--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can never establish with certainty…" description: "\"“We can never establish with certainty which part of our relations with others is the result of our emotions--love, antipathy, charity, or malice--and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/milan-kundera-120_antipathy_we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-wh_2045225.jpg" --- # We can never establish with certainty which part of our… ![“We can never establish with certainty which part of our relations with others is the result of our emotions--love, antipathy, charity, or malice--and what part is predetermined by the constant power play among individuals.” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/milan-kundera-120_antipathy_we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-wh_2045225.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/milan-kundera-120_antipathy_we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-wh_2045225.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/milan-kundera-120_antipathy_we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-wh_2045225.jpg) > ““We can never establish with certainty which part of our relations with others is the result of our emotions--love, antipathy, charity, or malice--and what part is predetermined by the constant power play among individuals.”” [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human relationships blend emotional impulses with power dynamics, making motives ambiguous. **In simple terms:** Emotions and power mix in relationships. Key Takeaway Question motives before judging. Themes relationships power emotion motivation Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical insightful When to use this quote - personal relationships - political negotiations - team collaborations - family dynamics Key Concepts philosophy psychology social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate feeling from strategy? - Can power dynamics be fully recognized? A Different Perspective Emotions can be misleading, obscuring true intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antipathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antipathy/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Charity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charity/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Malice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malice/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Power play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-play/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) ## Related quotes > [ “He had been dazzled. Because of the dazzling brightness, he had had to kill \[Seigen\]. 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All of my emotions, my love, my trust, wrapped up in this embrace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/i-kiss-him-my-mouth-on-his-without-fear-without-thought-all-of-my/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [There are only two emotions: love and fear. All positive emotions come from love, all negative emotions from fear. From love flows happiness, contentment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-only-two-emotions-love-and-fear-all-positive-emotions-come/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You may control and suppress other emotions,but,love cannot be controlled or suppressed.Love happens from heart not from mind.And you cannot control emotion which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bibeka/you-may-control-and-suppress-other-emotions-but-love-cannot-be/) [Bibeka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bibeka/) > [“Kindered spiritsm Best when near it, Near the closest hand, Sounds heard loudest bland. Never near heart and soul... Emotions of love lost as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gale/kindered-spiritsm-best-when-near-it-near-the-closest-hand-sounds/) Michael Gale > [There are two emotions: love and fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/there-are-two-emotions-love-and-fear/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [“Unrequited love is the only emotion that allows sane people to taste the “life sentence” of someone with bipolar disorder. The longer they hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/unrequited-love-is-the-only-emotion-that-allows-sane-people-to-taste/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I show emotions because I love this game so much and I can't take it for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-correa/i-show-emotions-because-i-love-this-game-so-much-and-i-can-t-take-it/) [Carlos Correa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-correa/) ## More by Milan Kundera > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/our-lives-may-be-separate-but-they-run-in-the-same-direction-like/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-we-ignore-the-body-we-are-more-easily-victimized-by-it/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## More Antipathy quotes > [ANTIPATHY, n. The sentiment inspired by one's friend's friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/antipathy-n-the-sentiment-inspired-by-one-s-friend-s-friend/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“Our natures own predilections and antipathies alike strange. There are people from whom we secretly shrink, whom we would personally avoid, though reason confesses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/our-natures-own-predilections-and-antipathies-alike-strange-there-are/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [The double law of attraction and radiation or of sympathy and antipathy, of fixedness and movement, which is the principle of Creation, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pike/the-double-law-of-attraction-and-radiation-or-of-sympathy-and/) [Albert Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pike/) > [If people tell you what you really don't want to hear what's unpleasant-there's an almost automatic reaction of antipathy. You have to train yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-people-tell-you-what-you-really-don-t-want-to-hear-what-s/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I do not dislike the French from the vulgar antipathy between neighboring nations, but for their insolent and unfounded air of superiority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-walpole/i-do-not-dislike-the-french-from-the-vulgar-antipathy-between/) [Horace Walpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-walpole/) > [Above all things the mass-mind is most bitterly resentful of superiority. It will not tolerate the thought of an elite; and under a political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/above-all-things-the-mass-mind-is-most-bitterly-resentful-of/) [Albert J. Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-nock/) > [The thing about youthful offenders is that no one seems to care about them. Most people don't like adolescents - even the good ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/the-thing-about-youthful-offenders-is-that-no-one-seems-to-care-about/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [Dread is a sympathetic antipathy and an antipathetic sympathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/dread-is-a-sympathetic-antipathy-and-an-antipathetic-sympathy/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [The Americans are poor haters in international affairs because of their innate feeling of superiority over all foreigners. An American's hatred for a fellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-americans-are-poor-haters-in-international-affairs-because-of/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [An aphorism is a mental exercise, psychical, logical, linguistic, spiritual, ritual, emotional and rational, it is a major conceptual and literary activity, a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/an-aphorism-is-a-mental-exercise-psychical-logical-linguistic/) [William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/) > [Theoretically, we Mennonites do not even know what we look like, since a focus on our personal appearance is vainglorious. Our antipathy to vainglory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/theoretically-we-mennonites-do-not-even-know-what-we-look-like-since/) [Rhoda Janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/) > [Nothing is more essential, than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular Nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/nothing-is-more-essential-than-that-permanent-inveterate-antipathies/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [A woman may very well form a friendship with a man, but for this to endure, it must be assisted by a little physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/a-woman-may-very-well-form-a-friendship-with-a-man-but-for-this-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [ “He had been dazzled. Because of the dazzling brightness, he had had to kill \[Seigen\]. All who had encountered Seigen had had their hearts… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takayuki-yamaguchi/he-had-been-dazzled-because-of-the-dazzling-brightness-he-had-had-to/) [Takayuki Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takayuki-yamaguchi/) > [Our prejudices, our antipathies, are our natural defenses against what we could not assimilate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-clifford-barney/our-prejudices-our-antipathies-are-our-natural-defenses-against-what/) [Natalie Clifford Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-clifford-barney/) [Browse all 82 Antipathy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antipathy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We can never establish with certainty which part of our relations with others is the result of our emotions--love, antipathy, charity, or malice--and what part is predetermined by the constant power play among individuals.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milan Kundera" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-which-part-of-our-relations/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Antipathy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-which-part-of-our-relations/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/milan-kundera-120_antipathy_we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-wh_2045225.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/milan-kundera-120_antipathy_we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-wh_2045225.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/553/milan-kundera-120_antipathy_we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-wh_2045225.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can never establish with certainty which part of our relations with others is the result of our…” — Milan Kundera", "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": "Milan Kundera", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We can never establish with certainty...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-which-part-of-our-relations/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/we-can-never-establish-with-certainty-which-part-of-our-relations/#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 } } ] } ```