---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As Walt Whitman correctly surmised, we…"
description: "\"As Walt Whitman correctly surmised, we are large and we harbor multitudes within us. And those multitudes are locked in chronic battle. There is an ong..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/david-eagleman-2079_accomplish_as-walt-whitman-correctly-surmised-we-ar_2207316.jpg"
---

#  As Walt Whitman correctly surmised, we are large and we…

![“As Walt Whitman correctly surmised, we are large and we harbor multitudes within us. And those multitudes are locked in chronic battle. There is an ongoing conversation among the different factions in your brain, each competing to control the single output channel of your behavior. As a result…” quote by David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/david-eagleman-2079_accomplish_as-walt-whitman-correctly-surmised-we-ar_2207316.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/david-eagleman-2079_accomplish_as-walt-whitman-correctly-surmised-we-ar_2207316.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c8/david-eagleman-2079_accomplish_as-walt-whitman-correctly-surmised-we-ar_2207316.jpg)

> “As Walt Whitman correctly surmised, we are large and we harbor multitudes within us. And those multitudes are locked in chronic battle. There is an ongoing conversation among the different factions in your brain, each competing to control the single output channel of your behavior. As a result, you can accomplish the strange feats of arguing with yourself, cursing at yourself, and cajoling yourself to do something - feats that modern computers simply do not do.”

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

## About This Quote

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

The mind contains many competing inner voices that shape behavior, unlike computers.

**In simple terms:** Our brain has many inner dialogues.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and balance internal conflicts.

Themes

psychology self-talk decision‑making

Mood

introspective analytical

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- stress management
- creative brainstorming
- habit formation

Key Concepts

inner conflict neuroscience self‑regulation

Questions to Reflect On

- Which inner voice guides you most?
- How can you harmonize conflicting thoughts?

A Different Perspective

Balancing voices can be overwhelming and indecisive.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Accomplish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplish/) [Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) [Arguing Cursing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing-cursing-4873887/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Brain Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain-competing-3412761/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Cursing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cursing/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Factions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/factions/) [Factions Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/factions-brain-3412763/) [Feats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feats/) [Feats Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feats-arguing-4873886/) [Harbors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harbors/) [Locked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locked/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Multitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multitudes/) [Ongoing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ongoing/) [Output](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/output/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Walt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walt/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walt-whitman/)

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