--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I canot know your name, may I light a…" description: "\"If I canot know your name, may I light a lamp so I can see your face?' If you sould ever see my face, you will lose me forever.' Why?' Psyche wanted to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/julius-lester-17362_believe_if-i-canot-know-your-name-may-i-light-a_841761.jpg" --- # If I canot know your name, may I light a lamp so I can see… ![“If I canot know your name, may I light a lamp so I can see your face?' If you sould ever see my face, you will lose me forever.' Why?' Psyche wanted to know. 'Are you ugly? Are you afraid I won't love you if I see your face?' Perhaps I am afraid that if you see my face, it will be THAT that you…” quote by Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/julius-lester-17362_believe_if-i-canot-know-your-name-may-i-light-a_841761.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/julius-lester-17362_believe_if-i-canot-know-your-name-may-i-light-a_841761.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/julius-lester-17362_believe_if-i-canot-know-your-name-may-i-light-a_841761.jpg) > “If I canot know your name, may I light a lamp so I can see your face?' If you sould ever see my face, you will lose me forever.' Why?' Psyche wanted to know. 'Are you ugly? Are you afraid I won't love you if I see your face?' Perhaps I am afraid that if you see my face, it will be THAT that you will love and not me.' I understand, believe me. I know what that feels like.” [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lover fears that revealing their true self will cause the other to love the image rather than the person, leading to loss of intimacy. **In simple terms:** Fear of being loved for the wrong reasons. Key Takeaway Embrace authentic connection. Themes love identity vulnerability trust self‑acceptance Mood anxious hopeful Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - romantic relationships - friendships - therapy sessions - creative collaborations Key Concepts authenticity self‑image intimacy Questions to Reflect On - What parts of yourself do you hide? - How does fear shape your relationships? A Different Perspective People may still reject you even when you are honest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) ## Related quotes > [Don't sit there and wallow in woe-is-me stuff that happened in your past. Move forward. Face whatever you're afraid of. Or deal with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tionne-watkins/don-t-sit-there-and-wallow-in-woe-is-me-stuff-that-happened-in-your/) [Tionne Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tionne-watkins/) > [We are afraid of ourselves and our own unconscious minds. When we are building something that reflects us, it's the one thing we're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gray-scott/we-are-afraid-of-ourselves-and-our-own-unconscious-minds-when-we-are/) [Gray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gray-scott/) > [“You're afraid of me, I can see it on your face. I'm afraid of me. Afraid of sleeping with you and doing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/you-re-afraid-of-me-i-can-see-it-on-your-face-i-m-afraid-of-me-afraid/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [Sometimes, when you don't ask questions, it's not because you are afraid that someone will lie to your face. It's because you're afraid they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/sometimes-when-you-don-t-ask-questions-it-s-not-because-you-are/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I'm that girl that's afraid, afraid to show her face, afraid of reality, afraid of living. AFRAID OF CHANGING.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanaryak/i-m-that-girl-that-s-afraid-afraid-to-show-her-face-afraid-of-reality/) Sanaryak > [We only really face up to ourselves when we are afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bernhard/we-only-really-face-up-to-ourselves-when-we-are-afraid/) [Thomas Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bernhard/) > [“Look at my face: I am not afraid of any man alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/look-at-my-face-i-am-not-afraid-of-any-man-alive/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“I can’t stand the thought of looking at you someday, this face I love, and not knowing who you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/i-can-t-stand-the-thought-of-looking-at-you-someday-this-face-i-love/) [lisa genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) > [Her face was a stranger’s face, which was as it should be. Love each other from the day we are born to the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-beagle/her-face-was-a-stranger-s-face-which-was-as-it-should-be-love-each/) [Peter S. Beagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-beagle/) > [“Know yourself, not a face, in love, a deeper grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-m-perrin/know-yourself-not-a-face-in-love-a-deeper-grace/) [Frederic M. Perrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-m-perrin/) > [“Gadzooks! What a big chunk of God is to be found by looking into the face of someone you love!