--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We feel that to reveal embarrassing or…" description: "\"We feel that to reveal embarrassing or private things, we have given someone something, that, like a primitive person fearing that a photographer will ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dave-eggers-638_deeds_we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-p_45431.png" --- # We feel that to reveal embarrassing or private things, we… ![“We feel that to reveal embarrassing or private things, we have given someone something, that, like a primitive person fearing that a photographer will steal his soul, we identify our secrets, our past and their blotches, with our identity, that revealing our habits or losses or deeds somehow makes…” quote by Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dave-eggers-638_deeds_we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-p_45431.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dave-eggers-638_deeds_we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-p_45431.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dave-eggers-638_deeds_we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-p_45431.png) > “We feel that to reveal embarrassing or private things, we have given someone something, that, like a primitive person fearing that a photographer will steal his soul, we identify our secrets, our past and their blotches, with our identity, that revealing our habits or losses or deeds somehow makes one less of oneself.” [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote explores how exposing personal flaws or secrets feels like surrendering part of one's identity, as if giving away a piece of the self. **In simple terms:** Self‑exposure erodes identity. Key Takeaway Vulnerability can diminish self‑perception. Themes identity vulnerability privacy self‑perception authenticity Mood introspective melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - confessional writing - therapy sessions - online sharing - public apologies - intimate conversations Key Concepts self‑concept social exposure psychological cost Practical Applications - counseling techniques - digital privacy design Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to protect one's core self? - How does public confession affect self‑esteem? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Our past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-past/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Primitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/primitive/) [Private things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-things/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [“We feel that to reveal embarrassing or private things, like, say, masturbatory habits (for me, about once a day, usually in the shower), we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-private-things-like-say/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [I do end up revealing a lot online, but in books, what I reveal is more tailored. Authors can couch revelations in fiction. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-han/i-do-end-up-revealing-a-lot-online-but-in-books-what-i-reveal-is-more/) [Jenny Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-han/) > [At a certain age you start becoming brave enough to reveal yourself and it's the revealing of who you are that enables you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glynn-turman/at-a-certain-age-you-start-becoming-brave-enough-to-reveal-yourself/) [Glynn Turman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glynn-turman/) > [“The sun is up now, revealing all of us for what we really are. And it's fucking blinding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-milman/the-sun-is-up-now-revealing-all-of-us-for-what-we-really-are-and-it-s/) Derek Milman > [“What we mean by liberal in the liberal regime is “free” and also independent. We mean people doing as they please to a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-we-mean-by-liberal-in-the-liberal-regime-is-free-and-also/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Writing about sex is not as personally revealing as one might think, because like anything else you write about, the words are not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-baingana/writing-about-sex-is-not-as-personally-revealing-as-one-might-think/) Doreen Baingana > [“Probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg before it is broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-k-fisher-2/probably-one-of-the-most-private-things-in-the-world-is-an-egg-before/) [M.F.K. Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-k-fisher-2/) > [I believe love - and its feminine, though not necessarily female, counterpart, romance, is a private thing. It's something I'm not willing to share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/i-believe-love-and-its-feminine-though-not-necessarily-female/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [I always am astounded at how willing Steve was to share all about himself. And sometimes he got criticized for it. But he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-irwin/i-always-am-astounded-at-how-willing-steve-was-to-share-all-about/) [Terri Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-irwin/) > [Some things are private. Some things needed to be said, even when the person who needed to hear them couldn’t hear anything. Ever again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/some-things-are-private-some-things-needed-to-be-said-even-when-the/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [I'm kind of private and I keep things inside a lot, but it's been so wonderful to realize that people care about you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-m-kind-of-private-and-i-keep-things-inside-a-lot-but-it-s-been-so/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [Seriously, I think it is a grave fault in life that so much time is wasted in social matters, because it not only takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-larkin/seriously-i-think-it-is-a-grave-fault-in-life-that-so-much-time-is/) [Philip Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-larkin/) > [It creates community when you talk about private things and you can find other people that have the same things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/it-creates-community-when-you-talk-about-private-things-and-you-can-2/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) > [I realized that there are just certain things in life that are private. I have things in my past - like everyone - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-osmond/i-realized-that-there-are-just-certain-things-in-life-that-are/) [Ken Osmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-osmond/) > [It creates community when you talk about private things and you can find other people that have the same things. Otherwise, I don't know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/it-creates-community-when-you-talk-about-private-things-and-you-can/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) ## More by Dave Eggers > [“4. THE CRUMBLING WALL (Hamburger, prepared medium well, with bacon and barbecue sauce. Courtesy of that place on Solano, where, it should be mentioned,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/4-the-crumbling-wall-hamburger-prepared-medium-well-with-bacon-and/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“LOW-FLYING, QUICK-MOVING CLOUDS: I haven't long to live. TREETOPS, ROUNDED AND ROUGH: That's probably true. LOW-FLYING, QUICK-MOVING CLOUDS: I won't even make it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/low-flying-quick-moving-clouds-i-haven-t-long-to-live-treetops/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [But the grind has begun. The windows don’t open, and even the availability of near-constant jokes about Jews and Mormons fails to stem the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/but-the-grind-has-begun-the-windows-don-t-open-and-even-the/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“One button for the rest of your life online.