Electric shock Quote by Carol Emshwiller
““I'll practice the new me in front of guests. I kind of like some of them, the guests. One has a soft, soft voice but I'm afraid he, too, may be practicing his new personality on me and that maybe he has trained himself with electric shock to his balls or some other place just as tender and soft, so that we are both living a lie.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The New Me” (fiction)??
Fear of being judged leads to performative behavior, creating mutual deception.
In simple terms: People act fake to impress, causing shared falsehoods.
Key Takeaway
Be authentic, not performative.
Themes
authenticity
fear
performance
Mood
introspective
anxious
Type
philosophical
cautionary
When to use this quote
- social gatherings
- first dates
- online dating
Key Concepts
self‑presentation
social anxiety
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you know when you’re being genuine?
- What risks come with showing your true self?
A Different Perspective
Authenticity may expose vulnerability.
![“A woman from the audience asks: ‘Why were there so few women among the Beat writers?’ and [Gregory] Corso, suddenly utterly serious, leans forward and says: “There were women, they were there, I knew them, their families put them in institutions, they were given electric shock. In the ’50s if you…” quote by Stephen Scobie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/560/stephen-scobie-119593_electric-shock_a-woman-from-the-audience-asks-why-were_770882.jpg)
