Absence Quote by Kate Bornstein
“We grew up creating this whole world view for ourselves because it's not there in the culture. What am I? And I have to build this world view in the absence of books, radio and television, anything, even conversation, Mom or Dad or brother or sister or friends. I have to build a world view of who I am or I go stark, raving mad. Every transsexual in the past has had to do this.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Transgender Journey, 2015
Individuals must construct personal worldviews without cultural scripts, especially when marginalized, leading to unique self‑definition.
In simple terms: Build your own worldview when society lacks guidance.
Key Takeaway
Create personal narratives.
Themes
identity
self‑construction
culture
masculinity
femininity
Mood
introspective
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- coming‑of‑age
- education
- family dynamics
- media consumption
Key Concepts
sociology
psychology
gender studies
Questions to Reflect On
- What sources shape your worldview?
- How can you incorporate diverse perspectives?
A Different Perspective
Reliance on self can cause echo chambers and bias.
![“[Transsexual surgery] could be likened to political psychiatry in the Soviet Union. I suggest that transsexualism should best be seen in this light, as directly political, medical abuse of human rights. The mutilation of healthy bodies and the subjection of such bodies to dangerous and…” quote by Sheila Jeffreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d4d/sheila-jeffreys-20069_abuse_transsexual-surgery-could-be-likened-to_2427291.jpg)
![“I used to live with Teri Toye in the '80s - a really gorgeous transsexual. She won Girl of the Year in 1986 [I think] as a Chanel model and she introduced this whole way of slinky, slow-motion modeling. It was amazing that the girl of the year was actually born male.” quote by Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0aa/nan-goldin-6289_80s_i-used-to-live-with-teri-toye-in-the-80s_2099773.jpg)
