The Self Under Siege Quotes

“People must come to the understanding that they do not have a fixed identity. They have the power to identify and alter features of their personalities that they find negative or unpleasant.”
― Lisa Firestone, The Self Under Siege

“Differentiating from parental introjects and psychological defences based on the emotional pain of childhood is essential not only for neurotic or seriously disturbed individuals; it is a central developmental issue in every person’s life.”
― Lisa Firestone, The Self Under Siege

“Differentiation is a universal struggle that all human beings face if they wish to fully develop themselves as individuals.”
― Lisa Firestone, The Self Under Siege

“In order for people to live their own lives and fulfill their destiny, they must differentiate themselves from destructive environmental influences.”
― Lisa Firestone, The Self Under Siege

“Without differentiating from parents or caretakers we may never succeed in living our own lives.”
― Lisa Firestone, The Self Under Siege

“They implicitly trust that their thoughts, beliefs, and feelings are their own, and fail to recognize that they may be “channeling” someone else’s thoughts and feelings.”
― Lisa Firestone, The Self Under Siege

“To the extent that we retain the critical attitudes and destructive elements we have incorporated into our own personalities, we remain undifferentiated from our parents throughout our lifetime.”
― Lisa Firestone, The Self Under Siege

“Our real self is under siege by our anti-self.”
― Lisa Firestone, The Self Under Siege

“It is a full-time job to cope with alien elements from both interpersonal sources and societal influences.”
― Lisa Firestone, The Self Under Siege