--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A sense of his own identity came upon him…" description: "\"“A sense of his own identity came upon him with sudden force, and he felt the power of it. He was himself, and he knew what he had been.”\" — John Williams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/john-williams-3311_existentialism_a-sense-of-his-own-identity-came-upon-hi_2112495.jpg" --- # A sense of his own identity came upon him with sudden… ![“A sense of his own identity came upon him with sudden force, and he felt the power of it. He was himself, and he knew what he had been.” quote by John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/john-williams-3311_existentialism_a-sense-of-his-own-identity-came-upon-hi_2112495.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/john-williams-3311_existentialism_a-sense-of-his-own-identity-came-upon-hi_2112495.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/john-williams-3311_existentialism_a-sense-of-his-own-identity-came-upon-hi_2112495.jpg) > ““A sense of his own identity came upon him with sudden force, and he felt the power of it. He was himself, and he knew what he had been.”” [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suddenly realizes his true self and feels the strength that identity provides. **In simple terms:** He discovers who he is and feels powerful. Key Takeaway Embrace self‑knowledge for empowerment. Themes identity self‑realization power awakening Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - career decision - creative block - relationship conflict Key Concepts existentialism personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing yourself change your actions? - What responsibilities come with newfound self‑awareness? A Different Perspective Identity can be fleeting and may lead to isolation if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) ## Related quotes > [“There was a softness around him, and a languor crept upon his limbs. A sense of his own identity came upon him with sudden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/there-was-a-softness-around-him-and-a-languor-crept-upon-his-limbs-a/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [We used to go to the fairground, and there's that punchable thing that measures your power. It was from one of those that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-manuwa/we-used-to-go-to-the-fairground-and-there-s-that-punchable-thing-that/) [Jimi Manuwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-manuwa/) > [By her shining and her power he knew her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-renault/by-her-shining-and-her-power-he-knew-her/) [Mary Renault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-renault/) > [“Self-esteem could give a person power they never knew they had.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-grace-walker/self-esteem-could-give-a-person-power-they-never-knew-they-had/) [Clara Grace Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-grace-walker/) > [“I knew there would be no shortcuts for me in life-we didn't have money or access to people of power. I knew, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/i-knew-there-would-be-no-shortcuts-for-me-in-life-we-didn-t-have/) [Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/) > [Right before 'The Bourne Identity' came out, I hadn't been offered a movie in a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/right-before-the-bourne-identity-came-out-i-hadn-t-been-offered-a/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [When I was younger, sure, I wanted to have some degree of, shall we say, identity. But it never came.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra-jr/when-i-was-younger-sure-i-wanted-to-have-some-degree-of-shall-we-say/) [Frank Sinatra Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra-jr/) > [The place that you love or the place that you want to live in, this is your country this is your identity, its not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hayek/the-place-that-you-love-or-the-place-that-you-want-to-live-in-this-is/) [Joe Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hayek/) > [I have a hard time isolating what it is in myself that makes me so fascinated with the theme of identity, because I came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-have-a-hard-time-isolating-what-it-is-in-myself-that-makes-me-so/) [Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/) > [I used many times to touch my own chest and feel, under its asthmatic quiver, the engine of the heart and lungs and blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-used-many-times-to-touch-my-own-chest-and-feel-under-its-asthmatic/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [If it were in my power, I would be wiser; but a newly felt power carries me off in spite of myself; love leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/if-it-were-in-my-power-i-would-be-wiser-but-a-newly-felt-power/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [Girls felt my power at 135, so I believe I can cause the same effect at 125.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-andrade/girls-felt-my-power-at-135-so-i-believe-i-can-cause-the-same-effect/) [Jessica Andrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-andrade/) > [I just felt the power and the meanness of the man I was messing with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-just-felt-the-power-and-the-meanness-of-the-man-i-was-messing-with/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I felt the power of God as I'd never felt it before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-irwin/i-felt-the-power-of-god-as-i-d-never-felt-it-before/) James Irwin > [A strong sense of identity gives man an idea he can do no wrong; too little accomplishes the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/a-strong-sense-of-identity-gives-man-an-idea-he-can-do-no-wrong-too/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) ## More by John Williams > [“She was, he knew- and had known very early, he supposed- one of those rare and always lovely humans whose moral nature was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/she-was-he-knew-and-had-known-very-early-he-supposed-one-of-those/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“What you seem so unwilling to