--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man is not what he thinks he is. He is…" description: "\"“Man is not what he thinks he is. He is what he hides. – André Malraux”\" — Pamela Crane" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/pamela-crane-83587_quote_man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-wh_1025066.jpg" --- # Man is not what he thinks he is. He is what he hides. –… ![“Man is not what he thinks he is. He is what he hides. – André Malraux” quote by Pamela Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/pamela-crane-83587_quote_man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-wh_1025066.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/pamela-crane-83587_quote_man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-wh_1025066.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/pamela-crane-83587_quote_man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-wh_1025066.jpg) > ““Man is not what he thinks he is. He is what he hides. – André Malraux”” Pamela Crane ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identity is defined more by hidden aspects than by conscious self‑concept. **In simple terms:** What we hide shapes us more than what we think. Key Takeaway Explore hidden parts of yourself. Themes identity self-deception psychology Mood introspective thoughtful Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - therapeutic settings - creative writing - self‑reflection exercises Key Concepts shadow self self-awareness personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What are you hiding that defines you? - How can acknowledging hidden traits change behavior? A Different Perspective May overlook the role of conscious intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-malraux/man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-what-he-hides/) [Andre Malraux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-malraux/) > [“It (Andre Malraux's The Psychology of Art)was too expensive to buy but I located a copy of this luminous book in the Manchester Art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-sproxton/it-andre-malraux-s-the-psychology-of-art-was-too-expensive-to-buy-but/) [Vernon Sproxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-sproxton/) > [“Ah! Books don't come all that often, at least not my way. Andre Malraux's The Psychology of Art was one of them. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-sproxton/ah-books-don-t-come-all-that-often-at-least-not-my-way-andre-malraux/) [Vernon Sproxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-sproxton/) > [I like people like Andre Malraux, Edmund Wilson, Willa Cather, Robert Graves, Erik Erikson, and Francis Steegmuller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-radziwill/i-like-people-like-andre-malraux-edmund-wilson-willa-cather-robert/) [Lee Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-radziwill/) > [“Man is whoever he thinks he is, within his own boundaries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dudley-davidson-jarrett/man-is-whoever-he-thinks-he-is-within-his-own-boundaries/) Dudley Davidson-Jarrett > [If a man thinks he is not conceited, he is very conceited indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-man-thinks-he-is-not-conceited-he-is-very-conceited-indeed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A wise man first thinks and then speaks and a fool speaks first and then thinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/a-wise-man-first-thinks-and-then-speaks-and-a-fool-speaks-first-and/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [“The man thinks of multiverses, of splits, of the momentous moments when there is a new reality created. He wonders about retroactive continuity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carljoe-javier/the-man-thinks-of-multiverses-of-splits-of-the-momentous-moments-when/) Carljoe Javier > [“And now that her dream has spread, he wonders if she would recognize it. And he wonders too if he were to die today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/and-now-that-her-dream-has-spread-he-wonders-if-she-would-recognize/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [Man, who thinks he knows everything. But what does man know...Man cares only for himself, in his fear and hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-clement-davies/man-who-thinks-he-knows-everything-but-what-does-man-know-man-cares/) [David Clement-Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-clement-davies/) > [“A great nation is like a great man...He thinks of his enemy as the shadow that he himself casts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-te-ching/a-great-nation-is-like-a-great-man-he-thinks-of-his-enemy-as-the/) [Tao Te Ching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-te-ching/) > [“Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. what a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/public-opinion-is-a-weak-tyrant-compared-with-our-own-private-opinion/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Here's how man thinks: "If no one's done it, why should I try? It's a waste of my time; but if he's done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nabil-n-jamal-2/here-s-how-man-thinks-if-no-one-s-done-it-why-should-i-try-it-s-a/) [Nabil N. Jamal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nabil-n-jamal-2/) > [“This is the man who thinks too much, who stands back from his life and never lives it. He is caught in a web…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-moore/this-is-the-man-who-thinks-too-much-who-stands-back-from-his-life-and/) [Robert L. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-moore/) > [“A man thinks it quite natural that he should fall out of love with a woman, but it never strikes him for a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-thinks-it-quite-natural-that-he-should-fall-out-of-love-with-a/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) ## More by Pamela Crane > [“A row of daffodils and red tulips nestled against the walkway beneath my feet. Stray weeds peeked up through the cracks in the concrete,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-crane/a-row-of-daffodils-and-red-tulips-nestled-against-the-walkway-beneath/) Pamela Crane > [“History is a set of lies agreed upon. – Napoléon Bonaparte”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-crane/history-is-a-set-of-lies-agreed-upon-napol-on-bonaparte/) Pamela Crane Explore all 3 Pamela Crane quotes ## More Andre Malraux quotes > [I like people like Andre Malraux, Edmund Wilson, Willa Cather, Robert Graves, Erik Erikson, and Francis Steegmuller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-radziwill/i-like-people-like-andre-malraux-edmund-wilson-willa-cather-robert/) [Lee Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-radziwill/) > [“Ah! Books don't come all that often, at least not my way. Andre Malraux's The Psychology of Art was one of them. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-sproxton/ah-books-don-t-come-all-that-often-at-least-not-my-way-andre-malraux/) [Vernon Sproxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-sproxton/) > [“It (Andre Malraux's The Psychology of Art)was too expensive to buy but I located a copy of this luminous book in the Manchester Art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-sproxton/it-andre-malraux-s-the-psychology-of-art-was-too-expensive-to-buy-but/) [Vernon Sproxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-sproxton/) Browse all 4 Andre Malraux quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Man is not what he thinks he is. He is what he hides. – André Malraux”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pamela Crane" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-crane/man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-what-he-hides-andr-malraux/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Andre Malraux" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-crane/man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-what-he-hides-andr-malraux/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/pamela-crane-83587_quote_man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-wh_1025066.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/pamela-crane-83587_quote_man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-wh_1025066.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/pamela-crane-83587_quote_man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-wh_1025066.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man is not what he thinks he is. He is what he hides. – André Malraux” — Pamela Crane", "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": "Pamela Crane", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-crane/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Man is not what he thinks...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-crane/man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-what-he-hides-andr-malraux/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-crane/man-is-not-what-he-thinks-he-is-he-is-what-he-hides-andr-malraux/#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 } } ] } ```