--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Think] of an experience from your…" description: "\"“[Think] of an experience from your childhood. Something you remember clearly, something you can see, feel, maybe even smell, as if you were really the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/steve-grand-20271_atoms_think-of-an-experience-from-your-childho_78170.png" --- # \[Think\] of an experience from your childhood. Something… ![“[Think] of an experience from your childhood. Something you remember clearly, something you can see, feel, maybe even smell, as if you were really there. After all you really were there at the time, weren't you? How else could you remember it? But here is the bombshell: you weren't there. Not a…” quote by Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/steve-grand-20271_atoms_think-of-an-experience-from-your-childho_78170.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/steve-grand-20271_atoms_think-of-an-experience-from-your-childho_78170.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/steve-grand-20271_atoms_think-of-an-experience-from-your-childho_78170.png) > ““\[Think\] of an experience from your childhood. Something you remember clearly, something you can see, feel, maybe even smell, as if you were really there. After all you really were there at the time, weren't you? How else could you remember it? But here is the bombshell: you weren't there. Not a single atom that is in your body today was there when that event took place. Every bit of you has been replaced many times over (which is why you eat, of course). You are not even the same shape as you were then. The point is that you are like a cloud: something that persists over long periods, while simultaneously being in flux. Matter flows from place to place and momentarily comes together to be you. Whatever you are, therefore, you are not the stuff of which you are made. If that does not make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, read it again until it does, because it is important.”” [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our personal identity is a constantly changing collection of matter, not a static entity; memories persist despite the physical turnover of our bodies. **In simple terms:** Identity is fluid, not fixed. Key Takeaway Self is a process, not a substance. Themes identity impermanence memory philosophy of self continuity Mood wonder awe thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - reflecting on childhood memories - discussing personal identity in therapy - explaining consciousness in philosophy class Key Concepts selfhood material turnover subjective experience Practical Applications - helping people accept change - illustrating the concept of non-self in mindfulness practices Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be 'you' if your atoms change? - How do memories persist despite physical change? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atoms/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [They say if you remember the '60s, you weren't there. Well I remember the '60s, I was there and I wouldn't have missed it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-clark/they-say-if-you-remember-the-60s-you-weren-t-there-well-i-remember/) [Dave Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-clark/) > [ The real challenge is to remember to see clearly when everything's flying around us and we're wrapped up in our \[emotional\] wounds and traumas. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/the-real-challenge-is-to-remember-to-see-clearly-when-everything-s/) [Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/) > [Whether it is fear of having fish pie or staying in someone's house or not being able to tell the time, all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/whether-it-is-fear-of-having-fish-pie-or-staying-in-someone-s-house/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [With "Margaret," I remember clearly it was, you know because I did remember it clearly. I was young. I was young in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/with-margaret-i-remember-clearly-it-was-you-know-because-i-did/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) > [But I can remember very clearly the session for My Generation. I can remember very clearly You Really Got Me and Wont Get Fooled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glyn-johns/but-i-can-remember-very-clearly-the-session-for-my-generation-i-can/) [Glyn Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glyn-johns/) > [I remember so clearly as a kid, my biggest problem in life was I used to never follow up on anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farhan-akhtar/i-remember-so-clearly-as-a-kid-my-biggest-problem-in-life-was-i-used/) [Farhan Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farhan-akhtar/) > [If minds are wholly dependent on brains and brains on biochemistry, and biochemistry (in the long run) on the meaningless flux of the atoms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-minds-are-wholly-dependent-on-brains-and-brains-on-biochemistry/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Every bit of you has been replaced many times over... The point is that you are like a cloud: something that persists over long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/every-bit-of-you-has-been-replaced-many-times-over-the-point-is-that/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [Everyone has that scary nightmare from your childhood that you still remember...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-has-that-scary-nightmare-from-your-childhood-that-you-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People talk about fantastic memories of childhood, but I remember children being cruel to me and wanting to come out of childhood as soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/people-talk-about-fantastic-memories-of-childhood-but-i-remember/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [These are the quicksilver moments of my childhood I cannot remember entirely. Irresistible and emblematic, I can recall them only in fragments and shivers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/these-are-the-quicksilver-moments-of-my-childhood-i-cannot-remember/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [I think back to my childhood, and I remember running around as a kid. We were all running around then. It wasn't about getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cornell/i-think-back-to-my-childhood-and-i-remember-running-around-as-a-kid/) [Chris Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cornell/) > [“There are always mystical countries that are a part of one's childhood. Those we remember and visit sometimes when we are asleep and dreaming.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-are-always-mystical-countries-that-are-a-part-of-one-s/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [If you recall childhood, you may remember that the kids who stuck straws and cigarettes up their noses back then seemed funnier than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/if-you-recall-childhood-you-may-remember-that-the-kids-who-stuck/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [All who remember their childhood remember the strange vague sense, when some new experience came, that everything else was going to be changed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/all-who-remember-their-childhood-remember-the-strange-vague-sense/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) ## More by Steve Grand > [What puts my mind at rest is knowing I'm a person of integrity. I really do stand for what I say I stand for.