--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Realize that the surface personality has…" description: "\"Realize that the surface personality has no interest in anything which might disturb its darling delusions.\" — Vernon Howard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/vernon-howard-2173_darling_realize-that-the-surface-personality-has_2054120.png" --- # Realize that the surface personality has no interest in… ![“Realize that the surface personality has no interest in anything which might disturb its darling delusions.” quote by Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/vernon-howard-2173_darling_realize-that-the-surface-personality-has_2054120.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/vernon-howard-2173_darling_realize-that-the-surface-personality-has_2054120.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/vernon-howard-2173_darling_realize-that-the-surface-personality-has_2054120.png) > “Realize that the surface personality has no interest in anything which might disturb its darling delusions.” [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The superficial self clings to comforting delusions and avoids anything that could challenge its false sense of security. **In simple terms:** The ego resists truth that threatens its comfort. Key Takeaway Question and dismantle comforting falsehoods. Themes psychology ego self‑deception awareness Mood introspective analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - Therapy sessions - creative brainstorming - spiritual retreats - conflict resolution Key Concepts mindfulness critical thinking self‑inquiry personal development Questions to Reflect On - What delusions are you protecting? - How can you gently challenge them? A Different Perspective Comforting delusions can be useful for stability; confronting them may cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darling/) [Darling Delusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darling-delusions-3885548/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Personality Disturb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality-disturb-3885547/) [Realize Surface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize-surface-3885549/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Surface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surface/) [Surface Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surface-personality-3885546/) ## Related quotes > [“The personality of man is not an apple that has to be polished, but a banana that has to be peeled. And the reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/the-personality-of-man-is-not-an-apple-that-has-to-be-polished-but-a/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [The surface personality is only the beginning of what we are. So as we meditate, we still that surface personality, we can see beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-surface-personality-is-only-the-beginning-of-what-we-are-so-as-we/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [It is the darling delusion of mankind that the world is progressive in religion, toleration, freedom, as it is progressive in machinery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moncure-d-conway/it-is-the-darling-delusion-of-mankind-that-the-world-is-progressive/) [Moncure D. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moncure-d-conway/) > [When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-everyone-thinks-of-himself-as/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Oh, darling, you will be good to me, won’t you? Because we’re going to have a strange life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-you-will-be-good-to-me-won-t-you-because-we-re-going-to/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Then you’ll do it brilliantly, darling. You’ll get to Pittsburgh yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/then-you-ll-do-it-brilliantly-darling-you-ll-get-to-pittsburgh-yet/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) > [“If you're anything like me, You bite your nails, And laugh when you're nervous. You promise people the world, because that's what they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/if-you-re-anything-like-me-you-bite-your-nails-and-laugh-when-you-re/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [“Life is a great adventure, darling, and problems are nothing more than opportunities to show what you can do. Show them, darling. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerstin-gier/life-is-a-great-adventure-darling-and-problems-are-nothing-more-than/) [Kerstin Gier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerstin-gier/) > [The only siblings I have are half-siblings. My nuclear family would have been an extra-suffocating threesome. Instead, I have an interesting brother and sister,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/the-only-siblings-i-have-are-half-siblings-my-nuclear-family-would/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Tonight, darling, we are going to right a lot of wrongs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/tonight-darling-we-are-going-to-right-a-lot-of-wrongs/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Mom?" I said. She turned. "Can I talk to you about something?" "Of course, darling. Come here." I took a few steps into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/mom-i-said-she-turned-can-i-talk-to-you-about-something-of-course/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [And the Devil did grin, for his darling sin is pride that apes humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/and-the-devil-did-grin-for-his-darling-sin-is-pride-that-apes-humility/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > ["Natural" is a very dangerous word to use about sexuality ... Our society's notions of normality are completely fake and meta-trendy, since they rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-bright/natural-is-a-very-dangerous-word-to-use-about-sexuality-our-society-s/) [Susie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-bright/) > [Darling, replied Valentine, has not the count just told us that all human wisdom was contained in these two words,- "Wait and hope"?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/darling-replied-valentine-has-not-the-count-just-told-us-that-all/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) ## More by Vernon Howard > [“A self-working individual will be sitting around home one day when the startling thought occurs, “Here I am, sitting around, doing nothing of interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/a-self-working-individual-will-be-sitting-around-home-one-day-when/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [No one on earth can hurt you, unless you accept the hurt in your own mind. . . The problem is not other people;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/no-one-on-earth-can-hurt-you-unless-you-accept-the-hurt-in-your-own/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [To change what you get you must change who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/to-change-what-you-get-you-must-change-who-you-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Genuine kindness is not what we do, it is what we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/genuine-kindness-is-not-what-we-do-it-is-what-we-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-everyone-thinks-of-himself-as/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [It is against the law to permit weak people to steal your strength. Never permit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/it-is-against-the-law-to-permit-weak-people-to-steal-your-strength/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Men have the illusion of having a duty to make the world spin properly, which is precisely what makes it wobble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/men-have-the-illusion-of-having-a-duty-to-make-the-world-spin/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Just