--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Too great a sense of identity makes a man…" description: "\"Too great a sense of identity makes a man feel he can do no wrong. And too little does the same.\" — Djuna Barnes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/djuna-barnes-3957_can-do_too-great-a-sense-of-identity-makes-a-ma_1882044.png" --- # Too great a sense of identity makes a man feel he can do… ![“Too great a sense of identity makes a man feel he can do no wrong. And too little does the same.” quote by Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/djuna-barnes-3957_can-do_too-great-a-sense-of-identity-makes-a-ma_1882044.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/djuna-barnes-3957_can-do_too-great-a-sense-of-identity-makes-a-ma_1882044.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/224/djuna-barnes-3957_can-do_too-great-a-sense-of-identity-makes-a-ma_1882044.png) > “Too great a sense of identity makes a man feel he can do no wrong. And too little does the same.” [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both excessive and insufficient identity can lead to arrogance or insecurity. **In simple terms:** Too much or too little identity causes issues. Key Takeaway Cultivate a balanced sense of self. Themes identity self‑esteem psychology Mood introspective analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - leadership - mental health Key Concepts ego self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure a healthy self‑image? - What practices foster balanced identity? A Different Perspective Identity extremes hinder authentic living. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Great Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-sense-1208435/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Man Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-feel/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sense Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-identity/) ## Related quotes > [“quoted Djuna Barnes: “Too great a sense of identity makes a man feel he can do no wrong. And too little does the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/quoted-djuna-barnes-too-great-a-sense-of-identity-makes-a-man-feel-he/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [A strong sense of identity gives man an idea he can do no wrong; too little accomplishes the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/a-strong-sense-of-identity-gives-man-an-idea-he-can-do-no-wrong-too/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [You see, that's another thing that my parents gave me: an enormously great sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-minnelli/you-see-that-s-another-thing-that-my-parents-gave-me-an-enormously/) [Liza Minnelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-minnelli/) > [English people have a great sense of humour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demba-ba/english-people-have-a-great-sense-of-humour/) [Demba Ba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demba-ba/) > [I have a great sense of who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilhan-omar/i-have-a-great-sense-of-who-i-am/) [Ilhan Omar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilhan-omar/) > [“Let us move into the New Year with a great sense of the thrill of living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-norman-vincent-peale/let-us-move-into-the-new-year-with-a-great-sense-of-the-thrill-of/) [Dr. Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-norman-vincent-peale/) > [The great directors, I've learned, have a great sense of rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-desplat/the-great-directors-i-ve-learned-have-a-great-sense-of-rhythm/) [Alexandre Desplat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-desplat/) > [Canberra always had a great sense of community when I was there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellyse-perry/canberra-always-had-a-great-sense-of-community-when-i-was-there/) [Ellyse Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellyse-perry/) > [“leave me. And it was a great sense of relief. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/leave-me-and-it-was-a-great-sense-of-relief-the/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [While the eyes of the world will be on us let's show everyone that we have a great sense of humour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yahoo-serious/while-the-eyes-of-the-world-will-be-on-us-let-s-show-everyone-that-we/) [Yahoo Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yahoo-serious/) > [I think I still have a great sense of adventure and trust, and am surprisingly idealistic given all the horrible things I've seen since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/i-think-i-still-have-a-great-sense-of-adventure-and-trust-and-am/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [Sagittarius have great sense of style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sagittarius-have-great-sense-of-style/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think I have a great sense of me as a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamique-holdsclaw/i-think-i-have-a-great-sense-of-me-as-a-person/) [Chamique Holdsclaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamique-holdsclaw/) > [He's got a great sense of humor for a guy who never says anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/he-s-got-a-great-sense-of-humor-for-a-guy-who-never-says-anything/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Being an agent gave me a great sense of satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-principal/being-an-agent-gave-me-a-great-sense-of-satisfaction/) [Victoria Principal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-principal/) ## More by Djuna Barnes > [“There goes the dismantled—Love has fallen off her wall. A religious woman,” he thought to himself, “without the joy and safety of the Catholic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/there-goes-the-dismantled-love-has-fallen-off-her-wall-a-religious/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [Of course I think of the past and of Paris, what else is there to remember?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/of-course-i-think-of-the-past-and-of-paris-what-else-is-there-to/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [A strong sense of identity gives man an idea he can do no wrong; too little accomplishes the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/a-strong-sense-of-identity-gives-man-an-idea-he-can-do-no-wrong-too/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [My war brought me many things; let yours bring you as much. Life is not to be told, call it as loud as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/my-war-brought-me-many-things-let-yours-bring-you-as-much-life-is-not/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [When one wants to become cognizant of the color and the texture of the soil, one does not get a ladder; one gets a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/when-one-wants-to-become-cognizant-of-the-color-and-the-texture-of/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [I can draw and write, and you'd be foolish not to hire me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/i-can-draw-and-write-and-you-d-be-foolish-not-to-hire-me/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [“The perfume that her body exhaled was of the quality of that earth-flesh, fungi, which smells of captured dampness and yet is so dry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/the-perfume-that-her-body-exhaled-was-of-the-quality-of-that-earth/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [God,' she cried, 'what is love? Man seeking his own head? The human head, so rented by misery that even the teeth weigh! She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/god-she-cried-what-is-love-man-seeking-his-own-head-the-human-head-so/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [Suffering for love is how I have learned practically everything I know, love of grandmother up and on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/suffering-for-love-is-how-i-have-learned-practically-everything-i/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [“No man need curing of his individual sickness; his universal malady is what he should look to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/no-man-need-curing-of-his-individual-sickness-his-universal-malady-is/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [When autumn shadows throw their patterns across the land, they are not the images of fragile, dying leaves, not the bared arms of lofty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/when-autumn-shadows-throw-their-patterns-across-the-land-they-are-not/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [Our bones ache only while the flesh is on them. 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Your love would never bridge a gap; it wouldn't even fill up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/i-couldn-t-ever-boil-potatoes-over-the-heat-of-your-affection-your/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) [Explore all 116 Djuna Barnes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) ## More Can do quotes > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. 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But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. 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I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) [Browse all 5,673 Can do quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Too great a sense of identity makes a man feel he can do no wrong. 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