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/one-button-for-the-rest-of-your-life-online/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [I think I'm far too hopeful and trusting. That's something I got from my mum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/i-think-i-m-far-too-hopeful-and-trusting-that-s-something-i-got-from/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“Overnight, all comment boards became civil, all posters held accountable. The trolls, who had more or less overtaken the internet, were driven back into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/overnight-all-comment-boards-became-civil-all-posters-held/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“Have we wasted precious space dust on you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/have-we-wasted-precious-space-dust-on-you/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“What can one do with one's hands when the camera is interested in other things?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/what-can-one-do-with-one-s-hands-when-the-camera-is-interested-in/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“The money that could have saved the Shuttle, and the money we send to random countries, that we use to remake unchangeable countries ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/the-money-that-could-have-saved-the-shuttle-and-the-money-we-send-to/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [Write your goddamned book now. The world awaits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/write-your-goddamned-book-now-the-world-awaits/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [The only infallible truth of our lives is that everything we love in life will be taken from us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/the-only-infallible-truth-of-our-lives-is-that-everything-we-love-in/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“First of all: I am tired. I am true of heart! And Also: You are tired. You are true of heart!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/first-of-all-i-am-tired-i-am-true-of-heart-and-also-you-are-tired-you/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [And what we were trying to offer every day was one-on-one attention. The goal was to have a one-to-one ratio with every one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/and-what-we-were-trying-to-offer-every-day-was-one-on-one-attention/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [Suffering is only suffering if it’s done in silence, in solitude. Pain experienced in public, in view of loving millions, was no longer pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/suffering-is-only-suffering-if-it-s-done-in-silence-in-solitude-pain/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“A circle is the strongest shape in the universe. Nothing can beat it, nothing can improve upon it, nothing can be more perfect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/a-circle-is-the-strongest-shape-in-the-universe-nothing-can-beat-it/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) [Explore all 428 Dave Eggers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) ## More Deeds quotes > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-p-ryan/time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-which-seems-at-first-unjustifiable/) Donald P. Ryan > [When deeds speak, words are nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/when-deeds-speak-words-are-nothing/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [Somehow, what's in our hearts, good or bad is eventually translated into words and deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/somehow-what-s-in-our-hearts-good-or-bad-is-eventually-translated/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Honest people don't hide their deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/honest-people-don-t-hide-their-deeds/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Tis e'er the wont of simple folk to prize the deed and o'erlook the motive, and of learned folk to discount the deed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/tis-e-er-the-wont-of-simple-folk-to-prize-the-deed-and-o-erlook-the/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/how-oft-the-sight-of-means-to-do-ill-deeds-makes-ill-deeds-done/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A nation of character is filled with citizens who gradually build lives based on the living awareness that their deeds are judged by eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/a-nation-of-character-is-filled-with-citizens-who-gradually-build/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/time-which-wears-down-and-diminishes-all-things-augments-and/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Alas, you don't need monsters for monstrous deeds to be accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/alas-you-don-t-need-monsters-for-monstrous-deeds-to-be-accomplished/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [I rejoice that the reign of Christ is such, while it thrills the soul with emotions, and opens before the highest intellect the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-simpson/i-rejoice-that-the-reign-of-christ-is-such-while-it-thrills-the-soul/) [Matthew Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-simpson/) > [The final estimate of men shows that history cares not an iota for the rank or title a man has borne, or the office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/the-final-estimate-of-men-shows-that-history-cares-not-an-iota-for/) [J. Oswald Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-oswald-sanders/) > [The World's a Printing-House, our words, our thoughts, Our deeds, are characters of several sizes. Each soul is a Compos'tor, of whose faults The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-world-s-a-printing-house-our-words-our-thoughts-our-deeds-are/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) [Browse all 2,029 Deeds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We feel that to reveal embarrassing or private things, we have given someone something, that, like a primitive person fearing that a photographer will steal his soul, we identify our secrets, our past and their blotches, with our identity, that revealing our habits or losses or deeds somehow makes one less of oneself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dave Eggers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-private-things-we-have-given/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deeds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-private-things-we-have-given/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dave-eggers-638_deeds_we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-p_45431.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dave-eggers-638_deeds_we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-p_45431.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/dave-eggers-638_deeds_we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-p_45431.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We feel that to reveal embarrassing or private things, we have given someone something, that, like a…” — Dave Eggers", "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": "Dave Eggers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We feel that to reveal embarrassing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-private-things-we-have-given/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/we-feel-that-to-reveal-embarrassing-or-private-things-we-have-given/#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 } } ] } ```