--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They can romanticize us so, mirrors, and…" description: "\"They can romanticize us so, mirrors, and that is their secret: what a subtle torture it would be to destroy all the mirrors in the world: where then co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/truman-capote-376_beautiful_they-can-romanticize-us-so-mirrors-and-t_3171682.jpg" --- # They can romanticize us so, mirrors, and that is their… ![“They can romanticize us so, mirrors, and that is their secret: what a subtle torture it would be to destroy all the mirrors in the world: where then could we look for reassurerance of our identities? I tell you, my dear, Narcissus was so egotist...he was merely another of us who, in our…” quote by Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/truman-capote-376_beautiful_they-can-romanticize-us-so-mirrors-and-t_3171682.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/truman-capote-376_beautiful_they-can-romanticize-us-so-mirrors-and-t_3171682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/848/truman-capote-376_beautiful_they-can-romanticize-us-so-mirrors-and-t_3171682.jpg) > “They can romanticize us so, mirrors, and that is their secret: what a subtle torture it would be to destroy all the mirrors in the world: where then could we look for reassurerance of our identities? I tell you, my dear, Narcissus was so egotist...he was merely another of us who, in our unshatterable isolation, recognized, on seeing his reflection, the beautiful comrade, the only inseparatable love...poor Narcissus, possibly the only human who was ever honest on this point.” [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our self‑image depends on external reflections; destroying those mirrors leaves us without reassurance of identity. **In simple terms:** Identity needs mirrors; without them we feel lost. Key Takeaway Seek internal validation, not just external. Themes identity reflection isolation self‑perception Mood melancholic contemplative introspective Type literary philosophical psychological When to use this quote - personal introspection - psychological analysis - literary criticism Key Concepts mirror metaphor ego honesty existential angst Questions to Reflect On - How do you define yourself without external validation? - Can self‑acceptance replace the need for mirrors? A Different Perspective The claim overlooks that some find identity through inner values, not mirrors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Comrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comrade/) [Dear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dear/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Isolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolation/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Mirrors Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors-secret-2974111/) [Narcissus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narcissus/) [Narcissus Egotist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narcissus-egotist-806248/) [Narcissus Possibly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narcissus-possibly-806250/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Narcissus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-narcissus-806249/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Romanticize Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romanticize-mirrors-2974110/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Subtle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subtle/) [Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [“...Narcissus was so egotist...he was merely another of us who, in our unshatterable isolation, recognized, on seeing his reflection, the beautiful comrade, the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/narcissus-was-so-egotist-he-was-merely-another-of-us-who-in-our/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [They can romanticize us so, mirrors, and that is their secret: what a subtle torture it would be to destroy all the mirrors in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/they-can-romanticize-us-so-mirrors-and-that-is-their-secret-what-a/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Narcissus never wrote well nor was a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dahlberg/narcissus-never-wrote-well-nor-was-a-friend/) [Edward Dahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dahlberg/) > [Nature is none other than God in all things. 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If it were his beauty that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/narcissus-does-not-fall-in-love-with-his-reflection-because-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Truman Capote > [“You can beat your brains out for her, and she’ll hand you horseshit on a platter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/you-can-beat-your-brains-out-for-her-and-she-ll-hand-you-horseshit-on/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“The walls of the cell fell away, the sky came down, I saw the big yellow bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/the-walls-of-the-cell-fell-away-the-sky-came-down-i-saw-the-big/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“Don't wanna ride on the devil's side...just wanna ride with you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/don-t-wanna-ride-on-the-devil-s-side-just-wanna-ride-with-you/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Wrinkles and bones, white hair and diamonds: I can't wait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/wrinkles-and-bones-white-hair-and-diamonds-i-can-t-wait/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [You can't blame a writer for what the characters say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/you-can-t-blame-a-writer-for-what-the-characters-say/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [There is really no practical help that one can offer; it is a matter of self-discovery, of one's own convictions, or working with one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/there-is-really-no-practical-help-that-one-can-offer-it-is-a-matter/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“...Narcissus was so egotist...he was merely another of us who, in our unshatterable isolation, recognized, on seeing his reflection, the beautiful comrade, the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/narcissus-was-so-egotist-he-was-merely-another-of-us-who-in-our/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“Is it - I'm not certain - possible to love someone if your first interest is the use you can make of him? Doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/is-it-i-m-not-certain-possible-to-love-someone-if-your-first-interest/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [One of the most difficult things in writing a novel or anything at all is to choose the point of view from which it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-in-writing-a-novel-or-anything-at/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [I've never worked for a newspaper. I've had some very bad reviews in newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/i-ve-never-worked-for-a-newspaper-i-ve-had-some-very-bad-reviews-in/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [But, my dear, so few things are fulfilled: what are most lives but a series of incompleted episodes? 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