--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We’re all puzzle boxes, skeleton and…" description: "\"“We’re all puzzle boxes, skeleton and skin, soul and shadow.”\" — Seanan McGuire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/seanan-mcguire-972_soul_we-re-all-puzzle-boxes-skeleton-and-skin_261315.jpg" --- # We’re all puzzle boxes, skeleton and skin, soul and shadow. ![“We’re all puzzle boxes, skeleton and skin, soul and shadow.” quote by Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/seanan-mcguire-972_soul_we-re-all-puzzle-boxes-skeleton-and-skin_261315.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/seanan-mcguire-972_soul_we-re-all-puzzle-boxes-skeleton-and-skin_261315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f41/seanan-mcguire-972_soul_we-re-all-puzzle-boxes-skeleton-and-skin_261315.jpg) > ““We’re all puzzle boxes, skeleton and skin, soul and shadow.”” [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People contain multiple layers of identity, both visible and hidden, forming a complex whole. **In simple terms:** We are made of many parts, seen and unseen. Key Takeaway Embrace all aspects of yourself. Themes identity complexity self‑acceptance Mood reflective introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - creative writing - character analysis Key Concepts psychology metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile hidden parts with outward self? - What does each “box” represent in your life? A Different Perspective Some layers may conflict, making integration difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [I am literally just a human. I have the same brain as you; there's a skeleton under my skin just like yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-harlow/i-am-literally-just-a-human-i-have-the-same-brain-as-you-there-s-a/) [Winnie Harlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-harlow/) > [And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor, Shall be lifted -- Nevermore!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/and-my-soul-from-out-that-shadow-that-lies-floating-on-the-floor/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Because it appears to me a hazardous thing to exchange my soul for my shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adelbert-von-chamisso/because-it-appears-to-me-a-hazardous-thing-to-exchange-my-soul-for-my/) [Adelbert von Chamisso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adelbert-von-chamisso/) > [Every artist undresses his subject, whether human or still life. It is his business to find essences in surfaces, and what more attractive and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/every-artist-undresses-his-subject-whether-human-or-still-life-it-is/) [Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/) > [“I am not this hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within. —Rumi”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-anthony-gibbs/i-am-not-this-hair-i-am-not-this-skin-i-am-the-soul-that-lives-within-2/) [Russell Anthony Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-anthony-gibbs/) > [I am not this hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-am-not-this-hair-i-am-not-this-skin-i-am-the-soul-that-lives-within/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“take me everything you want.. take my clothes, my shoes.. even my skin.. but my soul is something that you can't take me.. it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-me-everything-you-want-take-my-clothes-my-shoes-even-my-skin-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“the soul has no skin; the soul only has insides that want to sing, finally, can't you hear it, brothers? softly, can't you hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-soul-has-no-skin-the-soul-only-has-insides-that-want-to-sing/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [It has nothing to do with age, it's not our languages, religion, gender, coulour of our skin; It's a soul within a well, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawud-wharnsby-ali/it-has-nothing-to-do-with-age-it-s-not-our-languages-religion-gender/) [Dawud Wharnsby Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawud-wharnsby-ali/) > [“…..in that blurred state between awake and asleep when too many intake valves are open in the soul. 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But to see your soul stripped, laid bare for the eyes of someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-barbetti/i-was-naked-under-his-gaze-skin-was-just-that-skin-but-to-see-your/) [Whitney Barbetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-barbetti/) > [Art is the skin of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-grey/art-is-the-skin-of-the-soul/) [Alex Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-grey/) > [“Scars will forever show in our hearts, on our skin or in our soul, but it is up to us to show the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-harter/scars-will-forever-show-in-our-hearts-on-our-skin-or-in-our-soul-but/) Amanda Harter ## More by Seanan McGuire > [“First, check your ammunition. Then, check your escape routes. Finally, check your hair. —Frances Brown”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/first-check-your-ammunition-then-check-your-escape-routes-finally/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“The Moors were beautiful in their own way, and if their beauty was the quiet sort that required time and introspection to be seen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/the-moors-were-beautiful-in-their-own-way-and-if-their-beauty-was-the/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“Technically this is assault and Henry would tell me to verbally request that you not file a sexual harassment claim against me,” she said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/technically-this-is-assault-and-henry-would-tell-me-to-verbally/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“Cats never listen. They’re dependable that way; when Rome burned, the emperor’s cats still expected to be fed on time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/cats-never-listen-they-re-dependable-that-way-when-rome-burned-the/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“You got out of bed. The universe does seem to take that as a personal affront.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/you-got-out-of-bed-the-universe-does-seem-to-take-that-as-a-personal/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“Jeff sighed. “Henry. You know as well as I do that any one of us could do a great deal of damage if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/jeff-sighed-henry-you-know-as-well-as-i-do-that-any-one-of-us-could/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“Love doesn't care what you want. Love doesn't care if it's convenient. Love pursues its own agenda, and there's no bullet in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/love-doesn-t-care-what-you-want-love-doesn-t-care-if-it-s-convenient/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“We can’t save them if they don’t want to be saved. It doesn’t work that way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/we-can-t-save-them-if-they-don-t-want-to-be-saved-it-doesn-t-work/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“Damn." "I know." "I mean seriously...damn." "Yeah." "When you decide it's time to up the ante on getting into deep shit, you don't mess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/damn-i-know-i-mean-seriously-damn-yeah-when-you-decide-it-s-time-to/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [It's very important to me that people get to see themselves in stories. When someone tells me they've never seen themselves, I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-people-get-to-see-themselves-in/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“I didn't look back. Sometimes, not looking back is the only mercy the world has left to show.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/i-didn-t-look-back-sometimes-not-looking-back-is-the-only-mercy-the/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“I’ve had rest enough to last a lifetime, and only a lifetime for the rest of what’s to be done,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/i-ve-had-rest-enough-to-last-a-lifetime-and-only-a-lifetime-for-the/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“The history of the human race has been one long quest to find new, novel things, and then kill, eat, or enslave them. There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/the-history-of-the-human-race-has-been-one-long-quest-to-find-new/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [I made the choice not to have children, so I can spend my days just writing; there are no kids demanding my time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/i-made-the-choice-not-to-have-children-so-i-can-spend-my-days-just/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“Fran blinked. Fran removed a biscuit from her bag, taking a thoughtful bite and chewing slowly before she swallowed. And finally, Fran asked the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/fran-blinked-fran-removed-a-biscuit-from-her-bag-taking-a-thoughtful/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) [Explore all 317 Seanan McGuire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) ## More Soul quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [She smiled, if he could see that, and waited for him to ask the real question. But he was silent. He wanted her to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-shinn/she-smiled-if-he-could-see-that-and-waited-for-him-to-ask-the-real/) [Sharon Shinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-shinn/) > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [ “i believe \[images\] are the soul's immune system and transit system.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/i-believe-images-are-the-soul-s-immune-system-and-transit-system/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [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/) > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) > [“You're never alone if you're with your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/you-re-never-alone-if-you-re-with-your-soul/) [Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [“A question for Christians who accept evolution: When did we gain a "soul"? Did Homo habilis have a soul? Homo ergaster? Did God only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/a-question-for-christians-who-accept-evolution-when-did-we-gain-a/) [David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Suffering did different things to different people...Some souls became tempered, unshakable in their faith, while others became twisted and mis-shapen, throwing off all connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ragen/suffering-did-different-things-to-different-people-some-souls-became/) [Naomi Ragen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ragen/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. 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