Identity Quote by Alain de Botton
““Ordinary life rewards a practical, unintrospective outlook. There's too little time and too much fear for anything else. We let ourselves be guided by an instinct for self-preservation: we push ourselves foward, strike back when we're hit, turn the blame on to others, quell stray questions and cleave closely to a flattering image of where we're headed. We have little option but to be relentlessly on our side. Only at those rare moments when the stars are out and nothing further will be needed from us till dawn can we loosen our hold on our ego for the sake of a more honest and less parochial perspective.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Architecture of Happiness, Alain de Botton, 2006
The quote argues that everyday life pushes us toward self‑preservation and ego‑centric behavior, limiting honest reflection; only rare moments allow us to set aside ego for broader perspective.
In simple terms: We focus on self‑preservation, rarely seeing beyond ego.
Key Takeaway
Seek moments of humility to broaden view.
Themes
ego
self‑preservation
reflection
humility
Mood
contemplative
serious
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- creative work
- meditation
- team conflict
- public speaking
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
social behavior
Questions to Reflect On
- When have you let ego dictate your actions?
- How can you create space for honest self‑examination?
A Different Perspective
Ego can dominate even in reflective settings, making honesty hard.
![“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s self. Everything in the worldly life is nothing but intoxication. The food is intoxicating, the senses are intoxicating. [Therefore] Go to the one, who…” quote by Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2b3/dada-bhagwan-31_absolute_in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-into_3662.jpg)
