---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How I wish you could have known me in my…"
description: "\"“How I wish you could have known me in my strength.”\" — Marilynne Robinson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/marilynne-robinson-602_beauty_how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my_1526485.png"
---

#  How I wish you could have known me in my strength.

![“How I wish you could have known me in my strength.” quote by Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/marilynne-robinson-602_beauty_how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my_1526485.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/marilynne-robinson-602_beauty_how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my_1526485.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/marilynne-robinson-602_beauty_how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my_1526485.png)

> ““How I wish you could have known me in my strength.””

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

## 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 longs for others to recognize their inner strength rather than just their vulnerabilities.

**In simple terms:** Want to be seen for strengths.

Key Takeaway

Seek to reveal your strengths.

Themes

self‑acceptance identity recognition

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

personal inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- leadership
- mental health
- career advancement

Key Concepts

vulnerability strength self‑perception

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you demonstrate your strengths?
- What prevents others from seeing them?

A Different Perspective

Strength may be hidden or misunderstood.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Brave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Fortitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortitude/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known/) [Known Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/known-strength-364379/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Precious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precious/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Wish Known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish-known-233249/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm known for my strength and it helped that from a young age I was carrying around crates of beer or carpets and heavy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/i-m-known-for-my-strength-and-it-helped-that-from-a-young-age-i-was/)

[Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/)

> [“It is worth living long enough to outlast whatever sense of grievance you may acquire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/it-is-worth-living-long-enough-to-outlast-whatever-sense-of-grievance/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [I wish I'd known what type of learner I was as a child - I could have done better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/i-wish-i-d-known-what-type-of-learner-i-was-as-a-child-i-could-have/)

[Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/)

> [I wish I would have known Kurt Cobain. I would have been the first guy there to get him help, doing anything I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-hagar/i-wish-i-would-have-known-kurt-cobain-i-would-have-been-the-first-guy/)

[Sammy Hagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-hagar/)

> [I wish I would have known how much of a douche you'd turn out to be, time changes everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-would-have-known-how-much-of-a-douche-you-d-turn-out-to-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I wish I had known my mother, but I've only met her twice. I can only figure about people who were there for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-hucknall/i-wish-i-had-known-my-mother-but-i-ve-only-met-her-twice-i-can-only/)

[Mick Hucknall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-hucknall/)

> [I wish I’d known that one day the geek would inherit the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-capaldi/i-wish-i-d-known-that-one-day-the-geek-would-inherit-the-earth/)

[Peter Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-capaldi/)

> [“Wish I had known what seemed so strong has been and gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-blunt/wish-i-had-known-what-seemed-so-strong-has-been-and-gone/)

[James Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-blunt/)

> [I wish I had known that it's OK to stand up for myself. That it's also OK to not be liked but to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-platten/i-wish-i-had-known-that-it-s-ok-to-stand-up-for-myself-that-it-s-also/)

[Rachel Platten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-platten/)

> [“I was rich in those days, for a week I had everything. I wish I'd known you then.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-mckuen/i-was-rich-in-those-days-for-a-week-i-had-everything-i-wish-i-d-known/)

[Rod McKuen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-mckuen/)

> [“I tell her everything I wish I had ever known.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristin-terrill/i-tell-her-everything-i-wish-i-had-ever-known/)

[Cristin Terrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristin-terrill/)

> [I wish I'd known early what I had to learn late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-ashburn/i-wish-i-d-known-early-what-i-had-to-learn-late/)

[Richie Ashburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-ashburn/)

> [I wish I'd known sooner that success isn't defined by who goes the longest without vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/i-wish-i-d-known-sooner-that-success-isn-t-defined-by-who-goes-the/)

[Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/)

> [Whereas it has long been known and declared that the poor have no right to the property of the rich, I wish it also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/whereas-it-has-long-been-known-and-declared-that-the-poor-have-no/)

[John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/)

