--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A stranger can see in an instant…" description: "\"A stranger can see in an instant something in you that you might spend years learning about yourself. How awful we all are when we look at ourselves un..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/105/stephen-elliott-34300_about-yourself_a-stranger-can-see-in-an-instant-somethi_64132.jpg" --- # A stranger can see in an instant something in you that you… ![“A stranger can see in an instant something in you that you might spend years learning about yourself. How awful we all are when we look at ourselves under a light, finally seeing our reflections. How little we know about ourselves. How much forgiveness it must take to love a person, to choose not…” quote by Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/105/stephen-elliott-34300_about-yourself_a-stranger-can-see-in-an-instant-somethi_64132.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/105/stephen-elliott-34300_about-yourself_a-stranger-can-see-in-an-instant-somethi_64132.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/105/stephen-elliott-34300_about-yourself_a-stranger-can-see-in-an-instant-somethi_64132.jpg) > “A stranger can see in an instant something in you that you might spend years learning about yourself. How awful we all are when we look at ourselves under a light, finally seeing our reflections. How little we know about ourselves. How much forgiveness it must take to love a person, to choose not to see their flaws, or to see those flaws and love the person anyway. If you never forgive you’ll always be alone.” [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) ## 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 often shallow; others can perceive hidden aspects instantly, revealing our blind spots and the need for forgiveness. **In simple terms:** We often misjudge ourselves, others see our true selves. Key Takeaway Forgiveness enables deeper connection. Themes self-awareness perception forgiveness relationship vulnerability Mood reflective hopeful introspective Type aphor observation When to use this quote - personal growth - conflict resolution - intimate relationships - team dynamics Key Concepts reflection empathy self‑knowledge Practical Applications - coaching - therapy Questions to Reflect On - How can we cultivate humility to accept others' insights? - What role does forgiveness play in sustaining relationships? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about-yourself/) [And love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/and-love/) [Awful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awful/) [End Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-year/) [Flaws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaws/) [Forgiveness love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness-love/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [Instant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instant/) [Know Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-forgiveness-307508/) [Learning about yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-about-yourself/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Never forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-forgive/) [Person Forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-forgive-788203/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Reflections Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflections-little-861696/) [Seeing Reflections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeing-reflections-861695/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [“How awful we are all when we look at ourselves under a light, finally seeing our reflections+. How little we know about ourselves. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/how-awful-we-are-all-when-we-look-at-ourselves-under-a-light-finally/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [“According to Jung, a stranger can see in an instant something in you that you might spend years learning about yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/according-to-jung-a-stranger-can-see-in-an-instant-something-in-you/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [I think that no matter how old you get, you are always learning about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-jordison/i-think-that-no-matter-how-old-you-get-you-are-always-learning-about/) [Joey Jordison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-jordison/) > [“Becoming free is learning about yourself; the scared and the insecure, the brilliant and the bold. Embrace both and the journey is yours and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riitta-klint/becoming-free-is-learning-about-yourself-the-scared-and-the-insecure/) [Riitta Klint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riitta-klint/) > [So you have to be your own teacher and your own disciple, and there is no teacher outside, no saviour, no master; you yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/so-you-have-to-be-your-own-teacher-and-your-own-disciple-and-there-is/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Knowledge about yourself binds, weighs, ties you down; there is no freedom to move, and you act and move within the limits of thatknowledge.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/knowledge-about-yourself-binds-weighs-ties-you-down-there-is-no/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [The more you learn about yourself and your family tree, your self-esteem goes up. They will learn archival skills, historical analysis and science skills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-more-you-learn-about-yourself-and-your-family-tree-your-self/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [The older you get, you always learn more. Sometimes it's a process of learning about yourself and what your journey is. Sometimes the process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-spencer/the-older-you-get-you-always-learn-more-sometimes-it-s-a-process-of/) [Octavia Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-spencer/) > [“In case you haven't thought of this already, I will put it to you directly. You are learning about yourself as Spirit, learning ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-katherine-ginnis/in-case-you-haven-t-thought-of-this-already-i-will-put-it-to-you/) [Erika Katherine Ginnis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-katherine-ginnis/) > [Learning about yourself can be a hugely emotional process, but if you approach it with honesty, you will find it cleansing and therapeutic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/learning-about-yourself-can-be-a-hugely-emotional-process-but-if-you/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [A power struggle collapses when you withdraw your energy from it. Power struggles become uninteresting to you when you change your intention from winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/a-power-struggle-collapses-when-you-withdraw-your-energy-from-it/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [You're always learning about yourself, if you're honest with yourself. It's very tough to be honest with yourself. We all are dishonest with ourselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/you-re-always-learning-about-yourself-if-you-re-honest-with-yourself/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) > [There's not enough focus put on learning about yourself and how that can teach you more than certain subjects can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/there-s-not-enough-focus-put-on-learning-about-yourself-and-how-that/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [You will know that forgiveness and healing has begun when you recall those who have hurt you and feel the power to wish them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kreger/you-will-know-that-forgiveness-and-healing-has-begun-when-you-recall/) [David Kreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kreger/) > [Forgiveness is a stunning principle, your ticket out of hate and fear and chaos. ... I know what regret feels like; I've earned my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-johnson/forgiveness-is-a-stunning-principle-your-ticket-out-of-hate-and-fear/) [Barbara Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-johnson/) ## More by Stephen Elliott > [“When we die our argument dies with us. The argument we never articulated well enough, that we were failed by our parents, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/when-we-die-our-argument-dies-with-us-the-argument-we-never/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [“What we remember, and how we order and interpret what we believe to be true, are what shapes who we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/what-we-remember-and-how-we-order-and-interpret-what-we-believe-to-be/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [The best book I read in 2007 was Stoner by John Williams. 