---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I say things that contradict each other…"
description: "\"I say things that contradict each other, that are in real tension with each other, that compose me, that make me live, and that will make me die.\" — Ja..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/jacques-derrida-3948_dies_i-say-things-that-contradict-each-other_1007127.jpg"
---

#  I say things that contradict each other, that are in real…

![“I say things that contradict each other, that are in real tension with each other, that compose me, that make me live, and that will make me die.” quote by Jacques Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/jacques-derrida-3948_dies_i-say-things-that-contradict-each-other_1007127.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/jacques-derrida-3948_dies_i-say-things-that-contradict-each-other_1007127.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca2/jacques-derrida-3948_dies_i-say-things-that-contradict-each-other_1007127.jpg)

> “I say things that contradict each other, that are in real tension with each other, that compose me, that make me live, and that will make me die.”

[Jacques Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-derrida/)

## About This Quote

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

Derrida describes internal contradictions as essential to identity, suggesting that opposing forces shape existence and ultimate destiny.

**In simple terms:** Contradictions define us and our fate.

Key Takeaway

Embrace internal tensions as sources of growth.

Themes

identity philosophy existentialism paradox

Mood

introspective thoughtful

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- personal development
- creative writing
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

deconstruction selfhood dialectics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you navigate opposing desires?
- What role do contradictions play in your creativity?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on contradictions may cause paralysis.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction/) [Tension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tension/)

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> [Some, merely to contradict what I had said, did not scruple to cast doubt upon things they had seen with their own eyes again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/some-merely-to-contradict-what-i-had-said-did-not-scruple-to-cast/)

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[Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/)

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[elizabeth hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hunter/)

## More by Jacques Derrida

> [“Still less, despite appearances, will it have been a collection of three “essays” whose itinerary it would be time, after the fact, to recognize;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-derrida/still-less-despite-appearances-will-it-have-been-a-collection-of/)

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> [The traditional statement about language is that it is in itself living, and that writing is the dead part of language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-derrida/the-traditional-statement-about-language-is-that-it-is-in-itself/)

[Jacques Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-derrida/)

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[Explore all 118 Jacques Derrida quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-derrida/)

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