--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I cannot be myself in what I write…" description: "\"If I cannot be myself in what I write, then the whole is nothing but lies and humbug.\" — Henrik Ibsen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/henrik-ibsen-1419_humbug_if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-th_2362733.jpg" --- # If I cannot be myself in what I write, then the whole is… ![“If I cannot be myself in what I write, then the whole is nothing but lies and humbug.” quote by Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/henrik-ibsen-1419_humbug_if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-th_2362733.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/henrik-ibsen-1419_humbug_if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-th_2362733.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/henrik-ibsen-1419_humbug_if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-th_2362733.jpg) > “If I cannot be myself in what I write, then the whole is nothing but lies and humbug.” [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authentic writing requires personal truth; otherwise the work is deceitful. **In simple terms:** Write only what you truly feel. Key Takeaway Ensure honesty in creative expression. Themes authenticity artistic integrity self‑expression Mood introspective critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - journaling - fiction writing - public speaking - personal essays Key Concepts existentialism literary truth Questions to Reflect On - What parts of yourself are you hiding in your work? - How does honesty affect audience trust? A Different Perspective Self‑censorship may limit exploration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humbug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humbug/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies/) [Lies Humbug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lies-humbug-5791086/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Lies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-lies-1278948/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [My personal view is that until there is a disincentive to write lies and abusive comments it's going to continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-mills/my-personal-view-is-that-until-there-is-a-disincentive-to-write-lies/) [Heather Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-mills/) > [“There's a big difference between us. I write non-fiction, you write fiction. I write truths that tell lies. You write lies that tell truths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/there-s-a-big-difference-between-us-i-write-non-fiction-you-write/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [“The truth about any artist, however terrible, is better than the silence… I know many writers fight fanatically to keep their published self separate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/the-truth-about-any-artist-however-terrible-is-better-than-the/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [The press can't write the kind of things they write, which are lies.The stories are fabrications and false. And the only thing I say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-press-can-t-write-the-kind-of-things-they-write-which-are-lies/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I live my life like anybody else, and people choose to write about mine. And what they write I can't control - when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-kutcher/i-live-my-life-like-anybody-else-and-people-choose-to-write-about/) [Ashton Kutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-kutcher/) > [You can write your lies but I can paint the truth right over them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/you-can-write-your-lies-but-i-can-paint-the-truth-right-over-them/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [When people write lies about you, and you know that they are lies, that means that they don't know the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-mendes/when-people-write-lies-about-you-and-you-know-that-they-are-lies-that-2/) [Eva Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-mendes/) > [When people write lies about you, and you know that they are lies, that means that they don't know the truth, so that's OK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-mendes/when-people-write-lies-about-you-and-you-know-that-they-are-lies-that/) [Eva Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-mendes/) > [It boils down to this: we should have done with humbug, and let war be war, and not a game ... If there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-done-with-humbug-and-let-war-be/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Sensitive, humbug. Everybody thinks I'm sensitive. Wait until they hear my new album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-king/sensitive-humbug-everybody-thinks-i-m-sensitive-wait-until-they-hear/) [Carole King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-king/) > [Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure?" "I do," said Scrooge. "Merry Christmas! What right have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/christmas-a-humbug-uncle-said-scrooge-s-nephew-you-don-t-mean-that-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The humorist has a good eye for the humbug; he does not always recognize the saint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-humorist-has-a-good-eye-for-the-humbug-he-does-not-always/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [The man is a humbug — a vulgar, shallow, self-satisfied mind, absolutely inaccessible to the complexities and delicacies of the real world. He has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-man-is-a-humbug-a-vulgar-shallow-self-satisfied-mind-absolutely/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How can you see something that isn't there?" yawned the Humbug, who wasn't fully awake yet. "Sometimes, it's much simpler than seeing things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/how-can-you-see-something-that-isn-t-there-yawned-the-humbug-who-wasn/) [Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/) > [The more intelligent and cultured a man is, the more subtly he can humbug himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-more-intelligent-and-cultured-a-man-is-the-more-subtly-he-can/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) ## More by Henrik Ibsen > [The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-is-never-right-never-i-tell-you-that-s-one-of-these-lies/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [What's to become of the morally sound? Left out in the cold, I suppose. We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [When we dead awaken ... we see that we have never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/when-we-dead-awaken-we-see-that-we-have-never-lived/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“To be oneself on a basis of gold is no better than founding one’s house on the sand. For your watch, and your ring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/to-be-oneself-on-a-basis-of-gold-is-no-better-than-founding-one-s/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Look into any man's heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/look-into-any-man-s-heart-you-please-and-you-will-always-find-in/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Different people have different duties assigned them by Nature; Nature has given one the power or the desire to do this, the other that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/different-people-have-different-duties-assigned-them-by-nature-nature/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [There is always a risk in being alive, and if you