--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We create our sense of self by merging…" description: "\"“We create our sense of self by merging our fragmented thoughts in a coherent conception of our being.”\" — Kilroy J. Oldster" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d08/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_creativity_we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-o_3200534.jpg" --- # We create our sense of self by merging our fragmented… ![“We create our sense of self by merging our fragmented thoughts in a coherent conception of our being.” quote by Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d08/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_creativity_we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-o_3200534.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d08/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_creativity_we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-o_3200534.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d08/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_creativity_we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-o_3200534.jpg) > ““We create our sense of self by merging our fragmented thoughts in a coherent conception of our being.”” [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests identity forms when we integrate scattered thoughts into a unified self‑concept. **In simple terms:** Self is built by unifying fragmented thoughts. Key Takeaway Integrate your thoughts to shape identity. Themes self identity integration Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal development - therapy - creative writing - mindfulness - coaching Key Concepts psychology self‑concept cognition Questions to Reflect On - How do you currently integrate disparate thoughts? - What barriers prevent a coherent self‑concept? A Different Perspective May overlook external influences on identity formation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Memoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoir/) [Memoir-writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoir-writing/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self -awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-awareness/) [Self determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-determination/) [Self identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-identity/) [Sense of self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-self/) [Story of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-of-life/) [Story of your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-of-your-life/) ## Related quotes > [“An author’s operating charter is to unearth embedded symbols that reflect complementary and inconsistent relationships of our collective assemblage, combine harmonizing and contradictory conceptions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/an-author-s-operating-charter-is-to-unearth-embedded-symbols-that/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Personal happiness is an end game; it is not an immediate necessity. A person whom attains lasting happiness will necessarily endure many hardships. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/personal-happiness-is-an-end-game-it-is-not-an-immediate-necessity-a/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Practical affairs task the human brain throughout the day. At night, the mind takes a deserved hiatus to consider the impossible and the absurd.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/practical-affairs-task-the-human-brain-throughout-the-day-at-night/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“All writers are demonic dreamers. Writing is an act of sharing experiences and offering of an individualistic perspective of our private attitudes pertaining to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-writers-are-demonic-dreamers-writing-is-an-act-of-sharing/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A shaman and a writer each serve as their communities’ seers by engaging in extraordinary acts of conscientious study of the past and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-shaman-and-a-writer-each-serve-as-their-communities-seers-by/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [Writing has been an important exercise to clarify what I believe, what I see, what I care about, what my deepest values are ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/writing-has-been-an-important-exercise-to-clarify-what-i-believe-what/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Maniacal obsession can be a destructive or a transformative psychic force. What is unacceptable is a life of blandness, not to dare penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/maniacal-obsession-can-be-a-destructive-or-a-transformative-psychic/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Writing is an exhausting and demoralizing task that destroys human conceits. Writing an elongated series of personal essay opens a person’s mind to explore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/writing-is-an-exhausting-and-demoralizing-task-that-destroys-human/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Writing is mental exercise and the preeminent method to train the mind to achieve a desirable state of mental quietude. Meditative writing, a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/writing-is-mental-exercise-and-the-preeminent-method-to-train-the/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Storytelling is an ancient art. The lucent vibes of stories express what we cannot articulate directly. When we hear someone’s story, we respond to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-is-an-ancient-art-the-lucent-vibes-of-stories-express/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Storytelling is ultimately the only way that we know besides song, dance, painting, and music to share with our tribesmen what it means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/storytelling-is-ultimately-the-only-way-that-we-know-besides-song/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The ultimate goal of any writer is to explore the lightest and darkest aspects of being. If a writer accomplishes this task, the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-ultimate-goal-of-any-writer-is-to-explore-the-lightest-and/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Language is our identity tool and by using experience, observation, and imagination, we each discover the words that give voice to our lives. