---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have fallen in love with the body…"
description: "\"We have fallen in love with the body. That's that thing that looks back at us from the mirror. That's the repository of that lovely identity that you k..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/george-wald-9544_body_we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-tha_989741.png"
---

#  We have fallen in love with the body. That's that thing…

![“We have fallen in love with the body. That's that thing that looks back at us from the mirror. That's the repository of that lovely identity that you keep chasing all your life.” quote by George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/george-wald-9544_body_we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-tha_989741.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/george-wald-9544_body_we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-tha_989741.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/george-wald-9544_body_we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-tha_989741.png)

> “We have fallen in love with the body. That's that thing that looks back at us from the mirror. That's the repository of that lovely identity that you keep chasing all your life.”

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

## About This Quote

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

The quote suggests we become obsessed with our physical appearance, seeing the body as a mirror reflecting our identity, a pursuit that dominates life.

**In simple terms:** We fixate on the body as a reflection of who we are.

Key Takeaway

Recognize identity beyond physical appearance.

Themes

body image identity obsession

Mood

thoughtful introspective

Type

philosophical psychological

When to use this quote

- media influence
- self‑esteem
- health industry

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology self‑concept

Questions to Reflect On

- How does body image affect self‑worth?
- Can identity be defined without physical form?

A Different Perspective

Focusing solely on appearance can neglect inner growth.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Body Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-thing-1117981/) [Chasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chasing/) [Fallen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fallen/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Looks Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks-mirror-514086/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-body/) [Lovely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovely/) [Lovely Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovely-identity-2017738/)

## Related quotes

> [The thing I love most about my body and the thing I hate most are my breasts and my breasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-anderson/the-thing-i-love-most-about-my-body-and-the-thing-i-hate-most-are-my/)

[Pamela Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-anderson/)

> [“This house, my other homes, the cars, planes... they're my possessions, but anyone could own them. My body is the only thing that's truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/this-house-my-other-homes-the-cars-planes-they-re-my-possessions-but/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [It's not the face, but the expressions on it. It's not the voice, but what you say. It's not how you look in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/it-s-not-the-face-but-the-expressions-on-it-it-s-not-the-voice-but/)

[Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/)

> [“at points in my life, I’ve lost everything. This house, my other homes, the cars, planes . . . they’re my possessions, but anyone could own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/at-points-in-my-life-i-ve-lost-everything-this-house-my-other-homes/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [“And then I got really sad. I'm simply too young to hate my body. I'm going to be old in like two minutes, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-tucillo/and-then-i-got-really-sad-i-m-simply-too-young-to-hate-my-body-i-m/)

[Liz Tucillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-tucillo/)

> [My body is the only thing that’s truly mine, so I don’t give it away as though it’s worthless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/my-body-is-the-only-thing-that-s-truly-mine-so-i-don-t-give-it-away/)

[Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/)

> [The body is the one thing you can't fake; it's just got to be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dickey/the-body-is-the-one-thing-you-can-t-fake-it-s-just-got-to-be-there/)

[James Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dickey/)

> [Ladies...Your Thoughts,words,&amp;actions contribute to the person you are… So think carefully, talk with class,Respect your body is the only thing thats truely ours! So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catalina-luque/ladies-your-thoughts-words-actions-contribute-to-the-person-you-are/)

[Catalina Luque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catalina-luque/)

> [“Visible and mobile, my body is a thing among things; it is one of them. It is caught in the fabric of the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/visible-and-mobile-my-body-is-a-thing-among-things-it-is-one-of-them/)

[Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/)

> [Visible and mobile, my body is a thing among things; it's caught in the fabric of the world, and its cohesion is that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/visible-and-mobile-my-body-is-a-thing-among-things-it-s-caught-in-the/)

[Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/)

> [“It is a cold and harrowing morning in the life of a man the day he wakes up, looks at himself in the mirror,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-heller/it-is-a-cold-and-harrowing-morning-in-the-life-of-a-man-the-day-he/)

