--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The real self and the public self are…" description: "\"The real self and the public self are intertwined, like a tumor around an organ, and you can't cut the tumor or you'll kill the organ, so they live tog..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/jonathan-ames-7444_borg_the-real-self-and-the-public-self-are-in_1160260.jpg" --- # The real self and the public self are intertwined, like a… ![“The real self and the public self are intertwined, like a tumor around an organ, and you can't cut the tumor or you'll kill the organ, so they live together, until the tumor chokes the organ off - but which self is the tumor?. Or it's like something out of Star Trek. The Borg.” quote by Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/jonathan-ames-7444_borg_the-real-self-and-the-public-self-are-in_1160260.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/jonathan-ames-7444_borg_the-real-self-and-the-public-self-are-in_1160260.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d4/jonathan-ames-7444_borg_the-real-self-and-the-public-self-are-in_1160260.jpg) > “The real self and the public self are intertwined, like a tumor around an organ, and you can't cut the tumor or you'll kill the organ, so they live together, until the tumor chokes the organ off - but which self is the tumor?. Or it's like something out of Star Trek. The Borg.” [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The private identity and public persona are inseparable; harming one harms the other, and overemphasis on one can suffocate the whole self. **In simple terms:** Self and public image are linked; harming one harms both. Key Takeaway Balance authenticity with social roles. Themes identity self authenticity social pressure psychology Mood reflective concerned Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - career branding - social media presence - mental health counseling Key Concepts self-concept public persona interdependence Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain authenticity under social expectations? - When does self-protection become self-destruction? A Different Perspective If the public self dominates, the true self may be suppressed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borg/) [Choke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choke/) [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Intertwined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intertwined/) [Like something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-something/) [Organ Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organ-self-3318037/) [Organs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organs/) [Public Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-self-594664/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-self/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self Tumor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-tumor-3318038/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Tumors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tumors/) ## Related quotes > [Appearance is the most public part of the self. It is our sacrament, the visible self that the world assumes to be a mirror…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-etcoff/appearance-is-the-most-public-part-of-the-self-it-is-our-sacrament/) [Nancy Etcoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-etcoff/) > [I lost my public self, or had it stolen. In a way, it was a form of identity theft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-lewinsky/i-lost-my-public-self-or-had-it-stolen-in-a-way-it-was-a-form-of/) [Monica Lewinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-lewinsky/) > [Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the-2/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [“All of us have two minds, a private one, which is usually strange, I guess, and symbolic, and a public one, a social one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-spencer/all-of-us-have-two-minds-a-private-one-which-is-usually-strange-i/) [Scott Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-spencer/) > [“Your private self must become the same as your public self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kuypers/your-private-self-must-become-the-same-as-your-public-self/) [John Kuypers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kuypers/) > [ “Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self." \[ The New Statesman , February 25, 1933\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/better-to-write-for-yourself-and-have-no-public-than-to-write-for-the/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [“To survive in China you must reveal nothing to others. Or it could be used against you … That’s why I’ve come to think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-osnos/to-survive-in-china-you-must-reveal-nothing-to-others-or-it-could-be/) [Evan Osnos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-osnos/) > [I lost my public self, or had it stolenIn a way, it was a form of identity theft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-lewinsky/i-lost-my-public-self-or-had-it-stolenin-a-way-it-was-a-form-of/) [Monica Lewinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-lewinsky/) > [Everyone has a private self and a public self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-conroy/everyone-has-a-private-self-and-a-public-self/) [Kevin Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-conroy/) > [If you become aware of a public self, you're in danger of becoming a very artificial person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/if-you-become-aware-of-a-public-self-you-re-in-danger-of-becoming-a/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [public self is a conditioned construct of the inner psychological self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/public-self-is-a-conditioned-construct-of-the-inner-psychological-self/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [There's the public self that we present to the outer world. There's the private self, which maybe takes more time to access. But ultimately,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/there-s-the-public-self-that-we-present-to-the-outer-world-there-s/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [Borg's won Wimbledon four straight times and out there he has just lost an 18-16 tie breaker. You'd think maybe once he'd let up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/borg-s-won-wimbledon-four-straight-times-and-out-there-he-has-just/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [Tennis legend Bjorn Borg appeared in a Swedish TV ad urging Swedes to have more sex to solve the country's falling birth rate. America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/argus-hamilton/tennis-legend-bjorn-borg-appeared-in-a-swedish-tv-ad-urging-swedes-to/) [Argus Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/argus-hamilton/) > [In 1992, one of my dearest friends, Anita Borg, came to me with an idea: a conference featuring women Computer Scientists. The conference would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/telle-whitney/in-1992-one-of-my-dearest-friends-anita-borg-came-to-me-with-an-idea/) [Telle Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/telle-whitney/) ## More by Jonathan Ames > [“I do think everyone would be a lot happier if we laid eggs on our own and could just have friendship and didn't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/i-do-think-everyone-would-be-a-lot-happier-if-we-laid-eggs-on-our-own/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [“Try to think about more important things,' he said. 