--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I say to myself 'Bernard,' who comes?" description: "\"“When I say to myself 'Bernard,' who comes?”\" — Virginia Woolf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/virginia-woolf-49_bernard_when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes-2_2467719.jpg" --- # When I say to myself 'Bernard,' who comes? ![“When I say to myself 'Bernard,' who comes?” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/virginia-woolf-49_bernard_when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes-2_2467719.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/virginia-woolf-49_bernard_when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes-2_2467719.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/virginia-woolf-49_bernard_when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes-2_2467719.jpg) > ““When I say to myself 'Bernard,' who comes?”” [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. Self‑questioning reveals inner identity and the fluid nature of self‑perception. **In simple terms:** Asking “Who am I?” explores identity. Key Takeaway Reflect on your inner dialogue. Themes identity self‑reflection literature Mood introspective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - therapy - creative writing - personal journaling Key Concepts existentialism psychology stream of consciousness Questions to Reflect On - What does “Bernard” represent for you? - How does self‑questioning affect confidence? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis may lead to indecision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bernard/) ## Related quotes > [“Here am I shedding one of my life-skins and all they will say is, 'Bernard is spending ten days in Rome'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/here-am-i-shedding-one-of-my-life-skins-and-all-they-will-say-is/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [One of my heroes is a composer named James Bernard, and oh my God... I can still listen to his music today and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carpenter/one-of-my-heroes-is-a-composer-named-james-bernard-and-oh-my-god-i/) [John Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carpenter/) > [“Success went fizzily to Bernard's head, and in the process completely reconciled him (as any good intoxicant should do) to a world which, up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/success-went-fizzily-to-bernard-s-head-and-in-the-process-completely/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“Bernard was duly grateful (it was an enormous comfort to have his friend again) and also duly resentful (it would be pleasure to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/bernard-was-duly-grateful-it-was-an-enormous-comfort-to-have-his/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Bernard and I intend doing a lot with our lives and that includes actively helping other people. But how can we tell you our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-duvall/bernard-and-i-intend-doing-a-lot-with-our-lives-and-that-includes/) [Shelley Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-duvall/) > [“Bernard said this last word like it was full of nails and might gut him to spit it out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/bernard-said-this-last-word-like-it-was-full-of-nails-and-might-gut/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [Two months later at a party, Bernard pulled me into a closet and proposed. I said yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-duvall/two-months-later-at-a-party-bernard-pulled-me-into-a-closet-and/) [Shelley Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-duvall/) > [There is a long dishonourable tradition of western intellectuals who have been duped by Moscow. The list includes Bernard Shaw, the Webbs, H. G.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-harding/there-is-a-long-dishonourable-tradition-of-western-intellectuals-who/) [Luke Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-harding/) > [“He was a horrid-looking fellow. Fat as a pig he was, and his face was the colour of cottage cheese. His collar was unbuttoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-moore/he-was-a-horrid-looking-fellow-fat-as-a-pig-he-was-and-his-face-was/) [Brian Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-moore/) > [I have a St. Bernard named B.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-rourke/i-have-a-st-bernard-named-b/) [Heather O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-rourke/) > [I loved Bernard Cornwell's books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-dreymon/i-loved-bernard-cornwell-s-books/) [Alexander Dreymon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-dreymon/) > [“Saint Bernard was blocking the way. I ran to the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-a-nolan/saint-bernard-was-blocking-the-way-i-ran-to-the/) Lucy A. Nolan > [And of course, now that Bernard and I have found each other forever, we're determined to create our own little world in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-duvall/and-of-course-now-that-bernard-and-i-have-found-each-other-forever-we/) [Shelley Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-duvall/) > [Bernard is a great player, a player for the Brazilian national team, and I also followed his progress with Atletico Mineiro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richarlison/bernard-is-a-great-player-a-player-for-the-brazilian-national-team/) [Richarlison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richarlison/) > [Bernard Shaw said that when you copy yourself, you know you've got style. And I feel that if you can write like you