she sometimes felt she had “no core.”

English translation: She felt like she lacked a clear sense of self-identity and emotional stability, she felt empty

23:11 Feb 29, 2024

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Sciences - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / preoccupied attachment

English term or phrase: she sometimes felt she had “no core.”

Dear colleagues,
I’m not sure how to interpret “she had no core” right at the end of the following passage describing a woman who entered therapy out of concern that she might not marry or have children; she had characteristics of a preoccupied attachment pattern.
How do you understand “having no core” in this case? “Soul” may be too strong... what about “she had no center”? Although I think "core" may refer to something "stable" and "well-defined" in this case, but I'm not sure...
Thank you very much for any suggestion!

****************************
Approaching 40, Ellen came into therapy out of concern that she might not marry or have children. She had married impulsively when young and divorced within a year. Since then she had had several relationships to which, when push came to shove, she had not committed. She could not understand why.
Poised, professionally successful, and engaging, she exuded confidence and had what she called a “bright personality” that “came naturally.” Indeed, she had hypomanic character traits that defended well against depressive states and an array of repressive defenses that defended successfully against anger. The immediate precipitant for her coming to therapy was that for several months she had had unexpected “fits of tears” while alone at home. They marked moments when panic about not marrying or having children broke through her defenses. Well motivated, from the first session on, she entered the room raring to go. (..)
Ellen had characteristics of a preoccupied attachment pattern. (...)
She told me that she felt like a balloon with its air escaping, sputtering around in fits and starts, giving her a sense of fragmentation. (In her initial interview, *** Ellen told me she sometimes felt she had “no core.”)***

haribert KudoZ activity Questions: 289 (none open) (1 without valid answers) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 524
Local time: 19:43

Selected answer:She felt like she lacked a clear sense of self-identity and emotional stability, she felt empty

Explanation:
inside

Selected response from:

Darius Saczuk
United States
Local time: 13:43

Grading comment

Thank you so much, Darius, for your help! Many thanks also to Domini for her suggestions and to all other colleagues for their useful contributions!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

3 +5

She felt like she lacked a clear sense of self-identity and emotional stability, she felt empty

Darius Saczuk

centre

Domini Lucas

Summary of reference entries provided

centre

Domini Lucas

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

5 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

She felt like she lacked a clear sense of self-identity and emotional stability, she felt empty

Explanation:
inside

Darius Saczuk
United States
Local time: 13:43
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Polish,

English
PRO pts in category: 124

Grading comment

Thank you so much, Darius, for your help! Many thanks also to Domini for her suggestions and to all other colleagues for their useful contributions!

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you so much, Darius, for your help!

1 day 20 hrs confidence:

centre

Explanation:
I think you may get away with centre as per my reference entry, but it likely depends on whether you want something short and whether you're just looking to understand the meaning, or to an alternative word to translate into another language.

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Note added at 1 day 20 hrs (2024-03-02 19:30:48 GMT)
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also on more wider context - i.e. if you know any more of what Ellen said in her initial interview.

Domini Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:43
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you very much, Domini, for your suggestion! I also thought of "center" initially, because it seems to me that "center" hints also at "stability". However, I think that in this case "core" could mean also that Ellen lacks a sufficiently strong sense of self... Apparently she is a brilliant woman, but inside her she may be psychologically "weak". But I'll think about it. Thanks again and have a nice Sunday!

Reference comments

1 day 20 hrs

Reference: centre

Reference information:
I assume you are translating out of English? Either way if you need a short substitute I think "centre" may be ok because there are different nuances to the definition

For example if you take the Collins dictionary definition in the link, scroll beyond the first set of definitions and the video to the second block that just says NOUN (rather than countable, verb etc.)
You'll find definition 2):
the point, axis, or pivot about which a body rotates.
I think that would cover the issue of keeping her fragments together, and to the unchanging nature and stability of it. Except that "core" feels deeper to me than centre. But it may be a question of nearest equivalent depending on your wider context.

Collins definition of core also included because it refers to central part twice.

Reference: http://https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/...
Reference: http://https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/...

Domini Lucas
United Kingdom
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English

Note to reference poster

Asker: Thank you so much, Domini, for your useful links! I initially thought of "center", but as you said, "core" seems to be something more profound. I'm translating into Italian, and maybe, I'll try and clarify a little bit the meaning, maybe adding something along the lines "a stable/strong inner core"..

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she sometimes felt she had “no core.”

English translation: She felt like she lacked a clear sense of self-identity and emotional stability, she felt empty

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she sometimes felt she had “no core.”

English translation: She felt like she lacked a clear sense of self-identity and emotional stability, she felt empty

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