--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the case of complex personalities the…" description: "\"In the case of complex personalities the matter stands thus: one of these can understand other men better than they can understand themselves, because ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/otto-weininger-11319_cases_in-the-case-of-complex-personalities-the_2452337.png" --- # In the case of complex personalities the matter stands… ![“In the case of complex personalities the matter stands thus: one of these can understand other men better than they can understand themselves, because within himself he has not only the character he is grasping, but also its opposite. Duality is necessary for observation and comprehension.” quote by Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/otto-weininger-11319_cases_in-the-case-of-complex-personalities-the_2452337.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/otto-weininger-11319_cases_in-the-case-of-complex-personalities-the_2452337.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/otto-weininger-11319_cases_in-the-case-of-complex-personalities-the_2452337.png) > “In the case of complex personalities the matter stands thus: one of these can understand other men better than they can understand themselves, because within himself he has not only the character he is grasping, but also its opposite. Duality is necessary for observation and comprehension.” [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding others requires recognizing both their traits and their opposites within oneself, highlighting duality as essential for true comprehension. **In simple terms:** Seeing both sides of a person helps understanding. Key Takeaway Embrace dual perspectives. Themes understanding duality self‑knowledge Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - conflict resolution - leadership training - personal reflection - team building Key Concepts psychology philosophy empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance opposing traits? - What benefits arise from seeing both sides? A Different Perspective Duality may cause internal conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Duality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duality/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) ## Related quotes > [Napoleon was one of the most complex personalities in history.He was ruthless, small in stature, a bully, vulnerable, unfaithful and I think he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/napoleon-was-one-of-the-most-complex-personalities-in-history-he-was/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [Cities have distinct personalities. It's a matter of knowing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/cities-have-distinct-personalities-it-s-a-matter-of-knowing-it/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [Individuals do matter and personalities matter in politics. But if issues are sidestepped due to personalities, then that is very dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arvind-kejriwal/individuals-do-matter-and-personalities-matter-in-politics-but-if/) [Arvind Kejriwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arvind-kejriwal/) > [When a script moves me, I find that I immediately understand a character. Of course not completely, but I do understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-cotillard/when-a-script-moves-me-i-find-that-i-immediately-understand-a/) [Marion Cotillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-cotillard/) > [When I act, I try to understand the character, why she's behaving like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sibel-kekilli/when-i-act-i-try-to-understand-the-character-why-she-s-behaving-like/) [Sibel Kekilli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sibel-kekilli/) > [My only job as an actor is to try and understand the character and, to the best of my ability, bring this character to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-warburton/my-only-job-as-an-actor-is-to-try-and-understand-the-character-and-to/) [Patrick Warburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-warburton/) > [I am an actor and I do not have to relate to whatever I play on screen them at a personal level. What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jisshu-sengupta/i-am-an-actor-and-i-do-not-have-to-relate-to-whatever-i-play-on/) [Jisshu Sengupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jisshu-sengupta/) > [It is quite impossible to understand the character of a person from one action, however striking that action may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/it-is-quite-impossible-to-understand-the-character-of-a-person-from/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [To be in theater you have to be a kind of psychologist, for you're always trying to understand character and motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/to-be-in-theater-you-have-to-be-a-kind-of-psychologist-for-you-re/) [John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/) > [When you are signing a film, you should not miss the beginning process which involves workshops and discussions; otherwise, it is difficult to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varun-dhawan/when-you-are-signing-a-film-you-should-not-miss-the-beginning-process/) [Varun Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varun-dhawan/) > [When we look at films, we usually see only the action. Yet it is the decision to act that helps us understand how the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-seger/when-we-look-at-films-we-usually-see-only-the-action-yet-it-is-the/) Linda Seger > [Robert De Niro taught me how to listen, and how to be part of the conversation. It's not just about reading your lines and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-moriarty/robert-de-niro-taught-me-how-to-listen-and-how-to-be-part-of-the/) [Cathy Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-moriarty/) > [I studied psychology in school, and the best psychology is in literature. It's so much easier to understand a character than a theory. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-portman/i-studied-psychology-in-school-and-the-best-psychology-is-in/) [Natalie Portman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-portman/) > [I love to work this way - I love the time of preparation. If you feed yourself with all the information and you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-cotillard/i-love-to-work-this-way-i-love-the-time-of-preparation-if-you-feed/) [Marion Cotillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-cotillard/) > [You can't understand a character intellectually, you have to become one with its emotional core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasika-dugal/you-can-t-understand-a-character-intellectually-you-have-to-become/) [Rasika Dugal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasika-dugal/) ## More by Otto Weininger > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [ No one suffers so much as he \[the genius\] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius-with-the-people-and-therefore/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“Only from within himself can a person know the depth of the world: in him lie the interconnections of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/only-from-within-himself-can-a-person-know-the-depth-of-the-world-in/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [No men who really think deeply about women retain a high opinion of them; men either despise women or they have never thought seriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/no-men-who-really-think-deeply-about-women-retain-a-high-opinion-of/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [“Napoleon the greatest of the conquerors, is a sufficient proof that great men of action are criminals, and, therefore not geniuses. 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