Mind Quote by Philip Roth
““What was astonishing to him was how people seemed to run out of their own being, run out of whatever the stuff was that made them who they were and, drained of themselves, turn into the sort of people they would have once have felt sorry for. It was as though while their lives were rich and full they were secretly sick of themselves and couldn't wait to dispose of their sanity and their health and all sense of proportion so as to get down to that other self, the true self, who was a wholly deluded fuckup. It was as though being in tune with life was an accident that might sometimes befall the fortunate young but was otherwise something for which human beings lacked any real affinity. How odd. And how odd it made him seem to be numbered among the countless unembattled normal ones might, in fact, be the abnormality, a stranger from real life because of his being so sturdily rooted.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: American Pastoral by Philip Roth, 1997
The passage describes people abandoning their authentic selves, seeking a false “true” self that is actually delusional, and feeling alienated from genuine life.
In simple terms: People discard their real selves for a misguided ideal, becoming alienated.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and honor your authentic self.
Themes
identity
alienation
authenticity
self‑deception
conformity
Mood
reflective
melancholic
critical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- career burnout
- relationship breakdown
- mental health struggles
- creative crises
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
social critique
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of your life feel authentic?
- How do you resist pressures to become a false self?
A Different Perspective
The view may overgeneralize and ignore resilience in many individuals.
![“Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and the screenplay of Simon (Beaufoy) and I was reading it, even before the shoot, some kind of sounds came into my mind and I put some stuff [down] and sent it to…” quote by A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/a-r-rahman-4481_cutting_since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-o_539.jpg)