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/language-is-our-identity-tool-and-by-using-experience-observation-and/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Each of us, along with our ancestors, inhabits the same cosmos. When we tell stories, we enter the stream of human consciousness; we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/each-of-us-along-with-our-ancestors-inhabits-the-same-cosmos-when-we/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Life is a collection of memories and feelings. Mawkish sentimentally urges us to engage in artistic overtures, we yearn to share with other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/life-is-a-collection-of-memories-and-feelings-mawkish-sentimentally/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) ## More by Kilroy J. Oldster > [“Disharmony at home or work is toxic to a person’s physical disposition and mental health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/disharmony-at-home-or-work-is-toxic-to-a-person-s-physical/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The emotional ingredients that sustain long-term relationships are kindness, thoughtfulness, and compassion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-emotional-ingredients-that-sustain-long-term-relationships-are/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Personal disillusionment accompanied by self-pity and self-loathing are the Achilles’ heel of modern humankind, representing the weakness of the human spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/personal-disillusionment-accompanied-by-self-pity-and-self-loathing/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“We nurture our own being by respecting all people and consciously working to mitigate the pain of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/we-nurture-our-own-being-by-respecting-all-people-and-consciously/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Life is a collection of memories and feelings. Mawkish sentimentally urges us to engage in artistic overtures, we yearn to share with other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/life-is-a-collection-of-memories-and-feelings-mawkish-sentimentally/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Time is inexplicable because it moves – clicks away – at steady increments, while increasing the past and bringing the future into the present.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/time-is-inexplicable-because-it-moves-clicks-away-at-steady/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Each of us, along with our ancestors, inhabits the same cosmos. When we tell stories, we enter the stream of human consciousness; we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/each-of-us-along-with-our-ancestors-inhabits-the-same-cosmos-when-we/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A period of darkness is essential in order to expand personal awareness. Experiencing sadness and loss makes a person appreciative of life, more tenderhearted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-period-of-darkness-is-essential-in-order-to-expand-personal/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A person writes similar to how a blind person uses brail. We grope along the palpable corridors of the mind’s organic texture to locate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-writes-similar-to-how-a-blind-person-uses-brail-we-grope/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“People frequently ask me why I work so hard - prolong hours, infrequent vacations, and never calling in sick or missing work for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/people-frequently-ask-me-why-i-work-so-hard-prolong-hours-infrequent/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The ego is the culmination of our preferences and dislikes. Our ego represents the firm edges of how we perceive ourselves. An ego death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-ego-is-the-culmination-of-our-preferences-and-dislikes-our-ego/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Witnessing the moonrise each month, a person cannot resist noting a modest sense of optimism tugging at his or her enclosed capsule of bodily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/witnessing-the-moonrise-each-month-a-person-cannot-resist-noting-a/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Attempting to express a person’s objective reality and subjective state of mind with the written word is an endless task because writing alters our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/attempting-to-express-a-person-s-objective-reality-and-subjective/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A person can hurry through or sleep walk through life, but whenever they stop to catch their breath or awaken from a long nap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-can-hurry-through-or-sleep-walk-through-life-but-whenever/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“It is up to each one of us to immunize ourselves from any disabling bolts of anger and defend ourselves from the thunderstorms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/it-is-up-to-each-one-of-us-to-immunize-ourselves-from-any-disabling/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) [Explore all 302 Kilroy J. Oldster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) ## More Creativity quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“The Soviet “creative intelligentsia” - that is, people accustomed to thinking one thing, saying another and doing a third - is as a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-amalrik/the-soviet-creative-intelligentsia-that-is-people-accustomed-to/) Andrei Amalrik > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [You don't get lucky. You create lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/you-don-t-get-lucky-you-create-lucky/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“You are the end of beauty and creativity one must have created so far.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/you-are-the-end-of-beauty-and-creativity-one-must-have-created-so-far/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/) [Joshua Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-foer/) > [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/) [Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/) > [“I believe in magic. As a writer, I create them on blank paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonnia-kemmer/i-believe-in-magic-as-a-writer-i-create-them-on-blank-paper/) [Sonnia Kemmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonnia-kemmer/) > [Creativity is like chasing chickens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-niemann/creativity-is-like-chasing-chickens/) Christoph Niemann > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. It's a time when you really get to do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-landecker/you-always-hear-actors-say-theater-is-my-first-love-and-it-is-it-s-a/) [Amy Landecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-landecker/) > [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 13,625 Creativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We create our sense of self by merging our fragmented thoughts in a coherent conception of our being.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kilroy J. Oldster" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-our-fragmented-thoughts-in-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Creativity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-our-fragmented-thoughts-in-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d08/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_creativity_we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-o_3200534.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d08/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_creativity_we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-o_3200534.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d08/kilroy-j-oldster-1049_creativity_we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-o_3200534.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We create our sense of self by merging our fragmented thoughts in a coherent conception of our being.” — Kilroy J. Oldster", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kilroy J. Oldster", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We create our sense of self...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-our-fragmented-thoughts-in-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/we-create-our-sense-of-self-by-merging-our-fragmented-thoughts-in-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```