---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The original in man is that which…"
description: "\"“The original in man is that which articulates him from the very outset upon something other than himself.”\" — Charles Olson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/charles-olson-11645_original_the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articu_2270146.jpg"
---

#  The original in man is that which articulates him from the…

![“The original in man is that which articulates him from the very outset upon something other than himself.” quote by Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/charles-olson-11645_original_the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articu_2270146.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/charles-olson-11645_original_the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articu_2270146.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/charles-olson-11645_original_the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articu_2270146.jpg)

> ““The original in man is that which articulates him from the very outset upon something other than himself.””

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The original self is defined by its relation to something beyond itself.

**In simple terms:** Self is shaped by external relations.

Key Takeaway

Seek connections beyond self.

Themes

self existence relationship

Mood

contemplative introspective

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

- creative writing
- philosophical discussion
- self‑reflection

Key Concepts

philosophy existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

- What external forces define you?
- How do relationships shape identity?

A Different Perspective

May be abstract for practical use.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Articulates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/articulates-851824/) [Articulates Outset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/articulates-outset-5258241/) [Man Articulates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-articulates-5258242/) [Original](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original/) [Original Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-man-565603/)

## Related quotes

> [I'll develop my own image. I'm an original man. A one and only. I just need some help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-ll-develop-my-own-image-i-m-an-original-man-a-one-and-only-i-just/)

[Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/)

> [With Fred McDowell, I just love the way he articulates the notes. I'm hardly unique in that, but there's just something about that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-orcutt/with-fred-mcdowell-i-just-love-the-way-he-articulates-the-notes-i-m/)

[Bill Orcutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-orcutt/)

> [A work of art is a form that articulates forces, making them intelligible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-davenport/a-work-of-art-is-a-form-that-articulates-forces-making-them/)

[Guy Davenport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-davenport/)

> [An expert is someone who articulates the needs of those in power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/an-expert-is-someone-who-articulates-the-needs-of-those-in-power/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [What is artistically good is whatever articulates and presents feeling to our understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/what-is-artistically-good-is-whatever-articulates-and-presents/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [I am Mafuzzy Man, original man, 100 percent pure, man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-ibaka/i-am-mafuzzy-man-original-man-100-percent-pure-man/)

[Serge Ibaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-ibaka/)

> [“No man who cares about originality will ever be original. It's the man who's only thinking about doing a good job or telling the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/no-man-who-cares-about-originality-will-ever-be-original-it-s-the-man/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [What is most original in a man's nature is often that which is most desperate. Thus new systems are forced on the world by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/what-is-most-original-in-a-man-s-nature-is-often-that-which-is-most/)

[Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/)

> [“inasmuch as man is saved, it is fitting that he who was created the original man should be saved”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/inasmuch-as-man-is-saved-it-is-fitting-that-he-who-was-created-the/)

[The Church Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-church-fathers/)

> [I like that I am different, we don't need to be the same, because that wouldn't be Original and that is my name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-munton/i-like-that-i-am-different-we-don-t-need-to-be-the-same-because-that/)

[Simone Munton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-munton/)

> [God is the original Mathematician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/god-is-the-original-mathematician/)

[Frenchqueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenchqueen/)

> [Better a decent remake than a bad original, don't you think?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-charan/better-a-decent-remake-than-a-bad-original-don-t-you-think/)

[Ram Charan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-charan/)

> [Life is not a cliche - everything that's happening is completely original. No refunds, no exchange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-a-cliche-everything-that-s-happening-is-completely/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [He brought a sensibility and a hard-edged reasonableness to operating restaurants that had a lasting impact on me and still affects how I run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/he-brought-a-sensibility-and-a-hard-edged-reasonableness-to-operating/)

[Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/)

> [I am pure and original from heart but dont judge my mind!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dheeraj-puthran/i-am-pure-and-original-from-heart-but-dont-judge-my-mind/)

[Dheeraj Puthran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dheeraj-puthran/)

