--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Brands communicate in two directions…" description: "\"Brands communicate in two directions: they help us tell other people something about ourselves, but they also help us form ideas about who we are.\" — D..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/dan-ariely-1899_brands_brands-communicate-in-two-directions-the_2213858.png" --- # Brands communicate in two directions: they help us tell… ![“Brands communicate in two directions: they help us tell other people something about ourselves, but they also help us form ideas about who we are.” quote by Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/dan-ariely-1899_brands_brands-communicate-in-two-directions-the_2213858.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/dan-ariely-1899_brands_brands-communicate-in-two-directions-the_2213858.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/dan-ariely-1899_brands_brands-communicate-in-two-directions-the_2213858.png) > “Brands communicate in two directions: they help us tell other people something about ourselves, but they also help us form ideas about who we are.” [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Brands shape identity by both expressing us to others and shaping our self‑concept. **In simple terms:** Brands help us show and define ourselves. Key Takeaway Use brands to reflect authentic identity. Themes branding identity communication psychology self‑concept Mood analytical curious Type marketing psychological When to use this quote - marketing - personal branding - self‑presentation - social media Key Concepts social signaling consumer behavior identity formation Questions to Reflect On - How do brands influence your self‑view? - Can you choose brands that align with your values? A Different Perspective Brand messages can be manipulative, limiting authentic self‑expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brands/) [Brands Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brands-communicate-4914033/) [Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate/) [Communicate Directions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate-directions-4914034/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Help Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help-tell-884169/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Tell People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-people/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Who we are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-we-are/) ## Related quotes > [“If the only reason you help is so that you can tell people that you help, I don't need your help.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pleasefindthis/if-the-only-reason-you-help-is-so-that-you-can-tell-people-that-you/) [pleasefindthis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pleasefindthis/) > [Memories are precious ... they help tell us who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-applegate/memories-are-precious-they-help-tell-us-who-we-are/) [Katherine Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-applegate/) > [We hang out, we help one another, we tell one another our worst fears and biggest secrets, and then just like real sisters, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/we-hang-out-we-help-one-another-we-tell-one-another-our-worst-fears/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [The way to get people's votes is to say that all their problems are caused by other people, and that you will stop those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-way-to-get-people-s-votes-is-to-say-that-all-their-problems-are/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It was too vast a problem to be just a personal thing. There should be some help, someone should tell them before it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-hinton/it-was-too-vast-a-problem-to-be-just-a-personal-thing-there-should-be/) [S. E. Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-hinton/) > [When you meet an amazing person, you can't help but tell others about him or her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-williams/when-you-meet-an-amazing-person-you-can-t-help-but-tell-others-about/) [Craig Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-williams/) > [I reach out. I ask for help. I tell my story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elverum/i-reach-out-i-ask-for-help-i-tell-my-story/) [Phil Elverum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elverum/) > [When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/when-you-want-to-help-people-you-tell-them-the-truth-when-you-want-to/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“I consider telling my brother, asking him for help. But tell him what exactly? I have no black eyes, no bloody noses to report:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-consider-telling-my-brother-asking-him-for-help-but-tell-him-what/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“If you want to talk about it with someone, then I'm happy to listen, or try and help, but you should only tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-green/if-you-want-to-talk-about-it-with-someone-then-i-m-happy-to-listen-or/) [Jane Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-green/) > [“Stories help shape the way we see ourselves in the world. They help tell us who we can be and what we can achieve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/stories-help-shape-the-way-we-see-ourselves-in-the-world-they-help/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) > [I ask for help. I tell Life what I want, and then I allow it to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/i-ask-for-help-i-tell-life-what-i-want-and-then-i-allow-it-to-happen/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [I do feel a responsibility to try and raise awareness and to help tell the stories of those who may not otherwise have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-chan/i-do-feel-a-responsibility-to-try-and-raise-awareness-and-to-help/) [Gemma Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-chan/) > [“I have no idea how to help you with all of this. So tell me, okay? Tell me what you need and tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-henry/i-have-no-idea-how-to-help-you-with-all-of-this-so-tell-me-okay-tell/) [Emily Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-henry/) > [I will do almost anything for the sake of a joke or for the sake of someone's real belief in something to help tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selma-blair/i-will-do-almost-anything-for-the-sake-of-a-joke-or-for-the-sake-of-2/) [Selma Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selma-blair/) ## More by Dan Ariely > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [ “\[..\] we human beings are ready and willing to steal something that does not explicitly reference monetary value - that is, something that lacks… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/we-human-beings-are-ready-and-willing-to-steal-something-that-does/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“Contrafreeloading,” a term coined by the animal psychologist Glen Jensen, refers to the finding that many animals prefer to earn food rather than simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/contrafreeloading-a-term-coined-by-the-animal-psychologist-glen/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [One of the big lessons from behavioral economics is that we make decisions as a function of the environment that we're in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/one-of-the-big-lessons-from-behavioral-economics-is-that-we-make/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Not all debt is bad. From time to time we should get into debt when there's a good reason for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/not-all-debt-is-bad-from-time-to-time-we-should-get-into-debt-when/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“This result suggests that cheating is not driven by concerns about standing out. Rather, it shows that our sense of our own morality