--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd discovered you never know yourself…" description: "\"I'd discovered you never know yourself until you're tested and that you don't even know you're being tested until afterwards, and that in fact there is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/marilyn-french-8026_facts_i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-u_2784864.png" --- # I'd discovered you never know yourself until you're tested… ![“I'd discovered you never know yourself until you're tested and that you don't even know you're being tested until afterwards, and that in fact there isn't anyone giving the test except yourself.” quote by Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/marilyn-french-8026_facts_i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-u_2784864.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/marilyn-french-8026_facts_i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-u_2784864.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/marilyn-french-8026_facts_i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-u_2784864.png) > “I'd discovered you never know yourself until you're tested and that you don't even know you're being tested until afterwards, and that in fact there isn't anyone giving the test except yourself.” [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑knowledge emerges through challenges, often unnoticed until after they pass, and we are our own examiners. **In simple terms:** You learn about yourself when tested, often without realizing it. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges as self‑tests. Themes self‑discovery challenge reflection Mood introspective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career setbacks - personal crises - relationship conflicts - health scares Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What hidden tests are you ignoring? - How can you recognize self‑imposed challenges? A Different Perspective Self‑tests may be ambiguous, leading to misinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving Test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-test-3337882/) [Know Tested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-tested-1893654/) [Know yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-yourself/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Test](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/test/) [Tested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tested/) [Tested Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tested-fact-3337883/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) ## Related quotes > [You can't really know what you are made of until you are tested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-really-know-what-you-are-made-of-until-you-are-tested/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You will never truly know yourself or the strength of your relationships until both have been tested by adversity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/you-will-never-truly-know-yourself-or-the-strength-of-your/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [“Yeah, about the test... The test will measure whether you are an informed, engaged, and productive citizen of the world, and it will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/yeah-about-the-test-the-test-will-measure-whether-you-are-an-informed/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Everyone should be tested. Whenever they have a check-up, they should test for HIV, because if we can get to a point in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-furnish/everyone-should-be-tested-whenever-they-have-a-check-up-they-should/) [David Furnish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-furnish/) > [True love is tested when betrayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-love-is-tested-when-betrayed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Are you going to go down on your knees and beg for your life, old one?" Abbot Mortimer stared calmly into Cluny's savage eye.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-jacques/are-you-going-to-go-down-on-your-knees-and-beg-for-your-life-old-one/) [Brian Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-jacques/) > [You never really know yourself until you see yourself under pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/you-never-really-know-yourself-until-you-see-yourself-under-pressure/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Well, by now you must know yourself, honey, whatever you do, life don't stop. It only sits a minute and dreams a dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-paley/well-by-now-you-must-know-yourself-honey-whatever-you-do-life-don-t/) [Grace Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-paley/) > [You know yourself what you are worth in your own eyes; and at what price you will sell yourself. For men sell themselves at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/you-know-yourself-what-you-are-worth-in-your-own-eyes-and-at-what/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Know yourself to improve yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-comte/know-yourself-to-improve-yourself/) [Auguste Comte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auguste-comte/) > [I am neither especially clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-neither-especially-clever-nor-especially-gifted-i-am-only-very/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Use the creative process - singing, writing, art, dance, whatever - to get to know yourself better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catie-curtis/use-the-creative-process-singing-writing-art-dance-whatever-to-get-to/) [Catie Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catie-curtis/) > [In any competitive environment, whether you're in sales or marketing or whatever it is, you have to know your competition, understand who they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-moses/in-any-competitive-environment-whether-you-re-in-sales-or-marketing/) [Edwin Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-moses/) > [I like René Descartes' theory about a ball of wax. You can change its form from solid to liquid, but it's still the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-like-ren-descartes-theory-about-a-ball-of-wax-you-can-change-its/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [There is nothing to do, just be. Do nothing. Be. No climbing mountains and sitting in caves. I do not even say "be yourself"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/there-is-nothing-to-do-just-be-do-nothing-be-no-climbing-mountains/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) ## More by Marilyn French > [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Even disasters -- there are always disasters when you travel -- can be turned into adventures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/even-disasters-there-are-always-disasters-when-you-travel-can-be/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“The breakdown of the neighborhoods also meant the end of what was essentially an extended family…With the breakdown of the extended family, too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/the-breakdown-of-the-neighborhoods-also-meant-the-end-of-what-was/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [All men are rapists and that's all they are. They rape us with their eyes, their laws, and their codes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/all-men-are-rapists-and-that-s-all-they-are-they-rape-us-with-their/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [I can only tell you one thing I've learned. Enjoy the walk along the path you've chosen. Don't count down the days. Make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/i-can-only-tell-you-one-thing-i-ve-learned-enjoy-the-walk-along-the/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Control over a woman is the only form of dominance most men possess, for most men are merely subjects of more powerful men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/control-over-a-woman-is-the-only-form-of-dominance-most-men-possess/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Men seem unable to feel equal to women: they must be superior or they are inferior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/men-seem-unable-to-feel-equal-to-women-they-must-be-superior-or-they/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [All the women I know feel a little like outlaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/all-the-women-i-know-feel-a-little-like-outlaws/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Women are afraid in a world in which almost half the population bears the guise of the predator, in which no factor - age,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/women-are-afraid-in-a-world-in-which-almost-half-the-population-bears/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“She could envision Shakespeare's sister. But she imagined a violent, an apocalyptic end for Shakespeare's sister, whereas I know that isn't what happened. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/she-could-envision-shakespeare-s-sister-but-she-imagined-a-violent-an/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [My goal in life is to change the entire social and economic structure of western civilization, to make it a feminist world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/my-goal-in-life-is-to-change-the-entire-social-and-economic-structure/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [There was no justice, there was only life. And life she had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/there-was-no-justice-there-was-only-life-and-life-she-had/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“All my life I've read that the life of the mind is preeminent, and that it can transcend all bodily degradation. But that's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/all-my-life-i-ve-read-that-the-life-of-the-mind-is-preeminent-and/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [“and I'd die of his emptiness even more than I'm dying of my own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/and-i-d-die-of-his-emptiness-even-more-than-i-m-dying-of-my-own/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [Whatever they may be in public life, whatever their relations with men, in their relations with women, all men are rapists and that's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/whatever-they-may-be-in-public-life-whatever-their-relations-with-men/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) [Explore all 84 Marilyn French quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) ## More Facts quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [He bombarded me with words, of all things, apparently clueless to the fact that the predawn hours rendered me incapable of coherent thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/he-bombarded-me-with-words-of-all-things-apparently-clueless-to-the/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) [C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/) > [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [Le biologiste passe, la grenouille reste. The biologist passes, the frog remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/le-biologiste-passe-la-grenouille-reste-the-biologist-passes-the-frog/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [The fact -- not theory -- that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gaylord-simpson/the-fact-not-theory-that-evolution-has-occurred-and-the-darwinian/) [George Gaylord Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gaylord-simpson/) [Browse all 19,906 Facts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd discovered you never know yourself until you're tested and that you don't even know you're being tested until afterwards, and that in fact there isn't anyone giving the test except yourself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marilyn French" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-until-you-re-tested-and-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Facts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-until-you-re-tested-and-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/marilyn-french-8026_facts_i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-u_2784864.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/marilyn-french-8026_facts_i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-u_2784864.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62a/marilyn-french-8026_facts_i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-u_2784864.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd discovered you never know yourself until you're tested and that you don't even know you're being tested…” — Marilyn French", "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": "Marilyn French", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd discovered you never know yourself...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-until-you-re-tested-and-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/i-d-discovered-you-never-know-yourself-until-you-re-tested-and-that/#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 } } ] } ```