# The self is a pattern that arises in a brain and refers to itself by Douglas Hofstadter > "The self is a pattern that arises in a brain and refers to itself." > **— Douglas Hofstadter**, *I Am a Strange Loop (2007), compressed candidate wording* Verification Status: Unverified — exact wording/source has not yet been independently confirmed against a primary source; source clue: I Am a Strange Loop (2007), compressed candidate wording.