> [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

## More by Marilynne Robinson

> [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [For our purposes as human beings, the mind is the center of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/for-our-purposes-as-human-beings-the-mind-is-the-center-of-everything/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“I think sometimes there might be an advantage in making people aware how worn and stale these old transgressions are. It might take some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/i-think-sometimes-there-might-be-an-advantage-in-making-people-aware/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [There are two occasions when the sacred beauty of Creation becomes dazzlingly apparent, and they occur together. One is when we feel our mortal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/there-are-two-occasions-when-the-sacred-beauty-of-creation-becomes/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [My Calvinism persuades me that we are open to God, in the sense that we are not delimited, not organisms with fixed attributes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-calvinism-persuades-me-that-we-are-open-to-god-in-the-sense-that/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“You can know a thing to death and be for all purposes completely ignorant of it. A man can know his father, or his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/you-can-know-a-thing-to-death-and-be-for-all-purposes-completely/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [I listen to Bach a great deal. In general I like to listen to hymns and liturgical music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/i-listen-to-bach-a-great-deal-in-general-i-like-to-listen-to-hymns/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“Every writer I know, when asked how to become a writer, responds with one word:Read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/every-writer-i-know-when-asked-how-to-become-a-writer-responds-with/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“Faith for her was habit and family loyalty, a reverence for the Bible which was also literary, admiration for her mother and father. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/faith-for-her-was-habit-and-family-loyalty-a-reverence-for-the-bible/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“Prayer is a discipline in truthfulness, in honesty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/prayer-is-a-discipline-in-truthfulness-in-honesty/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.’ There are pleasures to be found where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/the-full-soul-loatheth-an-honeycomb-but-to-the-hungry-soul-every/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [I sometimes am discouraged by what seems to be a sort of conventional disparagement of humankind. I think often people feel that they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/i-sometimes-am-discouraged-by-what-seems-to-be-a-sort-of-conventional/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [Now that I look back, it seems to me that in all that deep darkness a miracle was preparing. So I am right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/now-that-i-look-back-it-seems-to-me-that-in-all-that-deep-darkness-a/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“My grandfather once told her if you couldn't read with cold feet, there wouldn't be a literate soul in the state of Maine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-grandfather-once-told-her-if-you-couldn-t-read-with-cold-feet/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

> [“Cranky old Leviticus gave us—gave Christ—not only “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” but also the rather forgotten “Thou shalt love the stranger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/cranky-old-leviticus-gave-us-gave-christ-not-only-thou-shalt-love-thy/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

[Explore all 450 Marilynne Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

## More Beauty quotes

> [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/)

[Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/)

> [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/)

[John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/)

> [To fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity, and still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tool/to-fathom-the-power-to-witness-the-beauty-to-bathe-in-the-fountain-to/)

[Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tool/)

> [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/)

[Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/)

> [“We've all met people who are beautiful on the outside, however, when they open their mouths to speak, they have nothing of substance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-ve-all-met-people-who-are-beautiful-on-the-outside-however-when/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/)

[Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/)

> [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/)

[Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/)

> [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/)

[Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/)

> [Time can but make her beauty over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/time-can-but-make-her-beauty-over-again/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

> [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/)

[Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/)

> [“What about you? What do you do?” I needed to ask questions, draw him out. I needed to find out all the information I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-avery-ellison/what-about-you-what-do-you-do-i-needed-to-ask-questions-draw-him-out/)

[Kate Avery Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-avery-ellison/)

[Browse all 24,662 Beauty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“How I wish you could have known me in my strength.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marilynne Robinson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my-strength/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beauty"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my-strength/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/marilynne-robinson-602_beauty_how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my_1526485.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/marilynne-robinson-602_beauty_how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my_1526485.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/marilynne-robinson-602_beauty_how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my_1526485.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“How I wish you could have known me in my strength.” — Marilynne Robinson",
                "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": "Marilynne Robinson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“How I wish you could have...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my-strength/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/how-i-wish-you-could-have-known-me-in-my-strength/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
