--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...and to forget one's own sharp absurd…" description: "\"“...and to forget one's own sharp absurd little personality, reputation and the rest of it, one should read; see outsiders; think more; write more logi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/virginia-woolf-49_business_and-to-forget-one-s-own-sharp-absurd-lit_747682.jpg" --- # ...and to forget one's own sharp absurd little… ![“...and to forget one's own sharp absurd little personality, reputation and the rest of it, one should read; see outsiders; think more; write more logically; above all be full of work; and practise anonymity. Silence in company; or the quietest statement, not the showiest; is also "medicated" as…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/virginia-woolf-49_business_and-to-forget-one-s-own-sharp-absurd-lit_747682.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/virginia-woolf-49_business_and-to-forget-one-s-own-sharp-absurd-lit_747682.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/virginia-woolf-49_business_and-to-forget-one-s-own-sharp-absurd-lit_747682.jpg) > ““...and to forget one's own sharp absurd little personality, reputation and the rest of it, one should read; see outsiders; think more; write more logically; above all be full of work; and practise anonymity. Silence in company; or the quietest statement, not the showiest; is also "medicated" as the doctors say. It was an empty party, rather, last night. Very nice here, though.”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She advises immersing in external perspectives, thoughtful work, and humility to counteract self‑importance and achieve authentic creativity. **In simple terms:** Read, observe, think, write, work hard, stay anonymous. Key Takeaway Embrace humility and diligent practice. Themes humility creativity self‑reflection work ethic Mood introspective thoughtful Type advice literary When to use this quote - academic research - creative writing - personal development - team collaboration Key Concepts existentialism literary criticism personal growth Questions to Reflect On - How does anonymity affect your creative output? - What benefits arise from stepping back from self‑promotion? A Different Perspective Anonymity can limit personal recognition and career advancement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anonymity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anonymity/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) ## Related quotes > [“These hotels are not consoling places. Far from it. Any number of people had hung up their hats on those pegs. Even the flies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/these-hotels-are-not-consoling-places-far-from-it-any-number-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The truth is, I often like women. I like their unconventionality. I like their completeness. I like their anonymity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-truth-is-i-often-like-women-i-like-their-unconventionality-i-like/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Publicity in women is detestable. Anonymity runs in their blood. The desire to be veiled still possesses them. They are not even now as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/publicity-in-women-is-detestable-anonymity-runs-in-their-blood-the/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Do you know doctors say that the lack of positive physical human contact will cause severe depression? Colin needed a touch, a hug, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-warner/do-you-know-doctors-say-that-the-lack-of-positive-physical-human-2/) [Colin Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-warner/) > [I've had six different doctors say that I had to take the stress, the pressure out of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/i-ve-had-six-different-doctors-say-that-i-had-to-take-the-stress-the/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [I don't trust doctors. It's not to say there ain't some good ones, but on a general level, no, I wouldn't trust 'em at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-richards/i-don-t-trust-doctors-it-s-not-to-say-there-ain-t-some-good-ones-but/) [Keith Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-richards/) > [Doctors say I need about three weeks of recovery. All the nurses is lovin' me, sayin' 'The best part of the day is my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biggie-smalls/doctors-say-i-need-about-three-weeks-of-recovery-all-the-nurses-is/) [Biggie Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biggie-smalls/) > [“Do you know doctors say that the lack of positive physical human contact will cause severe depression?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-warner/do-you-know-doctors-say-that-the-lack-of-positive-physical-human/) [Colin Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-warner/) > [Nineteen percent of doctors say that they'd be able to give their patients a lethal injection. But they also went on to say that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/nineteen-percent-of-doctors-say-that-they-d-be-able-to-give-their/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I am living against all predictions. The doctors say I am a sort of witch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montserrat-caballe/i-am-living-against-all-predictions-the-doctors-say-i-am-a-sort-of/) [Montserrat Caballe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montserrat-caballe/) > [Doctors say I'm the illest, 'cause I suffer from realness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/doctors-say-i-m-the-illest-cause-i-suffer-from-realness/) [Jay-z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [From what the doctors say, I was born with stenosis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leighton-vander-esch/from-what-the-doctors-say-i-was-born-with-stenosis/) [Leighton