Identity Quote by Alan Wilson Watts
““You think there's a real difference between 'self' and 'other.' But 'self,' what you call yourself, and what you call 'other' are mutually necessary to each other like back and front. They're really one. But just as a magnet polarizes itself at north and south, but it's all one magnet, so experience polarizes itself as self and other, but it's all one. If you try to make the south pole defeat the north pole, or get the mastery of it, you show you don't know what's going on.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: “Self and Other” by Alan Watts, 1970s, recorded in audio archive
Self and other are interdependent aspects of a single reality; trying to dominate one over the other shows misunderstanding of their unity.
In simple terms: We are one, split into self and other.
Key Takeaway
Recognize interdependence of self and others.
Themes
philosophy
psychology
identity
duality
spirituality
Mood
contemplative
calm
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- conflict resolution
- meditation practice
- team building
Key Concepts
nondualism
self‑concept
relational dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does seeing self‑other unity change your relationships?
- What practices foster nondual awareness?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on separation can hinder cooperation.
![“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)