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Well, let me be the first to tell you, you will never fix yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/you-think-you-can-t-fix-anything-until-you-fix-yourselves-well-let-me/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [“According to Jung, a stranger can see in an instant something in you that you might spend years learning about yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/according-to-jung-a-stranger-can-see-in-an-instant-something-in-you/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [That’s why you have to write your book right now, if that’s what you want to do. If you wait until you have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/that-s-why-you-have-to-write-your-book-right-now-if-that-s-what-you/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [“They both knew when it was appropriate to eat and how to give a compliment, and spent a lot of time saying hello and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/they-both-knew-when-it-was-appropriate-to-eat-and-how-to-give-a/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [“We understand the world by how we retrieve memories, re-order information into stories to justify how we feel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/we-understand-the-world-by-how-we-retrieve-memories-re-order/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [Tom Kealey might be my favorite short story writer and this astonishing collection is long overdue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/tom-kealey-might-be-my-favorite-short-story-writer-and-this/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [If you never forgive you'll always be alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/if-you-never-forgive-you-ll-always-be-alone/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [You'd be amazed how much fun you can have if you get out of your own head. The problem is that now people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/you-d-be-amazed-how-much-fun-you-can-have-if-you-get-out-of-your-own/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) > [“How awful we are all when we look at ourselves under a light, finally seeing our reflections+. How little we know about ourselves. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-elliott/how-awful-we-are-all-when-we-look-at-ourselves-under-a-light-finally/) [Stephen Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) [Explore all 14 Stephen Elliott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-elliott/) ## More About yourself quotes > [“they all have always loved you Will Herondale, for you cannot hide what is good about yourself, however har you try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/they-all-have-always-loved-you-will-herondale-for-you-cannot-hide/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/if-you-can-t-love-yourself-how-in-the-hell-you-gonna-love-somebody/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Change your thoughts, change your life. —LAO TZU When I was fighting depression, I remember hearing this expression and not understanding it at first.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demi-lovato/change-your-thoughts-change-your-life-lao-tzu-when-i-was-fighting/) [Demi Lovato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demi-lovato/) > [Dreams really tell you about yourself more than anything else in this world could ever tell you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-browne/dreams-really-tell-you-about-yourself-more-than-anything-else-in-this/) [Sylvia Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-browne/) > [Celebrate all the things you don't like about yourself. love yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/celebrate-all-the-things-you-don-t-like-about-yourself-love-yourself/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [Start enjoying the things you like about yourself, and if there are things you want to change, either get to work on it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benji-madden/start-enjoying-the-things-you-like-about-yourself-and-if-there-are/) [Benji Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benji-madden/) > [Always be yourself. There's only one you. You should embrace anything that you don't like about yourself because that's individual and that's you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesy-nelson/always-be-yourself-there-s-only-one-you-you-should-embrace-anything/) [Jesy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesy-nelson/) > [It's too distracting to read about yourself. You want to be perfect and you want everyone to love you, and that's never going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/it-s-too-distracting-to-read-about-yourself-you-want-to-be-perfect/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-want-to-know-how-to-make-people-shun-you-and-laugh-at-you/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [The only thing a master can teach is how to learn about yourself. There are no secrets. They are only techniques to waken yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/the-only-thing-a-master-can-teach-is-how-to-learn-about-yourself/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [I don't want to sell myself short. You hurt your spouse, not so much by the infidelity, but by the negative feelings about yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-zaslow/i-don-t-want-to-sell-myself-short-you-hurt-your-spouse-not-so-much-by/) [Michael Zaslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-zaslow/) > [Knowing is the most profound kind of love, giving someone the gift of knowledge about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-norman/knowing-is-the-most-profound-kind-of-love-giving-someone-the-gift-of/) [Marsha Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-norman/) > [Start telling the truth now and never stop. Begin by telling the truth to yourself about yourself. Then tell the truth to yourself about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/start-telling-the-truth-now-and-never-stop-begin-by-telling-the-truth/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your gifts. It means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-temple/humility-does-not-mean-thinking-less-of-yourself-than-other-people/) [William Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-temple/) [Browse all 770 About yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A stranger can see in an instant something in you that you might spend years learning about yourself. How awful we all are when we look at ourselves under a light, finally seeing our reflections. How little we know about ourselves. 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