is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/this-result-suggests-that-cheating-is-not-driven-by-concerns-about/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“ONE OF THE main differences between standard and behavioral economics involves this concept of “free lunches.” According to the assumptions of standard economics, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/one-of-the-main-differences-between-standard-and-behavioral-economics/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Money is all about opportunity cost. Every time you spend on something, that's something you can't spend on something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/money-is-all-about-opportunity-cost-every-time-you-spend-on-something/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [The people that lend you money basically give you an answer based on the risk that they are willing to take. But just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/the-people-that-lend-you-money-basically-give-you-an-answer-based-on/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“Upton Sinclair once noted, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/upton-sinclair-once-noted-it-is-difficult-to-get-a-man-to-understand/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [If you get people to feel that they are putting something, that they are creating it and so on, their love for the project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-get-people-to-feel-that-they-are-putting-something-that-they/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [If I gave you now, $10 as a gift, how happy would you be? Would you be happy, is the marginal $10, the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-i-gave-you-now-10-as-a-gift-how-happy-would-you-be-would-you-be/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Imagine you have six loans, small to huge. People want to close loans and because of that, they try to pay off the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/imagine-you-have-six-loans-small-to-huge-people-want-to-close-loans/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“he started by selling his Porsche Boxster and buying a Toyota Prius in its place.4 “I don’t want to live the life of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxster-and-buying-a-toyota-prius/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) [Explore all 198 Dan Ariely quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## More Brands quotes > [“She kneeled down, opened the wine fridge, and scanned the shelves, filled with a variety of white wines. Sam began to pull each bottle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-shipman/she-kneeled-down-opened-the-wine-fridge-and-scanned-the-shelves/) [Viola Shipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-shipman/) > [Eventually the consumer will come to appreciate the editorial point of view of every different brand. User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [I like that you can easily flip the sheets over and have a different feel or vibe in your room. You don't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-white/i-like-that-you-can-easily-flip-the-sheets-over-and-have-a-different/) [Shaun White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-white/) > [I feel that if your soul was branded by the sixties, you never lost the brand. It's like going into a nightclub and having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-feel-that-if-your-soul-was-branded-by-the-sixties-you-never-lost/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [ I don't feel the need to brand myself in that way \[social media\]. But as a means to share information and raise awareness of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-don-t-feel-the-need-to-brand-myself-in-that-way-social-media-but-as/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [ What are you for? It may be, to a degree, consoling that white brothers and sisters did not vote for \[Donald\] Trump, and do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/what-are-you-for-it-may-be-to-a-degree-consoling-that-white-brothers/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [I have an office full of product from brands trying to be in videos and an inbox full of songs from artists, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-kluger/i-have-an-office-full-of-product-from-brands-trying-to-be-in-videos/) [Adam Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-kluger/) > [I wish Elton Brand the best. He's a great guy. He's always going to be a great friend of mine, regardless of what goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-davis/i-wish-elton-brand-the-best-he-s-a-great-guy-he-s-always-going-to-be/) [Baron Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-davis/) > [I have a twelve year old sex doll. Brand new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-a-twelve-year-old-sex-doll-brand-new/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Sourav's greatest asset is his ability to communicate. He is a naturally very confident person. He encourages his team, is a great motivator and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shastri/sourav-s-greatest-asset-is-his-ability-to-communicate-he-is-a/) [Ravi Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shastri/) > [I think that, honestly, people's censorship issues are personal but I disagree with most of those personal choices that I see others make. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-think-that-honestly-people-s-censorship-issues-are-personal-but-i/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [I don't care for brands. I'm more of a boutique shopper because the things I will find there are unique, and there won't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-tripathi/i-don-t-care-for-brands-i-m-more-of-a-boutique-shopper-because-the/) [Shweta Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-tripathi/) > [It was psychobabbler Abraham Maslow who wrote of the phenomena of self-actualization. What Maslow failed to grasp is that reaching true self-actualization can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/it-was-psychobabbler-abraham-maslow-who-wrote-of-the-phenomena-of/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [When I went to do "Carson" that night, they wanted us to do two songs, but we were a brand new band. "Conga" hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/when-i-went-to-do-carson-that-night-they-wanted-us-to-do-two-songs/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) [Browse all 1,572 Brands quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brands/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Brands communicate in two directions: they help us tell other people something about ourselves, but they also help us form ideas about who we are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Ariely" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/brands-communicate-in-two-directions-they-help-us-tell-other-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Brands" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/brands-communicate-in-two-directions-they-help-us-tell-other-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/dan-ariely-1899_brands_brands-communicate-in-two-directions-the_2213858.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/dan-ariely-1899_brands_brands-communicate-in-two-directions-the_2213858.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/54c/dan-ariely-1899_brands_brands-communicate-in-two-directions-the_2213858.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Brands communicate in two directions: they help us tell other people something about ourselves, but they…” — Dan Ariely", "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": "Dan Ariely", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Brands communicate in two directions: they...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/brands-communicate-in-two-directions-they-help-us-tell-other-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/brands-communicate-in-two-directions-they-help-us-tell-other-people/#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 } } ] } ```