[Ted Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-heller/)

> [The President looks in the mirror and speaks, his shirts are clean, but his country reeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/the-president-looks-in-the-mirror-and-speaks-his-shirts-are-clean-but/)

[The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/)

> [“Maya goes into the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. Astonished at how strong she has learned to pretend to be. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/maya-goes-into-the-bathroom-and-looks-at-herself-in-the-mirror/)

[Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/)

> [“She's, like, really, really beautiful, but I don't think she sees that when she looks in the mirror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-m-draper/she-s-like-really-really-beautiful-but-i-don-t-think-she-sees-that/)

[Sharon M. Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-m-draper/)

> [The way a man looks at himself in a mirror will tell you if he can ever care about anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/the-way-a-man-looks-at-himself-in-a-mirror-will-tell-you-if-he-can/)

[Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/)

## More by George Wald

> [Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/civilization-will-end-within-15-or-30-years-unless-immediate-action/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [So-called defense now absorbs sixty per cent of the national budget, and about twelve per cent of the Gross National Product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/so-called-defense-now-absorbs-sixty-per-cent-of-the-national-budget/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [I have lived much of my life among molecules. They are good company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-have-lived-much-of-my-life-among-molecules-they-are-good-company/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [Evolution advances, not by a priori design, but by the selection of what works best out of whatever choices offer. We are the products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/evolution-advances-not-by-a-priori-design-but-by-the-selection-of/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [Every creature alive on the earth today represents an unbroken line of life that stretches back to the first primitive organism to appear on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/every-creature-alive-on-the-earth-today-represents-an-unbroken-line/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [I think if a physician wrote on a death certificate that old age was the cause of death, he'd be thrown out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-if-a-physician-wrote-on-a-death-certificate-that-old-age-was/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [I am growing old, and my future, so to speak, is already behind me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-am-growing-old-and-my-future-so-to-speak-is-already-behind-me/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [A scientist should be the happiest of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/a-scientist-should-be-the-happiest-of-men/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [I think all of you know there is no adequate defense against massive nuclear attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-all-of-you-know-there-is-no-adequate-defense-against-massive/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [We've committed many war crimes in Vietnam - but I'll tell you something interesting about that. We were committing war crimes in World War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-ve-committed-many-war-crimes-in-vietnam-but-i-ll-tell-you/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [Science goes from question to question; big questions, and little, tentative answers. The questions as they age grow ever broader, the answers are seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/science-goes-from-question-to-question-big-questions-and-little/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [There's life all over this universe, but the only life in the solar system is on earth, and in the whole universe we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/there-s-life-all-over-this-universe-but-the-only-life-in-the-solar/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [I think I know what is bothering the students. I think that what we are up against is a generation that is by no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-i-know-what-is-bothering-the-students-i-think-that-what-we/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [A physicist is an atom's way of knowing about atoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/a-physicist-is-an-atom-s-way-of-knowing-about-atoms/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [There are only two possible explanations as to how life arose: Spontaneous generation arising to evolution or a supernatural creative act of God… There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/there-are-only-two-possible-explanations-as-to-how-life-arose/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

[Explore all 72 George Wald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

## More Body quotes

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/)

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

[Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/)

> [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/)

[Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/)

[Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/)

[Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/)

> [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/)

[Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/)

> [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

[Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We have fallen in love with the body. That's that thing that looks back at us from the mirror. That's the repository of that lovely identity that you keep chasing all your life.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Wald"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-that-s-that-thing-that-looks/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Body"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-that-s-that-thing-that-looks/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/george-wald-9544_body_we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-tha_989741.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/george-wald-9544_body_we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-tha_989741.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/george-wald-9544_body_we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-tha_989741.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We have fallen in love with the body. That's that thing that looks back at us from the mirror. That's the…” — George Wald",
                "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": "George Wald",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We have fallen in love with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-that-s-that-thing-that-looks/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-that-s-that-thing-that-looks/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