accept, even now, is this: that the ideals which supported the old Republic had no correspondence to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/what-you-seem-so-unwilling-to-accept-even-now-is-this-that-the-ideals/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“It's for us that the University exists, for the dispossessed of the world; not for the students, not for the selfless pursuit of knowledge,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/it-s-for-us-that-the-university-exists-for-the-dispossessed-of-the/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [I don't make a particular distinction between 'high art' and 'low art.' Music is there for everybody. It's a river we can all put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/i-don-t-make-a-particular-distinction-between-high-art-and-low-art/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“Dispassionately, reasonably, he contemplated the failutre that his life must appear to be. He had wanted friendship and the closeness of friendship that might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/dispassionately-reasonably-he-contemplated-the-failutre-that-his-life/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“Six times during my life has this tomb of my soul led me to the brink of that eternal darkness into which all men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/six-times-during-my-life-has-this-tomb-of-my-soul-led-me-to-the-brink/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“But I can see what has ensued. A war doesn’t merely kill off a few thousand or a few hundred thousand young men. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/but-i-can-see-what-has-ensued-a-war-doesn-t-merely-kill-off-a-few/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [I let it go. I have not looked at the 'Star Wars' films, and that's absolutely true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/i-let-it-go-i-have-not-looked-at-the-star-wars-films-and-that-s/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [You never write a theme for a movie thinking, 'This will live forever.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/you-never-write-a-theme-for-a-movie-thinking-this-will-live-forever/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“For a few moments in the evening, then, they talked quietly and casually, as if they were old friends or exhausted enemies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/for-a-few-moments-in-the-evening-then-they-talked-quietly-and/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [Composing music is hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/composing-music-is-hard-work/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [I honestly haven't done all that counting. It always feels new and a wonderful honor to receive these things. It's a fresh feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/i-honestly-haven-t-done-all-that-counting-it-always-feels-new-and-a/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [In general, we continue to believe that local governments should not have a competitive advantage when competing with the private sector, and they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/in-general-we-continue-to-believe-that-local-governments-should-not/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [“Saying, ain’t doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/saying-ain-t-doing/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) > [There is no proof that carbon dioxide is causing or precedes global warming…All indications are that the minor warming cycle finished in 2001 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-williams/there-is-no-proof-that-carbon-dioxide-is-causing-or-precedes-global/) [John Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) [Explore all 122 John Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-williams/) ## More Existentialism quotes > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“The mission is, not to replace old world mindlessness with new world mindlessness, but to put an end to all forms of brainless authoritarianism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-mission-is-not-to-replace-old-world-mindlessness-with-new-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [If critics and fanboys weren't suckers for simplistic nihilism and high-pressure marketing, Afterlife would be universally acclaimed as a visionary feat, superior to Inception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armond-white/if-critics-and-fanboys-weren-t-suckers-for-simplistic-nihilism-and/) [Armond White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armond-white/) > [“People may have to die, but morbidity will live forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/people-may-have-to-die-but-morbidity-will-live-forever/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [“There are no greater or truer lords, gods, fathers, sons or holy spirits, than the humans. Humans are the highest beings on earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/there-are-no-greater-or-truer-lords-gods-fathers-sons-or-holy-spirits/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-are-we-doing-here-that-is-the-question-and-we-are-blessed-in/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“If we are unable to tolerate ourselves when we are alone, how can we expect anyone else to be enriched by our company? Before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-corey/if-we-are-unable-to-tolerate-ourselves-when-we-are-alone-how-can-we/) Gerald Corey > [Desire is this absurdity that holds open the infinity of possibility. Ever optimistic, ever resourceful, desire tells us what it sees as it speeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-farley/desire-is-this-absurdity-that-holds-open-the-infinity-of-possibility/) Wendy Farley > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Life packed a clever one-two punch: cruelty and absurdity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/life-packed-a-clever-one-two-punch-cruelty-and-absurdity/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) [Browse all 984 Existentialism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A sense of his own identity came upon him with sudden force, and he felt the power of it. 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