Alienation Quote by R. D. Laing
“We are bemused and crazed creatures, strangers to our true selves, to one another, and to the spiritual and material world - mad, even, from an ideal standpoint we can glimpse but not adopt.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Divided Self, R. D. Laing, 1960
Human beings are fragmented, disconnected from authentic selves, each other, and the world, yet we glimpse unity only from an abstract perspective.
In simple terms: People feel split from themselves and others, seeing only an ideal version of unity.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate genuine connection and self‑awareness.
Themes
psychology
existentialism
identity
alienation
spirituality
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
hopeful
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- therapy
- philosophical inquiry
- creative arts
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
self‑concept
interpersonal relations
mindfulness
Questions to Reflect On
- What parts of yourself feel most alienated?
- How can you bridge the gap between ideal and lived experience?
A Different Perspective
Idealized unity may be unattainable without practical steps.
![“Anthropology has always struggled with an intense, fascinated repulsion towards its subject… [The anthropologist] submits himself to the exotic to confirm his own inner alienation as an urban intellectual.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe1/susan-sontag-332_alienation_anthropology-has-always-struggled-with-a_15322.jpg)
