Becoming Quote by Jacques Lacan
“I identify myself in language, but only by losing myself in it like an object. What is realised in my history is not the past definite of what was, since it is no more, or even the present perfect of what has been in what I am, but the future anterior of what I shall have been for what I am in the process of becoming.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Écrits, Jacques Lacan, 1966
Language shapes identity by dissolving the self into a symbolic object, linking past, present, and future selves.
In simple terms: Language defines us by losing ourselves in it.
Key Takeaway
Embrace language as a tool for self‑formation.
Themes
identity
language
psychoanalysis
Mood
introspective
analytical
Type
philosophical
psychoanalytic
When to use this quote
- writing therapy
- creative expression
- personal narrative
- academic study
Key Concepts
symbolic order
subjectivity
temporal self
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language limit your sense of self?
- Can you reclaim agency within language?
A Different Perspective
Language can also constrain self‑perception and create alienation.
