--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Work has been the central column for most…" description: "\"Work has been the central column for most of my life; it has always been my identity.\" — Harriet Walter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f51/harriet-walter-16626_always_work-has-been-the-central-column-for-mos_2568840.jpg" --- # Work has been the central column for most of my life; it… ![“Work has been the central column for most of my life; it has always been my identity.” quote by Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f51/harriet-walter-16626_always_work-has-been-the-central-column-for-mos_2568840.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f51/harriet-walter-16626_always_work-has-been-the-central-column-for-mos_2568840.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f51/harriet-walter-16626_always_work-has-been-the-central-column-for-mos_2568840.jpg) > “Work has been the central column for most of my life; it has always been my identity.” [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Work often defines personal identity, shaping self-perception. **In simple terms:** Work shapes who we think we are. Key Takeaway Balance identity beyond professional role. Themes identity career self-worth Mood thoughtful serious Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - career transitions - retirement - career changes Key Concepts sociology psychology role theory Questions to Reflect On - How does your job reflect your values? - What non‑work roles define you? A Different Perspective Identity tied solely to work can cause crisis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [My university work was not central to my education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/my-university-work-was-not-central-to-my-education/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [ Look at 4chan culture, which is the ultimate version of shedding your IRL \[in real life\] identity - you don't even keep a consistent… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-chu/look-at-4chan-culture-which-is-the-ultimate-version-of-shedding-your/) [Arthur Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-chu/) > [“Identity negates possibility, denies openness to other life. 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When I was filming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/i-say-this-about-everything-when-i-was-on-neighbours-i-said-these-are/) [Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/) ## More by Harriet Walter > [Acting is what I do with who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/acting-is-what-i-do-with-who-i-am/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [My strangest experience was my six words in 'Star Wars.' I've had more fanmail from that than anything I've ever done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/my-strangest-experience-was-my-six-words-in-star-wars-i-ve-had-more/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [I'm childish and silly. Most people tease me because I'm a bit daft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/i-m-childish-and-silly-most-people-tease-me-because-i-m-a-bit-daft/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [My centre of who I thought I was was never very consciously about being beautiful or attractive - I think I'm one of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/my-centre-of-who-i-thought-i-was-was-never-very-consciously-about/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [I'm not very good at going to sleep, and that's probably my worst problem. 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She creates her own energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/cleopatra-was-exhausting-to-play-but-also-completely-exhilarating-she/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [Caring less about what people think is a big thing for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/caring-less-about-what-people-think-is-a-big-thing-for-me/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [I'm no longer the young woman I was playing before, and I'm in a profession where that continuum that is me is irrelevant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/i-m-no-longer-the-young-woman-i-was-playing-before-and-i-m-in-a/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [I was not emotionally mature enough to accept any kind of success when I was young. I needed to go that long route.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/i-was-not-emotionally-mature-enough-to-accept-any-kind-of-success/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [I've one of those brains that doesn't quieten down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/i-ve-one-of-those-brains-that-doesn-t-quieten-down/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) [Explore all 39 Harriet Walter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Work has been the central column for most of my life; it has always been my identity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harriet Walter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/work-has-been-the-central-column-for-most-of-my-life-it-has-always/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/work-has-been-the-central-column-for-most-of-my-life-it-has-always/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f51/harriet-walter-16626_always_work-has-been-the-central-column-for-mos_2568840.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f51/harriet-walter-16626_always_work-has-been-the-central-column-for-mos_2568840.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f51/harriet-walter-16626_always_work-has-been-the-central-column-for-mos_2568840.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Work has been the central column for most of my life; it has always been my identity.” — Harriet Walter", "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": "Harriet Walter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Work has been the central column...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/work-has-been-the-central-column-for-most-of-my-life-it-has-always/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/work-has-been-the-central-column-for-most-of-my-life-it-has-always/#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 } } ] } ```