“Like the turtle's shell, the sense of self serves as a shield against stimulation and as a burden which limits mobility into possibly dangerous areas. The turtle rarely has to think about what's on the other side of his shell; whatever it is, it can't hurt him, can't even touch him. So, too, adults insist on the shell of a consistent self for themselves and their children and appreciate turtles for friends; they wish to be protected from being hurt or touched or confused or having to think. If a man can rely on consistency, he can afford not to notice people after the first few times. But I imagined a world in which each individual might be about to play the lover, the benefactor, the sponger, the attacker, the friend: and once known as one of the next day he might yet be anything. Would we pay attention to this person? Would life be boring? Would life be livable? I saw then clearly for the first time that the fear of failure keeps us huddled in the cave of self - a group of behavior patterns we have mastered and have no intention of risking failure by abandoning.” SelfPersonalityPatternShieldShellConfortCrystalization Book:The Dice Man Source: The Dice Man
“Why did children seem to be so often spontaneous, joy-filled and concentrated while adults seemed controlled, anxiety-filled and diffused? It was the Goddam sense of having a self.” ChildrenSelfSeemsJoyAnxietyAdultsFilledControlledSpontaneous Book:Dice Man Source: Dice Man
“I hated myself and the world because I had failed to face and accept the limitations of my self and of life. In literature this refusal is called romanticism; in psychology, neurosis.” WorldSelfFacesLiteratureAcceptingPsychologyLimitationHatedRefusalRomanticismNeurosis Book:The Dice Man Source: The Dice Man
“Men must attempt to develop in themselves and their children liberation from the sense of self. Men must be free from boundaries, patterns and consistencies in order to be free to think, feel and create in new ways.” ThinkingMenWayFeelsChildrenSelfOrderPatternsBoundariesLiberationNew WaysConsistencySense Of Self Author:Luke Rhinehart
