sich spalten

English translation: divides and subdivides ones being into functional compartments/departments

03:59 Sep 18, 2011
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Psychology
German term or phrase: sich spalten
Es ist wesentlich leichter, irgendeine hübsche Maske durch die Welt zu tragen als die nackte Wahrheit. Und wenn man schon als Kind lernt, dass man lächeln muss, um geliebt zu werden, und dass der Schaden, der an einem verursacht wird, verschwiegen werden muss, fängt man an, sich in unendlich viele Einzelteile zu spalten, nur um irgendwie den Tag zu bestehen.

In ths context, what does "sich in unendlich viele Einzelteile zu spalten" mean? Thanks in advance!
Jianming Sun
Local time: 22:54
English translation:divides and subdivides ones being into functional compartments/departments
Explanation:
This is put very simply, to explain an extremely complex and, for the most part unconscoious, emotional and mental process of the human psyche.


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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-09-18 07:00:20 GMT)
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..and so that the damage......

sorry, forgot the "so"

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Note added at 3 hrs (2011-09-18 07:03:01 GMT)
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AGAIN - (it Is Sunday morning, you know)

and so that the damage that has been done remains hidden(invisible), one begins to divide and subdivide one's self/being into countless functional departments/compartments, just to get through the day.
Selected response from:

Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 16:54
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4split up into an infinite number of alternate selves
Werner Maurer
4divides and subdivides ones being into functional compartments/departments
Ramey Rieger (X)
4split into / break down into / is fragmented into a myriad of components
Attila Szabo
4 -1fragment oneself
franglish


  

Answers


34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
split up into an infinite number of alternate selves


Explanation:
That's how I understand it.

Werner Maurer
Canada
Local time: 07:54
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
divides and subdivides ones being into functional compartments/departments


Explanation:
This is put very simply, to explain an extremely complex and, for the most part unconscoious, emotional and mental process of the human psyche.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2011-09-18 07:00:20 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

..and so that the damage......

sorry, forgot the "so"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2011-09-18 07:03:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

AGAIN - (it Is Sunday morning, you know)

and so that the damage that has been done remains hidden(invisible), one begins to divide and subdivide one's self/being into countless functional departments/compartments, just to get through the day.

Example sentence(s):
  • ... and that the damage that has been done, must remain hidden/a secret, one begins to divide and subdivide oneself into functional compartments/departments just to get throught the day.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
Local time: 16:54
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 60
Grading comment
Thanks!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
fragment oneself


Explanation:
into an infinite number of alternate selves

http://www.selfpsychologypsychoanalysis.org/mollon.shtml - CachedSimilar
You +1'd this publicly. Undo
He said "I continually look to assure myself that you do not care about me". ... From a substrate of the fragmented self, the urge to form an organisation is .... of the bipolar self (without proposing an alternative structure) are avoiding one of his ...
http://www.infinite-manifesting.org/AnswersToQuestions.html - CachedYou +1'd this publicly. Undo
I'm also specifically afraid that I'll cause myself to pass out into the dream state if ..... In other words, yes, we are fragments of alternate selves when perceived as ...
psychoscience.net/microgeny_of_schizophrenia.htm - CachedYou +1'd this publicly. Undo
22 Feb 2010 – The unconscious core of self gives rise to the self-complex, from which an ... which is the unity and continuity of one's view of oneself over time. ..... Dissociation and fragmentation of the self or ego is a frequent ... as an alternative to fusion in hypnotherapy of dissociative identity disorder [Germine, 2004]. ...


franglish
Switzerland
Local time: 16:54
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Attila Szabo: 'the fragmented self' is not the same as 'fragment oneself'.
13 hrs
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
split into / break down into / is fragmented into a myriad of components


Explanation:
A mind cannot be 'fragmented into' X.E.g. data can be fragmented into X. However, the mind is 'fragmented' (without the preposition 'into'; also: a fragmented mind).

Does 'fragment oneself' even exist in English?

'...one begins to split into/break down into a myriad of components...'

or

'one's mind begins to split into/break down into/become fragmented into a myriad of components.'

My five cents.

Attila Szabo
Czech Republic
Local time: 16:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SlovenianSlovenian
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