'Think about your soul, your character. Think about the freezer. It's a solid block of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/try-to-think-about-more-important-things-he-said-think-about-your/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [It's hard to leave New York: this is where my friends are, my parents are. It is so vital. The whole world seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/it-s-hard-to-leave-new-york-this-is-where-my-friends-are-my-parents/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [Unfortunately, I'm one of those idiots who knows everything about health and is in a constant state of alarm, and yet I continue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/unfortunately-i-m-one-of-those-idiots-who-knows-everything-about/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [I don't know that I've gotten much feedback directly from the literary world; sometimes I doubt even the notion that there is a literary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/i-don-t-know-that-i-ve-gotten-much-feedback-directly-from-the/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [People don't expect too much from literature. They just want to know they're not alone with being confused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/people-don-t-expect-too-much-from-literature-they-just-want-to-know/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [I have very few hobbies. In fact, I have no hobbies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/i-have-very-few-hobbies-in-fact-i-have-no-hobbies/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [It was one of those days when every time I went to go out the door, something grabbed me in the back of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/it-was-one-of-those-days-when-every-time-i-went-to-go-out-the-door/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [I wish we had a dog in the show so that I could get to be a dog for a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/i-wish-we-had-a-dog-in-the-show-so-that-i-could-get-to-be-a-dog-for-a/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [There are so many talented young writers named Jonathan, with whom by comparison I suffer terribly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/there-are-so-many-talented-young-writers-named-jonathan-with-whom-by/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [“I know I experience great consolation when my mouth is between a woman’s legs. I think it must be because I’m drinking in her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/i-know-i-experience-great-consolation-when-my-mouth-is-between-a/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [I might have some sort of personality disorder. I might not have proper filters; it might be some kind of version of Asperger's meets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/i-might-have-some-sort-of-personality-disorder-i-might-not-have/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [I didn't play or like a lot of board games as a child. I liked playing with my G.I. Joes and making up adventures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/i-didn-t-play-or-like-a-lot-of-board-games-as-a-child-i-liked-playing/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [How terrible to be alcoholic. You just want to quietly soothe and maybe poison yourself, but you end up poisoning those around you as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/how-terrible-to-be-alcoholic-you-just-want-to-quietly-soothe-and/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [I always liked those characters in 'True Blood' who could turn into animals. I'd love to be an animal of some kind and run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/i-always-liked-those-characters-in-true-blood-who-could-turn-into/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) [Explore all 91 Jonathan Ames quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) ## More Borg quotes > [In 1992, one of my dearest friends, Anita Borg, came to me with an idea: a conference featuring women Computer Scientists. The conference would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/telle-whitney/in-1992-one-of-my-dearest-friends-anita-borg-came-to-me-with-an-idea/) [Telle Whitney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/telle-whitney/) > [Tennis legend Bjorn Borg appeared in a Swedish TV ad urging Swedes to have more sex to solve the country's falling birth rate. America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/argus-hamilton/tennis-legend-bjorn-borg-appeared-in-a-swedish-tv-ad-urging-swedes-to/) [Argus Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/argus-hamilton/) > [Borg's won Wimbledon four straight times and out there he has just lost an 18-16 tie breaker. You'd think maybe once he'd let up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/borg-s-won-wimbledon-four-straight-times-and-out-there-he-has-just/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [“Resistance, however, is useless. (1939)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-van-vogt/resistance-however-is-useless-1939/) [A. E. Van Vogt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-van-vogt/) > [Bjorn Borg looks like a hunchbacked, jut-bottomed version of Lizabeth Scott, impersonating a bearded Apache princess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/bjorn-borg-looks-like-a-hunchbacked-jut-bottomed-version-of-lizabeth/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [The answer is for all of us to create our own systems, our own ideas, because vibrant independent ideas will trump this corporate, plastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-jones/the-answer-is-for-all-of-us-to-create-our-own-systems-our-own-ideas/) [Alex Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-jones/) > [The way I look at the top five, (Rod) Laver, (Roger) Federer, myself, Borg and (Ivan) Lendl. I think those five guys dominated their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sampras/the-way-i-look-at-the-top-five-rod-laver-roger-federer-myself-borg/) [Pete Sampras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sampras/) > [Guys like John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Stefan Edberg were also very good grass court players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-krajicek/guys-like-john-mcenroe-bjorn-borg-and-stefan-edberg-were-also-very/) [Richard Krajicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-krajicek/) > [I'm always on the look out for 'the good image'. I'm like The Borg (you know, Star Trek) inasmuch as I assimilate everything -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-panter/i-m-always-on-the-look-out-for-the-good-image-i-m-like-the-borg-you/) [Horace Panter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-panter/) > [As a kid I loved John McEnroe. They called me Mac because, while everyone else liked Borg, I was crazy about McEnroe. I tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachin-tendulkar/as-a-kid-i-loved-john-mcenroe-they-called-me-mac-because-while/) [Sachin Tendulkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachin-tendulkar/) > [Like a Volvo, Bjorn Borg is rugged, has good after-sales service, and is very dull.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/like-a-volvo-bjorn-borg-is-rugged-has-good-after-sales-service-and-is/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [Every procedure for getting a cat to take a pill works fine - once. Like the Borg, they learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/every-procedure-for-getting-a-cat-to-take-a-pill-works-fine-once-like/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I had true rivalries. Not only did I want to beat my opponent, but I didn't want to let him up, either. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-connors/i-had-true-rivalries-not-only-did-i-want-to-beat-my-opponent-but-i/) [Jimmy Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-connors/) > [He used to talk to me about Russia all the time and had sworn up and down that I'd love it here. "To you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/he-used-to-talk-to-me-about-russia-all-the-time-and-had-sworn-up-and/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) [Browse all 15 Borg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borg/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The real self and the public self are intertwined, like a tumor around an organ, and you can't cut the tumor or you'll kill the organ, so they live together, until the tumor chokes the organ off - but which self is the tumor?. Or it's like something out of Star Trek. 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