--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at…" description: "\"We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at times we even have a glimmer of who we are, but in the end we can never be sure, and as our lives go on, we bec..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1f/paul-auster-351_boundaries_we-exist-for-ourselves-perhaps-and-at-ti_1636718.jpg" --- # We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at times we even have… ![“We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at times we even have a glimmer of who we are, but in the end we can never be sure, and as our lives go on, we become more and more opaque to ourselves, more and more aware of our own incoherence. No one can cross the boundary into another – for the simple…” quote by Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1f/paul-auster-351_boundaries_we-exist-for-ourselves-perhaps-and-at-ti_1636718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1f/paul-auster-351_boundaries_we-exist-for-ourselves-perhaps-and-at-ti_1636718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1f/paul-auster-351_boundaries_we-exist-for-ourselves-perhaps-and-at-ti_1636718.jpg) > “We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at times we even have a glimmer of who we are, but in the end we can never be sure, and as our lives go on, we become more and more opaque to ourselves, more and more aware of our own incoherence. No one can cross the boundary into another – for the simple reason that no one can gain access to himself.” [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) ## 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 is elusive; we can never fully grasp our own identity or coherence. **In simple terms:** We can’t fully understand ourselves. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and explore self‑reflection. Themes identity self‑knowledge uncertainty Mood introspective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - therapy sessions - creative writing - personal journaling - mindfulness practice - philosophical debate Key Concepts subjectivity self‑perception existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What methods help you uncover hidden aspects of yourself? - Can we ever truly know another person? A Different Perspective Self‑reflection can lead to false certainty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aware Incoherence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aware-incoherence-532566/) [Boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist/) [Exist Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist-times-532567/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goes-on/) [Incoherence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incoherence/) [Life goes on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-goes-on/) [Lives Opaque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-opaque-532565/) [Opaque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opaque/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Who we are](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-we-are/) ## Related quotes > [No one can cross the boundary into another -- for the simple reason that no one can gain access to himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/no-one-can-cross-the-boundary-into-another-for-the-simple-reason-that/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [There are times in my life when I've wanted never to exist. 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