Cement Quote by Harry Stack Sullivan
“Your emotional life is not written in cement during childhood. You write each chapter as you go along.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Interpersonal Theory of Psychiatry, 1953
Emotional growth is ongoing; childhood does not fix destiny.
In simple terms: Life is not set in stone.
Key Takeaway
Rewrite your emotional narrative.
Themes
growth
self
agency
Mood
reflective
optimistic
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- therapy
- self‑reflection
- career change
Key Concepts
developmental psychology
personal narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- What chapter are you writing now?
- How can you reshape limiting beliefs?
A Different Perspective
Changing past narratives can be painful.
![“When it's going well [writing] goes terribly fast. It isn't at all surprising to write a chapter in a day, which for me is about twenty-two pages. When it's going badly, it isn't really going badly; it's just the beginning.” quote by John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/917/john-le-carre-651_chapters_when-it-s-going-well-writing-goes-terrib_601245.jpg)
![“[O]ne of the greatest difficulties encountered in bringing about favorable change is this almost inescapable illusion that there is a perduring, unique, simple existent self, [which is] in some strange fashion, the patient's, or the subject person's, private property.” quote by Harry Stack Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c90/harry-stack-sullivan-27472_adversity_o-ne-of-the-greatest-difficulties-encoun_2365397.jpg)