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landvik-lorna/gadzooks-what-a-big-chunk-of-god-is-to-be-found-by-looking-into-the/) Landvik Lorna > [“Did she ever think of that, that things experienced in ways different from hers were equally valuable? That the way that he chose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/did-she-ever-think-of-that-that-things-experienced-in-ways-different/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“I want to murder the one who came out to the world with the face of love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-becciu/i-want-to-murder-the-one-who-came-out-to-the-world-with-the-face-of/) Ana Becciu > [No ones gonna stop us now, you and me can face the love and pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jmsn/no-ones-gonna-stop-us-now-you-and-me-can-face-the-love-and-pain/) [JMSN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jmsn/) > [U R D 1st Thing I Think About Wen I Wake Up Just Thinking Of U Put D Biggest Smiles On My Face Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhatsprincess/u-r-d-1st-thing-i-think-about-wen-i-wake-up-just-thinking-of-u-put-d/) ZhatsPrincess ## More by Julius Lester > [A good teacher is one who helps you become who you feel yourself to be. A good teacher is also one who says something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/a-good-teacher-is-one-who-helps-you-become-who-you-feel-yourself-to/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [“Stagolee was, undoubtedly and without question, the baddest nigger that ever lived. Stagolee was so bad that the flies wouldn't even fly around his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/stagolee-was-undoubtedly-and-without-question-the-baddest-nigger-that/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [But there are times when a tree can no longer withstand the pain inflicted on it, and the wind will take pity on that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/but-there-are-times-when-a-tree-can-no-longer-withstand-the-pain/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [“To give good hugs you have to have some soft places. —Jeremy Richards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/to-give-good-hugs-you-have-to-have-some-soft-places-jeremy-richards/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [“Perhaps one of the writer's tasks is to weave himself into others' pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/perhaps-one-of-the-writer-s-tasks-is-to-weave-himself-into-others-pain/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [How can I love you if I don't know what hurts you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/how-can-i-love-you-if-i-don-t-know-what-hurts-you/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [But I want you around even when I don't need you. —Jeremy Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/but-i-want-you-around-even-when-i-don-t-need-you-jeremy-richards/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [“Just because you're bron to someone, it doesn't mean you belong to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/just-because-you-re-bron-to-someone-it-doesn-t-mean-you-belong-to-them/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [Being a failure at living your own life as best as you can is better than being a success living the life somebody else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/being-a-failure-at-living-your-own-life-as-best-as-you-can-is-better/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [I write because the lives of all of us are stories. If enough of those stories are told, then perhaps we will begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/i-write-because-the-lives-of-all-of-us-are-stories-if-enough-of-those/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [Books, and especially fiction, do not proceed from ideas. They are born from feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/books-and-especially-fiction-do-not-proceed-from-ideas-they-are-born/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [Dying ain't important. Everyone does that. What's important is how well you do your living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/dying-ain-t-important-everyone-does-that-what-s-important-is-how-well/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [When I read students’ attempts at creative writing it is obvious immediately that most of them have not read much or widely. The aspiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/when-i-read-students-attempts-at-creative-writing-it-is-obvious/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [Silence was not the absence of sound but was itself a sound that could be loud or soft, soothing or disturbing, complex or simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/silence-was-not-the-absence-of-sound-but-was-itself-a-sound-that/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) > [Some wounds go so deep that you don't even feel them until months, maybe years, later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-lester/some-wounds-go-so-deep-that-you-don-t-even-feel-them-until-months/) [Julius Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) [Explore all 36 Julius Lester quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-lester/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I canot know your name, may I light a lamp so I can see your face?' If you sould ever see my face, you will lose me forever.' Why?' Psyche wanted to know. 'Are you ugly? Are you afraid I won't love you if I see your face?' Perhaps I am afraid that if you see my face, it will be THAT that you will love and not me.' I understand, believe me. 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