--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I frankly admit to not knowing who I am…" description: "\"I frankly admit to not knowing who I am. This is why I refuse to buy clothes that will tell people who I want them to think I am.\" — Russell Baker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/russell-baker-2930_admit_i-frankly-admit-to-not-knowing-who-i-am_2325576.png" --- # I frankly admit to not knowing who I am. This is why I… ![“I frankly admit to not knowing who I am. This is why I refuse to buy clothes that will tell people who I want them to think I am.” quote by Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/russell-baker-2930_admit_i-frankly-admit-to-not-knowing-who-i-am_2325576.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/russell-baker-2930_admit_i-frankly-admit-to-not-knowing-who-i-am_2325576.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fe/russell-baker-2930_admit_i-frankly-admit-to-not-knowing-who-i-am_2325576.png) > “I frankly admit to not knowing who I am. This is why I refuse to buy clothes that will tell people who I want them to think I am.” [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Avoiding labels on clothing reflects a desire to be defined by inner self rather than external perception. **In simple terms:** Clothes as identity masks. Key Takeaway Define yourself beyond appearance. Themes identity authenticity self‑perception Mood introspective confident Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - fashion choices - personal branding - self‑expression Key Concepts existentialism social identity Questions to Reflect On - What defines you beyond looks? - Can you be comfortable without external validation? A Different Perspective Society often judges by appearance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clothes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothes/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Who i am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-i-am/) ## Related quotes > [There are few more frustrating things in life than being told something that you already know but cannot admit to knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-cresswell/there-are-few-more-frustrating-things-in-life-than-being-told/) [Helen Cresswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-cresswell/) > [“The acknowledgement of not-knowing is a prerequisite for True Knowledge because 99.9% of the reality we have believed to be true is not true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouk-sanchez/the-acknowledgement-of-not-knowing-is-a-prerequisite-for-true/) Nouk Sanchez > [I like clothes that you can't tell what era it is, clean, and something I can look back at in ten years and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-amendola/i-like-clothes-that-you-can-t-tell-what-era-it-is-clean-and-something/) [Danny Amendola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-amendola/) > [Pain is when you lost your phone somewhere and your dad refuse to buy you a new one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka/pain-is-when-you-lost-your-phone-somewhere-and-your-dad-refuse-to-buy/) [Priyanka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka/) > [I refuse to buy a PS3 or Xbox for my home for fear that it might ruin my life. I think I would cease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-willimon/i-refuse-to-buy-a-ps3-or-xbox-for-my-home-for-fear-that-it-might-ruin/) [Beau Willimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-willimon/) > [“Sometimes broken shoes and tattered clothes can tell us beautiful stories!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/sometimes-broken-shoes-and-tattered-clothes-can-tell-us-beautiful/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [When I talk to young girls about clothes, I tell them to show a lot of brains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-roy/when-i-talk-to-young-girls-about-clothes-i-tell-them-to-show-a-lot-of/) [Rachel Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-roy/) > [The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling - their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-corporate-revolution-will-collapse-if-we-refuse-to-buy-what-they/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [I love to accent movement. The eye goes to where the white is - you know, the glove. And the feet, if you're dancing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-love-to-accent-movement-the-eye-goes-to-where-the-white-is-you-know/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [I refuse to buy from anybody anything however nice or beautiful if it interferes with my growth or injures those whom Nature has made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-refuse-to-buy-from-anybody-anything-however-nice-or-beautiful-if-it/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [People used to make their own clothes, now they buy clothes. People used to take care of their own kids, now they pay other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/people-used-to-make-their-own-clothes-now-they-buy-clothes-people/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [I shopped with G-Dragon a long time ago but now that we live together, I can't buy clothes with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/i-shopped-with-g-dragon-a-long-time-ago-but-now-that-we-live-together/) [Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/) > [“Fifty years ago, people went without clothes in order to eat. Today, people gladly go without food in order to buy clothes. And they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-dumontais/fifty-years-ago-people-went-without-clothes-in-order-to-eat-today/) Sinclair Dumontais > [I buy my own clothes. I have a teacher's salary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/i-buy-my-own-clothes-i-have-a-teacher-s-salary/) [Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/) > [When I was a kid, my parents were happy to buy me clothes; they provided for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-wooster/when-i-was-a-kid-my-parents-were-happy-to-buy-me-clothes-they/) [Nick Wooster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-wooster/) ## More by Russell Baker > [Unpleasant questions are being raised about Mother's Day. Is this day necessary? . . . Isn't it bad public policy? . . . No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/unpleasant-questions-are-being-raised-about-mother-s-day-is-this-day/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [The people who are always hankering loudest for some golden yesteryear usually drive new cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/the-people-who-are-always-hankering-loudest-for-some-golden/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [In writing, punctuation plays the role of body language. It helps readers hear you the way you want to be heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/in-writing-punctuation-plays-the-role-of-body-language-it-helps/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Kingsley Amis was one of a trio of brilliant comic novelists who made English literature sparkle in the twentieth century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/kingsley-amis-was-one-of-a-trio-of-brilliant-comic-novelists-who-made/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Life seemed to be an educator's practical joke in which you spent the