--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wasn't quite as certain that I knew her…" description: "\"I wasn't quite as certain that I knew her soul. When it came right down to it, I wasn't sure she knew me either.\" — Alice Hoffman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/alice-hoffman-427_certain_i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-he_1373444.png" --- # I wasn't quite as certain that I knew her soul. When it… ![“I wasn't quite as certain that I knew her soul. When it came right down to it, I wasn't sure she knew me either.” quote by Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/alice-hoffman-427_certain_i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-he_1373444.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/alice-hoffman-427_certain_i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-he_1373444.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/alice-hoffman-427_certain_i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-he_1373444.png) > “I wasn't quite as certain that I knew her soul. When it came right down to it, I wasn't sure she knew me either.” [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Uncertainty about another’s inner self creates mutual doubt about understanding. **In simple terms:** Not sure if she knows you as you think. Key Takeaway Accept ambiguity in relationships. Themes trust communication self‑identity Mood thoughtful curious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - friendships - romantic relationships - team dynamics Key Concepts empathy mutual perception Questions to Reflect On - How can you clarify mutual understanding? - What signs indicate genuine connection? A Different Perspective Assuming knowledge can lead to misinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-knew-432894/) [Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew/) [Knew Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-soul-1718065/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Soul Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul-came-1629894/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Wasn Sure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-sure/) ## Related quotes > [“I loved him. I couldn’t pinpoint what made me so certain, but I knew it then, as surely as I knew my name or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/i-loved-him-i-couldn-t-pinpoint-what-made-me-so-certain-but-i-knew-it/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [“After awhile, all the men wanted his opinion, and all the girls were in love with him. He made certain of it. Because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/after-awhile-all-the-men-wanted-his-opinion-and-all-the-girls-were-in/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [At first, I wasn't sure whether I'd be a critic or a filmmaker, but I knew it would be something like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-truffaut/at-first-i-wasn-t-sure-whether-i-d-be-a-critic-or-a-filmmaker-but-i/) [Francois Truffaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-truffaut/) > [One certainly has a soul; but how it came to allow itself to be enclosed in a body is more than I can imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/one-certainly-has-a-soul-but-how-it-came-to-allow-itself-to-be-2/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [A life is never useless. Each soul that came down to Earth is here for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-life-is-never-useless-each-soul-that-came-down-to-earth-is-here-for/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [He died that day because his body had served its purpose. His soul had done what it came to do, learned what it came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-stein/he-died-that-day-because-his-body-had-served-its-purpose-his-soul-had/) [Garth Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-stein/) > [Came my soul,came brand new left this world without a clue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-leon/came-my-soul-came-brand-new-left-this-world-without-a-clue/) [Betsy Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-leon/) > [... I've learned that I have many, many soul mates here, and they come to me at the right time and in the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/i-ve-learned-that-i-have-many-many-soul-mates-here-and-they-come-to/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [One certainly has a soul; but how it came to allow itself to be enclosed in a body is more than I can imagine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/one-certainly-has-a-soul-but-how-it-came-to-allow-itself-to-be/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [I'm a new soul, I came to this strange world Hoping I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take But since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/i-m-a-new-soul-i-came-to-this-strange-world-hoping-i-could-learn-a/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [“I would have chased your spirit across the universe, to the place where your soul came to rest, and demanded the keepers of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/i-would-have-chased-your-spirit-across-the-universe-to-the-place/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [What did it avail to pray when he knew his soul lusted after its own destruction?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/what-did-it-avail-to-pray-when-he-knew-his-soul-lusted-after-its-own/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [I was a pop freak. I love music. Of course, I knew soul because I grew up in it. Writing it and everything. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-hayes/i-was-a-pop-freak-i-love-music-of-course-i-knew-soul-because-i-grew/) [Isaac Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-hayes/) > [Once I got done with my career, I knew in my soul that I don't have any negative thoughts about myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diamond-dallas-page/once-i-got-done-with-my-career-i-knew-in-my-soul-that-i-don-t-have/) [Diamond Dallas Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diamond-dallas-page/) > [“Or take this girl, for example. At a meeting just outside Paris, a fifteen-year-old girl came up to me and said that she'd been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-kieslowski/or-take-this-girl-for-example-at-a-meeting-just-outside-paris-a/) [Krzysztof Kieślowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-kieslowski/) ## More by Alice Hoffman > [Women know things that men will never know. We keep the best secrets. We tell the best stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/women-know-things-that-men-will-never-know-we-keep-the-best-secrets/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“All of the quarters in his hand were tarnished. He had no idea that the silver in a man’s pockets always turns black if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/all-of-the-quarters-in-his-hand-were-tarnished-he-had-no-idea-that/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [But most important of all, she explained that it was all right to say 'No. I disagree.' that was a gift. I understood it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/but-most-important-of-all-she-explained-that-it-was-all-right-to-say/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“It was after dark when the woods were most filled with magic, when there were fireflies and the mist was rising from the streams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/it-was-after-dark-when-the-woods-were-most-filled-with-magic-when/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Never look back, that's what she's told herself. Don't think about swans or being alone in the dark. Don't think of storms, or lightning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/never-look-back-that-s-what-she-s-told-herself-don-t-think-about/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [This was what it meant to be human, to know that time moved and all things changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/this-was-what-it-meant-to-be-human-to-know-that-time-moved-and-all/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“She preferred cats to human beings and turned down every offer from the men who fell in love with her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/she-preferred-cats-to-human-beings-and-turned-down-every-offer-from/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [I'm a really eclectic reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-m-a-really-eclectic-reader/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [It's not the lie that's the problem; it's the distance the lie forges between you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/it-s-not-the-lie-that-s-the-problem-it-s-the-distance-the-lie-forges/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Her vision was going, but she could see him, the way people see clouds-beautiful, racing by, casting shadows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/her-vision-was-going-but-she-could-see-him-the-way-people-see-clouds/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [That's why there are ten gates to pass through before you reach the garden. If life were easy there would be one gate. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/that-s-why-there-are-ten-gates-to-pass-through-before-you-reach-the/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“...the summer of the gypsy moths when all the trees in their yard were bare, the leaves chewed by caterpillars. You could hear crunching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/the-summer-of-the-gypsy-moths-when-all-the-trees-in-their-yard-were/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“The best way to die is when you're living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/the-best-way-to-die-is-when-you-re-living/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Haylin was given a good talking-to by the headmaster and made to write a paper about workers’ rights, which he considered a privilege rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/haylin-was-given-a-good-talking-to-by-the-headmaster-and-made-to/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/my-darling-girl-when-are-you-going-to-realize-that-being-normal-is/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) [Explore all 571 Alice Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) [T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) [Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wasn't quite as certain that I knew her soul. When it came right down to it, I wasn't sure she knew me either.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alice Hoffman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-her-soul-when-it-came-right/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-her-soul-when-it-came-right/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/alice-hoffman-427_certain_i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-he_1373444.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/alice-hoffman-427_certain_i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-he_1373444.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/144/alice-hoffman-427_certain_i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-he_1373444.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wasn't quite as certain that I knew her soul. When it came right down to it, I wasn't sure she knew me…” — Alice Hoffman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alice Hoffman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wasn't quite as certain that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-her-soul-when-it-came-right/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/i-wasn-t-quite-as-certain-that-i-knew-her-soul-when-it-came-right/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```