--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our parents don't know us... They can't…" description: "\"Our parents don't know us... They can't know us. We hide ourselves from them. Once they knew everything about us and in order to escape them we keep ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/ellen-sussman-28763_order_our-parents-don-t-know-us-they-can-t-kno_1141928.jpg" --- # Our parents don't know us... They can't know us. We hide… ![“Our parents don't know us... They can't know us. We hide ourselves from them. Once they knew everything about us and in order to escape them we keep out secrets, our private selves.” quote by Ellen Sussman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/ellen-sussman-28763_order_our-parents-don-t-know-us-they-can-t-kno_1141928.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/ellen-sussman-28763_order_our-parents-don-t-know-us-they-can-t-kno_1141928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/ellen-sussman-28763_order_our-parents-don-t-know-us-they-can-t-kno_1141928.jpg) > “Our parents don't know us... They can't know us. We hide ourselves from them. Once they knew everything about us and in order to escape them we keep out secrets, our private selves.” [Ellen Sussman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-sussman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parents often cannot fully understand us, leading us to conceal parts of ourselves; secrecy becomes a means of escape and self‑preservation. **In simple terms:** We hide from parents because they can't fully know us. Key Takeaway Seek authentic self‑expression while navigating family dynamics. Themes family identity secrecy Mood conflicted introspective Type relational psychological When to use this quote - therapy sessions - family reunions - personal journaling - conflict resolution Key Concepts privacy psychological escape intergenerational gaps Questions to Reflect On - What parts of yourself are you hiding? - How might openness improve relationships? A Different Perspective Secrecy can damage trust and intimacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hide Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hide-knew-934609/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Parents Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-don/) [Private Selves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-selves-3187064/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secrets Private](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets-private-1892292/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) ## Related quotes > [Dear God, Tatiana prayed in bed that night, turning to the wall and pulling the white sheet and the thin brown blanket over herself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/dear-god-tatiana-prayed-in-bed-that-night-turning-to-the-wall-and/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) > [“If You are there somewhere, please teach me how to hide what I never knew how to show.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/if-you-are-there-somewhere-please-teach-me-how-to-hide-what-i-never/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) > [We often ask our citizens to split their public and private selves, telling them in effect that it is fine to be religious in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/we-often-ask-our-citizens-to-split-their-public-and-private-selves/) [Stephen L. 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