---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man who sets out to make himself up is…"
description: "\"“A man who sets out to make himself up is taking on the Creator's role, according to one way of seeing things; he's unnatural, a blasphemer, an abomina..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bc/salman-rushdie-153_identity_a-man-who-sets-out-to-make-himself-up-is_778521.jpg"
---

#  A man who sets out to make himself up is taking on the…

![“A man who sets out to make himself up is taking on the Creator's role, according to one way of seeing things; he's unnatural, a blasphemer, an abomination of abominations. From another angle, you could see pathos in him, heroism in his struggle, in his willingness to risk: not all mutants survive…” quote by Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bc/salman-rushdie-153_identity_a-man-who-sets-out-to-make-himself-up-is_778521.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bc/salman-rushdie-153_identity_a-man-who-sets-out-to-make-himself-up-is_778521.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8bc/salman-rushdie-153_identity_a-man-who-sets-out-to-make-himself-up-is_778521.jpg)

> ““A man who sets out to make himself up is taking on the Creator's role, according to one way of seeing things; he's unnatural, a blasphemer, an abomination of abominations. From another angle, you could see pathos in him, heroism in his struggle, in his willingness to risk: not all mutants survive. Or, consider him socio-politically: most migrants learn, and can become disguises. Our own false descriptions to counter the falsehoods invented about us, concealing for reasons of security our secret selves.””

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

## 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 critiques self‑creation as hubris, yet also sees bravery and social commentary in those who redefine identity, especially migrants navigating hidden selves.

**In simple terms:** Self‑making can be both blasphemous and heroic, revealing hidden identities.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the complexity of identity formation.

Themes

identity hubris heroism migration politics

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- personal reinvention
- political activism
- cultural assimilation
- security concerns

Key Concepts

self‑creation authenticity social critique

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we balance personal agency with societal constraints?
- What responsibilities arise when redefining identity?

A Different Perspective

Risk of oversimplifying oppression or ignoring systemic barriers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Creator Role](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creator-role-2538917/) [Disguises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disguises/) [Disguises False](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disguises-false-6003140/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Mutants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutants/) [Unnatural Blasphemer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unnatural-blasphemer-6003141/)

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> [“what is all this life but a kind of comedy, wherein men walk up and down in one another's disguises and act their respective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erasmus/what-is-all-this-life-but-a-kind-of-comedy-wherein-men-walk-up-and/)

[Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erasmus/)

> [Words themselves - the very material of our discourse increasingly take on masks or disguises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-potter/words-themselves-the-very-material-of-our-discourse-increasingly-take/)

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> [I get recognised sometimes, and that's really cool. I've tried certain disguises, but that doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-grint/i-get-recognised-sometimes-and-that-s-really-cool-i-ve-tried-certain/)

[Rupert Grint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-grint/)

> [O, to be sure, we laugh less and play less and wear uncomfortable disguises like adults, but beneath the costume is the child we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/o-to-be-sure-we-laugh-less-and-play-less-and-wear-uncomfortable/)

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> [“One of the oldest longings of all people of mystical sensibility is to be rid of disguises to the point of becoming naked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothee-soelle/one-of-the-oldest-longings-of-all-people-of-mystical-sensibility-is/)

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> [Honesty is the most subversive of all disguises,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-bone-burnett/honesty-is-the-most-subversive-of-all-disguises/)

[T Bone Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-bone-burnett/)

> [“It often happens that I don't know myself, which is typical in those who know themselves. I look at myself in the various disguises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/it-often-happens-that-i-don-t-know-myself-which-is-typical-in-those/)

[Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/)

## More by Salman Rushdie

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

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> [It's a terrible thing that your life turns into a good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/it-s-a-terrible-thing-that-your-life-turns-into-a-good-story/)

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> [Sometimes by a woodland stream he watched the water rush over the pebbled bed, its tiny modulations of bounce and flow. A woman's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-by-a-woodland-stream-he-watched-the-water-rush-over-the/)

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> [I want to write novels. I want to write stories. I want to do the stuff that I became a writer to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-want-to-write-novels-i-want-to-write-stories-i-want-to-do-the-stuff/)

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> [If you want to be a serious writer, then you have to write what there is to write about. If you're going to pull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-you-want-to-be-a-serious-writer-then-you-have-to-write-what-there/)

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> [“Después de exigir mi marcha, ya no posees jurisdicción en lo concerniente a mi salud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/despu-s-de-exigir-mi-marcha-ya-no-posees-jurisdicci-n-en-lo/)

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> [If there is a choice between absolute safety and freedom, then freedom must always prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-there-is-a-choice-between-absolute-safety-and-freedom-then-freedom/)

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[Explore all 1,087 Salman Rushdie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

## More Disguises quotes

> [“It often happens that I don't know myself, which is typical in those who know themselves. I look at myself in the various disguises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/it-often-happens-that-i-don-t-know-myself-which-is-typical-in-those/)

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[Trenton Lee Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trenton-lee-stewart/)

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[Antony Armstrong-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-armstrong-jones/)

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[Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/)

> [I've always loved the idea of changing myself, wearing costumes and disguises. It takes you back to being a kid, to dressing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/i-ve-always-loved-the-idea-of-changing-myself-wearing-costumes-and/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [“Mr. Graven’s servant had arisen, and pulled off his dirty traveling cloak, revealing a suit of fashionable grey. He whipped off his hat, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-joshua/mr-graven-s-servant-had-arisen-and-pulled-off-his-dirty-traveling/)

[Stephen Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-joshua/)

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