--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We’re a bundle of incompatible parts, and…" description: "\"“We’re a bundle of incompatible parts, and we make up stories about ourselves to disguise the fact. The mental unity of the individual is a fiction. Th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0df/david-lodge-11610_identity_we-re-a-bundle-of-incompatible-parts-and_228141.jpg" --- # We’re a bundle of incompatible parts, and we make up… ![“We’re a bundle of incompatible parts, and we make up stories about ourselves to disguise the fact. The mental unity of the individual is a fiction. There is simply, in the human machine, a multitude of loosely linked behaviour systems which take control of the body and participate in a common…” quote by David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0df/david-lodge-11610_identity_we-re-a-bundle-of-incompatible-parts-and_228141.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0df/david-lodge-11610_identity_we-re-a-bundle-of-incompatible-parts-and_228141.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0df/david-lodge-11610_identity_we-re-a-bundle-of-incompatible-parts-and_228141.jpg) > ““We’re a bundle of incompatible parts, and we make up stories about ourselves to disguise the fact. The mental unity of the individual is a fiction. There is simply, in the human machine, a multitude of loosely linked behaviour systems which take control of the body and participate in a common delusion of being one single self”” [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human identity is a constructed narrative masking many independent mental systems. **In simple terms:** We tell stories to feel whole. Key Takeaway Recognize the many parts within you. Themes identity self psychology storytelling Mood introspective thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - therapy - self‑reflection - creative writing - personal growth Key Concepts fragmented self narrative construction mental systems Questions to Reflect On - How do you experience conflicting inner voices? - Can you live without a unified self‑concept? A Different Perspective The idea may overlook biological continuity of the brain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Unity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unity/) ## Related quotes > [The guesses which serve to give mental unity and wholeness to a chaos of scattered particulars, are accidents which rarely occur to any minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-guesses-which-serve-to-give-mental-unity-and-wholeness-to-a-chaos/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [It is a common delusion that you make things better by talking about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-is-a-common-delusion-that-you-make-things-better-by-talking-about/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [To be in a couple, do you have to put your single self on a shelf?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/to-be-in-a-couple-do-you-have-to-put-your-single-self-on-a-shelf/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [I cannot tell what you and other men Think of this life; but, for my single self, I had as lief not be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-cannot-tell-what-you-and-other-men-think-of-this-life-but-for-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Heredity is a splendid phenomenon that relieves us of responsibility for our shortcomings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-larson/heredity-is-a-splendid-phenomenon-that-relieves-us-of-responsibility/) [Doug Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-larson/) > [“I am not an individual – I am an idea – an idea of unity – an idea of harmony – an idea of humanhood above everything else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/i-am-not-an-individual-i-am-an-idea-an-idea-of-unity-an-idea-of/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I am a strong individualist by personal habit, inheritance, and conviction; but it is a mere matter of common sense to recognize that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-am-a-strong-individualist-by-personal-habit-inheritance-and/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The U.S. cannot impose freedom, security, and unity in Iraq by force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/the-u-s-cannot-impose-freedom-security-and-unity-in-iraq-by-force/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [A language possesses utility only insofar as it can construct conventional boundaries. 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Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) ## More by David Lodge > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“perhaps it will I said perhaps it will be wonderful perhaps even though it won't be like you think perhaps that won't matter perhaps”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/perhaps-it-will-i-said-perhaps-it-will-be-wonderful-perhaps-even/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“So they stood upon the shores of Faith and felt the old dogmas and certainties ebbing away rapidly under their feet and between their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/so-they-stood-upon-the-shores-of-faith-and-felt-the-old-dogmas-and/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Jogging, I believe they call it. It seems to be an epidemic psychological illness afflicting Americans these days. 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The question is almost as difficult to answer as the question, when does the human embryo become a person? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/when-does-a-novel-begin-the-question-is-almost-as-difficult-to-answer/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [It was Adam Appleby's misfortune that at the moment of awakening from sleep his consciousness was immediately flooded with everything he least wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/it-was-adam-appleby-s-misfortune-that-at-the-moment-of-awakening-from/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“It was said that the view through the open window above the urinal, straight across the Bay to the Silver Span, was the finest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/it-was-said-that-the-view-through-the-open-window-above-the-urinal/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“Our friends started life with too many beliefs -- the penalty of a Catholic upbringing. They were weighted down with beliefs, useless answers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/our-friends-started-life-with-too-many-beliefs-the-penalty-of-a/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children. Life is the other way round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/literature-is-mostly-about-having-sex-and-not-much-about-having/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Perhaps that's what we're all looking for - desire undiluted by habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/perhaps-that-s-what-we-re-all-looking-for-desire-undiluted-by-habit/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Language is the net that holds thought trapped within a particular culture. But if one could only strike the ball with sufficient force, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/language-is-the-net-that-holds-thought-trapped-within-a-particular/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [“It is, as I say, easy enough to describe Holden's style of narration; but more difficult to explain how it holds our attention and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/it-is-as-i-say-easy-enough-to-describe-holden-s-style-of-narration/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) [Explore all 59 David Lodge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) ## More Identity quotes > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. 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We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. 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