---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is very hard to stay in touch with our…"
description: "\"It is very hard to stay in touch with our true identity because those who want our money, our time, and our energy profit more from our insecurity and ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/henri-nouwen-600_energy_it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-ou_483661.png"
---

#  It is very hard to stay in touch with our true identity…

![“It is very hard to stay in touch with our true identity because those who want our money, our time, and our energy profit more from our insecurity and fears than from our inner freedom.” quote by Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/henri-nouwen-600_energy_it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-ou_483661.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/henri-nouwen-600_energy_it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-ou_483661.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/henri-nouwen-600_energy_it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-ou_483661.png)

> “It is very hard to stay in touch with our true identity because those who want our money, our time, and our energy profit more from our insecurity and fears than from our inner freedom.”

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

## About This Quote

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

People exploit our insecurities for profit, pulling us away from inner freedom and authentic identity.

**In simple terms:** Fear and insecurity are exploited, clouding true self.

Key Takeaway

Guard your inner freedom against exploitative influences.

Themes

identity freedom exploitation spirituality

Mood

contemplative serene

Type

spiritual philosophical

When to use this quote

- financial decisions
- relationships
- personal boundaries

Key Concepts

psychology materialism inner peace

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you recognize genuine needs versus manipulated fears?
- What steps protect your inner freedom?

A Different Perspective

Not all insecurity stems from external forces; internal work matters.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Insecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecurity/) [Insecurity and fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecurity-and-fear/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [True identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-identity/)

## Related quotes

> [I was brought up in many different cultures, moving around all the time, and I find my identity in my songs. I project the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika/i-was-brought-up-in-many-different-cultures-moving-around-all-the/)

[Mika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika/)

> [I want to change how people perceived me when I came over here, change how the people perceive South-East Asians or Middle Eastern or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mustafa-ali/i-want-to-change-how-people-perceived-me-when-i-came-over-here-change/)

[Mustafa Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mustafa-ali/)

> [The attitude and identity that we want to play with doesn't change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quinn/the-attitude-and-identity-that-we-want-to-play-with-doesn-t-change/)

[Dan Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quinn/)

> [Names are used as our Identity... But I want to become an Identity of my Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashank-rayal/names-are-used-as-our-identity-but-i-want-to-become-an-identity-of-my/)

[Shashank Rayal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashank-rayal/)

> [Where true inner freedom is, there is God. And where God is, there we want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/where-true-inner-freedom-is-there-is-god-and-where-god-is-there-we/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/there-is-nothing-enlightened-about-shrinking-so-that-other-people/)

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

> [It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/it-is-our-light-not-our-darkness-that-most-frightens-us/)

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

> [Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/our-deepest-fear-is-that-we-are-powerful-beyond-measure/)

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

> [My parents, products of the Great Depression, were successful people, but lived in a state of constant fear that my sister and I, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/my-parents-products-of-the-great-depression-were-successful-people/)

[Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/)

> [Freedom of enterprise was from the beginning not altogether a blessing. As the liberty to work or to starve, it spelled toil, insecurity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/freedom-of-enterprise-was-from-the-beginning-not-altogether-a/)

[Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/)

> [Work is life, you know, and without it, there's nothing but fear and insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/work-is-life-you-know-and-without-it-there-s-nothing-but-fear-and/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-we-are-liberated-from-our-own-fear-our-presence-automatically/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [Western media only intensified the climate of fear and insecurity...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/western-media-only-intensified-the-climate-of-fear-and-insecurity/)

[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/)

> [Your playing small doesn't serve the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/your-playing-small-doesn-t-serve-the-world/)

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

> [To rush to throw away your magazine business and move it on the iPad is just sheer insanity and insecurity and fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jann-wenner/to-rush-to-throw-away-your-magazine-business-and-move-it-on-the-ipad/)

[Jann Wenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jann-wenner/)