as surely as distress must follow self-deceit, healing must follow self-honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/just-as-surely-as-distress-must-follow-self-deceit-healing-must/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Quit thinking that you must halt before the barrier of inner negativity. You need not. You can crash through... whatever we see a negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/quit-thinking-that-you-must-halt-before-the-barrier-of-inner/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [One false idea is that anyone can hurt you. Events can ruin your reputation, take your money, mistreat you, revenge itself upon you, deceive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/one-false-idea-is-that-anyone-can-hurt-you-events-can-ruin-your/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Don't try to be unafraid. That is impossible. Rather, go ahead while being afraid. That is the entire secret for abolishing fear. The Supermind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/don-t-try-to-be-unafraid-that-is-impossible-rather-go-ahead-while/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only way to do something truly important every day is to seek to understand yourself every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-way-to-do-something-truly-important-every-day-is-to-seek-to/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Make it absolutely clear to yourself what you want from other people. That is really half the secret for drawing your desire to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/make-it-absolutely-clear-to-yourself-what-you-want-from-other-people/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only reason you do not do great things is because you timidly cling to small things. Will you let loose of small things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-reason-you-do-not-do-great-things-is-because-you-timidly/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) [Explore all 181 Vernon Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## More Darling quotes > [Darling, replied Valentine, has not the count just told us that all human wisdom was contained in these two words,- "Wait and hope"?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/darling-replied-valentine-has-not-the-count-just-told-us-that-all/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > ["Natural" is a very dangerous word to use about sexuality ... Our society's notions of normality are completely fake and meta-trendy, since they rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-bright/natural-is-a-very-dangerous-word-to-use-about-sexuality-our-society-s/) [Susie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-bright/) > [And the Devil did grin, for his darling sin is pride that apes humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/and-the-devil-did-grin-for-his-darling-sin-is-pride-that-apes-humility/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [Mom?" I said. She turned. "Can I talk to you about something?" "Of course, darling. Come here." I took a few steps into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/mom-i-said-she-turned-can-i-talk-to-you-about-something-of-course/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [Tonight, darling, we are going to right a lot of wrongs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/tonight-darling-we-are-going-to-right-a-lot-of-wrongs/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [The only siblings I have are half-siblings. My nuclear family would have been an extra-suffocating threesome. Instead, I have an interesting brother and sister,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-smiley/the-only-siblings-i-have-are-half-siblings-my-nuclear-family-would/) [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) > [“Life is a great adventure, darling, and problems are nothing more than opportunities to show what you can do. Show them, darling. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerstin-gier/life-is-a-great-adventure-darling-and-problems-are-nothing-more-than/) [Kerstin Gier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerstin-gier/) > [“If you're anything like me, You bite your nails, And laugh when you're nervous. You promise people the world, because that's what they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/if-you-re-anything-like-me-you-bite-your-nails-and-laugh-when-you-re/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [“Then you’ll do it brilliantly, darling. You’ll get to Pittsburgh yet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/then-you-ll-do-it-brilliantly-darling-you-ll-get-to-pittsburgh-yet/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) > [Oh, darling, you will be good to me, won’t you? Because we’re going to have a strange life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-you-will-be-good-to-me-won-t-you-because-we-re-going-to/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Enough of self, that darling luscious theme, O'er which philosophers in raptures dream; Of which with seeming disregard they write Then prizing most when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-churchill/enough-of-self-that-darling-luscious-theme-o-er-which-philosophers-in/) [Charles Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-churchill/) > [You were joking about the whole please and thank you thing, right?" "Meant every word." A little light danced in his eyes and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/you-were-joking-about-the-whole-please-and-thank-you-thing-right/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [There have only been two authentic geniuses in the world, Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare and I think you'd better put Shakespeare first, darling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tallulah-bankhead/there-have-only-been-two-authentic-geniuses-in-the-world-willie-mays/) [Tallulah Bankhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tallulah-bankhead/) > [It's a brutal world out there. If you consider the case of superstar Rajesh Khanna, he was a darling of the masses in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bipasha-basu/it-s-a-brutal-world-out-there-if-you-consider-the-case-of-superstar/) [Bipasha Basu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bipasha-basu/) [Browse all 542 Darling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darling/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Realize that the surface personality has no interest in anything which might disturb its darling delusions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vernon Howard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/realize-that-the-surface-personality-has-no-interest-in-anything/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Darling" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/realize-that-the-surface-personality-has-no-interest-in-anything/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/vernon-howard-2173_darling_realize-that-the-surface-personality-has_2054120.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/vernon-howard-2173_darling_realize-that-the-surface-personality-has_2054120.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/vernon-howard-2173_darling_realize-that-the-surface-personality-has_2054120.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Realize that the surface personality has no interest in anything which might disturb its darling delusions.” — Vernon Howard", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Vernon Howard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Realize that the surface personality has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/realize-that-the-surface-personality-has-no-interest-in-anything/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/realize-that-the-surface-personality-has-no-interest-in-anything/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```