--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If behind popular fascination with…" description: "\"If behind popular fascination with Freudian theory there was a nervous, often guilty preoccupation with the self as sexual, behind increasing interest ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/sherry-turkle-2764_behinds_if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freud_2175202.png" --- # If behind popular fascination with Freudian theory there… ![“If behind popular fascination with Freudian theory there was a nervous, often guilty preoccupation with the self as sexual, behind increasing interest in computational interpretations of mind is an equally nervous preoccupation with the self as machine.” quote by Sherry Turkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/sherry-turkle-2764_behinds_if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freud_2175202.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/sherry-turkle-2764_behinds_if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freud_2175202.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/sherry-turkle-2764_behinds_if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freud_2175202.png) > “If behind popular fascination with Freudian theory there was a nervous, often guilty preoccupation with the self as sexual, behind increasing interest in computational interpretations of mind is an equally nervous preoccupation with the self as machine.” [Sherry Turkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-turkle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People replace sexual self‑interest with a mechanistic view of the mind, reflecting anxiety about identity. **In simple terms:** We view the mind as a machine, showing hidden anxieties. Key Takeaway Question how we define self in a tech age. Themes technology identity psychology anxiety modernity Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical contemplative When to use this quote - social media use - AI interaction - personal introspection Key Concepts self‑as‑machine Freudian critique digital self Questions to Reflect On - What fears drive the machine metaphor? - Can we balance biological and computational views? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex human experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fascination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascination/) [Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Interpretation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpretation/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Nervous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervous/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) ## Related quotes > [Ironically, often the thing that keeps me from experiencing joy is my preoccupation with self. 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The innkeeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/one-response-was-given-by-the-innkeeper-when-mary-and-joseph-wanted/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I'm simply saying that our deepest thoughts, desires and preoccupations manifest themselves in art, whether we intend them to or not. That's what art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/i-m-simply-saying-that-our-deepest-thoughts-desires-and/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) ## More by Sherry Turkle > [“From watching children play with objects designed as “amusements,” we come to a new place, a place of cold comforts. Child and adult, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-turkle/from-watching-children-play-with-objects-designed-as-amusements-we/) [Sherry Turkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-turkle/) > [“I said that we use digital “passbacks” to placate young children who say they are bored. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If behind popular fascination with Freudian theory there was a nervous, often guilty preoccupation with the self as sexual, behind increasing interest in computational interpretations of mind is an equally nervous preoccupation with the self as machine.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sherry Turkle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-turkle/if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freudian-theory-there-was-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behinds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-turkle/if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freudian-theory-there-was-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/sherry-turkle-2764_behinds_if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freud_2175202.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/sherry-turkle-2764_behinds_if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freud_2175202.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/sherry-turkle-2764_behinds_if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freud_2175202.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If behind popular fascination with Freudian theory there was a nervous, often guilty preoccupation with the…” — Sherry Turkle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sherry Turkle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-turkle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If behind popular fascination with Freudian...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-turkle/if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freudian-theory-there-was-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-turkle/if-behind-popular-fascination-with-freudian-theory-there-was-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```