--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We encourage people to believe that there…" description: "\"We encourage people to believe that there is only one identity, one role, one way for them to be, one value for them to fulfill, rather than a host of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/sidney-jourard-36378_believe_we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-ther_144900.png" --- # We encourage people to believe that there is only one… ![“We encourage people to believe that there is only one identity, one role, one way for them to be, one value for them to fulfill, rather than a host of possible 'incarnations' to be lived in a lifetime.” quote by Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/sidney-jourard-36378_believe_we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-ther_144900.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/sidney-jourard-36378_believe_we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-ther_144900.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/sidney-jourard-36378_believe_we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-ther_144900.png) > “We encourage people to believe that there is only one identity, one role, one way for them to be, one value for them to fulfill, rather than a host of possible 'incarnations' to be lived in a lifetime.” [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encouraging a single identity limits personal growth; multiple incarnations enrich a lifetime. **In simple terms:** One identity limits us; many roles enrich us. Key Takeaway Embrace diverse roles and identities. Themes identity self‑exploration psychology personal growth diversity Mood reflective encouraging Type psychological motivational When to use this quote - career changes - creative projects - relationship dynamics - therapy - lifelong learning Key Concepts self‑concept fluidity psychological health Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance multiple roles? - What benefits arise from exploring varied identities? A Different Perspective May cause identity confusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Incarnation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incarnation/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Mentor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentor/) [Mentoring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentoring/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [As I pass through my incarnations in every age and race, I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market-Place. Peering through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/as-i-pass-through-my-incarnations-in-every-age-and-race-i-make-my-2/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [As I pass through my incarnations in every age and race... and the hearts of the meanest were humbled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/as-i-pass-through-my-incarnations-in-every-age-and-race-and-the/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [You could go through incarnations forever and never become enlightened, unless of course you do something about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-could-go-through-incarnations-forever-and-never-become/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Why do you keep saying incarnations like I’m some kind of god?” It wasn’t a great question, but the real questions were so big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/why-do-you-keep-saying-incarnations-like-i-m-some-kind-of-god-it-wasn/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [Thousands and thousands of incarnations and nothing to show for it. You must choose whether to follow the path of love or the path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/thousands-and-thousands-of-incarnations-and-nothing-to-show-for-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Through incarnations, some beings do go down. That is to say, they forget. The soul falls into an eclipse of itself and there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/through-incarnations-some-beings-do-go-down-that-is-to-say-they/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The subjects in my work appear as unidentified ghosts that can't be said to be of this world. I've decided to call them incarnations.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyon-gyon/the-subjects-in-my-work-appear-as-unidentified-ghosts-that-can-t-be/) [Hyon Gyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyon-gyon/) > [You are incarnations of God, all of you. You are incarnations of the Almighty, Omnipresent, Divine Principle. You may laugh at me now, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/you-are-incarnations-of-god-all-of-you-you-are-incarnations-of-the/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [You are incarnations of God, all of you. You are incarnations of the Almighty, Omnipresent, Divine Principle. You may laugh at me now, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/you-are-incarnations-of-god-all-of-you-you-are-incarnations-of-the-2/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Identity is your role in life, the part you play. Individuality is who you are, and who you are is revealed to you if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-spanbauer/identity-is-your-role-in-life-the-part-you-play-individuality-is-who/) [Tom Spanbauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-spanbauer/) > [“For Mormon women, however, motherhood is an identity, rather than a role.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-hardy/for-mormon-women-however-motherhood-is-an-identity-rather-than-a-role/) [Nicole Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-hardy/) > [Only as long as we believe in our own identity over time does it make sense for us to make future plans, avoid risks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-metzinger/only-as-long-as-we-believe-in-our-own-identity-over-time-does-it-make/) [Thomas Metzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-metzinger/) > [I really truly believe I found my identity with country music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-degarmo/i-really-truly-believe-i-found-my-identity-with-country-music/) [Diana DeGarmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-degarmo/) > [“We are defined by what we believe in. Identity is shaped by what we believe is right. Culture is cultured, pun intended; by what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hlovate/we-are-defined-by-what-we-believe-in-identity-is-shaped-by-what-we/) Hlovate > [“Frankly, I believe that identity is what's inside us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-coster/frankly-i-believe-that-identity-is-what-s-inside-us/) Theo Coster ## More by Sidney Jourard > [This loss of self contributes to illness in its myriad forms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/this-loss-of-self-contributes-to-illness-in-its-myriad-forms/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [You cannot collaborate with another person toward some common end unless you know him. How can you know him, and he you, unless you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/you-cannot-collaborate-with-another-person-toward-some-common-end/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [Perhaps the most important reason for self-disclosure is that without it we cannot truly love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-for-self-disclosure-is-that-without/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [The act of writing bears something in common with the act of love. The writer, at his most productive moments, just flows. He gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/the-act-of-writing-bears-something-in-common-with-the-act-of-love-the/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [We learn to deceive ourselves while we are trying to deceive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/we-learn-to-deceive-ourselves-while-we-are-trying-to-deceive-others/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [Paradoxically, we fail to disclose ourselves to other people because we want so much to be loved. Because we feel that way, we present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/paradoxically-we-fail-to-disclose-ourselves-to-other-people-because/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [Learning is not a task or a problem-it is a way to be in the world. Man learns as he pursues goals and projects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/learning-is-not-a-task-or-a-problem-it-is-a-way-to-be-in-the-world/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [We camouflage our true being before others to protect ourselves against criticism or rejection. This protection comes at a steep price... we are misunderstood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/we-camouflage-our-true-being-before-others-to-protect-ourselves/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [Actualization of self cannot be sought as a goal in its own right. . . . Rather, it seems to be a by-product of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/actualization-of-self-cannot-be-sought-as-a-goal-in-its-own-right/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [A choice which confronts every one of us at every moment is this: Shall we permit our fellow men to know us as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/a-choice-which-confronts-every-one-of-us-at-every-moment-is-this/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [The experience of surprise is a sign of one's readiness to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/the-experience-of-surprise-is-a-sign-of-one-s-readiness-to-grow/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) > [Amazement and wonder signify that one's concepts of self and of the world and of other people are ready to be re-formed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/amazement-and-wonder-signify-that-one-s-concepts-of-self-and-of-the/) [Sidney Jourard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) [Explore all 13 Sidney Jourard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We encourage people to believe that there is only one identity, one role, one way for them to be, one value for them to fulfill, rather than a host of possible 'incarnations' to be lived in a lifetime.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sidney Jourard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-there-is-only-one-identity-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-there-is-only-one-identity-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/sidney-jourard-36378_believe_we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-ther_144900.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/sidney-jourard-36378_believe_we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-ther_144900.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c3/sidney-jourard-36378_believe_we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-ther_144900.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We encourage people to believe that there is only one identity, one role, one way for them to be, one value…” — Sidney Jourard", "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": "Sidney Jourard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-jourard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We encourage people to believe that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-there-is-only-one-identity-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-jourard/we-encourage-people-to-believe-that-there-is-only-one-identity-one/#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 } } ] } ```