--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it was when I ran into Kerouac…" description: "\"I think it was when I ran into Kerouac and Burroughs - when I was 17 - that I realized I was talking through an empty skull... I wasn't thinking my own..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/allen-ginsberg-1110_empty_i-think-it-was-when-i-ran-into-kerouac-a_2813381.jpg" --- # I think it was when I ran into Kerouac and Burroughs… ![“I think it was when I ran into Kerouac and Burroughs - when I was 17 - that I realized I was talking through an empty skull... I wasn't thinking my own thoughts or saying my own thoughts.” quote by Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/allen-ginsberg-1110_empty_i-think-it-was-when-i-ran-into-kerouac-a_2813381.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/allen-ginsberg-1110_empty_i-think-it-was-when-i-ran-into-kerouac-a_2813381.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/475/allen-ginsberg-1110_empty_i-think-it-was-when-i-ran-into-kerouac-a_2813381.jpg) > “I think it was when I ran into Kerouac and Burroughs - when I was 17 - that I realized I was talking through an empty skull... I wasn't thinking my own thoughts or saying my own thoughts.” [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early influences can cause one to echo others instead of developing authentic voice. **In simple terms:** Find your own voice. Key Takeaway Cultivate originality beyond influences. Themes creativity authenticity influence self‑discovery Mood introspective creative Type advice literary When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal journaling - artistic collaboration - mentoring Key Concepts literature psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Who inspires you, and how do you differentiate? - What steps help you discover personal expression? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on idols may stifle growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [What are your thoughts?' 'My thoughts?' I replied, before I even realized what I was saying. 'My thoughts created my world.' Mac sat up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/what-are-your-thoughts-my-thoughts-i-replied-before-i-even-realized/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [When did I realize I was God? 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Times Book Review, who's still chasing Kerouac's corpse with a stiletto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/there-s-a-guy-anatole-broyard-of-the-n-y-times-book-review-who-s/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [I would say that Times Square was the central hangout for Burroughs, Kerouac, and myself from about 1945 to 1948.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/i-would-say-that-times-square-was-the-central-hangout-for-burroughs/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [Kerouac: You're ruining American poetry, O'Hara. 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