--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think people are often quite unaware of…" description: "\"“I think people are often quite unaware of their inner selves, their other selves, their imaginative selves, the selves that aren’t on show in the worl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jeannette-winterson-71322_children_i-think-people-are-often-quite-unaware-o_1757590.jpg" --- # I think people are often quite unaware of their inner… ![“I think people are often quite unaware of their inner selves, their other selves, their imaginative selves, the selves that aren’t on show in the world. It’s something you grow out of from childhood onwards, losing possession of yourself, really. I think literature is one of the best ways back…” quote by Jeannette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jeannette-winterson-71322_children_i-think-people-are-often-quite-unaware-o_1757590.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jeannette-winterson-71322_children_i-think-people-are-often-quite-unaware-o_1757590.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jeannette-winterson-71322_children_i-think-people-are-often-quite-unaware-o_1757590.jpg) > ““I think people are often quite unaware of their inner selves, their other selves, their imaginative selves, the selves that aren’t on show in the world. It’s something you grow out of from childhood onwards, losing possession of yourself, really. I think literature is one of the best ways back into that. You are hypnotized as soon as you get into a book that particularly works for you, whether it’s fiction or a poem. You find that your defenses drop, and as soon as that happens, an imaginative reality can take over because you are no longer censoring your own perceptions, your own awareness of the world.”” [Jeannette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-winterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literature reconnects us with neglected parts of our inner self by bypassing everyday self‑censorship and allowing imagination to surface. **In simple terms:** Books help us rediscover hidden inner selves. Key Takeaway Read to revive your inner imagination. Themes self‑discovery imagination literature psychology Mood reflective introspective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational literary When to use this quote - reading for personal growth - therapy - creative writing - mindfulness practice Key Concepts inner self censorship creative consciousness Questions to Reflect On - What inner aspects have you lost? - How can you choose books that unlock them? A Different Perspective Not everyone finds a book that resonates deeply, so the effect may be limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Imaginative Selves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginative-selves-1663546/) [Inner Selves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-selves-276477/) [Selves Imaginative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selves-imaginative-1663547/) [Think Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-literature/) [Unaware Inner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unaware-inner-1663548/) ## Related quotes > [“You are beautiful, brilliant, perceptive and pure beyond compare. 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I think literature will be around "forever" - but in a relatively niche…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-really-think-in-terms-of-the-future-of-literature-i-think/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even-that-decays-and-ultimately/) [Mick Farren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-farren/) ## More by Jeannette Winterson > [“Adopted children are self-invented because we have to be; there is an absence, a void, a question mark at the very beginning of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-winterson/adopted-children-are-self-invented-because-we-have-to-be-there-is-an/) [Jeannette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-winterson/) > [“I like such kisses. They fill the mouth and leave the body free. To kiss well one must kiss solely. 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