Rollo May — Quote from Man's Search for Himself
“Every human being must have a point at which he stands against the culture, where he says, this is me and the damned world can go to hell.”
Man's Search for Himself (1953)
Concepts: rebellion, authenticity, freedom
Resonant Quotes
- “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free tha...” — Albert Camus, The Rebel May's assertion that authentic selfhood requires taking a stand against cultural conformity perfectly echoes Camus's ...
- “What is a rebel? A man who says no, but whose refusal does not imply a renunc...” — Albert Camus, The Rebel Both quotes identify authentic selfhood as requiring a point of principled resistance to external pressures, where sa...
- “Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt th...” — Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own Both declare the inviolable sovereignty of individual consciousness against external authority, with Woolf's mental f...
- “What is a rebel? A man who says no, but whose refusal does not imply a renunc...” — Albert Camus, The Rebel These quotes present nearly identical visions of authentic selfhood requiring a fundamental stance of resistance, wit...
- “If the main pillar of the system is living a lie, then it is not surprising t...” — Václav Havel, The Power of the Powerless Both philosophers locate authentic resistance in the individual's commitment to personal truth against systemic press...
- “To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment Both assert the fundamental importance of individual authenticity over social approval—May's defiant stance and Dosto...
- “I will not serve that in which I no longer believe, whether it calls itself m...” — James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Both identify the crucial moment of individual resistance to cultural conformity, with Joyce's artistic focus deepeni...
- “No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.” — Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own Both quotes champion the necessity of maintaining authentic selfhood against social pressures, with Woolf providing t...