--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Within the hierarchy of fabrications that…" description: "\"“Within the hierarchy of fabrications that compose our lives—families, countries, gods—the self incontestably ranks highest. Just below the self is the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/thomas-ligotti-2073_staying-power_within-the-hierarchy-of-fabrications-tha_842315.jpg" --- # Within the hierarchy of fabrications that compose our… ![“Within the hierarchy of fabrications that compose our lives—families, countries, gods—the self incontestably ranks highest. Just below the self is the family, which has proven itself more durable than national or ethnic affiliations, with these in turn outranking god-figures for their staying…” quote by Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/thomas-ligotti-2073_staying-power_within-the-hierarchy-of-fabrications-tha_842315.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/thomas-ligotti-2073_staying-power_within-the-hierarchy-of-fabrications-tha_842315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/thomas-ligotti-2073_staying-power_within-the-hierarchy-of-fabrications-tha_842315.jpg) > ““Within the hierarchy of fabrications that compose our lives—families, countries, gods—the self incontestably ranks highest. Just below the self is the family, which has proven itself more durable than national or ethnic affiliations, with these in turn outranking god-figures for their staying power. So any progress toward the salvation of humankind will probably begin from the bottom—when our gods have been devalued to the status of refrigerator magnets or lawn ornaments. Following the death rattle of deities, it would appear that nations or ethnic communities are next in line for the boneyard. Only after fealty to countries, gods, and families has been shucked off can we even think about coming to grips with the least endangered of fabrications—the self.”” [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The self is the most fundamental construct we cling to, surpassing family, nation, and even deity; dismantling these larger allegiances is prerequisite to confronting the self. **In simple terms:** The self outranks all other loyalties. Key Takeaway Question and deconstruct higher‑order identities. Themes identity philosophy hierarchy self‑realization Mood introspective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - education - political activism - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism social constructs psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to prioritize the self over community? - How can we responsibly deconstruct entrenched loyalties? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on the self may ignore collective responsibilities and social cohesion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Staying power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying-power/) ## Related quotes > [“We are the only creators, the only gods. 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James Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/y-c-james-yen/) > [Such things as anguish, woe, affliction, guilt, feelings of awfulness, and utter wretchedness, the bread and butter of Days of Yore and Russians, sadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/such-things-as-anguish-woe-affliction-guilt-feelings-of-awfulness-and/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [Myths have a certain staying power because, really, they are aspirational - not always who we are, but always who we want to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cohen/myths-have-a-certain-staying-power-because-really-they-are/) [Richard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cohen/) > [Even if you have a big tune, live crowds can get sick of it. 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We've never had to run stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorin-stein/we-ve-never-had-a-giant-circulation-and-we-ve-always-been-a-magazine/) [Lorin Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorin-stein/) [Browse all 101 Staying power quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying-power/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Within the hierarchy of fabrications that compose our lives—families, countries, gods—the self incontestably ranks highest. Just below the self is the family, which has proven itself more durable than national or ethnic affiliations, with these in turn outranking god-figures for their staying power. So any progress toward the salvation of humankind will probably begin from the bottom—when our gods have been devalued to the status of refrigerator magnets or lawn ornaments. Following the death rattle of deities, it would appear that nations or ethnic communities are next in line for the boneyard. 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