variety of selves to call upon, far more than we have been able to find room for, since a biography is considered complete if it merely accounts for six or seven selves, whereas a person may have many thousand…and these selves of which we are built up, one on top of the other, as plates are piled on a waiter’s hand, have attachments elsewhere, sympathies, little constitutions and rights of their own… so that one will only come if it is raining, another in a room with green curtains, another when Mrs. Jones is not there… and some are too wildly ridiculous to be mentioned in print at all.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Human identity consists of many layered selves, each activated by different contexts and experiences.
In simple terms: People have multiple selves that appear in different situations.
Key Takeaway
Embrace complexity of self; adapt to context.
Themes
identity
psychology
selfhood
complexity
Mood
introspective
thoughtful
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- psychotherapy
- creative writing
- personal growth
Key Concepts
multiplicity
contextuality
inner life
Questions to Reflect On
- Which “self” guides you today?
- How do environments shape your behavior?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on fragmentation may hinder coherent self‑understanding.