## More by Henri Nouwen

> [We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/we-are-not-the-healers-we-are-not-the-reconcilers-we-are-not-the/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [The more we touch the intimate love of God which creates, sustains, and guides us, the more we recognize the multitude of fruits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-more-we-touch-the-intimate-love-of-god-which-creates-sustains-and/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [Feelings of guilt dominate our work as peacemakers we cannot last long. But when we have opened each other's eyes to the great human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/feelings-of-guilt-dominate-our-work-as-peacemakers-we-cannot-last/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [...we all want to hear stories, from the moment we are born to the moment we die. Stories connect our little lives with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/we-all-want-to-hear-stories-from-the-moment-we-are-born-to-the-moment/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [I have found it very important...to let go of my wishes and start hoping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/i-have-found-it-very-important-to-let-go-of-my-wishes-and-start-hoping/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [Simply being with someone is difficult because it asks of us that we share in the other's vulnerability, enter with him or her into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/simply-being-with-someone-is-difficult-because-it-asks-of-us-that-we/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [Somewhere we know that without silence, words lose their meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/somewhere-we-know-that-without-silence-words-lose-their-meaning/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [Jesus says, "Keep your heart on the kingdom first. Keep your heart on God's love. Keep focused on the fact that you are God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/jesus-says-keep-your-heart-on-the-kingdom-first-keep-your-heart-on/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [This sounds very simple and maybe even trite, but very few people know that they are loved without condition or limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/this-sounds-very-simple-and-maybe-even-trite-but-very-few-people-know/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [“The more preoccupied we are with security the more visible the force of death becomes, whether in the form of a pistol beside our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-more-preoccupied-we-are-with-security-the-more-visible-the-force/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [If you feel a great loneliness and a deep longing for human contact, you have to be extremely discerning...and ask yourself whether this situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/if-you-feel-a-great-loneliness-and-a-deep-longing-for-human-contact/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [I choose L'Arche; L'Arche chooses me. I would be dead if I weren't here. I need people to love me and care for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/i-choose-l-arche-l-arche-chooses-me-i-would-be-dead-if-i-weren-t-here/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/the-truth-even-though-i-cannot-feel-it-right-now-is-that-i-am-the/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/in-a-world-so-torn-apart-by-rivalry-anger-and-hatred-we-have-the/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

> [Where true inner freedom is, there is God. And where God is, there we want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/where-true-inner-freedom-is-there-is-god-and-where-god-is-there-we/)

[Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

[Explore all 452 Henri Nouwen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/)

## More Energy quotes

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

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

> [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/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [Performance matters because games are built on great performance, but form factor and energy efficiency matter incredibly because they want to build something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/performance-matters-because-games-are-built-on-great-performance-but/)

[Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/)

> [Energy rests upon love; and come as it will, there's no forcing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/energy-rests-upon-love-and-come-as-it-will-there-s-no-forcing-it/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/)

[Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/)

> [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/)

[Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/)

> [I'm a vegetarian - I think there's a strong possibility, had I not become a vegetarian, I would not be working now. I became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barker/i-m-a-vegetarian-i-think-there-s-a-strong-possibility-had-i-not/)

[Bob Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barker/)

> [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. No artist is great forever. Personally, I think I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/an-artist-s-creative-energy-is-ephemeral-as-a-flower-it-blooms-and/)

[Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/)

> [Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/enthusiasm-is-the-yeast-that-makes-your-hopes-shine-to-the-stars/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [I've never even been into those supplements or any of that. I don't even drink energy shakes. I'm not into that kind of stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-ve-never-even-been-into-those-supplements-or-any-of-that-i-don-t/)

[Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/)

> [Some would call me an environmentalist. I don't know why. I reuse the water that falls in my backyard in the winter. I reuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/some-would-call-me-an-environmentalist-i-don-t-know-why-i-reuse-the/)

[Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/)

> [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/)

[Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/)

> [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> ['The Choirboys' is very much a product of its mid-1970s time, especially in its two-dimensional portrayals of cop groupies Ora Lee and Carolina Moon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-weinman/the-choirboys-is-very-much-a-product-of-its-mid-1970s-time-especially/)

[Sarah Weinman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-weinman/)

[Browse all 12,866 Energy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It is very hard to stay in touch with our true identity because those who want our money, our time, and our energy profit more from our insecurity and fears than from our inner freedom.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henri Nouwen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-our-true-identity-because-those/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Energy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-our-true-identity-because-those/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/henri-nouwen-600_energy_it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-ou_483661.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/henri-nouwen-600_energy_it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-ou_483661.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/575/henri-nouwen-600_energy_it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-ou_483661.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is very hard to stay in touch with our true identity because those who want our money, our time, and our…” — Henri Nouwen",
                "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": "Henri Nouwen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It is very hard to stay...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-our-true-identity-because-those/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/it-is-very-hard-to-stay-in-touch-with-our-true-identity-because-those/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
