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My 'act' has ended by becoming an integral part of my nature, I told myself. It's no longer an act. My knowledge that I am masquerading as a normal person has even corroded whatever of normality I originally possessed, ending by making me tell myself over and over again that it too was nothing but a pretense of normality. To say it another way, I'm becoming the sort of person who can't believe in anything except the counterfeit.

Yukio Mishima#12

PsychologyAuthenticityExistentialIdentitySelfSelf deception

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker feels that their pretense has become part of their identity, eroding any sense of normality.
In plain terms
Pretending has become who they are, destroying their sense of normal.
What can you take from it?
Beware letting a façade become your true self.

Where it applies

  • personal reflection
  • identity crisis

Putting it to work

  • journaling
  • seeking authentic experiences

Questions to consider

  • When does a role become part of you?
  • How can one reclaim authenticity?

Another view

The quote is dense and may be hard to relate to for many readers.

More from Yukio Mishima

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  3. At no time are we ever in such complete possession of a journey, down to its last nook and cranny, as when we are busy with preparations for it. After that, th…

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