Close friends Quote by Dervla Murphy
“the sudden violent dispossession accompanying a refugee flight is much more than the loss of a permanent home and a traditional occupation, or than the parting from close friends and familiar places. It is also the death of the person one has become in a particular context, and every refugee must be his or her own midwife at the painful process of rebirth.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Through the Embers of Chaos by Dervla Murphy, 1995
Refugee displacement erases identity and forces self‑reconstruction, requiring personal agency in painful rebirth.
In simple terms: Loss of home also means loss of self; one must rebuild.
Key Takeaway
Embrace agency in rebuilding identity.
Themes
displacement
identity
resilience
agency
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- asylum seeking
- psychological counseling
- community integration
- personal journaling
Key Concepts
psychology
social trauma
self‑construction
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies support identity reconstruction?
- What personal practices aid rebirth?
A Different Perspective
Identity loss can be compounded by external stigma and limited resources.
![“[On Addis Ababa:] Among the city's handicaps are an immaturity for which no one can be blamed, as it was founded only eighty years ago, and a proliferation of architectural excesses for which many people can and should be blamed.” quote by Dervla Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ec0/dervla-murphy-20135_architecture_on-addis-ababa-among-the-city-s-handicap_1176958.jpg)
