---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: NW\" is full of split selves, people…"
description: "\"“NW\" is full of split selves, people alienated from the very things they thought defined them. Their nostalgia -- for old movies, old songs, buses they..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/christian-lorentzen-227951_age_nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-aliena_578531.jpg"
---

#  NW" is full of split selves, people alienated from the…

![“NW&quot; is full of split selves, people alienated from the very things they thought defined them. Their nostalgia -- for old movies, old songs, buses they don't ride anymore -- is less a salve than a form of pain.” quote by Christian Lorentzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/christian-lorentzen-227951_age_nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-aliena_578531.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/christian-lorentzen-227951_age_nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-aliena_578531.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/christian-lorentzen-227951_age_nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-aliena_578531.jpg)

> ““NW" is full of split selves, people alienated from the very things they thought defined them. Their nostalgia -- for old movies, old songs, buses they don't ride anymore -- is less a salve than a form of pain.””

Christian Lorentzen

## About This Quote

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

People feel pain when nostalgic for past identities that no longer fit, creating a split self.

**In simple terms:** Nostalgia can cause pain from lost identity.

Key Takeaway

Accept change, integrate past.

Themes

nostalgia identity alienation pain

Mood

melancholic contemplative

Type

age:1 alienated:1 nostalgia:1 old songs:0 pain:1 people alienated:0 nostalgia old:0 nw split:0 defined nostalgia:0

When to use this quote

- cultural critique
- personal growth
- mental health counseling

Key Concepts

psychology memory self‑concept

Questions to Reflect On

- What parts of your past still shape you?
- How can you transform nostalgia into growth?

A Different Perspective

Nostalgia can also inspire creative renewal.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Nostalgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgia/) [Old songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-songs/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/)

## Related quotes

> [Everyone thinks young people are alienated from the system. But when you present them with a viable alternative, they will be the first to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-shocked/everyone-thinks-young-people-are-alienated-from-the-system-but-when/)

[Michelle Shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-shocked/)

> [“Sometimes when she thought of Eric, and now more powerfully when she saw him, she felt some achy nostalgia for her old self. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/sometimes-when-she-thought-of-eric-and-now-more-powerfully-when-she/)

[Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/)

> [There's too much rock that relies a fetishism or nostalgia for the old ways. That's a real enemy to music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tong/there-s-too-much-rock-that-relies-a-fetishism-or-nostalgia-for-the/)

[Matt Tong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tong/)

> [One often forgets that even if art is a very successful field in contemporary culture, there are still a lot of people alienated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/one-often-forgets-that-even-if-art-is-a-very-successful-field-in/)

[Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/)

> [Many people are alienated by faceless bureaucracy and what they see as an erosion of participatory democracy. Consequently, there has been a revival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-prochaska/many-people-are-alienated-by-faceless-bureaucracy-and-what-they-see/)

Frank Prochaska

> [I think I felt pretty alienated, being bigger, being mixed race, being of lower socioeconomic standing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-elsesser/i-think-i-felt-pretty-alienated-being-bigger-being-mixed-race-being/)

[Paloma Elsesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-elsesser/)

> [I've always felt alienated. I realized that I've been terrified my entire life. So I can identify that fear which drives so many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/i-ve-always-felt-alienated-i-realized-that-i-ve-been-terrified-my/)

[Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/)

> [I had no work after 'Gangster' for two years, and my sister Rangoli met with an accident that destroyed her looks. My struggle with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangna-ranaut/i-had-no-work-after-gangster-for-two-years-and-my-sister-rangoli-met/)

[Kangna Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangna-ranaut/)

> [“The alienated audiences was one that was aware of the performance as an arbitrary construction of the real, of the difference between players and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fiske/the-alienated-audiences-was-one-that-was-aware-of-the-performance-as/)

[John Fiske](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fiske/)

> [Almost every truly creative being alienated &amp; expatriated in his own country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-ferlinghetti/almost-every-truly-creative-being-alienated-expatriated-in-his-own/)

[Lawrence Ferlinghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-ferlinghetti/)

> [“Of course I alienate myself from society. It's the only way I know of not being constantly reminded of all the ways I'm alienated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/of-course-i-alienate-myself-from-society-it-s-the-only-way-i-know-of/)

[Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/)

> [I've put out a lot of stuff that just confused and alienated people: a huge chunk of songs that were verbal and musical challenges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-barlow/i-ve-put-out-a-lot-of-stuff-that-just-confused-and-alienated-people-a/)

[Lou Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-barlow/)

> [“A consequence of this alienation of humans from their own nature is that they are also alienated from each other. Productive activity becomes ‘activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/a-consequence-of-this-alienation-of-humans-from-their-own-nature-is/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [It took me a long time to realize that being alienated and not fitting in is not only OK, it's good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realize-that-being-alienated-and-not/)

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

> [I alienated myself from the academic world almost entirely because it's a left-wing world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/i-alienated-myself-from-the-academic-world-almost-entirely-because-it/)

[Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“NW\" is full of split selves, people alienated from the very things they thought defined them. Their nostalgia -- for old movies, old songs, buses they don't ride anymore -- is less a salve than a form of pain.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Christian Lorentzen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-lorentzen/nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-alienated-from-the-very-things-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-lorentzen/nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-alienated-from-the-very-things-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/christian-lorentzen-227951_age_nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-aliena_578531.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/christian-lorentzen-227951_age_nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-aliena_578531.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/christian-lorentzen-227951_age_nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-aliena_578531.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“NW\" is full of split selves, people alienated from the very things they thought defined them. Their…” — Christian Lorentzen",
                "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": "Christian Lorentzen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-lorentzen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“NW\" is full of split selves,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-lorentzen/nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-alienated-from-the-very-things-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-lorentzen/nw-is-full-of-split-selves-people-alienated-from-the-very-things-they/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
