Octavio Paz Quotes

I'm always thinking about what my identity is.

Man is what his dreams are.

What we have not has made us what we are. / ... / What we are not drives us to consummation.

I, who have been so many men in vain, want to be one man, myself alone. From out of a whirlwind the voice of God replied: I am not, either. I dreamed the world the way you dreamed your work, my Shakespeare: one of the forms of my dream was you, who, like me, are many and one.

Knowing what you admire in others is a wonderful mirror into your deepest, as yet unborn, self.

You are made in the image of what you desire.

People will always try to find themselves and their place in the world.

I have no issues with my identity.

It's easy to forget who you are.

There was a period when I had a hard time reconciling all the different parts of me in a way that I thought would make sense to others.

We all need a firm sense of identity.

Right after 'Raymond' I had a world-is-my-oyster attitude, but I found out I don't like oysters. I had this existential emptiness. 'What is my purpose? Who am I?' I had a big identity crisis.

I've always been interested in how fast-moving our identity is and that I've never been able to pin down who I truly am. That inspires me to write, because I feel like that cements me a bit, in that I find my identity in being an artist.

On some level, I think we want our reading self to represent our best self.

I don't have dreams. How can I say it? I myself am a dream.

Transcendence constitutes selfhood.

I think that we're all continually searching for who we are, and that's ever-evolving and changing.

Coming to terms with our true natures and who we really are has always been a fascination to humans. I know it fascinates me.

You're looking at a different me than I'm looking at.

There is nothing deep down inside us except what we have put there ourselves.

It is always the same: once you are liberated, you are forced to ask who you are.

No matter how you travel, it's still you going.

I've etched out who I am through myriad haircut attempts, outfit attempts, beauty attempts, diet attempts. It's been an evolution.

I'm not sure who I am. That's why I keep saying I'm an adventurer that goes out.

Then, at some point, you get identified with certain things.