--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because the truth is, we never know for…" description: "\"“Because the truth is, we never know for sure about ourselves. Who we'll sleep with if given the opportunity, who we'll betray in the right circumstanc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-russo-1691_children_because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-s_2087669.jpg" --- # Because the truth is, we never know for sure about… ![“Because the truth is, we never know for sure about ourselves. Who we'll sleep with if given the opportunity, who we'll betray in the right circumstance, whose faith and love we will reward with our own…Only after we've done a thing do we know what we'll do, and by then whatever we've done has…” quote by Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-russo-1691_children_because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-s_2087669.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-russo-1691_children_because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-s_2087669.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-russo-1691_children_because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-s_2087669.jpg) > ““Because the truth is, we never know for sure about ourselves. Who we'll sleep with if given the opportunity, who we'll betray in the right circumstance, whose faith and love we will reward with our own…Only after we've done a thing do we know what we'll do, and by then whatever we've done has already begun to sever itself from clear significance, at least for the doer. Which is why we have spouses and children and parents and colleagues and friends, because someone has to know us better than we know ourselves. We need them to tell us. We need them to say, 'I know you, Al. You're not the kind of man who.”” [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights that self‑knowledge emerges only after actions, stressing relationships for external perspective **In simple terms:** We learn about ourselves through deeds and others’ insights Key Takeaway Seek feedback from close relationships Themes self‑knowledge relationships reflection Mood introspective thoughtful Type psychological philosophical When to use this quote - personal journaling - therapy sessions - close‑friend discussions Key Concepts identity formation interpersonal insight Questions to Reflect On - What does your last action reveal about you? - Who in your life sees you most clearly? A Different Perspective Relying on others can blur personal accountability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Faith and love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-and-love/) [Friends Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-know/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-better/) [Ll Betray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ll-betray-362181/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-know/) ## Related quotes > [“...the truth is, we never know for sure about ourselves. Who we'll sleep with if given the opportunity, who we'll betray in the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-sure-about-ourselves-who-we-ll-sleep/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Because the truth is, we never know for sure about ourselves. Who we'll sleep with if given the opportunity, who we'll betray in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-sure-about-ourselves-who-we-ll-2/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“That's the problem with best friends. Sometimes they know you better than you know yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-von-ziegesar/that-s-the-problem-with-best-friends-sometimes-they-know-you-better/) [Cecily von Ziegesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-von-ziegesar/) > [Your friends will know you better in the first minute they meet you than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/your-friends-will-know-you-better-in-the-first-minute-they-meet-you/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [“Nobody trusts their gut anymore, but they ought to. Sometimes wires get crossed in the brain, things get all jumbled, everything gets confused, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/nobody-trusts-their-gut-anymore-but-they-ought-to-sometimes-wires-get/) [J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/) > [“ Is there anything you do that isn't designed to take you a step closer to the other side?" (...) Do you want that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-w-hill/is-there-anything-you-do-that-isn-t-designed-to-take-you-a-step/) [joey w. hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-w-hill/) > [“You'll betray me then I'll forgive you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/you-ll-betray-me-then-i-ll-forgive-you-again/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Which is why we have spouses and children and parents and colleagues and friends, because someone has to know us better than we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/which-is-why-we-have-spouses-and-children-and-parents-and-colleagues/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“i have friends who know everything there is to know about life except how to enjoy it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darnell-lamont-walker/i-have-friends-who-know-everything-there-is-to-know-about-life-except/) [Darnell Lamont Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darnell-lamont-walker/) > [When your up, your friends know who you are. When you're down, you know who your friends are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anmol-andore/when-your-up-your-friends-know-who-you-are-when-you-re-down-you-know/) [Anmol Andore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anmol-andore/) > [I know that you're better off making your own products, not just waiting for someone to hand you something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-winslow/i-know-that-you-re-better-off-making-your-own-products-not-just/) [Michael Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-winslow/) > [I'm not sure if men really understand this, but I don't think there's a woman in America who really expects her life to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-romney/i-m-not-sure-if-men-really-understand-this-but-i-don-t-think-there-s/) [Ann Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-romney/) > [I know you better than you know yourself. So don't say I'm crazy, I know very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fefe-dobson/i-know-you-better-than-you-know-yourself-so-don-t-say-i-m-crazy-i/) [Fefe Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fefe-dobson/) > [It's not the truth that you know, but the truth that you obey