--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That is, I could either see myself as a…" description: "\"“That is, I could either see myself as a nonentity, or I could see myself as whatever I wished to be, like a star, born from the bang of nothing or a d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/matthew-aaron-goodman-52235_dream_that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-n_1186101.jpg" --- # That is, I could either see myself as a nonentity, or I… ![“That is, I could either see myself as a nonentity, or I could see myself as whatever I wished to be, like a star, born from the bang of nothing or a dream.” quote by Matthew Aaron Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/matthew-aaron-goodman-52235_dream_that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-n_1186101.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/matthew-aaron-goodman-52235_dream_that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-n_1186101.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/matthew-aaron-goodman-52235_dream_that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-n_1186101.jpg) > ““That is, I could either see myself as a nonentity, or I could see myself as whatever I wished to be, like a star, born from the bang of nothing or a dream.”” [Matthew Aaron Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-aaron-goodman/) ## 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 contrasts feeling insignificant with envisioning an empowered, limitless self, likening creation to a star emerging from nothing. **In simple terms:** Choose between feeling nothing or imagining limitless potential. Key Takeaway Embrace a self‑image of limitless possibility. Themes identity self‑esteem potential Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - creative projects - overcoming self‑doubt - goal setting Key Concepts existentialism self‑construction imagery Questions to Reflect On - What self‑image limits you? - How can you turn imagination into action? A Different Perspective May overlook practical steps needed to achieve the imagined self. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Nonentity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonentity/) ## Related quotes > [If there be a skeptical star I was born under it. Yet I have lived all my days in complete astonishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-macneile-dixon/if-there-be-a-skeptical-star-i-was-born-under-it-yet-i-have-lived-all/) [William Macneile Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-macneile-dixon/) > [New York critics - I hear when one of them watched "A Star Is Born", he talked back to the screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/new-york-critics-i-hear-when-one-of-them-watched-a-star-is-born-he/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [I wanted to be a politician and a movie star. But I was born a writer. 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Gaga and Bradley, and having people you look up to laugh at your jokes, felt really good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willam-belli/a-star-is-born-was-everything-gaga-and-bradley-and-having-people-you/) [Willam Belli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willam-belli/) > [“For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen: a gaseous nebula must collapse. So collapse. Crumble. This is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-l/for-a-star-to-be-born-there-is-one-thing-that-must-happen-a-gaseous/) N.l > [I'm track 3 with fabulous French dialogue on the 'Star Is Born' album. I'm track 3 'NASA' on Ariana Grande's album. From 'All Stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shangela/i-m-track-3-with-fabulous-french-dialogue-on-the-star-is-born-album-i/) [Shangela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shangela/) > [I'm not complaining at all but 'A Star Is Born' hasn't helped my career in like, opportunity terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willam-belli/i-m-not-complaining-at-all-but-a-star-is-born-hasn-t-helped-my-career/) [Willam Belli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willam-belli/) ## More by Matthew Aaron Goodman > [“They cooked and washed dishes and scrubbed and mopped and dusted and wiped and cleaned the apartment from crack to crevice back to crack.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-aaron-goodman/they-cooked-and-washed-dishes-and-scrubbed-and-mopped-and-dusted-and/) [Matthew Aaron Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-aaron-goodman/) > [“Our love was unwavering, unflappable, greater than anything presented by the Bible, the Torah, and the Qur'an combined. That is, where we'd go, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-aaron-goodman/our-love-was-unwavering-unflappable-greater-than-anything-presented/) [Matthew Aaron Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-aaron-goodman/) > [“All of my life, trains had been coming and going, interrupting Ever’s daily life with their loud disregard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-aaron-goodman/all-of-my-life-trains-had-been-coming-and-going-interrupting-ever-s/) [Matthew Aaron Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-aaron-goodman/) > [“And what mattered most was not that I needed to see and hear that I was beautiful. 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Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. 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I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That is, I could either see myself as a nonentity, or I could see myself as whatever I wished to be, like a star, born from the bang of nothing or a dream.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matthew Aaron Goodman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-aaron-goodman/that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-nonentity-or-i-could-see/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-aaron-goodman/that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-nonentity-or-i-could-see/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/matthew-aaron-goodman-52235_dream_that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-n_1186101.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/matthew-aaron-goodman-52235_dream_that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-n_1186101.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/476/matthew-aaron-goodman-52235_dream_that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-n_1186101.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That is, I could either see myself as a nonentity, or I could see myself as whatever I wished to be, like a…” — Matthew Aaron Goodman", "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": "Matthew Aaron Goodman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-aaron-goodman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“That is, I could either see...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-aaron-goodman/that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-nonentity-or-i-could-see/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-aaron-goodman/that-is-i-could-either-see-myself-as-a-nonentity-or-i-could-see/#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 } } ] } ```