are more alive, there is more risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/there-is-always-a-risk-in-being-alive-and-if-you-are-more-alive-there/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [It is not for a care-free existence I am fighting, but for the possibility of devoting myself to the task which I believe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/it-is-not-for-a-care-free-existence-i-am-fighting-but-for-the/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“Nora: It's true Torvald. When I lived at home with Papa, he used to tell me his opinion about everything, and so I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/nora-it-s-true-torvald-when-i-lived-at-home-with-papa-he-used-to-tell/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Each bird must sing with his own throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/each-bird-must-sing-with-his-own-throat/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [I propose to raise a revolution against the lie that the majority has the monopoly of the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/i-propose-to-raise-a-revolution-against-the-lie-that-the-majority-has/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [But I almost think we are all of us ghosts. It is not only what we have inherited from our father and mother that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/but-i-almost-think-we-are-all-of-us-ghosts-it-is-not-only-what-we/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/a-thousand-words-leave-not-the-same-deep-impression-as-does-a-single/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Home life ceases to be free and beautiful as soon as it is founded on borrowing and debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/home-life-ceases-to-be-free-and-beautiful-as-soon-as-it-is-founded-on/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“You see, the fact is that the strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/you-see-the-fact-is-that-the-strongest-man-upon-earth-is-he-who/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) [Explore all 229 Henrik Ibsen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) ## More Humbug quotes > [The more intelligent and cultured a man is, the more subtly he can humbug himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-more-intelligent-and-cultured-a-man-is-the-more-subtly-he-can/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [How can you see something that isn't there?" yawned the Humbug, who wasn't fully awake yet. "Sometimes, it's much simpler than seeing things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/how-can-you-see-something-that-isn-t-there-yawned-the-humbug-who-wasn/) [Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/) > [The man is a humbug — a vulgar, shallow, self-satisfied mind, absolutely inaccessible to the complexities and delicacies of the real world. He has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-man-is-a-humbug-a-vulgar-shallow-self-satisfied-mind-absolutely/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The humorist has a good eye for the humbug; he does not always recognize the saint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-humorist-has-a-good-eye-for-the-humbug-he-does-not-always/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure?" "I do," said Scrooge. "Merry Christmas! What right have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/christmas-a-humbug-uncle-said-scrooge-s-nephew-you-don-t-mean-that-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Sensitive, humbug. Everybody thinks I'm sensitive. Wait until they hear my new album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-king/sensitive-humbug-everybody-thinks-i-m-sensitive-wait-until-they-hear/) [Carole King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-king/) > [It boils down to this: we should have done with humbug, and let war be war, and not a game ... If there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-boils-down-to-this-we-should-have-done-with-humbug-and-let-war-be/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“We must have humbug, we all like humbug, we couldn't get on without humbug.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/we-must-have-humbug-we-all-like-humbug-we-couldn-t-get-on-without/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [ \[You write out of the\] desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, etc., etc., etc. It is humbug… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/you-write-out-of-the-desire-to-seem-clever-to-be-talked-about-to-be/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Witchcraft is one of the most baseless, absurd, disgusting and silly of all the humbugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/witchcraft-is-one-of-the-most-baseless-absurd-disgusting-and-silly-of/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [In the end we shall have had enough of cynicism and skepticism and humbug and we shall want to live more musically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/in-the-end-we-shall-have-had-enough-of-cynicism-and-skepticism-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [I am prepared to maintain that Honesty is essentially an anarchistic and disintegrating force in society, that communities are held together and the progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/i-am-prepared-to-maintain-that-honesty-is-essentially-an-anarchistic/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [I would, like any other scientist, willingly change my mind if the evidence led me to do so. So I care about what's true,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-would-like-any-other-scientist-willingly-change-my-mind-if-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The bigger the humbug, the better people will like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/the-bigger-the-humbug-the-better-people-will-like-it/) [P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/) > [I am glad that the country world...retains a power to use our English tongue. It is a part of its sense of reality, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-beston/i-am-glad-that-the-country-world-retains-a-power-to-use-our-english/) [Henry Beston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-beston/) [Browse all 78 Humbug quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humbug/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I cannot be myself in what I write, then the whole is nothing but lies and humbug.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henrik Ibsen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-then-the-whole-is-nothing-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Humbug" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-then-the-whole-is-nothing-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/henrik-ibsen-1419_humbug_if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-th_2362733.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/henrik-ibsen-1419_humbug_if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-th_2362733.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/henrik-ibsen-1419_humbug_if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-th_2362733.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If I cannot be myself in what I write, then the whole is nothing but lies and humbug.” — Henrik Ibsen", "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": "Henrik Ibsen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If I cannot be myself in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-then-the-whole-is-nothing-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/if-i-cannot-be-myself-in-what-i-write-then-the-whole-is-nothing-but/#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 } } ] } ```