that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-hunt/it-s-not-the-truth-that-you-know-but-the-truth-that-you-obey-that/) [Johnny Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-hunt/) > [I think everybody's talking about like facts and truth and you know like that 'We're here to fact check' and all of that, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-polgreen/i-think-everybody-s-talking-about-like-facts-and-truth-and-you-know/) [Lydia Polgreen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-polgreen/) ## More by Richard Russo > [“The problem with the contemplative life was that there was no end to contemplation, no fixed time limit after which thought had to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/the-problem-with-the-contemplative-life-was-that-there-was-no-end-to/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“That, very simply, was what adulthood must be all about—acquiring the skill to bury things more deeply. Out of sight and, whenever possible, out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-very-simply-was-what-adulthood-must-be-all-about-acquiring-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Miles couldn't help admiring women for their ability to dismiss the evidence of their senses. If that's what explained it. If it wasn't simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/miles-couldn-t-help-admiring-women-for-their-ability-to-dismiss-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [That afternoon I came to understand that one of the deepest purposes of intellectual sophistication is to provide distance between us and our most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/that-afternoon-i-came-to-understand-that-one-of-the-deepest-purposes/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Lucy, who apparently had no idea his girlfriend's father held him in such low regard, agreed with Noonan that he was pushing the envelope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/lucy-who-apparently-had-no-idea-his-girlfriend-s-father-held-him-in/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Movies have to handle time very efficiently. They're about stringing scenes together in the present. Novels aren't necessarily about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/movies-have-to-handle-time-very-efficiently-they-re-about-stringing/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [When authors who write literary fiction begin to write screenplays, everybody assumes that's the end. Here's another who's never going to write well again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/when-authors-who-write-literary-fiction-begin-to-write-screenplays/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“There was something about spending money they didn't really have that made him optimistic about more coming in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/there-was-something-about-spending-money-they-didn-t-really-have-that/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Some authors have a very hard time understanding that in order to be faithful to the spirit of the book, it's almost always impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/some-authors-have-a-very-hard-time-understanding-that-in-order-to-be/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [HBO is really famous for hiring good people and staying out of their way until they ask for help, or need it. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/hbo-is-really-famous-for-hiring-good-people-and-staying-out-of-their/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of material in the world. Or in my head. I just pray for continued good health, because I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-material-in-the-world-or-in-my/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [Where was the middle ground between a sense of adventure and just plain sense?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/where-was-the-middle-ground-between-a-sense-of-adventure-and-just/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“Non basta una vita "One life isn't enough”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/non-basta-una-vita-one-life-isn-t-enough/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“... Mr. Purty has cheered me up. The task he has chosen for himself, of wooing my mother with a bright red pickup truck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/mr-purty-has-cheered-me-up-the-task-he-has-chosen-for-himself-of/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) > [“So what? Few men, Miles reflected, lived so comfortably within the confines of a two.word personal philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/so-what-few-men-miles-reflected-lived-so-comfortably-within-the/) [Richard Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) [Explore all 214 Richard Russo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Because the truth is, we never know for sure about ourselves. Who we'll sleep with if given the opportunity, who we'll betray in the right circumstance, whose faith and love we will reward with our own…Only after we've done a thing do we know what we'll do, and by then whatever we've done has already begun to sever itself from clear significance, at least for the doer. Which is why we have spouses and children and parents and colleagues and friends, because someone has to know us better than we know ourselves. We need them to tell us. We need them to say, 'I know you, Al. You're not the kind of man who.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Russo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-sure-about-ourselves-who-we-ll/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-sure-about-ourselves-who-we-ll/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-russo-1691_children_because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-s_2087669.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-russo-1691_children_because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-s_2087669.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/richard-russo-1691_children_because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-s_2087669.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Because the truth is, we never know for sure about ourselves. Who we'll sleep with if given the opportunity…” — Richard Russo", "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": "Richard Russo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-russo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Because the truth is, we never...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-sure-about-ourselves-who-we-ll/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-russo/because-the-truth-is-we-never-know-for-sure-about-ourselves-who-we-ll/#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 } } ] } ```