Books Quote by Jerry Cleaver
““Identification is why the reader reads and why the writer writes. We all want to identify with a character, so that we can, in turn, identify with ourselves. Do you have yourself all figured out? Is your self-knowledge so complete? Do you know yourself so well that you'll never do anyting stupid or make a fool of yourself again? When it comes to knowing ourselves, we are incomplete, lacking, deficient. Each of us is our own ongoing problem until the day we die.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Writer's Craft, 2015
Readers seek characters they can see themselves in, while writers use identification to explore self‑knowledge, acknowledging that we are always incomplete.
In simple terms: Stories help us learn about ourselves.
Key Takeaway
Use literature to uncover personal blind spots.
Themes
identity
self‑knowledge
incompletion
writing
reading
growth
Mood
introspective
curious
analytical
Type
psychological
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- creative writing workshops
- journaling after reading
- therapy using literature
Key Concepts
Psychology
narrative theory
self‑reflection
Questions to Reflect On
- How does identifying with a character reveal hidden aspects of yourself?
- When might you resist identifying with a protagonist?
A Different Perspective
Self‑identification can be limiting if we ignore differences.
