--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know that when I attached my sense of…" description: "\"I know that when I attached my sense of identity a little too closely to my work that I might be distracting myself from feelings of unworthiness. It w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c6/chip-conley-14348_attached_i-know-that-when-i-attached-my-sense-of_3127082.jpg" --- # I know that when I attached my sense of identity a little… ![“I know that when I attached my sense of identity a little too closely to my work that I might be distracting myself from feelings of unworthiness. It wasn't the number of hours I worked or how bloodshot my eyes were that defined the difference. It was something internal.” quote by Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c6/chip-conley-14348_attached_i-know-that-when-i-attached-my-sense-of_3127082.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c6/chip-conley-14348_attached_i-know-that-when-i-attached-my-sense-of_3127082.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c6/chip-conley-14348_attached_i-know-that-when-i-attached-my-sense-of_3127082.jpg) > “I know that when I attached my sense of identity a little too closely to my work that I might be distracting myself from feelings of unworthiness. It wasn't the number of hours I worked or how bloodshot my eyes were that defined the difference. It was something internal.” [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identifying work too closely with self-worth can mask deeper feelings of inadequacy, leading to distraction and internal conflict. **In simple terms:** Work shouldn't define self-worth. Key Takeaway Separate identity from job. Themes self-worth identity work-life balance Mood reflective concerned Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - therapy sessions - personal reflection - mindfulness practice Key Concepts psychology self-concept emotional health Questions to Reflect On - How does your job affect your self-image? - What internal cues signal unworthiness? A Different Perspective Ignoring internal feelings can worsen self-doubt despite external success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attached](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attached/) [Attached Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attached-sense-1712433/) [Closely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closely/) [Defined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defined/) [Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference/) [Distracting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distracting/) [Distracting Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distracting-feelings-5515339/) [Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Feelings Unworthiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings-unworthiness-1851612/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Internal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internal/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Number](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/number/) [Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense/) [Sense Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-identity/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Distracting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-distracting-4566856/) [Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked/) ## Related quotes > [I would go through these cycles of being really, really focused on work, and not being around anyone, to being around everyone. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/i-would-go-through-these-cycles-of-being-really-really-focused-on/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [Conservatives hold on to things not only because they are attached to them, but also because they do not see the sense in radical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/conservatives-hold-on-to-things-not-only-because-they-are-attached-to/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Remind yourself, in whatever way is personally meaningful, that it is not in your best interest to reinforce thoughts and feelings of unworthiness. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/remind-yourself-in-whatever-way-is-personally-meaningful-that-it-is/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [The creativity of childhood was often surrendered amid feelings of unworthiness. So the idea that others are demanding to be given it back -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/the-creativity-of-childhood-was-often-surrendered-amid-feelings-of/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [Unfortunately, I think I drifted so much growing up that I don't have a strong sense of identity. I don't feel at home anywhere,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-zhao/unfortunately-i-think-i-drifted-so-much-growing-up-that-i-don-t-have/) [Chloe Zhao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-zhao/) > [“Our sense of identity is held captive by the judgements of those we live among.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/our-sense-of-identity-is-held-captive-by-the-judgements-of-those-we/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“These mental and physical components of self­ belief are closely interlinked. They are used to slowly interweave the per­sonal narratives that very effectively create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amerland/these-mental-and-physical-components-of-self-belief-are-closely/) [David Amerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amerland/) > [A racial community provides not only a sense of identity, that luxury of looking into another's face and seeing yourself reflected back, but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/a-racial-community-provides-not-only-a-sense-of-identity-that-luxury/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [I'm a product of my Irish culture, and I could no more lose that than I could my sense of identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-byrne/i-m-a-product-of-my-irish-culture-and-i-could-no-more-lose-that-than/) [Gabriel Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-byrne/) > [… Without a sense of identity, there can be no real struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/without-a-sense-of-identity-there-can-be-no-real-struggle/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [We all need a firm sense of identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eccleston/we-all-need-a-firm-sense-of-identity/) [Christopher Eccleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eccleston/) > [“People need history in order to know themselves, to build a sense of identity and pride, continuity, community, and hope for the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-preston/people-need-history-in-order-to-know-themselves-to-build-a-sense-of/) [Douglas Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-preston/) > [We all need a past - that's where our sense of identity comes from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-lively/we-all-need-a-past-that-s-where-our-sense-of-identity-comes-from/) [Penelope Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-lively/) > [Unless we base our sense of identity upon the truth of who we are, it is impossible to attain true happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-shoshanna/unless-we-base-our-sense-of-identity-upon-the-truth-of-who-we-are-it/) [Brenda Shoshanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-shoshanna/) > [A strong sense of identity gives man an idea he can do no wrong; too little accomplishes the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/a-strong-sense-of-identity-gives-man-an-idea-he-can-do-no-wrong-too/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) ## More by Chip Conley > [I do interview senior candidates at the home office or many of our hotel or restaurant General Manager candidates. My two favorite questions are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/i-do-interview-senior-candidates-at-the-home-office-or-many-of-our/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [“Anxiety = Uncertainty x Powerlessness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/anxiety-uncertainty-x-powerlessness/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [“Curiosity = Wonder + Awe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/curiosity-wonder-awe/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [I'd done my time in corporate America, from McDonald's making shakes to Morgan Stanley making deals and, yet, I felt awfully constrained by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/i-d-done-my-time-in-corporate-america-from-mcdonald-s-making-shakes/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [At the heart of great leadership is a curious mind, heart, and spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/at-the-heart-of-great-leadership-is-a-curious-mind-heart-and-spirit/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [Business principles are only as good as the practices that back them up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/business-principles-are-only-as-good-as-the-practices-that-back-them/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [Many people do not distinguish between something that happens to them and their reaction to it. Yet it isn't the event or situation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/many-people-do-not-distinguish-between-something-that-happens-to-them/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [Isn't it ironic that pay, perks, and benefits all cost your company at the bottom line, but authentic recognition, especially when it's most unexpected,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/isn-t-it-ironic-that-pay-perks-and-benefits-all-cost-your-company-at/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [Conventional wisdom suggests the primary motivator for entrepreneurs is money or wealth creation and, in fact, much of the political debate tends to center…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/conventional-wisdom-suggests-the-primary-motivator-for-entrepreneurs/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [Curiosity has ... proven to be a great ingredient in resilience, a trait particularly valuable in an extended economic downturn. Resilient people aren't made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/curiosity-has-proven-to-be-a-great-ingredient-in-resilience-a-trait/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [Feeling good about your life, but not expressing a heartfelt 'thank you,' is like wrapping a gift for someone and never giving it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/feeling-good-about-your-life-but-not-expressing-a-heartfelt-thank-you/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [Whether we're conscious of it or not, our work and personal lives are made up of daily rituals, including when we eat our meals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/whether-we-re-conscious-of-it-or-not-our-work-and-personal-lives-are/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [When I started my hotel company, Joie de Vivre, at the age of 26, I saw this venture as my ticket to freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/when-i-started-my-hotel-company-joie-de-vivre-at-the-age-of-26-i-saw/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [“Mark Twain didn’t dabble in psychological focus groups, but he certainly knew something about human nature when he wrote, “Twenty years from now you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/mark-twain-didn-t-dabble-in-psychological-focus-groups-but-he/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [Those of us who have been lucky enough to experience a calling in our work have a certain faith and peace of mind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/those-of-us-who-have-been-lucky-enough-to-experience-a-calling-in-our/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) [Explore all 47 Chip Conley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) ## More Attached quotes > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“With no name attached to it, the place somehow declared itself nowhere and everywhere at the same time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-p-knave/with-no-name-attached-to-it-the-place-somehow-declared-itself-nowhere/) [Adam P. Knave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-p-knave/) > [“Sometimes, we are so attached to our way of life that we turn down a wonderful opportunity simply because we don't know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/sometimes-we-are-so-attached-to-our-way-of-life-that-we-turn-down-a/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“For the creator must be a world for himself, and find everything within himself, and in Nature to which he has attached himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/for-the-creator-must-be-a-world-for-himself-and-find-everything/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [I don't want to get attached to anyone anymore. It only destroys me in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-want-to-get-attached-to-anyone-anymore-it-only-destroys-me-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I definitely feel more attached to Kolkata than anywhere else in India.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-guha/i-definitely-feel-more-attached-to-kolkata-than-anywhere-else-in-india/) [Isa Guha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-guha/) > [“When you think it is you who are doing something, that is when you get attached to how it all works out in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-viljoen/when-you-think-it-is-you-who-are-doing-something-that-is-when-you-get/) [Edward Viljoen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-viljoen/) > [I get emotionally attached to someone if I talk to them on the street corner for five minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-get-emotionally-attached-to-someone-if-i-talk-to-them-on-the-street/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [People always leave as soon as you get attached.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-always-leave-as-soon-as-you-get-attached/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I farm - there is something visceral about being attached to the land. I am a recording engineer. I do my own laundry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-lerner/i-farm-there-is-something-visceral-about-being-attached-to-the-land-i/) [Sandra Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-lerner/) > [The problem with getting attached to someone: When they leave, you just feel lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-problem-with-getting-attached-to-someone-when-they-leave-you-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/when-one-tugs-at-a-single-thing-in-nature-he-finds-it-attached-to-the/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [I'm a big advocate of a work-for-pay setup rather than an allowance that isn't attached to chores - it's a great way to impart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-m-a-big-advocate-of-a-work-for-pay-setup-rather-than-an-allowance/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [The longer we stay in Hell, the more we become attached to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-longer-we-stay-in-hell-the-more-we-become-attached-to-it/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I'm very attached to my family and protective of them and miss them, and that situation, my connection with that can make me become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-cliff/i-m-very-attached-to-my-family-and-protective-of-them-and-miss-them/) [Jimmy Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-cliff/) [Browse all 425 Attached quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attached/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know that when I attached my sense of identity a little too closely to my work that I might be distracting myself from feelings of unworthiness. It wasn't the number of hours I worked or how bloodshot my eyes were that defined the difference. 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