--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I imagined myself in some way defined by…" description: "\"“I imagined myself in some way defined by my relation to another creature.”\" — Louise Erdrich" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/louise-erdrich-1271_animals_i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by_206950.png" --- # I imagined myself in some way defined by my relation to… ![“I imagined myself in some way defined by my relation to another creature.” quote by Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/louise-erdrich-1271_animals_i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by_206950.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/louise-erdrich-1271_animals_i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by_206950.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/louise-erdrich-1271_animals_i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by_206950.png) > ““I imagined myself in some way defined by my relation to another creature.”” [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our identities are shaped by relationships with other beings, highlighting interdependence. **In simple terms:** Identity linked to relationships. Key Takeaway Recognize how connections define you. Themes interdependence identity ecology Mood thoughtful introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - family dynamics - human‑animal bonds - environmental activism Key Concepts philosophical anthropology relational ontology Questions to Reflect On - How do your relationships shape your choices? - Can you balance self‑identity with relational ties? A Different Perspective Relationships can also limit autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ## Related quotes > [I imagined there would be a way to crack the diffraction barrier. But of course I didn't know exactly how it would work, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-hell/i-imagined-there-would-be-a-way-to-crack-the-diffraction-barrier-but/) [Stefan Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-hell/) > [Nowhere on the shore is the relation of a creature to its surroundings a matter of a single cause and effect; each living thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/nowhere-on-the-shore-is-the-relation-of-a-creature-to-its/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [“The poor man, whose intentions were so quickly imagined for him because of the way the light hits his skin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-lee/the-poor-man-whose-intentions-were-so-quickly-imagined-for-him/) [Stacey Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-lee/) > [“Who would have imagined a creature that has lived thousands of years would find itself short of time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mehalek/who-would-have-imagined-a-creature-that-has-lived-thousands-of-years/) [Mike Mehalek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mehalek/) > [Larger than life itself, and I can’t even believe this striking creature was once a little bit mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-evans/larger-than-life-itself-and-i-can-t-even-believe-this-striking/) [Katy Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-evans/) > [“That creature which we idolize God justly removes from us, or embitters to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/that-creature-which-we-idolize-god-justly-removes-from-us-or/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [What makes us different? We're the creature that can decide not to do something that we are capable of doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/what-makes-us-different-we-re-the-creature-that-can-decide-not-to-do/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [My mother was known as the 'bird lady' of the neighborhood. Anything injured, or any unusual creature somebody found, they would always come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/my-mother-was-known-as-the-bird-lady-of-the-neighborhood-anything/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [“The smaller the creature, the bolder its spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-smaller-the-creature-the-bolder-its-spirit/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [How could you deal with a creature as devious as woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/how-could-you-deal-with-a-creature-as-devious-as-woman/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“If you're in middle of the hell you have to be a creature sometimes...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-saravana-kumar/if-you-re-in-middle-of-the-hell-you-have-to-be-a-creature-sometimes/) M Saravana Kumar > [“Remember who you are. This creature wants to take it from you. Do not let him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/remember-who-you-are-this-creature-wants-to-take-it-from-you-do-not/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [“What came to mind was a dinosaur. A tiny velociraptor, no bigger than her thumb. Relatively small, bur surprisingly ferocious. When the hasty drawing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/what-came-to-mind-was-a-dinosaur-a-tiny-velociraptor-no-bigger-than/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [“If they can worship a weird creature, which is even not existed; why I must not worship a beautiful one who is already here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-they-can-worship-a-weird-creature-which-is-even-not-existed-why-i/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) ## More by Louise Erdrich > [Can you stop your mother from singing to you? Who would do such a thing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/can-you-stop-your-mother-from-singing-to-you-who-would-do-such-a-thing/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“Emotions unreel in her like spools of cotton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/emotions-unreel-in-her-like-spools-of-cotton/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“Other freshmen were already moving into their dormitory rooms when we arrived, with their parents helping haul. I saw boxes of paperbacks, stereo equipment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/other-freshmen-were-already-moving-into-their-dormitory-rooms-when-we/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [My father is my biggest literary influence. Recently, I've been looking through his letters. He was in the National Guard when I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/my-father-is-my-biggest-literary-influence-recently-i-ve-been-looking/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [What is this life but the sound of an appalling love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/what-is-this-life-but-the-sound-of-an-appalling-love/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Looking at the shape of the world, I see how we're in a time where women are the subject of hatred, fear, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/looking-at-the-shape-of-the-world-i-see-how-we-re-in-a-time-where/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [She had always been a reader… but now she was obsessed. Since her discovery of the book hoard downstairs from her job, she’d been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/she-had-always-been-a-reader-but-now-she-was-obsessed-since-her/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Time was rushing around me like water around a big wet rock. The only difference is, I was not so durable as stones. Very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/time-was-rushing-around-me-like-water-around-a-big-wet-rock-the-only/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [The greatest wisdom doesn't know itself. The richest plan is not to have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/the-greatest-wisdom-doesn-t-know-itself-the-richest-plan-is-not-to/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“Delphine began to read with a mad attention when she wanted to talk to Clarisse. She saw that in her life there was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/delphine-began-to-read-with-a-mad-attention-when-she-wanted-to-talk/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [But if there was embellishment, it only had to do with the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/but-if-there-was-embellishment-it-only-had-to-do-with-the-facts/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Things which do not grow and change are dead things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/things-which-do-not-grow-and-change-are-dead-things/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [I have to write. I have to be an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/i-have-to-write-i-have-to-be-an-artist/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“The Creator made us for each other. Me here. Zelia there. Space was put between us by human error. But our hearts listened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/the-creator-made-us-for-each-other-me-here-zelia-there-space-was-put/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [So many things in the world have happened before. But it's like they never did. Every new thing that happens to a person, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/so-many-things-in-the-world-have-happened-before-but-it-s-like-they/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) [Explore all 262 Louise Erdrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) ## More Animals quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) Mak\_786 > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/) [Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) [Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I imagined myself in some way defined by my relation to another creature.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louise Erdrich" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by-my-relation-to-another/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animals" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by-my-relation-to-another/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/louise-erdrich-1271_animals_i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by_206950.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/louise-erdrich-1271_animals_i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by_206950.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c40/louise-erdrich-1271_animals_i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by_206950.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I imagined myself in some way defined by my relation to another creature.” — Louise Erdrich", "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": "Louise Erdrich", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I imagined myself in some way...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by-my-relation-to-another/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/i-imagined-myself-in-some-way-defined-by-my-relation-to-another/#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 } } ] } ```