--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They gave me a name and alienated me from…" description: "\"“They gave me a name and alienated me from myself.”\" — Clarice Lispector" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/clarice-lispector-1401_quote_they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-fro_2082529.jpg" --- # They gave me a name and alienated me from myself. ![“They gave me a name and alienated me from myself.” quote by Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/clarice-lispector-1401_quote_they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-fro_2082529.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/clarice-lispector-1401_quote_they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-fro_2082529.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/clarice-lispector-1401_quote_they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-fro_2082529.jpg) > ““They gave me a name and alienated me from myself.”” [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Assigning a label can alienate a person from their true self, creating an internal conflict. **In simple terms:** Names can distance you from yourself. Key Takeaway Question imposed identities. Themes identity alienation self Mood introspective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - school enrollment - legal documents - social media profiles - cultural naming practices Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does naming affect self-perception? - Can you reclaim your identity beyond labels? A Different Perspective Names are sometimes necessary for societal function. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alienated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alienated/) [Gave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gave/) [Gave Alienated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gave-alienated-4074873/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [When you stop to think about it, so many films today where we don't have that kind of contact are films about alienation. About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-bernstein/when-you-stop-to-think-about-it-so-many-films-today-where-we-don-t/) [Elmer Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-bernstein/) > [“He never cared too much for parties or people, but misanthropy could easily be cured by several alcoholic drinks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-rice/he-never-cared-too-much-for-parties-or-people-but-misanthropy-could/) [Daniel J. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-rice/) > [I think a lot of us feel, when we look at the Dow Jones plunging, alienated - you do feel as if we're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/i-think-a-lot-of-us-feel-when-we-look-at-the-dow-jones-plunging/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“Indeed, a great deal of pathological drug use is driven by unmet social needs, by being alienated and having difficulty connecting with others. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hart/indeed-a-great-deal-of-pathological-drug-use-is-driven-by-unmet/) [Carl Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hart/) > [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 & 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 was not descending in a plane, coming Home. I was watching an alien world as it ascended towards me - and one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/i-was-not-descending-in-a-plane-coming-home-i-was-watching-an-alien/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) ## More by Clarice Lispector > [“I find it hard to believe that I shall die. Because I'm bubbling in cold freshness. My life will be very long because each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-find-it-hard-to-believe-that-i-shall-die-because-i-m-bubbling-in/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“We shall be inhuman - as humankind's greatest conquest. To be is to be beyond the human. To be a human being doesn't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/we-shall-be-inhuman-as-humankind-s-greatest-conquest-to-be-is-to-be/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [The only truth is that I live. Sincerely, I live. Who am I? Well, that's a bit much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/the-only-truth-is-that-i-live-sincerely-i-live-who-am-i-well-that-s-a/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [Brazil is where I have to be, where I have my roots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/brazil-is-where-i-have-to-be-where-i-have-my-roots/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“her short stories read like perfect songs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/her-short-stories-read-like-perfect-songs/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“Between two musical notes there exists another note, between two facts there exists another fact, between two grains of sand, no matter how close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/between-two-musical-notes-there-exists-another-note-between-two-facts/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [I' is merely one of the world's instantaneous spasms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-is-merely-one-of-the-world-s-instantaneous-spasms/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“It isn't for us that cows' milk comes forth, but we drink it. Flowers weren't made for us to look at or for us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/it-isn-t-for-us-that-cows-milk-comes-forth-but-we-drink-it-flowers/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [To think is an act. To feel is a fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/to-think-is-an-act-to-feel-is-a-fact/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [Love is now, is always. All that is missing is the coup de grâce- which is called passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/love-is-now-is-always-all-that-is-missing-is-the-coup-de-gr-ce-which/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [What I want is to live of that initial and primordial something that was what made some things reach the point of aspiring to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/what-i-want-is-to-live-of-that-initial-and-primordial-something-that/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“I see that the wardrobe looks penetrable because it has a door. But when I open it, I see that penetration has been put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-see-that-the-wardrobe-looks-penetrable-because-it-has-a-door-but/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“I knew that cockroaches could go more than a month without food or water. And they could even survive on wood for food. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-knew-that-cockroaches-could-go-more-than-a-month-without-food-or/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“Beatitude starts in the moment when the act of thinking has freed itself from the necessity of form. Beatitude starts at the moment when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/beatitude-starts-in-the-moment-when-the-act-of-thinking-has-freed/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“Beyond thought I reach a state. I refuse to divide it up into words - and what I cannot and do not want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/beyond-thought-i-reach-a-state-i-refuse-to-divide-it-up-into-words/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) [Explore all 196 Clarice Lispector quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) ## More Alienated quotes > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [Almost every truly creative being alienated & 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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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 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/) > [“Indeed, a great deal of pathological drug use is driven by unmet social needs, by being alienated and having difficulty connecting with others. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hart/indeed-a-great-deal-of-pathological-drug-use-is-driven-by-unmet/) [Carl Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hart/) > [I think a lot of us feel, when we look at the Dow Jones plunging, alienated - you do feel as if we're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/i-think-a-lot-of-us-feel-when-we-look-at-the-dow-jones-plunging/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [“He never cared too much for parties or people, but misanthropy could easily be cured by several alcoholic drinks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-rice/he-never-cared-too-much-for-parties-or-people-but-misanthropy-could/) [Daniel J. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-rice/) > [When you stop to think about it, so many films today where we don't have that kind of contact are films about alienation. About…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmer-bernstein/when-you-stop-to-think-about-it-so-many-films-today-where-we-don-t/) [Elmer Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmer-bernstein/) > [“I was not descending in a plane, coming Home. I was watching an alien world as it ascended towards me - and one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-wood/i-was-not-descending-in-a-plane-coming-home-i-was-watching-an-alien/) [Jake Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-wood/) [Browse all 78 Alienated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alienated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They gave me a name and alienated me from myself.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clarice Lispector" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-from-myself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alienated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-from-myself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/clarice-lispector-1401_quote_they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-fro_2082529.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/clarice-lispector-1401_quote_they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-fro_2082529.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/clarice-lispector-1401_quote_they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-fro_2082529.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They gave me a name and alienated me from myself.” — Clarice Lispector", "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": "Clarice Lispector", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“They gave me a name and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-from-myself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/they-gave-me-a-name-and-alienated-me-from-myself/#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 } } ] } ```