Identity Quote by Sylvia Plath
““Anyway, there are two tentative solutions for getting rid of selfishness - both involving a stoic casting - off of the thin tenuous little identity which I love and cherish so dearly - and being confident that, once on the other side, I shall never miss my own little ambitions for my conceited self, but shall be content in serving the ambitions of my mate, or of a society, or cause. (Yet I will not, I cannot accept any of those solutions. Why? Stubborn selfish pride. I will not make what is inevitable easier for my-self by the blinding ignorance-is-bliss "losing-and-finding" theory. Oh, no! I will go, eyes open, into my torture, and remain fully cognizant, unwinking, while they cut and stitch and lop off my cherished malignant organs.) So much for selflove: I carry it with me like a dear cancerous relative - to be disposed of only when desperation sets in.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: The Bell Jar, 1963
The passage explores the tension between self‑interest and self‑sacrifice, rejecting easy solutions to selfishness and confronting personal flaws with painful awareness.
In simple terms: Struggling with selfishness and self‑love, refusing simple fixes.
Key Takeaway
Embrace honest self‑examination despite discomfort.
Themes
self‑reflection
identity
self‑sacrifice
pain
pride
Mood
conflicted
introspective
Type
philosophical
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- therapy
- relationship dynamics
- social responsibility
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
stoicism
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of your identity do you cling to despite their harm?
- Can awareness without denial lead to healthier self‑love?
A Different Perspective
True change may demand confronting uncomfortable truths, not just abandoning ego.
![“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s self. Everything in the worldly life is nothing but intoxication. The food is intoxicating, the senses are intoxicating. [Therefore] Go to the one, who…” quote by Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2b3/dada-bhagwan-31_absolute_in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-into_3662.jpg)