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/what-puts-my-mind-at-rest-is-knowing-i-m-a-person-of-integrity-i/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [The poetry of life must not be replaced with matter-of-fact prose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/the-poetry-of-life-must-not-be-replaced-with-matter-of-fact-prose/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [“Our metaphors for the operation of the brain are frequently drawn from the production line. We think of the brain as a glorified sausage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/our-metaphors-for-the-operation-of-the-brain-are-frequently-drawn/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [The songs are always drawn from personal experience; I'm putting myself into my music. I usually am playing myself. It's art, art that represents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/the-songs-are-always-drawn-from-personal-experience-i-m-putting/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [I care about making music and I care about creating experiences for my fans with my music and my videos and my performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/i-care-about-making-music-and-i-care-about-creating-experiences-for/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [I'd rather have a lot of little donations than a couple big ones. That shows that people care and are giving what they can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/i-d-rather-have-a-lot-of-little-donations-than-a-couple-big-ones-that/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [It's really important for me to live purposefully, and I feel that way putting music out in the world and having people connect with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/it-s-really-important-for-me-to-live-purposefully-and-i-feel-that-way/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [When people have expectations, you're going to make a lot of them upset - when in fact I'm not trying to represent anybody but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/when-people-have-expectations-you-re-going-to-make-a-lot-of-them/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [I think it's such utter hypocrisy that so many people in our society were obviously all watching pornography and yet we treat these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/i-think-it-s-such-utter-hypocrisy-that-so-many-people-in-our-society/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [I don't think that I have much power at all, and I don't think that I'm trying to do anything outside of making my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/i-don-t-think-that-i-have-much-power-at-all-and-i-don-t-think-that-i/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [I did a handful of photo shoots and I never made any money for it just because I was trying to build a portfolio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/i-did-a-handful-of-photo-shoots-and-i-never-made-any-money-for-it/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [I'm not really a very social person. It exhausts me when I'm out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/i-m-not-really-a-very-social-person-it-exhausts-me-when-i-m-out/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [People don't like what I represent, and they think I'm trying to represent the whole gay community just because I'm a gay person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/people-don-t-like-what-i-represent-and-they-think-i-m-trying-to/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [I'm not always open to creative input when I have my heart set on a creative idea or a message I want to convey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/i-m-not-always-open-to-creative-input-when-i-have-my-heart-set-on-a/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) > [I'm better at accepting the people who don't have nice things to say about me anonymously, but until you've experienced it, you don't understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-grand/i-m-better-at-accepting-the-people-who-don-t-have-nice-things-to-say/) [Steve Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) [Explore all 31 Steve Grand quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-grand/) ## More Atoms quotes > [If the polymer chain assumes a helicoidal conformation in the crystalline state, and if it does not contain asymmetric carbon atoms, it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giulio-natta/if-the-polymer-chain-assumes-a-helicoidal-conformation-in-the/) Giulio Natta > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [ \[Decoding the human genome sequence\] is the most significant undertaking that we have mounted so far in an organized way in all of science.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/decoding-the-human-genome-sequence-is-the-most-significant/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Though an atom is invisible, unthinkable, yet in it are the whole power and potency of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/though-an-atom-is-invisible-unthinkable-yet-in-it-are-the-whole-power/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Traditional nationalism cannot survive the fissioning of the atom. One world or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-chase/traditional-nationalism-cannot-survive-the-fissioning-of-the-atom-one/) [Stuart Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-chase/) > [I am not sure why, but I have been obsessed by the Atom Bomb ever since it first happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/i-am-not-sure-why-but-i-have-been-obsessed-by-the-atom-bomb-ever/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) > [History is the short trudge from Adam to atom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/history-is-the-short-trudge-from-adam-to-atom/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The dogma of the impossibility of determining the atomic constitution of substances, which until recently was advocated with such fervor by the most able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-korner/the-dogma-of-the-impossibility-of-determining-the-atomic-constitution/) Wilhelm Korner > [I have never seen what to me seemed an atom of proof that there is a future life. And yet-I am inclined to expect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-seen-what-to-me-seemed-an-atom-of-proof-that-there-is-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“An atom is mostly made up of empty space. If you remove the empty space from every atom, the entire world's human population could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weike-wang/an-atom-is-mostly-made-up-of-empty-space-if-you-remove-the-empty/) [Weike Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weike-wang/) > [Nature is full of wonders; every atom is a standing miracle, and endowed with such qualities, as could not be impressed on it by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/nature-is-full-of-wonders-every-atom-is-a-standing-miracle-and/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [The books remind us that way down deep in our hearts, part of us knows that we are creatures of light and we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/the-books-remind-us-that-way-down-deep-in-our-hearts-part-of-us-knows/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [Yes, Jenna, I love you with all my heart. And with my atoms and molecules and electrons and whatever further breakdown you require.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-shinn/yes-jenna-i-love-you-with-all-my-heart-and-with-my-atoms-and/) [Sharon Shinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-shinn/) [Browse all 852 Atoms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atoms/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“[Think] of an experience from your childhood. Something you remember clearly, something you can see, feel, maybe even smell, as if you were really there. After all you really were there at the time, weren't you? How else could you remember it? But here is the bombshell: you weren't there. Not a single atom that is in your body today was there when that event took place. Every bit of you has been replaced many times over (which is why you eat, of course). You are not even the same shape as you were then. The point is that you are like a cloud: something that persists over long periods, while simultaneously being in flux. Matter flows from place to place and momentarily comes together to be you. Whatever you are, therefore, you are not the stuff of which you are made. 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