## More by Charles Olson

> [“this is the abstract, this is the cold doing, this is the almost impossible”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/this-is-the-abstract-this-is-the-cold-doing-this-is-the-almost/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [There are no hierarchies, no infinite, no such many as mass, there are only/ eyes in all heads,/ to be looked out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/there-are-no-hierarchies-no-infinite-no-such-many-as-mass-there-are/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [Forgive me if I sleep until I wake up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/forgive-me-if-i-sleep-until-i-wake-up/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [by night only crazy things like the full moon and the whippoorwill and us, are busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/by-night-only-crazy-things-like-the-full-moon-and-the-whippoorwill/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [“Objectivism is the getting rid of the lyrical interference of the individual as ego, of the “subject” and his soul, that peculiar presumption by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/objectivism-is-the-getting-rid-of-the-lyrical-interference-of-the/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [I defer to all these other American poets who, for some reason, I both envy and admire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/i-defer-to-all-these-other-american-poets-who-for-some-reason-i-both/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [I was playing catch with the European audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/i-was-playing-catch-with-the-european-audience/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [All that matters is that the thing be the thing of the thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/all-that-matters-is-that-the-thing-be-the-thing-of-the-thing/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [“If he stays inside himself, if he is contained within his nature as he is participant in the larger force, he will be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/if-he-stays-inside-himself-if-he-is-contained-within-his-nature-as-he/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [This morning of the small snow I count the blessings, the leak in the faucet which makes of the sink time, the drop of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/this-morning-of-the-small-snow-i-count-the-blessings-the-leak-in-the/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [bees dig the plum blossoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/bees-dig-the-plum-blossoms/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [I'm one of the cliches that has grown up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/i-m-one-of-the-cliches-that-has-grown-up/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [The body whips the soul. In its great desire it demands the elixir In the roar of spring, transmutations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/the-body-whips-the-soul-in-its-great-desire-it-demands-the-elixir-in/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [“the soul is / proprioceptive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/the-soul-is-proprioceptive/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

> [You can do anything, really. And that, l think, is one of the exciting possibilities of the present, l swear, is the possibility that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/you-can-do-anything-really-and-that-l-think-is-one-of-the-exciting/)

[Charles Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

[Explore all 58 Charles Olson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/)

## More Original quotes

> [I am pure and original from heart but dont judge my mind!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dheeraj-puthran/i-am-pure-and-original-from-heart-but-dont-judge-my-mind/)

[Dheeraj Puthran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dheeraj-puthran/)

> [He brought a sensibility and a hard-edged reasonableness to operating restaurants that had a lasting impact on me and still affects how I run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/he-brought-a-sensibility-and-a-hard-edged-reasonableness-to-operating/)

[Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/)

> [Life is not a cliche - everything that's happening is completely original. No refunds, no exchange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-a-cliche-everything-that-s-happening-is-completely/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Better a decent remake than a bad original, don't you think?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-charan/better-a-decent-remake-than-a-bad-original-don-t-you-think/)

[Ram Charan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-charan/)

> [God is the original Mathematician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenchqueen/god-is-the-original-mathematician/)

[Frenchqueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenchqueen/)

> [I like that I am different, we don't need to be the same, because that wouldn't be Original and that is my name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-munton/i-like-that-i-am-different-we-don-t-need-to-be-the-same-because-that/)

[Simone Munton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-munton/)

> [HBO is the original subscription video-on-demand company. We were repurposing first-run movies, and then we added original programming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bewkes/hbo-is-the-original-subscription-video-on-demand-company-we-were/)

[Jeff Bewkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bewkes/)

> [No, it's interesting to remake a film for the contemporary audience today. I think it's a good idea; it needs to respect the original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-argento/no-it-s-interesting-to-remake-a-film-for-the-contemporary-audience/)

[Dario Argento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-argento/)

> [“most expensive originals have cheap imitations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elfriede-jelinek/most-expensive-originals-have-cheap-imitations/)

[Elfriede Jelinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elfriede-jelinek/)

> [The original sin is to limit the Is. Don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/the-original-sin-is-to-limit-the-is-don-t/)

[Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/)

> [The evidence points to central Asia as man's original home, for the general movement of human migrations has been outward from that region and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellsworth-huntington/the-evidence-points-to-central-asia-as-man-s-original-home-for-the/)

[Ellsworth Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellsworth-huntington/)

> [Mysticism, poor mysticism! When it is underestimated and oversimplified, it comes down from its original sphere and stands beside religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/mysticism-poor-mysticism-when-it-is-underestimated-and-oversimplified/)

[Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/)

> [I mean, when you really look at it, Mr. Peabody and Sherman were the original 'Modern Family.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-minkoff/i-mean-when-you-really-look-at-it-mr-peabody-and-sherman-were-the/)

[Rob Minkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-minkoff/)

> [Many readers fail to realize this, but 'The Color Purple' is a theological text. It is about the reclamation of one's original God: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/many-readers-fail-to-realize-this-but-the-color-purple-is-a/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Why would anybody hire a someone who is copying someone else when he can get the original one?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kk/why-would-anybody-hire-a-someone-who-is-copying-someone-else-when-he/)

[KK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kk/)

[Browse all 1,048 Original quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The original in man is that which articulates him from the very outset upon something other than himself.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Olson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articulates-him-from-the-very/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Original"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articulates-him-from-the-very/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/charles-olson-11645_original_the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articu_2270146.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/charles-olson-11645_original_the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articu_2270146.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f2f/charles-olson-11645_original_the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articu_2270146.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The original in man is that which articulates him from the very outset upon something other than himself.” — Charles Olson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Charles Olson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-olson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The original in man is that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articulates-him-from-the-very/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-olson/the-original-in-man-is-that-which-articulates-him-from-the-very/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