Vander Esch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leighton-vander-esch/) > [My doctors say the more I continue to push, the more I can continue to raise that bar, the better I can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pronger/my-doctors-say-the-more-i-continue-to-push-the-more-i-can-continue-to/) [Chris Pronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pronger/) > [Doctors say there's no such thing as chemo brain, but ask any chemo patient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/doctors-say-there-s-no-such-thing-as-chemo-brain-but-ask-any-chemo/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [That's the trouble with the conventional doctors. They always say, 'How does it work?' but often there isn't any neat little answer...Something simply works...We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/that-s-the-trouble-with-the-conventional-doctors-they-always-say-how/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Anonymity quotes > [For me, getting comfortable with being famous was hard - that whole side of it, the loss of anonymity, the loss of privacy. Giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/for-me-getting-comfortable-with-being-famous-was-hard-that-whole-side/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [I value my anonymity. I'm happy to come in on the tube or the train and watch other people reading 'Fifty Shades.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james-2/i-value-my-anonymity-i-m-happy-to-come-in-on-the-tube-or-the-train/) [E. L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james-2/) > [For many people in the west, Afghanistan is synonymous with the Soviet war and the Taliban. I wanted to remind people that Afghans had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/for-many-people-in-the-west-afghanistan-is-synonymous-with-the-soviet/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [Way before Watergate, senior administration officials hid behind anonymity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/way-before-watergate-senior-administration-officials-hid-behind/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [The internet's perfect for all manner of things, but productive discussion ain't one of them. It provides scant room for debate and infinite opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-brooker/the-internet-s-perfect-for-all-manner-of-things-but-productive/) [Charlie Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-brooker/) > [Both multiplayer games and online forums have this property of virtual anonymity. Other people can't really see you; they don't really know who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sweeney/both-multiplayer-games-and-online-forums-have-this-property-of/) [Tim Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sweeney/) > [People feel they can say nasty things and have anonymity behind the net - as they did with all the nasty comments about me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-roberts/people-feel-they-can-say-nasty-things-and-have-anonymity-behind-the/) [Nicola Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-roberts/) > [Anonymity would be a fantastic umbrella. I don't like intrusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anonymity-would-be-a-fantastic-umbrella-i-don-t-like-intrusion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wouldn't want to even try to begin to describe our customer, as I think she likes a certain amount of anonymity. I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-philo/i-wouldn-t-want-to-even-try-to-begin-to-describe-our-customer-as-i/) [Phoebe Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-philo/) > [Most members of Gamergate, the alt-right movement best known for harassing women in the game industry, operate under a veil of anonymity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-wu/most-members-of-gamergate-the-alt-right-movement-best-known-for/) [Brianna Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-wu/) > [I came from anonymity, and I will continue to write as a private pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-came-from-anonymity-and-i-will-continue-to-write-as-a-private/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) > [The problem with losing your anonymity is that you can never go back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marla-maples/the-problem-with-losing-your-anonymity-is-that-you-can-never-go-back/) [Marla Maples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marla-maples/) > [Human beings are not meant to lose their anonymity and privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-chalke/human-beings-are-not-meant-to-lose-their-anonymity-and-privacy/) [Sarah Chalke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-chalke/) > [Privacy is important to me. But it's not just about sticking two fingers up and saying I don't want anyone to know my business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-dormer/privacy-is-important-to-me-but-it-s-not-just-about-sticking-two/) [Natalie Dormer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-dormer/) > [Anonymity, in some cases a key civil liberty, also enables society's worst actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wil-wheaton/anonymity-in-some-cases-a-key-civil-liberty-also-enables-society-s/) [Wil Wheaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wil-wheaton/) [Browse all 285 Anonymity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anonymity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...and to forget one's own sharp absurd little personality, reputation and the rest of it, one should read; see outsiders; think more; write more logically; above all be full of work; and practise anonymity. 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