--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: None of this is important in itself, but…" description: "\"“None of this is important in itself, but I feel somewhere that it has a lot to do with why I have always felt separate, why I have always felt unable ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/stephen-fry-573_self-consciousness_none-of-this-is-important-in-itself-but_199162.jpg" --- # None of this is important in itself, but I feel somewhere… ![“None of this is important in itself, but I feel somewhere that it has a lot to do with why I have always felt separate, why I have always felt unable to join in, to let go, to become part of the tribe, why I have always sniped or joked from the sidelines, why I have never, ever, lost my…” quote by Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/stephen-fry-573_self-consciousness_none-of-this-is-important-in-itself-but_199162.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/stephen-fry-573_self-consciousness_none-of-this-is-important-in-itself-but_199162.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/stephen-fry-573_self-consciousness_none-of-this-is-important-in-itself-but_199162.jpg) > ““None of this is important in itself, but I feel somewhere that it has a lot to do with why I have always felt separate, why I have always felt unable to join in, to let go, to become part of the tribe, why I have always sniped or joked from the sidelines, why I have never, ever, lost my overwhelmingly self-conscious self-consciousness. It’s not all bad. Heightened self-consciousness, apartness, an inability to join in, physical shame and self-loathing – they are not all bad. Those devils have also been my angels. Without them I would never have disappeared into language, literature, the mind, laughter and all the mad intensities that made and unmade me.”” [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects that intense self-awareness and feeling apart can be painful yet also fuel creativity and deep engagement with art and ideas. **In simple terms:** Self-consciousness can both hinder and inspire creative expression. Key Takeaway Embrace your inner tension as a source of artistic energy. Themes identity creativity self-awareness isolation growth Mood reflective introspective hopeful Type philosophical personal essay inspirational When to use this quote - writing - performing arts - personal therapy - group collaboration Key Concepts psychology artistic expression paradox self-acceptance Questions to Reflect On - How can you channel self‑consciousness into constructive creativity? - What boundaries protect you from destructive isolation? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize suffering, overlooking the need for healthy social connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Self consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-consciousness/) ## Related quotes > [“None of this is important in itself, but I feel somewhere that it has a lot to do with why I have always felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/none-of-this-is-important-in-itself-but-i-feel-somewhere-that-it-has-2/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“Be soul-conscious not self-conscious. Self-consciousness is egocentric and soul-consciousness is spiritual.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/be-soul-conscious-not-self-conscious-self-consciousness-is-egocentric/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Nobody can say anything about you. Whatsoever people say is about themselves. 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That's why no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/if-you-re-not-perfectly-conscious-of-yourself-that-self-can-be/) [Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/) > [“perhaps real beauty was something unrecognized by the conscious self, a work that was always in progress, a thing of being rather than seeing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/perhaps-real-beauty-was-something-unrecognized-by-the-conscious-self/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“That which does not do anything is Living Conscious Self (Soul). All it does is ‘sees’ and ‘knows’. These are the only two functions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/that-which-does-not-do-anything-is-living-conscious-self-soul-all-it/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) ## More by Stephen Fry > [“...Catholic versus Protestant, essentially. It's that kind of fight. ... And it goes on to this day. Will we never learn? Who knows? 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Apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-ve-never-had-any-illusions-about-being-a-lead-actor-in-films/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Because, let's face it, I do not get offered the parts that Brad Pitt has just turned down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-let-s-face-it-i-do-not-get-offered-the-parts-that-brad-pitt/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I will defend the absolute value of Mozart over Miley Cyrus, of course I will, but we should be wary of false dichotomies. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-will-defend-the-absolute-value-of-mozart-over-miley-cyrus-of-course/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [You can't just say there is a god because the world is beautiful. 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