Can anyone point me to a quotation from lit. or philosophy which captures the theme of self-fragmentation?

Question

I am looking for a quotation to introduce my thesis. The form of self-fragmentation I have in mind is the self dispersing into a plurality of roles or personae which lack overall unity (alternatively, the self being internally divided might suffice, or, indeed, the self's alienation in the division of labour)

Answer 1

"No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Answer 2

Not as such but perhaps these may apply:

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.
F. Scott Fitzgerald

or

"He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe." Marcus Aurelius

Answer 3

I had a good quote from my Psychology of Prejudice book, I don't remember the author or the page number, but I might be able to find it if you want. The quote is: "It became clear that people often behaved in ways that were inconsistent with their attitudes and they did not appear to be bothered by that fact"

Best of luck.

Answer 4

King Richard III in Shakespeare's eponymous play, if you know the play you'll know the context is the king by himself, after he just had a dream in which everyone he murdered came back to him as ghosts:

Give me another horse: bind up my wounds.
Have mercy, Jesu!--Soft! I did but dream.
O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!
The lights burn blue. It is now dead midnight.
Cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh.
What do I fear? myself? there's none else by:
Richard loves Richard; that is, I am I.
Is there a murderer here? No. Yes, I am:
Then fly. What, from myself? Great reason why:
Lest I revenge. What, myself upon myself?
Alack. I love myself. Wherefore? for any good
That I myself have done unto myself?
O, no! alas, I rather hate myself
For hateful deeds committed by myself!
I am a villain: yet I lie. I am not.
Fool, of thyself speak well: fool, do not flatter.
My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,
And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain.
Perjury, perjury, in the high'st degree
Murder, stem murder, in the direst degree;
All several sins, all used in each degree,
Throng to the bar, crying all, Guilty! guilty!
I shall despair. There is no creature loves me;
And if I die, no soul shall pity me:
Nay, wherefore should they, since that I myself
Find in myself no pity to myself?
Methought the souls of all that I had murder'd
Came to my tent; and every one did threat
To-morrow's vengeance on the head of Richard.

Answer 5

read 'A Scanner Darkly' by Philip K Dick. There's loads in there.