--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes I think the only things we have…" description: "\"“Sometimes I think the only things we have in common with one another are our shortcomings”\" — Kathleen Tessaro" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/kathleen-tessaro-8887_quote_sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-hav_2055066.jpg" --- # Sometimes I think the only things we have in common with… ![“Sometimes I think the only things we have in common with one another are our shortcomings” quote by Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/kathleen-tessaro-8887_quote_sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-hav_2055066.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/kathleen-tessaro-8887_quote_sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-hav_2055066.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/kathleen-tessaro-8887_quote_sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-hav_2055066.jpg) > ““Sometimes I think the only things we have in common with one another are our shortcomings”” [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our shared flaws create common ground, highlighting humanity’s collective imperfection. **In simple terms:** Shared flaws unite us. Key Takeaway Accept imperfections in yourself and others. Themes empathy humility connection Mood thoughtful empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team building - conflict resolution - mental health counseling Key Concepts psychology social dynamics existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What strengths can we also recognize in each other? - How does acknowledging flaws improve relationships? A Different Perspective Focusing on flaws can breed negativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Shortcomings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortcomings/) ## Related quotes > [I think I do things that are more common in theatre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yorgos-lanthimos/i-think-i-do-things-that-are-more-common-in-theatre/) [Yorgos Lanthimos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yorgos-lanthimos/) > [Bubbles have quite a few things in common, but housing bubbles have a spectacular thing in common, and that is every one of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/bubbles-have-quite-a-few-things-in-common-but-housing-bubbles-have-a/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [To be treated well in places where you don't expect to be treated well, to find things in common with people you thought previously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/to-be-treated-well-in-places-where-you-don-t-expect-to-be-treated/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [“But it was just as well, because we only had two things in common, and everyone knows you need at least four things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-perry/but-it-was-just-as-well-because-we-only-had-two-things-in-common-and/) [Kate Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-perry/) > [You and your rumors have two things in common: you're both fake and you both get around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-and-your-rumors-have-two-things-in-common-you-re-both-fake-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The US and Australia have a lot in common. One of the things we have in common is we produce a lot of carbon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-us-and-australia-have-a-lot-in-common-one-of-the-things-we-have/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The best things are the most common.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/the-best-things-are-the-most-common/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [It is a maxim of old that among themselves all things are common to friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/it-is-a-maxim-of-old-that-among-themselves-all-things-are-common-to/) [Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/) > [“We have too many of the wrong things in common to be more than sex, and the realization is freedom to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-renee-jones/we-have-too-many-of-the-wrong-things-in-common-to-be-more-than-sex/) [Lisa Renee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-renee-jones/) > [“He had that rarest of all things, common sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/he-had-that-rarest-of-all-things-common-sense/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [People should know each other because they want to, because they have things in common.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-olsen/people-should-know-each-other-because-they-want-to-because-they-have/) [Angel Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-olsen/) > [It is the things in common that make relationships enjoyable, but it is the little differences that make them interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-ruthman/it-is-the-things-in-common-that-make-relationships-enjoyable-but-it/) Todd Ruthman > [We all have two things in common, no matter who we are: We were born and we are going to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/we-all-have-two-things-in-common-no-matter-who-we-are-we-were-born/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I think every market has lot of things in common, and at the same time, every market has lot of different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-louboutin/i-think-every-market-has-lot-of-things-in-common-and-at-the-same-time/) [Christian Louboutin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-louboutin/) > [“Friends have all things in common.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/friends-have-all-things-in-common/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) ## More by Kathleen Tessaro > [“Mass was like grand opera, a magic show with the most expensive props in town. And faith, a sleight of hand trick, in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/mass-was-like-grand-opera-a-magic-show-with-the-most-expensive-props/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“To me, chance isn't random. The universe is bound by unseen threads. We have only to untangle them a little to see a pattern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/to-me-chance-isn-t-random-the-universe-is-bound-by-unseen-threads-we/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“I want to go to a café and sit with you. I want you to order something I've never eaten before and tease me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/i-want-to-go-to-a-caf-and-sit-with-you-i-want-you-to-order-something/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [My husband claims I have an unhealthy obsession with secondhand bookshops. That I spend too much time daydreaming altogether. But either you intrinsically understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/my-husband-claims-i-have-an-unhealthy-obsession-with-secondhand/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“I'm going to tell you something that no magazine or novel or television show will ever let on. Love wears you down. We think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/i-m-going-to-tell-you-something-that-no-magazine-or-novel-or/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“There is nothing more difficult than simplicity,’ Madame”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/there-is-nothing-more-difficult-than-simplicity-madame/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“I’d like to live in great comfort. And peace.’ And then she added, quite to her surprise, ‘With no one to tell me what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/i-d-like-to-live-in-great-comfort-and-peace-and-then-she-added-quite/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“I believe it’s a privilege, madam. One that’s earned through a certain amount of courage and adversity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/i-believe-it-s-a-privilege-madam-one-that-s-earned-through-a-certain/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“Paulette shook her head and sighed. In her world Grace had failed to meet the responsibility of her own beauty. This was not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/paulette-shook-her-head-and-sighed-in-her-world-grace-had-failed-to/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“He was uncannily skilled at dissecting hidden meaning behind every interaction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/he-was-uncannily-skilled-at-dissecting-hidden-meaning-behind-every/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“Likewise, while the men and women were no more naturally attractive than their English counterparts, they dressed with an assurance and attention to detail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/likewise-while-the-men-and-women-were-no-more-naturally-attractive/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“Around her the tables were filling with people, tourists planning their next stop over a coffee, businessmen meeting for luncheon, well-heeled women taking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/around-her-the-tables-were-filling-with-people-tourists-planning/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“Are we at war with fate?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/are-we-at-war-with-fate/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“Smells are custodians of memories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/smells-are-custodians-of-memories/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) > [“In every book she’d ever read, the heroine was subject to self-doubt and unjust criticism. And in every case, it only served to harden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/in-every-book-she-d-ever-read-the-heroine-was-subject-to-self-doubt/) [Kathleen Tessaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) [Explore all 76 Kathleen Tessaro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/) ## More Shortcomings quotes > [I think there are many faces to everyone. I also have my bad sides. Also I think everyone is trying to improve their shortcomings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhou-xun/i-think-there-are-many-faces-to-everyone-i-also-have-my-bad-sides/) [Zhou Xun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhou-xun/) > [I like men. They are hugely entertaining, but they have a lot of shortcomings and you just have to bear those in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-brand/i-like-men-they-are-hugely-entertaining-but-they-have-a-lot-of/) [Jo Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-brand/) > [The second commandment that Jesus referred to was not to love others instead of ourselves, but to love them as ourselves. Before we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-warner/the-second-commandment-that-jesus-referred-to-was-not-to-love-others/) Jim Warner > [God loves us despite our shortcomings and sins, and his love gives meaning to our lives and to the life of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/god-loves-us-despite-our-shortcomings-and-sins-and-his-love-gives/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [I do think it is harder to acknowledge our strengths, or to forgive ourselves and each other for our shortcomings, when there has not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-do-think-it-is-harder-to-acknowledge-our-strengths-or-to-forgive/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [“The flip side of this reality is that our big brains, advanced as they are, come with an array of complex shortcomings and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/the-flip-side-of-this-reality-is-that-our-big-brains-advanced-as-they/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [Heredity is a splendid phenomenon that relieves us of responsibility for our shortcomings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-larson/heredity-is-a-splendid-phenomenon-that-relieves-us-of-responsibility/) [Doug Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-larson/) > [The medical profession (is) a conspiracy to hide its own shortcomings. No doubt the same may be said of all professions. They are all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-medical-profession-is-a-conspiracy-to-hide-its-own-shortcomings/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [You can never make someone punctual who is not, or quick who is slow, or lively who wants to plod on carefully. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-of-wied/you-can-never-make-someone-punctual-who-is-not-or-quick-who-is-slow/) [Elisabeth of Wied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-of-wied/) > [I think that the FIDE leaders have to reconsider the current drawing rules - their advantages aren't very clear, but their shortcomings are obvious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/i-think-that-the-fide-leaders-have-to-reconsider-the-current-drawing/) [Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/) > [but very little achievement is required in order to pity another man's shortcomings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-very-little-achievement-is-required-in-order-to-pity-another-man/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [If you're honest with yourself, that's the first step in maturing and becoming a better person. If you suppress your shortcomings and fears, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-millard/if-you-re-honest-with-yourself-that-s-the-first-step-in-maturing-and/) Keith Millard > [We think we understand another person's struggle until God reveals the same shortcomings in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-think-we-understand-another-person-s-struggle-until-god-reveals/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [One of the greatest and also the commonest of faults is for men to believe that, because they never hear their shortcomings spoken of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/one-of-the-greatest-and-also-the-commonest-of-faults-is-for-men-to/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [History balances the frustration of 'how far we have to go' with the satisfaction of 'how far we have come.' It teaches us tolerance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-f-powell-jr/history-balances-the-frustration-of-how-far-we-have-to-go-with-the/) [Lewis F. Powell, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-f-powell-jr/) [Browse all 344 Shortcomings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortcomings/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sometimes I think the only things we have in common with one another are our shortcomings”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kathleen Tessaro" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-have-in-common-with-one-another/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Shortcomings" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-have-in-common-with-one-another/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/kathleen-tessaro-8887_quote_sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-hav_2055066.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/kathleen-tessaro-8887_quote_sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-hav_2055066.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/kathleen-tessaro-8887_quote_sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-hav_2055066.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes I think the only things we have in common with one another are our shortcomings” — Kathleen Tessaro", "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": "Kathleen Tessaro", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-tessaro/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Sometimes I think the only things...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-have-in-common-with-one-another/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-tessaro/sometimes-i-think-the-only-things-we-have-in-common-with-one-another/#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 } } ] } ```