---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always seen myself in sentences. I…"
description: "\"I've always seen myself in sentences. I begin to recognize myself, word by word, as I work through a sentence.\" — Don DeLillo"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/don-delillo-294_language_i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-b_658431.jpg"
---

#  I've always seen myself in sentences. I begin to recognize…

![“I've always seen myself in sentences. I begin to recognize myself, word by word, as I work through a sentence.” quote by Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/don-delillo-294_language_i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-b_658431.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/don-delillo-294_language_i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-b_658431.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/don-delillo-294_language_i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-b_658431.jpg)

> “I've always seen myself in sentences. I begin to recognize myself, word by word, as I work through a sentence.”

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

## About This Quote

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

Self‑recognition emerges through language, as we understand ourselves by parsing sentences.

**In simple terms:** We find identity in the words we use.

Key Takeaway

Reflect on your language.

Themes

identity language self‑awareness

Mood

introspective thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- writing
- therapy
- education
- personal growth

Key Concepts

narrative identity psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What sentences best capture your core values?
- How does changing your language shift your self‑view?

A Different Perspective

Language can obscure rather than reveal self.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/)

## Related quotes

> [Sentences that begin with "all women" are never, never true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-culkin-banning/sentences-that-begin-with-all-women-are-never-never-true/)

[Margaret Culkin Banning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-culkin-banning/)

> [“Sentences that begin with 'You' are probably not true. For instance, when I write: "You are a pet human named Morlock being disciplined by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dooling/sentences-that-begin-with-you-are-probably-not-true-for-instance-when/)

[Richard Dooling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dooling/)

> [When I'm dead twenty-five years, people are going to begin to recognize me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-joplin/when-i-m-dead-twenty-five-years-people-are-going-to-begin-to/)

[Scott Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-joplin/)

> [“You recognize God when you begin to recognize people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-recognize-god-when-you-begin-to-recognize-people/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [I think my work is influenced by the fact that we're living in dangerous times. If I could put it in a sentence, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-think-my-work-is-influenced-by-the-fact-that-we-re-living-in/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [It's irksome to read about someone I don't recognize. It frightens me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/it-s-irksome-to-read-about-someone-i-don-t-recognize-it-frightens-me/)

[William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/)

> [There is an enemy. There is an intelligent, active, malign force working against us. Step one is to recognize this. This recognition alone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/there-is-an-enemy-there-is-an-intelligent-active-malign-force-working/)

[Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/)

> [“I can recognize shame when it’s happening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/i-can-recognize-shame-when-it-s-happening/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [Aishwarya, my parent's daughter, has been brought up with enough values inculcated where I will use my discretion in my choices. At the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/aishwarya-my-parent-s-daughter-has-been-brought-up-with-enough-values/)

[Aishwarya Rai Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-rai-bachchan/)

> [The sincere alone can recognize sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-sincere-alone-can-recognize-sincerity/)

[Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/)

> [We must recognize that every nation determines its policies in terms of its own interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-must-recognize-that-every-nation-determines-its-policies-in-terms/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [You have to recognize that you're not going to be at your best every single day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andi-dorfman/you-have-to-recognize-that-you-re-not-going-to-be-at-your-best-every/)

[Andi Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andi-dorfman/)

> [I could give you some names of Workshop participants who are as good as many who are being published but haven't had the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/i-could-give-you-some-names-of-workshop-participants-who-are-as-good/)

[James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/)

> [I love trade magazines - any trade's magazine: by entering into what is taken for granted in a world not your own, you better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/i-love-trade-magazines-any-trade-s-magazine-by-entering-into-what-is/)

[Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/)

> [I hear a lot of 'Top Model' girls say they are dismissed by clients because they recognize them, but it never happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatima-siad/i-hear-a-lot-of-top-model-girls-say-they-are-dismissed-by-clients/)

[Fatima Siad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatima-siad/)

## More by Don DeLillo

> [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [Everything is barely weeks. Everything is days. We have minutes to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/everything-is-barely-weeks-everything-is-days-we-have-minutes-to-live/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [The novel is the dream release, the suspension of reality that history needs to escape its own brutal confinements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-novel-is-the-dream-release-the-suspension-of-reality-that-history/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“As I listened I thought a featureless baggy man was striking me in slow motion with a well-polished stone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/as-i-listened-i-thought-a-featureless-baggy-man-was-striking-me-in/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“Murray said, 'I don't trust anybody's nostalgia but my own. Nostalgia is a product of dissatisfaction and rage. It´s a settling of grievances between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/murray-said-i-don-t-trust-anybody-s-nostalgia-but-my-own-nostalgia-is/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“She is beginning to think it is possible that all creation is a spurt of blank matter that chances to make an emerald planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/she-is-beginning-to-think-it-is-possible-that-all-creation-is-a-spurt/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“Those who have abandoned belief must still believe in us. They are sure that they are right not to believe but they know belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/those-who-have-abandoned-belief-must-still-believe-in-us-they-are/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“The plane had lost power in all three engines, dropped from thirty-four thousand feet to twelve thousand feet. Something like four miles. When the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-plane-had-lost-power-in-all-three-engines-dropped-from-thirty/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“Grass: I live in a great steel tower that reflects the blazing sun. People catch fire just walking by. The more bodies that pile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/grass-i-live-in-a-great-steel-tower-that-reflects-the-blazing-sun/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“What people discard could make a nation”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/what-people-discard-could-make-a-nation/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“Marriage is something we make from available materials. In this sense it’s improvised, it’s almost offhand. Maybe this is why we know so little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/marriage-is-something-we-make-from-available-materials-in-this-sense/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [The true life is not reducible to words spoken or written, not by anyone, ever. The true life takes place when we're alone, thinking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-true-life-is-not-reducible-to-words-spoken-or-written-not-by/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [I've come to think of Europe as a hardcover book, America as the paperback version.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-ve-come-to-think-of-europe-as-a-hardcover-book-america-as-the/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [There is a set of balances and rhythms to a novel that we can't experience in real life. So I think there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/there-is-a-set-of-balances-and-rhythms-to-a-novel-that-we-can-t/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [“There is no lie in war or preparation of war that can't be defended. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/there-is-no-lie-in-war-or-preparation-of-war-that-can-t-be-defended/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

[Explore all 699 Don DeLillo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

## More Language quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

Ted Martinez

> [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/)

[Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/)

TimBur

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/)

[Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/)

> [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/)

[Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/)

> [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/)

[Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/)

> [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/)

[Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/)

[Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I've always seen myself in sentences. I begin to recognize myself, word by word, as I work through a sentence.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Don DeLillo"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-begin-to-recognize-myself-word/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Language"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-begin-to-recognize-myself-word/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/don-delillo-294_language_i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-b_658431.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/don-delillo-294_language_i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-b_658431.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/463/don-delillo-294_language_i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-b_658431.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've always seen myself in sentences. I begin to recognize myself, word by word, as I work through a sentence.” — Don DeLillo",
                "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": "Don DeLillo",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I've always seen myself in sentences....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-begin-to-recognize-myself-word/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-ve-always-seen-myself-in-sentences-i-begin-to-recognize-myself-word/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