first half learning and the second half learning that everything you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/life-seemed-to-be-an-educator-s-practical-joke-in-which-you-spent-the/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [I gave up on new poetry myself 30 years ago when most of it began to read like coded messages passing between lonely aliens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/i-gave-up-on-new-poetry-myself-30-years-ago-when-most-of-it-began-to/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [After two years studying what rewrite men did with the facts I phoned them, I knew that journalism was essentially a task of stringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/after-two-years-studying-what-rewrite-men-did-with-the-facts-i-phoned/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [American foreign policy had still not recovered from its victory over communism when George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice took over at the White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/american-foreign-policy-had-still-not-recovered-from-its-victory-over/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Anything that isn't opposed by about 40 percent of humanity is either an evil business or so unimportant that it simply doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/anything-that-isn-t-opposed-by-about-40-percent-of-humanity-is-either/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [When you're the only pea in the pod, your parents are likely to get you confused with the Hope diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/when-you-re-the-only-pea-in-the-pod-your-parents-are-likely-to-get/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Serious journalism need not be solemn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/serious-journalism-need-not-be-solemn/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Ireland really is my problem; the breaking point of the huge suppuration which all British and all European society now is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/ireland-really-is-my-problem-the-breaking-point-of-the-huge/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Journalism talk is part of the nonstop background noise of American life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/journalism-talk-is-part-of-the-nonstop-background-noise-of-american/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [An educated person is one who has learned that information almost always turns out to be at best incomplete and very often false, misleading,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/an-educated-person-is-one-who-has-learned-that-information-almost/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [The best discussion of trouble in boardroom and business office is found in newspapers' own financial pages and speeches by journalists in management jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/the-best-discussion-of-trouble-in-boardroom-and-business-office-is/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) [Explore all 145 Russell Baker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) ## More Admit quotes > [It is hard to admit to someone that you love him..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-hard-to-admit-to-someone-that-you-love-him/) [Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/) > [I am not perfect by any means and ill be the first to admit I make plenty of mistakes but I wont make them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-perfect-by-any-means-and-ill-be-the-first-to-admit-i-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think it takes a lot for you to admit you made a mistake and correct it right away, especially on live television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pia-wurtzbach/i-think-it-takes-a-lot-for-you-to-admit-you-made-a-mistake-and/) [Pia Wurtzbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pia-wurtzbach/) > [I'll admit a little something: If I go to one of those hotels where there's, like, a $50 omelet, I'm taking the silverware home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-olyphant/i-ll-admit-a-little-something-if-i-go-to-one-of-those-hotels-where/) [Timothy Olyphant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-olyphant/) > [Most celebrities are not going to admit they had work done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nassif/most-celebrities-are-not-going-to-admit-they-had-work-done/) [Paul Nassif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nassif/) > [If you're in rock 'n' roll, you're not supposed to admit to liking theatre stuff, but I'm a big theatregoer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-deyoung/if-you-re-in-rock-n-roll-you-re-not-supposed-to-admit-to-liking/) [Dennis DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-deyoung/) > [No one likes to admit they are racist or bear prejudices. Nor do they even like to be open and honest when they witness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/no-one-likes-to-admit-they-are-racist-or-bear-prejudices-nor-do-they/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [I love you. But I have no right to admit it to myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-snyder/i-love-you-but-i-have-no-right-to-admit-it-to-myself/) Brittany\_Snyder > [There is something in me-I just can't stand to admit defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-sills/there-is-something-in-me-i-just-can-t-stand-to-admit-defeat/) [Beverly Sills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-sills/) > [As far as I can tell, the only unambiguous consequence of the claimed invasion of Earth by beings from another star system has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/as-far-as-i-can-tell-the-only-unambiguous-consequence-of-the-claimed/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [My first exposure to sanitation issues occurred when I got admission into an engineering college. They probably didn't want to admit me and informed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudha-murty/my-first-exposure-to-sanitation-issues-occurred-when-i-got-admission/) [Sudha Murty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudha-murty/) > [I have to admit that I get quite emotional listening to the amazing talent that exists in the New York subways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-o-hare/i-have-to-admit-that-i-get-quite-emotional-listening-to-the-amazing/) [Lisa O'Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-o-hare/) > [I was ashamed to admit I was hipped to the idea of acting. That's why I started in with the props.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-was-ashamed-to-admit-i-was-hipped-to-the-idea-of-acting-that-s-why/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) > [I admit that I am very possessive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/i-admit-that-i-am-very-possessive/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [Some people need to grow up and learn how to admit when they're wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-need-to-grow-up-and-learn-how-to-admit-when-they-re-wrong/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 816 Admit quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I frankly admit to not knowing who I am. 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