---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who we are in the present includes who we…"
description: "\"Who we are in the present includes who we were in the past.\" — Fred Rogers"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/fred-rogers-1272_anger_who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-w_3231980.png"
---

#  Who we are in the present includes who we were in the past.

![“Who we are in the present includes who we were in the past.” quote by Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/fred-rogers-1272_anger_who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-w_3231980.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/fred-rogers-1272_anger_who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-w_3231980.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/fred-rogers-1272_anger_who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-w_3231980.png)

> “Who we are in the present includes who we were in the past.”

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

## About This Quote

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

Identity is shaped by both current self and past experiences, linking present actions to personal history.

**In simple terms:** Present self reflects past self.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge past influences.

Themes

identity continuity self-awareness

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- relationship counseling
- career planning
- life coaching

Key Concepts

psychology personal development

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your past shape your present choices?
- What can you let go of from the past?

A Different Perspective

Past may limit present if not integrated.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [We all have different gifts, so we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/we-all-have-different-gifts-so-we-all-have-different-ways-of-saying/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [There's no "should" or "should not" when it comes to having feelings. They're part of who we are and their origins are beyond our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/there-s-no-should-or-should-not-when-it-comes-to-having-feelings-they/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [Sometimes when we're feeling sad, it's important just to feel the sadness. Like a snake shedding its skin, old feelings of remorse and regret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/sometimes-when-we-re-feeling-sad-it-s-important-just-to-feel-the/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [The Qur'an not only lacks any earthly punishment for someone who abandons Islam, it even includes verses that imply that such a change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mustafa-akyol/the-qur-an-not-only-lacks-any-earthly-punishment-for-someone-who/)

[Mustafa Akyol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mustafa-akyol/)

> [Climate change should not fundamentally be seen as a political or partisan issue, but it has been turned into a political football primarily by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-balog/climate-change-should-not-fundamentally-be-seen-as-a-political-or/)

[James Balog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-balog/)

> [Everyone is always telling me that I must be exhausted, but I've learned how to use my time well, and that includes holidays to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-mcgregor/everyone-is-always-telling-me-that-i-must-be-exhausted-but-i-ve/)

[Wayne McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-mcgregor/)

> [Let us remember we are all part of one American family. We are united in common values, and that includes belief in equality under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/let-us-remember-we-are-all-part-of-one-american-family-we-are-united/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Remember, 'governance' is a big word that includes human rights, freedom of speech, economic transactions on a worldwide basis - it touches everything. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/remember-governance-is-a-big-word-that-includes-human-rights-freedom/)

[Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/)

> [It more or less has the shape of a love song, but 'Crescent Moon' reflects more my longing for an ancient romantic context that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-black/it-more-or-less-has-the-shape-of-a-love-song-but-crescent-moon/)

[Frank Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-black/)

> [Impact investing has become a broad umbrella that includes all investing with a focus on both financial return and social impact, but in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/impact-investing-has-become-a-broad-umbrella-that-includes-all/)

[Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/)

> [I don't want to be any kind of producer at all - hands-on or otherwise! I feel producing is a very difficult job and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kajol/i-don-t-want-to-be-any-kind-of-producer-at-all-hands-on-or-otherwise/)

[Kajol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kajol/)

> [The very first television ad targeted to women was produced by the Eisenhower-Nixon campaign in 1956. It includes footage of a woman supervising her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-lepore/the-very-first-television-ad-targeted-to-women-was-produced-by-the/)

[Jill Lepore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-lepore/)

> [We don't really know where human sexual orientations come from yet. What we do know is that the evidence we have that sexual orientation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/we-don-t-really-know-where-human-sexual-orientations-come-from-yet/)

[Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/)

> [Obviously, your family life is the priority, but there's still other stuff you have to get done in a day. I think the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-crawford/obviously-your-family-life-is-the-priority-but-there-s-still-other/)

[Cindy Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-crawford/)

> [The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your 'cognitions,' or thoughts. A cognition refers to the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/the-first-principle-of-cognitive-therapy-is-that-all-your-moods-are/)

[David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/)

## More by Fred Rogers

> [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [Children who have learned to be comfortably dependent can become not only comfortably independent but also comfortable with having people depend on them. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/children-who-have-learned-to-be-comfortably-dependent-can-become-not/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [As different as we are from one another, as unique as each one of us is, we are much more the same than we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/as-different-as-we-are-from-one-another-as-unique-as-each-one-of-us/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [This evening is as brief as the twinkling of an eye yet such twinklings is what eternity is made of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/this-evening-is-as-brief-as-the-twinkling-of-an-eye-yet-such/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [The underlying message of the Neighborhood is that if somebody cares about you, it's possible that you'll care about others. 'You are special, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/the-underlying-message-of-the-neighborhood-is-that-if-somebody-cares/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [Play is really the work of childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/play-is-really-the-work-of-childhood/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [Love isn't a perfect state of caring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/love-isn-t-a-perfect-state-of-caring/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [Real strength has to do with helping others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/real-strength-has-to-do-with-helping-others/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [The greatest gift that you can give another person is to gracefully receive whatever it is that they want to give us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/the-greatest-gift-that-you-can-give-another-person-is-to-gracefully/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [The values we care about the deepest, and the movements within society that support those values, command our love. When those things that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/the-values-we-care-about-the-deepest-and-the-movements-within-society/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [“Everyone longs to be loved. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/everyone-longs-to-be-loved-and-the-greatest-thing-we-can-do-is-to-let/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [Attitudes are caught, not taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/attitudes-are-caught-not-taught/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/forgiveness-is-a-strange-thing-it-can-sometimes-be-easier-to-forgive/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [If the grain of wheat could know fear, it would be paralyzed with anxiety at the thought of being dropped in the ground, covered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/if-the-grain-of-wheat-could-know-fear-it-would-be-paralyzed-with/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [What's been important in my understanding of myself and others is the fact that each one of us is so much more than any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/what-s-been-important-in-my-understanding-of-myself-and-others-is-the/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

[Explore all 263 Fred Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

## More Anger quotes

> [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/)

[Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/)

> [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/)

[Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/)

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/)

[Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/)

> [My care will be in the heart n not in words My anger will be in Words n not in the Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/my-care-will-be-in-the-heart-n-not-in-words-my-anger-will-be-in-words/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/)

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

> [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/)

[Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/)

> [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/)

[Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/)

> [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/)

[David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/)

> [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

[Browse all 7,469 Anger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Who we are in the present includes who we were in the past.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Fred Rogers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-we-were-in-the-past/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Anger"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-we-were-in-the-past/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/fred-rogers-1272_anger_who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-w_3231980.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/fred-rogers-1272_anger_who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-w_3231980.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e25/fred-rogers-1272_anger_who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-w_3231980.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Who we are in the present includes who we were in the past.” — Fred Rogers",
                "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": "Fred Rogers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Who we are in the present...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-we-were-in-the-past/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/who-we-are-in-the-present-includes-who-we-were-in-the-past/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
