--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Where there's self importance, there's…" description: "\"Where there's self importance, there's only a very little bit of you and that little bit is distorted. It's in a holding pattern that is false to what ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/john-de-ruiter-2726_bits_where-there-s-self-importance-there-s-on_1429879.png" --- # Where there's self importance, there's only a very little… ![“Where there's self importance, there's only a very little bit of you and that little bit is distorted. It's in a holding pattern that is false to what it knows. That holding pattern forbids you, in that little bit of you, from being the rest of you.” quote by John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/john-de-ruiter-2726_bits_where-there-s-self-importance-there-s-on_1429879.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/john-de-ruiter-2726_bits_where-there-s-self-importance-there-s-on_1429879.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/john-de-ruiter-2726_bits_where-there-s-self-importance-there-s-on_1429879.png) > “Where there's self importance, there's only a very little bit of you and that little bit is distorted. It's in a holding pattern that is false to what it knows. That holding pattern forbids you, in that little bit of you, from being the rest of you.” [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑importance narrows self‑awareness, creating a distorted, limited sense of self that blocks fuller expression. **In simple terms:** Ego shrinks true self. Key Takeaway Recognize and release egoic patterns. Themes ego self‑awareness identity growth Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal therapy - leadership development - creative work - relationship counseling Key Concepts psychology spirituality mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How does ego limit your potential? - What practices help expand self‑knowledge? A Different Perspective Ego can be protective, making change uncomfortable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Distorted Holding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distorted-holding-5087582/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [Importance Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance-little-2110203/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Little bit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-bit/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Patterns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patterns/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-importance/) ## Related quotes > [Let me tell you something big: Give importance to little things!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/let-me-tell-you-something-big-give-importance-to-little-things/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The 'free-floating intellectual' may occupy himself with problems because of their inherent interest and importance, perhaps to little effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-free-floating-intellectual-may-occupy-himself-with-problems/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I didn't really understand the importance of little things. I didn't really understand that it was the little foxes that spoil the vine. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/i-didn-t-really-understand-the-importance-of-little-things-i-didn-t/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [No one is any more or any less important than you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/no-one-is-any-more-or-any-less-important-than-you-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Oh, the self-importance of fading stars. Never mind, they will be black holes one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-bernard/oh-the-self-importance-of-fading-stars-never-mind-they-will-be-black/) [Jeffrey Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-bernard/) > [When You Start Giving Too Much Importance To Someone In Your Life Than You Tends To Loose Your Value In Their Life !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karal/when-you-start-giving-too-much-importance-to-someone-in-your-life/) [Karal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karal/) > [In their quest for power and self-importance, to compensate for whatever feelings of social inadequacy or sexual insecurity, they (Politicians)are prepared to perpetrate something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auberon-waugh/in-their-quest-for-power-and-self-importance-to-compensate-for/) [Auberon Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auberon-waugh/) > [When you give lot of importance to someone in your life, you lose your importance in their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-give-lot-of-importance-to-someone-in-your-life-you-lose-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Self-importance requires spending most of one's life offended by something or someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/self-importance-requires-spending-most-of-one-s-life-offended-by/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [Think about it: what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellow men. Our self-importance requires that we spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/think-about-it-what-weakens-us-is-feeling-offended-by-the-deeds-and/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [It is the cult of self that is killing the United States. This cult has within it the classic traits of psychopaths: superficial charm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/it-is-the-cult-of-self-that-is-killing-the-united-states-this-cult/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [When you give someone a lot of importance in your life , you loose your importance in their life .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-give-someone-a-lot-of-importance-in-your-life-you-loose-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The let-go of the last little bit is the biggest because, in that, there is no return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/the-let-go-of-the-last-little-bit-is-the-biggest-because-in-that/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [So long as they (the Proles) continued to work and breed, their other activities were without importance. Left to themselves, like cattle turned loose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/so-long-as-they-the-proles-continued-to-work-and-breed-their-other/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [You are the master of your own destiny; you can influence, direct and also control your own life the way you feel is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/you-are-the-master-of-your-own-destiny-you-can-influence-direct-and/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) ## More by John de Ruiter > [Your deeper sense isn’t a springboard; it’s a landing place. If you draw conclusions too quickly or too slowly, you’ll establish your self where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/your-deeper-sense-isn-t-a-springboard-it-s-a-landing-place-if-you/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [Relate to the little instead of relating to the big. The little is indomitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/relate-to-the-little-instead-of-relating-to-the-big-the-little-is/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [When you, awareness, are mastered by the deepest that you know the truth of, then you are no longer awareness. You are oneness aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/when-you-awareness-are-mastered-by-the-deepest-that-you-know-the/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [The let-go of the last little bit is the biggest because, in that, there is no return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/the-let-go-of-the-last-little-bit-is-the-biggest-because-in-that/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [If you die of cancer with only openness and softness in your heart, you will live and die integrating your self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/if-you-die-of-cancer-with-only-openness-and-softness-in-your-heart/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [When you move as openness and softness of heart you’re moving in this life within your self in the same way that your being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/when-you-move-as-openness-and-softness-of-heart-you-re-moving-in-this/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [The more open you are within, the more capacity you will have to know, to see, and to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/the-more-open-you-are-within-the-more-capacity-you-will-have-to-know/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [When resistance no longer serves you, you'll no longer have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/when-resistance-no-longer-serves-you-you-ll-no-longer-have-it/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [While sincerity is to carry the weight of knowledge in the self, it is also to be the lightness of being clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/while-sincerity-is-to-carry-the-weight-of-knowledge-in-the-self-it-is/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [When awareness believes what it knows is true, the truth of what awareness really is, moves. That movement is love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/when-awareness-believes-what-it-knows-is-true-the-truth-of-what/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [Believe only what you know and all of what you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/believe-only-what-you-know-and-all-of-what-you-know/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [For you to be free of your thinking mind, that will cost you the way that you've put your self together. It will cost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/for-you-to-be-free-of-your-thinking-mind-that-will-cost-you-the-way/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [The formless cannot be based on the form. The form needs to be based on the formless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/the-formless-cannot-be-based-on-the-form-the-form-needs-to-be-based/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [To really evolve as awareness, be just like your own being in a self like yours and on a planet like this one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/to-really-evolve-as-awareness-be-just-like-your-own-being-in-a-self/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) > [When you lay down your life for what you are after you've died, you're clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-ruiter/when-you-lay-down-your-life-for-what-you-are-after-you-ve-died-you-re/) [John de Ruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) [Explore all 152 John de Ruiter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-ruiter/) ## More Bits quotes > [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. 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This is a bit rich coming from a man who actually married his own mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/he-referred-to-me-as-an-insufferable-puffed-up-prat-this-is-a-bit/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [It won't do you a bit of good to know everything if you don't do anything with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-fitzhugh/it-won-t-do-you-a-bit-of-good-to-know-everything-if-you-don-t-do/) [Louise Fitzhugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-fitzhugh/) > [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. 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