write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-robinson/bernard-shaw-said-that-when-you-copy-yourself-you-know-you-ve-got/) [Bruce Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-robinson/) ## 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 Bernard quotes > [One of my heroes is a composer named James Bernard, and oh my God... I can still listen to his music today and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carpenter/one-of-my-heroes-is-a-composer-named-james-bernard-and-oh-my-god-i/) [John Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carpenter/) > [Bernard is a great player, a player for the Brazilian national team, and I also followed his progress with Atletico Mineiro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richarlison/bernard-is-a-great-player-a-player-for-the-brazilian-national-team/) [Richarlison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richarlison/) > [And of course, now that Bernard and I have found each other forever, we're determined to create our own little world in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-duvall/and-of-course-now-that-bernard-and-i-have-found-each-other-forever-we/) [Shelley Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-duvall/) > [“Saint Bernard was blocking the way. I ran to the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-a-nolan/saint-bernard-was-blocking-the-way-i-ran-to-the/) Lucy A. Nolan > [I loved Bernard Cornwell's books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-dreymon/i-loved-bernard-cornwell-s-books/) [Alexander Dreymon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-dreymon/) > [I have a St. Bernard named B.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-rourke/i-have-a-st-bernard-named-b/) [Heather O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-rourke/) > [“He was a horrid-looking fellow. Fat as a pig he was, and his face was the colour of cottage cheese. His collar was unbuttoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-moore/he-was-a-horrid-looking-fellow-fat-as-a-pig-he-was-and-his-face-was/) [Brian Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-moore/) > [There is a long dishonourable tradition of western intellectuals who have been duped by Moscow. The list includes Bernard Shaw, the Webbs, H. G.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-harding/there-is-a-long-dishonourable-tradition-of-western-intellectuals-who/) [Luke Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-harding/) > [Two months later at a party, Bernard pulled me into a closet and proposed. I said yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-duvall/two-months-later-at-a-party-bernard-pulled-me-into-a-closet-and/) [Shelley Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-duvall/) > [“Bernard said this last word like it was full of nails and might gut him to spit it out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/bernard-said-this-last-word-like-it-was-full-of-nails-and-might-gut/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [Bernard and I intend doing a lot with our lives and that includes actively helping other people. But how can we tell you our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-duvall/bernard-and-i-intend-doing-a-lot-with-our-lives-and-that-includes/) [Shelley Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-duvall/) > [“Bernard was duly grateful (it was an enormous comfort to have his friend again) and also duly resentful (it would be pleasure to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/bernard-was-duly-grateful-it-was-an-enormous-comfort-to-have-his/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“Success went fizzily to Bernard's head, and in the process completely reconciled him (as any good intoxicant should do) to a world which, up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/success-went-fizzily-to-bernard-s-head-and-in-the-process-completely/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Bernard Shaw said that when you copy yourself, you know you've got style. And I feel that if you can write like you write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-robinson/bernard-shaw-said-that-when-you-copy-yourself-you-know-you-ve-got/) [Bruce Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-robinson/) > [Bernard Vonnegut, named for his paternal grandfather, was born August 29, 1914. He was a serious-looking little boy, even in informal photographs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-j-shields/bernard-vonnegut-named-for-his-paternal-grandfather-was-born-august/) [Charles J. Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-j-shields/) [Browse all 33 Bernard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bernard/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I say to myself 'Bernard,' who comes?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Virginia Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bernard" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/virginia-woolf-49_bernard_when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes-2_2467719.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/virginia-woolf-49_bernard_when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes-2_2467719.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4a/virginia-woolf-49_bernard_when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes-2_2467719.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I say to myself 'Bernard,' who comes?” — Virginia Woolf", "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": "Virginia Woolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When I say to myself 'Bernard,'...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/when-i-say-to-myself-bernard-who-comes/#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 } } ] } ```