---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We think we know the ones we love, and…"
description: "\"“We think we know the ones we love, and though we should not be surprised to find that we don't, it is heartbreak nonetheless. It is the hardest kind o..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/andrew-sean-greer-2689_heartbreak_we-think-we-know-the-ones-we-love-and-th_838147.jpg"
---

#  We think we know the ones we love, and though we should…

![“We think we know the ones we love, and though we should not be surprised to find that we don't, it is heartbreak nonetheless. It is the hardest kind of knowledge, not just about another but about ourselves. To see our lives as a fiction we have written and believed. Silence and lies. The sensation…” quote by Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/andrew-sean-greer-2689_heartbreak_we-think-we-know-the-ones-we-love-and-th_838147.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/andrew-sean-greer-2689_heartbreak_we-think-we-know-the-ones-we-love-and-th_838147.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c6/andrew-sean-greer-2689_heartbreak_we-think-we-know-the-ones-we-love-and-th_838147.jpg)

> ““We think we know the ones we love, and though we should not be surprised to find that we don't, it is heartbreak nonetheless. It is the hardest kind of knowledge, not just about another but about ourselves. To see our lives as a fiction we have written and believed. Silence and lies. The sensation I felt that evening--that I did not know my Holland, did not know myself, that it was perhaps impossible to know a single soul on earth--it was a fearful loneliness.””

[Andrew Sean Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote explores the painful realization that love and self‑knowledge are often illusory, revealing a deep loneliness when we confront our own unknown selves.

**In simple terms:** Love can be deceptive and leave us feeling isolated.

Key Takeaway

Accept uncertainty and seek authentic connection.

Themes

love self‑discovery loneliness identity illusion

Mood

melancholic contemplative introspective

Type

philosophical literary emotional

When to use this quote

- relationship breakdown
- personal crisis
- self‑reflection
- grief
- existential dread

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology human condition

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you recognize when love is a fiction?
- What steps can you take to know yourself better?

A Different Perspective

It may overstate the universality of this experience; not everyone feels such profound alienation.

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[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Andrew Sean Greer

> [It takes too much imagination to see the sorrows of people we take for happy. Their real battles take place, like those of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sean-greer/it-takes-too-much-imagination-to-see-the-sorrows-of-people-we-take/)

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[Explore all 154 Andrew Sean Greer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sean-greer/)

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> [It hurts wanting the best for someone you love, even if they feel the best isn't you. That's real love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-hurts-wanting-the-best-for-someone-you-love-even-if-they-feel-the/)

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