--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here he is, the epitome of…" description: "\"“Here he is, the epitome of self-improvement, like I knew a more primitive and lesser form of him. He wasn't a full person then, but now he is complete..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/anna-green-76582_fanfiction_here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improveme_982386.jpg" --- # Here he is, the epitome of self-improvement, like I knew a… ![“Here he is, the epitome of self-improvement, like I knew a more primitive and lesser form of him. He wasn't a full person then, but now he is complete. Not completed by me, not at all. He's making damn sure I don't accidentally think that. And he smiles at me, the way you'd smile at a stranger, or…” quote by Anna Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/anna-green-76582_fanfiction_here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improveme_982386.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/anna-green-76582_fanfiction_here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improveme_982386.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/anna-green-76582_fanfiction_here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improveme_982386.jpg) > ““Here he is, the epitome of self-improvement, like I knew a more primitive and lesser form of him. He wasn't a full person then, but now he is complete. Not completed by me, not at all. He's making damn sure I don't accidentally think that. And he smiles at me, the way you'd smile at a stranger, or at someone you know you're never going to see again, awkward but comforting like the encounter was not as unpleasant as it could have been. I want to snatch a hold of his shoulders and ask if he's fucking kidding me. If he's done. Because it seems to me like he is, but he's not allowed to be if I'm not.”” Anna Green ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes a person who appears transformed and self-assured, yet doubts their authenticity and fears being misled. **In simple terms:** Doubt about someone's apparent self-improvement. Key Takeaway Question the authenticity of change. Themes identity authenticity trust self-improvement perception Mood uncertain reflective Type analytical contemplative When to use this quote - personal relationships - first impressions - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology social interaction self‑presentation Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports your doubt? - How might you verify genuine change? A Different Perspective The speaker may be projecting their own insecurities onto the other person. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fanfiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanfiction/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) ## Related quotes > [It's the greatest thing you'd ever imagine, But you'll never know until you're there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/panic-at-the-disco/it-s-the-greatest-thing-you-d-ever-imagine-but-you-ll-never-know/) [Panic At The Disco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/panic-at-the-disco/) > [If I could trade mistakes for sheep. Count me away, before you sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/panic-at-the-disco/if-i-could-trade-mistakes-for-sheep-count-me-away-before-you-sleep/) [Panic At The Disco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/panic-at-the-disco/) > [A person is only complete when she has a true friend to understand her, to share all her passions and sorrows with, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-lynn/a-person-is-only-complete-when-she-has-a-true-friend-to-understand/) [J. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-lynn/) > [If you do a good deed, don't expect anything back - the other person can still be a complete git.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hopkins/if-you-do-a-good-deed-don-t-expect-anything-back-the-other-person-can/) [Katie Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hopkins/) > [It takes many people to complete the world but only one person to complete mine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-many-people-to-complete-the-world-but-only-one-person-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I was my own person, complete in and of myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-north/i-was-my-own-person-complete-in-and-of-myself/) Meg North > [You don't need to be in a relationship to be a complete person. You complete yourself because of who you are, not because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-don-t-need-to-be-in-a-relationship-to-be-a-complete-person-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Smile at a stranger. See what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-lupone/smile-at-a-stranger-see-what-happens/) [Patti LuPone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-lupone/) > [A smile from a stranger, a kiss from a lover or a warm hug from a friend is some of the things that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-smile-from-a-stranger-a-kiss-from-a-lover-or-a-warm-hug-from-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always Smile at stranger, coz that stranger will soon to be your friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loremae-dagandan/always-smile-at-stranger-coz-that-stranger-will-soon-to-be-your-friend/) Loremae Dagandan > [“His smile is a stranger resting on a haunted face, only coming out for poisons turning him into a ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-stone/his-smile-is-a-stranger-resting-on-a-haunted-face-only-coming-out-for/) [Craig Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-stone/) > [Success can be as simple as the warm feeling you get when you smile at a stranger, someone you know must be lonely, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-trump-barry/success-can-be-as-simple-as-the-warm-feeling-you-get-when-you-smile/) [Maryanne Trump Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-trump-barry/) > [Smile at a stranger. It will make both of you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/smile-at-a-stranger-it-will-make-both-of-you-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never trust a smile of a stranger, coz sometimes they got your heart stolen even before you know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhiel14/never-trust-a-smile-of-a-stranger-coz-sometimes-they-got-your-heart/) Rhiel14 > [“Gift your smile to a stranger today. Share your love. Lift someone up. Show some humanity. Go home happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sravani-saha-nakhro/gift-your-smile-to-a-stranger-today-share-your-love-lift-someone-up/) [Sravani Saha Nakhro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sravani-saha-nakhro/) ## More by Anna Green > [“He looks lost, but I’m not much of an explorer right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-green/he-looks-lost-but-i-m-not-much-of-an-explorer-right-now/) Anna Green > [“I want to take my time, want to go slow and soft and look into his fucking eyes, all of it, because the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-green/i-want-to-take-my-time-want-to-go-slow-and-soft-and-look-into-his/) Anna Green Explore all 3 Anna Green quotes ## More Fanfiction quotes > [“I’m not leaving, if that’s what you’re worried about.” “You’re...not?” “It seems you wanted me here. I can’t go back when you need me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baeconandeggs/i-m-not-leaving-if-that-s-what-you-re-worried-about-you-re-not-it/) baeconandeggs > [“She had never before suffered from claustrophobia, but the room seemed too small to contain Luke's elation, and she felt that she could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-spurrill-jones/she-had-never-before-suffered-from-claustrophobia-but-the-room-seemed/) Esther Spurrill Jones > [“And then Harry Potter had launched in to a speech that was inspiring, yet vague. A speech to the effect that Fred and George…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/and-then-harry-potter-had-launched-in-to-a-speech-that-was-inspiring/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [“I chose to make your wish come true because I saw through your heart, Yeol. I know how it feels to be so profoundly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baeconandeggs/i-chose-to-make-your-wish-come-true-because-i-saw-through-your-heart/) baeconandeggs > [“Actually, the full bell curve goes: brilliant; pretty good; mediocre; mediocre and interminable; dire; vile; dire and vile; and dire, vile, and interminable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/actually-the-full-bell-curve-goes-brilliant-pretty-good-mediocre/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [“Irritated fans produce fanfic like irritated oysters produce pearls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-jamison/irritated-fans-produce-fanfic-like-irritated-oysters-produce-pearls/) [Anne Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-jamison/) > [“Smiling, I say, "Edward, tell me secret." He says, "I love you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yellowbella/smiling-i-say-edward-tell-me-secret-he-says-i-love-you/) YellowBella > [“Hermione looked at him, not blinking. It was a moment before she replied, “I know that you served your time on Azkaban Station.” She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/refictionista/hermione-looked-at-him-not-blinking-it-was-a-moment-before-she/) Refictionista > [“So, Houston, we have a prophecy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darija-di-angelo/so-houston-we-have-a-prophecy/) Darija di Angelo > [“I adore the way fan fiction writers engage with and critique source texts, by manipulating them and breaking their rules. Some of it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-adore-the-way-fan-fiction-writers-engage-with-and-critique-source/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“Fanfiction isn't copying - it's a celebration . One long party, from the first capital letter to the last full stop!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/fanfiction-isn-t-copying-it-s-a-celebration-one-long-party-from-the/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“You should always be sorry for being in love with someone. Because sometimes, they return the favor. And after that you can do your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hecatea/you-should-always-be-sorry-for-being-in-love-with-someone-because/) HecateA > [“How many people make a career out of writing anyway?' Cath snapped. She felt like everything inside her was snapping. Her nerves. Her temper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/how-many-people-make-a-career-out-of-writing-anyway-cath-snapped-she/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“But I don't want to write my own fiction,' Cath said, as emphatically as she could. 'I don't want to write my own characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/but-i-don-t-want-to-write-my-own-fiction-cath-said-as-emphatically-as/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“Jared paused. Did straight people have a gaydar? Or should that technically be considered a straightdar? He frowned in thought then shrugged. Whether they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felisblanco/jared-paused-did-straight-people-have-a-gaydar-or-should-that/) Felisblanco [Browse all 27 Fanfiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanfiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Here he is, the epitome of self-improvement, like I knew a more primitive and lesser form of him. He wasn't a full person then, but now he is complete. Not completed by me, not at all. He's making damn sure I don't accidentally think that. And he smiles at me, the way you'd smile at a stranger, or at someone you know you're never going to see again, awkward but comforting like the encounter was not as unpleasant as it could have been. I want to snatch a hold of his shoulders and ask if he's fucking kidding me. If he's done. Because it seems to me like he is, but he's not allowed to be if I'm not.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anna Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-green/here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improvement-like-i-knew-a-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fanfiction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-green/here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improvement-like-i-knew-a-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/anna-green-76582_fanfiction_here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improveme_982386.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/anna-green-76582_fanfiction_here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improveme_982386.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca4/anna-green-76582_fanfiction_here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improveme_982386.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Here he is, the epitome of self-improvement, like I knew a more primitive and lesser form of him. He wasn't…” — Anna Green", "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": "Anna Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Here he is, the epitome of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-green/here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improvement-like-i-knew-a-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-green/here-he-is-the-epitome-of-self-improvement-like-i-knew-a-more/#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 } } ] } ```